So what’s the rabbit?

Written By: - Date published: 8:32 pm, May 19th, 2010 - 53 comments
Categories: class war - Tags:

Tax cuts for the rich must have seemed like such a good idea a month or two ago. I mean the public had already sucked up the ACC hikes, forgiven the tax-cuts that never came (except for the rich) and shrugged off the cuts to education. Hell they’d even let subsidies for private schools and no-rights periods for vulnerable workers slide.

Surely John’s team could sell a few more breaks for the rich and an increase in gst. In fact all their polling was saying the punters were ready to make sacrifices for the good of the country. What with a recession and all.

And it’s it’s not like the media didn’t give them a green light. This was supposed to be the year of action they said, the budget that would showKey had steel. Sit on his hands? Not this guy – he haz vision!

It should have been a spindoctor’s cakewalk.

But like they say, a week is a long time in politics. And whether it was the mining of conservation parks, the dodgy double-cross of Tuhoe (which has raised some eyebrows in business circles) or rising unemployment or maybe the gallery just got tired of the bullshit. Whatever. The mood has turned.

And now the nats are getting desperate. We saw that with the “don’t be jealous” line and they’re trying it again this evening. The problem is nobody’s buying it. They got over-confident.

So what do you do when you can’t spin your way out of a problem?

You reach for the cheque book.

That’s why we’ll see the Nat’s pull a rabbit out of the hat tomorrow. It might be dropping the 33% rate.

But that’s really, really, really expensive (like several Whanau Ora’s a year expensive).

It might be income-splitting.

But that’s going to make Peter Dunn a lot happier than anyone wants, doesn’t do much for National’s single white male core and is also very costly.

It might be an increase in the tax credit for WFF.

But they’ve already said they’re going to crack down on that sort of thing.

I guess we’ll have to wait and see. But one thing is for sure: whatever the rabbit is it’ll be coming out of our pockets one way or another because you can’t give the likes of Paul Reynolds and Rob Fyfe tax breaks of thousands of dollars a week, balance the books and not be taking the money from somewhere.

One way or another the government plans (to quote mc 900 foot jesus) to buy you a new car with your own damn money.

It’s the great tax switch.

53 comments on “So what’s the rabbit? ”

  1. Fisiani 1

    The Budget will give people back more of their money. Labour made 10% of people pay 74% of tax. Fair tax is flat tax. Bill English will improve the tax system but it will still be unfair for middle income people

    • Marty G 1.1

      No. It’ll give the rich more our our money.

      Try to understand, Fizzy, the tax switch is revenue neutral. The government will not be spending less money, it will just be taking more from working Kiwis and less from the rich.

      • burt 1.1.1

        No. It’ll give the rich more our our money.

        Only some of the rich are paid with your money, most pay money to provide stuff for you. It is interesting that you see reducing the tax take as giving them money.

        I also have a question; If you support progressive taxation then why can’t you accept that when rates and thresholds are adjusted big tax payers get bigger tax reduction or increases? If you want to say the progressive tax model is broken because you can’t reduce rates and thresholds without disproportionately effecting the rich then I suspect the 10% paying 70% of the tax will agree with you, the other 90% possibly accept this as a natural consequence of the progressive taxation model.

        • Pascal's bookie 1.1.1.1

          It’s pretty clear he is saying that the system isn’t progressive enough, and that we should fix it by collecting more taxes from the top, and cutting them at the bottom.

    • gobsmacked 1.2

      “Fair tax is flat tax”

      Is that National’s 2011 campaign slogan? Oh please, let it be so.

    • Daveosaurus 1.3

      “Labour made 10% of people pay 74% of tax”

      This wouldn’t happen to be the 10% of people who sluice the vast majority of New Zealand’s earnings out of the economy and into their own hip pockets, would it, now?

    • r0b 1.4

      The Budget will give people back more of their money.

      No one earns any money (or owns any thing) except as part of a society. The rich earn their money because of a complex society that enables, sustains and protects them. If they take more out of that society in terms of high income, then they are obliged to put more back in terms of high taxes.

      Labour made 10% of people pay 74% of tax.

      A dodgy argument based on who knows what statistical manipulation (see “if Working for Families and other benefits are taken into account”). The richest 10% in NZ pay 44 per cent of all personal income tax. They also own almost 50% of the wealth.

  2. Fisiani 2

    More of THEIR money

    • The right think there are two political entities, the evil state and the good group of individuals.

      The left think that there is one society of which the State forms an important part. They want to make sure that the things the state does, like Education and Health, are done as well as possible.

      Fisi is part of the first group. I do not think that he will change.

      • Marco 2.1.1

        The Right and Left ideologies are flawless….on paper.

        The fact is, if no one lied and gave their all for the good of society both models would work. Human nature intervenes and we need something down the middle. Getting the balance between the carrot and the stick is the hard part.

        A friend of mine cut back his hours at work. He now earns 43k a year, has a wife and child, gets Working for Families, has an investment property and pays $1k in tax a year when you factor these in. That means he pays most of his tax through GST. I don’t think the Nat plan is the answer but hey it’s a lot clearer and less complicated than the system we have now and that has to be a step in the right direction.

    • zonk 2.2

      I do hope they are going to spend it on the infrastrucutre of our country they made use of in making their money…please tell me they are!

  3. Akldnut 3

    Fuzzy “The Budget will give people back more of their money”

    The Budget will give rich people more of my money

    There… fixed it for you so it makes sense – that’s ok mate no need to thank me.

  4. Santi 4

    Double Dipton English will only tinker with the system. Neither him, nor his boss Key, have the balls to reform the tax system.

    Labour ruined the country, the Nats continue to do the same.

    • Marty G 4.1

      yeah, I remember those days of sub 4% unemployment, record wage rises, no net government debt, decreasing crime, improving equality, improving health, and improving education. It was awful.

      • Lew 4.1.1

        But Marty, what about the lightbulbs???//

        L

        • Marty G 4.1.1.1

          oh yeah. those f#ckers.

          • zonk 4.1.1.1.1

            From http://www.colinjames.co.nz/ODT/ODT_2010/ODT_10May18.htm

            “The third reason is commercial. If China can develop clean technology, it might score big in what is set to be a growing market whatever the future for climate change science and policy…….

            Early in its life the Key government dumped a number of Clark-government measures to force energy efficiency and emissions cuts. The budget centrepiece is tax reform, centred on a market-forces belief that beneficiaries of cuts will channel some of the loot into productive investment. ”

            Can’t wait to see if tax reform means all problems will be solved and opportunities grasped intuitively by our enlightened cashed up oligarchs of the market without bothering with any of this government business.

            National’s deregulation has worked so well in the past right leaky building owners? No justice there for anyone.

        • Lanthanide 4.1.1.2

          Don’t forget the showerheads, and telling you what you could eat and what you could think.

          • HitchensFan 4.1.1.2.1

            gays getting married and fundies not being allowed to bash their kids

            god life was terrible

    • Things were so much worse two years ago. We were not allowed to (gasp) smash our kids about in the name of discipline …

  5. Croc 5

    the dodgy double-cross of Tuhoe

    John Key has a history of dodgy double crossing to in order to push forward his own agenda. Like when he promised Bill English his vote on Don Brash’s leadership challenge and then switched at the last minute.

  6. Lanthanide 6

    I’m a little confused by this post. Are you suggesting that National are going to change their budget as a result of opinion in the last few days? The budget will’ve been locked down at least a couple of weeks ago. Or are you saying that they would have put a sweetener in back then, antipating the backlash? Possible.

    Personally I’m expecting to see the $48k threshold move up to $50k (as Labour’s original tax plan would’ve done), but other than that the tax “switches” will be as previously advertised.

    • Marty G 6.1

      No, they obviously aren’t changing the budget now. It’s about changing the spin. They will have something small up their sleeve and will spin it as something amazing.

      The rabbit isn’t extraordinary. Pulling it out unexpectedly makes it seem extraordinary.

      • Lanthanide 6.1.1

        Ah, gotcha.

        captcha: consistencys – I don’t think that’s a word, at least, not spelled that way.

      • Armchair Critic 6.1.2

        I thought the money for Kiwirail was unexpected.

        • DeepRed 6.1.2.1

          Unexpected, if not half-hearted. Especially when compared against the funding for new vanity motorways.

          • Armchair Critic 6.1.2.1.1

            Yeah, don’t get me started.
            Capcha – late, it’s getting that way and as a result I don’t have time to write a big comment.

            • zonk 6.1.2.1.1.1

              yes but compared to it being burned or hoicked off again- though they probably couldn’t with the state it’s in- it was a welcome suprise.

              A problem here is Joyce recently raised rail fairs I believe. Have to wait and see how elastic train travel is. It is certainly much more effecient than bus. Newmarket to Kingsland in 6 minutes. You just have to want to go from that point to point. Newmarket’s new station is a laugh. It’s like it thinks it is a real railway station with trains going on 10 lines every 5 minutes. Oh well.

  7. Fisiani 7

    I mean the public had already sucked up the ACC hikes,
    (Actually massive reductions in the premiums that were likely due to the budget blowout by Labour)

    forgiven the tax-cuts that never came (except for the rich)
    (Actually tax cuts for the many)

    and shrugged off the cuts to education.

    (Actually spent more money on education and bringing in national standards to the delight of parents)

    Hell they’d even let subsidies for private schools

    (actually only partly restored the level of independent schools funding but still not to the level that fairness demands)

    and no-rights periods for vulnerable workers slide.

    (Actually gave greater employment opportunities to vulnerable workers now able to prove their worth)
    So, 5 glaring errors in two sentences.

    • Marty G 7.1

      Fuzzy you would tell us up was down if it was necessary to make your hero Key look better than Labour.

      Do you dream about your hero at night? What happens in those dreams?

    • Craig Glen Eden 7.2

      Hold the line Fisaini can you hear the laughter, thats Rhys Darby pissing himself laughing oh no wait the laughter is the thousands of NZer’s standing behind him. Have you ever thought of going on stage Fisaini, cos you really are funny, deluded but funny.

  8. Irascible 8

    The rabbit is skinned, stuffed and baked and sitting on the roasting dish ready for Double Dipton and Dim-Bulb (Smile & Wave) to ask Rodney to carve up and serve up to their asset stripping mates. That’s where the rabbit is.

  9. kriswgtn 9

    Come on

    key has lots inside his hat

    Theres the maori party dunne hide and all the little asslickers who back them…

    Now will he by accident pull out Andrew Krieger hahahahhahahahahahahahhahaahaha

    Just be patient people,,2011 aint far away

    Lets get rid of them and then journos can finally have the balls to go hard on donkey and his farmyard of animals

  10. exbrethren 10

    It took years for Tony Bliars inane grin to slip. Captain Beaky has done it in such a short time. What a high achiever.

    This really seems to be a determined effort to become a one term government.

  11. Akldnut 11

    awwww that wascally wabbit always comes out wooking gwood and is always the peoples favowite

  12. Pete 12

    Peter, Peter, Peter,

    WTF does this even mean?

    “A lot of the rich dodge tax anyway so they will also pay more if they did with GST rise.”

    Grammar?

    If you want to start calling people idiots try not to make your next few statements this incoherent.

    Oh, and the “train set” thing – privatisation, Fay and Richwhite – look ’em up.

    I’ll let others pick apart the rest of what you squatted out above.

  13. freedom 13

    Ahhh Budget day, when logic is sidestepped and even the spin doctors usually end up dizzy.

    On the other hand it must be nice for all the Nat trolls to be out in the wild today, busily leaving nuggets of wisdom on blogs everywhere as they educate us in how the National Government is just better. No need to let facts get in the way.

  14. Craig Glen Eden 14

    So Peter I take it that you are not rich and yet you still voted National?

    You really are Dumb!

    Enjoy your Government Peter, take out your whip start hitting your self and keep saying this is good this good for me.

  15. graham 15

    Just a quick question?
    Is it okay for a leftie to be racist
    Why does Marty refer to fisiani as fuzzy(aka Fuzzywuzzies)
    does that mean that left wing people can be racists or sexist if the victim is a tory

    [lprent: It appears to be a comment on the evident timbre of Fisiani’s mind based on his comments. Much like your own mind, it clearly lacks the clarity and focus of thought required to maintain a coherent argument. More concisely, both of you appear to engage largely in fuzzy thinking. This could be as a result of a inherent intellectual defect, a lack of intellectual stimulation your brain was forming, over indulgence in mind altering chemicals, or simply because you both show strong diagnostic signs of lazy intellectual ossification whenever you comment.

    Does that clear it up, or should I elucidate some more? ]

    • zonk 15.1

      it’s just a nickname mate. whadareya? take your pathetic attempt to be victimised elsewhere. It’s as convincing as ‘tax cuts for all’- This is the caviar scramble and half-a-slice of cheese budget.

  16. freedom 16

    a bit of projection of self there graham?
    you can just as easily say the fuzzy statement was in regards to fisiani’s argument
    which is decidedly out of focus

  17. Graham 17

    Hmmm … another Graham (graham) here?

    Some people could get confused … even me …

    [lprent: They can tell with the gravatar/identicon – the icon left of your name (which are based on your hidden e-mail). If you want to keep the same pseudonym (usually not a good idea), then have a look at uploading a more distinctive gravatar. ]

    • Armchair Critic 17.1

      Just spell-check your comments and write coherently and most of the readers will know the difference.

  18. ianmac 18

    Though it could be interesting if the Nats found a way to collect tax off those who hide income inside Trusts and similar. It could even hit MPs 🙂 but I expect that the proof of any such move would be in evidence of increased tax take. And who would ever be able to tell? Smoke and mirrors I think but it will be good for a spin.

  19. Santi 19

    Labour had nine years of beautiful economic conditions and what did they do with it? Spend spend spend. Working for families (making beneficiaries of the middle class), free student loans (making beneficiaries of students), huge increase in the numbers and staffing of government departments (good for recruiting companies), and increase the top tax bracket (encouraging the wealthy to avoid tax).

    I don’t want to hear from Labour about any economic management issue. They had their chance — they were absolutely useless. What Labour is about is increasing the number of beneficiaries and therefore increasing the number of likely Labour voters.

    • r0b 19.1

      And the fact that the number of beneficiaries fell to an all time low under Labour is off course completely irrelevant to your world view. Nice one.

    • burt 19.2

      The fact the social welfare budget didn’t fall in accordance with the apparent reduction in beneficiaries tells us that classifications changed more than actual numbers of state dependents.

      • Akldnut 19.2.1

        The fact the social welfare budget spent didn’t fall….

        Budget – money to play with
        Spent – money used

        Fixed

  20. freedom 20

    a rabbit?
    not so much
    more like an emaciated possum
    the dog the rabbit was being feed to though is still ok

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    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago
  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    2 days ago
  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    2 days ago
  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    2 days ago
  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    3 days ago
  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    3 days ago
  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    4 days ago
  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    4 days ago
  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    5 days ago
  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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