Spies and lies – can anyone trust Key?

Written By: - Date published: 6:52 am, June 13th, 2013 - 46 comments
Categories: accountability, human rights, International, national, Spying - Tags: , ,

The angles and implications of the GCSB / PRISM / Palantir story are multiplying at a frightening rate, and only a mug would trust anything coming out from the government about it. How’s this for starers:

Report on GCSB changed from ‘sensitive’ to ‘sanitised’

The senior lawyer appointed by the Prime Minister to investigate the GCSB wrote a report which was more detailed and highly classified than the one released.

The existence of the highly classified version of the report was revealed by Air Marshal Sir Bruce Ferguson, who was a former director of the GCSB and consulted on a draft of the report. He said the report released was “a sanitised version”.

Right, so – where is the full version of the report, who has seen it, what does it say, and why is it being hidden?

Are New Zealand spy agencies feeding into the American / NSA data mining technologies such as PRISM? The Greens make a good case:

Greens sure Palantir working for Govt

The Prime Minister has done his best to shut down questions about whether his spy agencies are outsourcing confidential data to American software company Palantir. The Greens say there’s no doubt Palantir’s working with the Government, suggesting it may even be replicating the controversial US PRISM system.

Palantir mines data for some of the world’s most powerful spy agencies. Staff call its California headquarters “The Shire”, and the company’s named after a seeing stone from the Lord of the Rings. That’s not the only New Zealand connection. Palantir has an office in Wellington. Its goal is to “bring Silicon Valley to New Zealand”.

“I want to know if John Key is creating a New Zealand version of PRISM to spy on us,” Green Party co-leader Russel Norman says.

Unlike PRISM, the Palantir software that US spies use apparently doesn’t collect data; it sifts through it. It matches everything from phone records, internet activity, credit card use and GPS locations to find patterns.

Dr Norman wants answers from the Prime Minister. “Is his government using Palantir to replicate the US PRISM spy system?” But Mr Key won’t divulge any information.

Here’s the (start of the) relevant exchange from Question time yesterday:

2. Dr RUSSEL NORMAN (Co-Leader—Green) to the Prime Minister: What intelligence agencies that he is responsible for, have contracts with Palantir; if so, what is the nature of those contracts?

Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): It is not my practice to discuss the operational capabilities or contracts of the New Zealand intelligence agencies. I do not believe it is in the public interest to do so.

Dr Russel Norman: Does intelligence data-mining company Palantir have any contracts with other New Zealand Government agencies or departments, such as the Police or Defence Force?

Rt Hon JOHN KEY: In terms of the intelligence agencies, it is not my practice to talk about who they have contracts with and who they do not. In terms of the Police or others, I am not in a position to answer that question.

Dr Russel Norman: Will he allow Palantir to embed one of its analysts in his Government, given that the company is advertising just such an embedded position?

Rt Hon JOHN KEY: What takes place in terms of the operational matters of intelligence agencies and any company they may contract with is a matter for them, and they would not reference that to me.

Dr Russel Norman: I seek leave to table the job advert from Palantir for an embedded analyst in Government New Zealand—

Mr SPEAKER: What is the source of the document, please?

Dr Russel Norman: It is a job advertisement from a company called Palantir—

Mr SPEAKER: Yes, but where has the member sourced the advert from?

Dr Russel Norman: The document is from May 2013, and it was printed off the Palantir careers website.

Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is.

Dr Russel Norman: Given that it is obvious his Government is using Palantir, will he cut Government ties with the company if it is proven to be involved in violating the privacy of New Zealanders through the PRISM spy system?

Rt Hon JOHN KEY: As I have said on numerous occasions, it is not my policy—nor has it been any other Prime Minister’s policy—to talk about the operational matters of the Government Communications Security Bureau or SIS. What I can reconfirm for the member, though, is the same point I made yesterday: I am confident, on the legal advice that I have received from my agencies, that they act within the law at all times, and there have not been any occasions where the Government Communications Security Bureau has advised me that it has sought to circumvent the law.

Dr Russel Norman: Is his Government using Palantir to replicate the US PRISM spy system so that it can more intensely spy into every aspect of New Zealanders’ online activity?

Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The member is basing his question on a hypothetical assumption. As I said, I am not in a position to comment about what capability our intelligence agencies have or do not have. But what I can say, though, is that the Government Communications Security Bureau and the SIS have very clear rules under which circumstances they can gather information about New Zealanders. Those rules require, not least of all, me, as the Minister in charge, to sign the warrant. That warrant has to be recommended and supported by the Commissioner of Security Warrants. It is a very detailed and significant process. The member knows that, and the reason he shakes his head in answer to those questions is that he is trying to delude members of the public. He sits on the Intelligence and Security Committee, he knows what goes on, and if he wants to carry on the act, he is free to do so, but I do not think he will convince very many New Zealanders.

Key repeatedly evades and refuses to answer the question. But the evidence all points to strong “cooperation” between NZ and US spy agencies – or in other words to NZ giving America whatever it asks for (case in point the bungled Kim Dotcom raids).

Just in passing note this little gem from Key’s last quoted answer:

But what I can say, though, is that the Government Communications Security Bureau and the SIS have very clear rules under which circumstances they can gather information about New Zealanders.

These “very clear rules” are exactly the same rules that are so unclear that new legislation has to be rushed through Parliament to “clarify” them, extend the GCSB’s powers, and retrospectively “validate” previously illegal spying. Key’s open self-contradiction on this point is farcical.

The next government should have a massive clean out of our entire security apparatus and agreements with foreign governments. Put together a Commission to decide what the powers of our security organisations should be, and what data (if any) should be shared outside of NZ. Implement the recommendations with publicly open checks and balances to make sure that they are followed. Enough of the current cloak and dagger nonsense.

46 comments on “Spies and lies – can anyone trust Key? ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. One Anonymous Knucklehead 1
    13 June 2013 at 7:08 am

    Norman makes a good case, but your last paragraph holds true whether or not he has it right on this occasion.

    Green policy is pretty sparse – it’s more about what our spooks shouldn’t be doing. I suspect there is a bit of denial going on, but Tsun Tzu’s four-thousand year old observations still apply:

    Hostile armies may face each other for years, striving for the victory which is decided in a single day. This being so, to remain in ignorance of the enemy’s condition simply because one grudges the outlay of a hundred ounces of silver in honours and emoluments, is the height of inhumanity.

  2. mickysavage 2
    13 June 2013 at 7:16 am

    While answering Norman’s questions Key kept making that hissing sucking in of breath that he does when under pressure. The opposition need to keep the pressure up.

    • Paul 2.1
      13 June 2013 at 7:34 am

      Yeah it was quite notable.
      Good on Norman…he’s getting to the RWNJs.

      • freedom 2.1.1
        13 June 2013 at 8:36 am

        On Tuesday it sounded like he was using a handyvac every time he spoke 🙂

    • Anne 2.2
      13 June 2013 at 11:11 am

      So far, the opposition parties are doing a grand job. Grant Robertson in particular for Labour, Russell Norman for the Greens and of course the wily old Winnie whom I nevertheless still don’t trust for one minute.

      One thing that should be remembered: these proposed changes to current intelligence gathering laws seem to be driven by John Key and a secretive band of associates both in NZ and almost certainly elsewhere. I doubt it is coming from the rank and file of the intelligence agencies themselves. Indeed, I would go so far as to say some at least will be finding the proposed changes as worrying as the rest of us.

      Perhaps I’m being a bit naive but even so… all opposition should be directed at the govt. and John Key rather than the agencies. They’re the ones pushing for the draconian measures and we know Key’s motivation is not in the interest of NZ and NZers.

      • RobertM 2.2.1
        13 June 2013 at 8:58 pm

        It should all be taken with a grain of salt. Grant Robertson and Russel Norman can grandstand from opposition, but there comments are really only valid in terms of the general position that increasingly in NZ as everywhere else people are suffering too much surveillance and in some ways the surveillance cameras and electronic spying are too comprehensive. Any nations government can change to a regime with a much more restrictive view on all sorts of lifestyle choices and interests. In the USA and NZ most people seem to think their better off with universal surveillance. However my view is that social and night life, was always better in Wellington partly because of the lack of police and security cameras in the CBD, although it was also doubtless the cause of some serious assaults.
        Any sort of new or innovative political party or movement, often only has a chance to develop its ideas, policy and techniques, if it is not spied on. Jefferson always understood and the experience of being in Paris during the years before the French Revolution convinced him the middle class and political leadership, has to able to plot in private- and this may also may be true of individuals who are writers and political theorist. So my position is that the police and spies should not be allowed on university campus and that generally the middle class and intelligent should not be subject to surveillance because I don’t believe people are equal and neither did Thomas Jefferson, the declaration of US Independence was always a political statement,, which offered the highest rights in theory- but really only the right to joy and for the ordinary man to hunt and shoot game and fish, but in reality had a highly restrictive view of how the constitution and the structure state and legal system would operate- much like Leninist communism and the British concept of law, which is really built on the concept of structures and veils on the basic assumption that there are two classes of people the intelligent and ordinary and therefore the workings of elite, business, the rich and the military must be subject to restricted scrutiny.
        Having said that, universal surveillance is not in the greater human interest and current global developments have to be checked and will be once it is realised people are not equal.
        In terms of the Norman and Robertson comments on surveillance and satellite systems, computer programmes and intelligence gathering, my view is they lack the experience and expertise for any useful analysis and synthesis of this sort of material and claims.
        All information on significant defence and intelligence matters by US, UK, NZ, Aus authorities, military or experts or academics can only be usefully understood if you have the knowledge, experience and contacts to have a high speed shit detectors – because in all such information and statements by air marshalls and GCSB bosses past and present there is likely to be a significant amount of inaccuracy, lies , degrees of deception etc as well as some or lot of truth.
        This applies to just about anything you could ever find or real about any intelligence or matter which has still relevant operational significance.

  3. vto 3
    13 June 2013 at 7:36 am

    .
    “can anyone trust Key?”

    That should be the big issue for the general election.

  4. Tautoko Viper 4
    13 June 2013 at 7:41 am

    ‘But what I can say, though, is that the Government Communications Security Bureau and the SIS have very clear rules under which circumstances they can gather information about New Zealanders. Those rules require, not least of all, me, as the Minister in charge, to sign the warrant. That warrant has to be recommended and supported by the Commissioner of Security Warrants. It is a very detailed and significant process. ‘ John Key

    Does this mean that John Key signed the warrant for spying on Dotcom??

    • Pascal's bookie 4.1
      13 June 2013 at 7:49 am

      Fuck knows what he meant, or whether he was talking about the old rules which were being broken or the new rules which aren’t in force yet, or if he meant residents or citizens.

      It was a useless answer in terms of actrual info, as per pfsssst.

    • rob 4.2
      13 June 2013 at 8:17 am

      He must have
      Such a pity he didn’t know anything about him for so many months afterwards.

  5. tracey 5
    13 June 2013 at 7:41 am

    Remember 2008? Labours motto was correct but the nats made suck a mockery of labour the message failed.

    norman should have asked the pm if he relying on the same legal advice that said gcsb cld spy on a nz resident?

  6. Sanctuary 6
    13 June 2013 at 7:53 am

    The levels of secrecy our government adopts when security is mentioned is childish. A quick look at the Palantir website reveals a career opportunity for an ‘Embedded Analyst, Government: New Zealand’ – http://www.palantir.com/careers/OpenPosDetail?id=a0m80000003mUYHAA2 and the position is clearly aimed at sub-contracting data analysis from NZ state security services.

    Key must think we are all stupid, and that no one can make simply deductions based on the bleeding obvious.

    P.S. It seems Palintir are one of the Scientology-lite Silicon valley companies that, amongst other things, has dispensed with the boring old social club in favour of – wait for it – “The Group Therapy Club” – http://www.palantir.com/life-at-palantir/

  7. Pasupial 7
    13 June 2013 at 8:32 am

    Hah!..

    “I am confident, on the legal advice that I have received from my agencies, that they act within the law at all times, and there have not been any occasions where the Government Communications Security Bureau has advised me that it has sought to circumvent the law.”

    Kitteridge report? What Kitteridge report??

    Or maybe:

    “I am confident, on the legal advice that I have received from Sky City, that they act within the law at all times, and there have not been any occasions where Sky City has advised me that it has sought to circumvent the law.”

  8. Jackal 8
    13 June 2013 at 10:12 am

    ANTHONY R0BINS

    The next government should have a massive clean out of our entire security apparatus and agreements with foreign governments.

    Easier said than done… The GCSB and SIS receives more than $100 million in funding per year and have a combined staff of 526. There’s another 13 government funded spying agencies in New Zealand, one of which is rumored to have over 500 employees.

    The spooks are likely to make up a large chunk of the current 298,384 state sector employees, and at an estimate I would say that these agencies receive well over a billion dollars of public money per year (unfortunately the true extent of funding for the spies is kept off government books).

    These agencies appear to have unlimited access to information and will strongly resist any attempts to limit their extensive and questionable powers. They will likely try to undermine any political party that looks set to move against their corrupt practices.

    Given the size of and funding for these agencies, anybody would think New Zealand was at war… Unfortunately that war appears to be focused on undermining our civil liberties.

    • gnomic 8.1
      13 June 2013 at 10:40 pm

      “anybody would think New Zealand was at war”

      Could it be that they are preparing for the civil war after the shit finally hits the fan? When the global fiscal collapse finally eventuates in full? That could never happen of course. No no, the future is brighter.

  9. BLiP 9
    13 June 2013 at 10:33 am

    ‘

    John Key lie? No, surely not . . . oh, hang on . . .

    – Iain Rennie came to me and recommended Fletcher for the GCSB job

    – I told Cabinet that I knew Ian Fletcher

    – I forgot that after I scrapped the shortlist for GCSB job I phoned a life-long friend to tell him to apply for the position

    – I told Iain Rennie I would contact Fletcher

    – for 30 years, or three decades, I didn’t have any dinners or lunches or breakfasts with Ian Fletcher

    – I did not mislead the House (9)

    – it was always the intent of the GCSB Act to be able to spy on New Zealanders on behalf of the SIS and police

  10. erentz 10
    13 June 2013 at 11:27 am

    I’m a Green voter, but I’m concerned Norman is stepping out a bit far on this with unfounded accusations he can’t back up. I hope it doesn’t backfire. There’s no evidence of bulk spying such as what is being talked about with the NSA occurring in New Zealand. Many reasons to think its not (yet). He should tread carefully and not step into technical realms that can easily be refuted.

    • Colonial Viper 10.1
      13 June 2013 at 11:35 am

      Caution is advisable, indeed. He should be asking for an assurances from the PM that NZ has not participated in these broad information collection systems.

      Many reasons to think its not (yet).

      What are these reasons?

  11. Anne 11
    13 June 2013 at 11:50 am

    Timely comment erentz. But at the same time we know that under the proposed legislation it will only be a matter of time before bulk spying becomes the norm in NZ as well. What the fallout from such a scenario might ultimately be we can only guess at… but it is likely to result in a frightened and subservient population with many individuals being hounded and harassed for no justifiable reason. You know… like that place in Europe in the 1930s.

    Why won’t Key and co. agree to a Commission of Inquiry so that NZers can be assured all necessary measures are – or will be put – in place preventing new technology being used against ordinary NZers at some time in the future? Why? That’s a question the Opposition should be asking of him on an almost a daily basis.

    • Colonial Viper 11.1
      13 June 2013 at 12:07 pm

      Well for starters, journalists and their sources are going to be screwed in this future system. The Obama administration has already been found out tracing phone calls made to Associated Press journalists.

      Going forwards, who needs the likes of Peter Dunne and Andrea Vance to agree to release their emails. Just click on their email inboxes yourself and see everything there is to see.

  12. Poission 12
    13 June 2013 at 12:00 pm

    What gets overlooked is there is a very powerful piece of entrenched legislation that prohibits arbitrary interference in an individuals correspondence.

    The universal declaration of human rights article 12 states that.

    No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

    This in essence prohibits broad-based fishing excursions,and would allow for remedies in an international tribunal with unlimited liabilities ( a risk that has been overlooked).

    • Colonial Viper 12.1
      13 June 2013 at 12:20 pm

      Snowden has suggested that documented rules and policies aren’t going to stop the capabilities of these systems from being designed used, and indeed, it has not stopped these systems from being designed and used.

  13. Shaz 13
    13 June 2013 at 2:04 pm

    Its interesting that our PM’s reassurance is that GCSB is “doing nothing illegal” with data sourced from the NSA and that someone who will shortly be effectively be a political refugee is “not welcome” here.

    In contrast and at the same time this issue is bringing about the most serious bipartisanship the American Senate that has been seen for years as both sides are recoiling at what the Patriot Act has brought about. Many more Americans are regarding the leaking of the information as patriotic than treasonable, the US internet freedom organisations are furious after what they have regarded as years of cautious reigning in of the intrusive power of social media and the elected heads of Europe are calling on the US to ensure their citizens’ rights are not impacted by the NSA.

    (All sourced – from the Guardian and RadioNZ)

    Our PM has instinctively jumped in line with those who would limit freedom. I hope the contrast between this response and those of other leaders overseas becomes clearer as the impacts and responses unfold. His response shines a strong light on his view of citizenship and its not a flattering one.

  14. Yes 14
    13 June 2013 at 3:22 pm

    I trust Keys.

    Doesnt all political data mine..how do scandals occur in all parties.

    • Mcflock 14.1
      13 June 2013 at 3:41 pm

      “Yes”, that isn’t even a coherent statement. Are you drunk already?

    • fender 14.2
      13 June 2013 at 3:43 pm

      Yeah I trust Keys too, but I definitely do NOT trust Key.

      Key is PM yes no maybe.

    • ropata 14.3
      13 June 2013 at 11:24 pm

      “Yes”, here is a warning to you from the greatest sermon ever spoken:

      15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.

      16 By their fruits ye shall know them. Do [men] gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

      17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

      18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

      19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

      20 Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

      Is selling off assets, spying on citizens, and doing deals with SkyCity a good thing for NZ?

  15. aerobubble 15
    13 June 2013 at 4:06 pm

    Its pretty simple, NZ is pathetic on National Security. The reason we need oversight is clear, should the head of the spies convert to Islam, having a problem with western policies regards the middle east; would anyone be watching who become aware would have to convince the PM who personal shoulder tapped the man, and so had no political cover to change matters.

    The Pm shoulder tapping anyone should suggest a huge gross ignorance of that PM in the nature of politics and how people will always disappoint at the most inappropriate moments.

    Key is dumb, parliament is dumber, and its a damn disgrace.

  16. Draco T Bastard 16
    13 June 2013 at 4:50 pm

    The next government should have a massive clean out of our entire security apparatus and agreements with foreign governments.

    QFT

    A government should not spy on it’s people and it should not help another government spy on its people.

  17. Yes 17
    13 June 2013 at 7:52 pm

    Let’s talk about trust. Labour has three MPs and a leader doing deals with sky city already. What deal were they doing at the rugby?
    Was the deal…if you give us a party donation we won’t repel the act? I mean let’s be very clear here. Labour said they will kill the convention centre.

    I trust John Key

    • Nordy 17.1
      13 June 2013 at 9:51 pm

      Evidence? Citation?

      Is the desparation from the 9th floor of the Beehive getting to you as well? Keep it up – you might even convince yourself…..eventually.

      So ‘sad’ that you trust a politician who has proved he is not worth of yours or anybody elses trust. You do realise that trust has to be earned and continue to be earned?

      You may well have hope or even faith in Key, based on something not in evidence to any thinking person.

      Meanwhile here in the real world, people are really just laughing at you.

    • ropata 17.2
      13 June 2013 at 11:16 pm

      I guess “Yes” has demonstrated that we can trust John Key… to rip off NZ for his bankster pals

  18. gnomic 18
    13 June 2013 at 10:56 pm

    Trust John Key? Isn’t that an oxymoron? How can a weasel be trustworthy? It’s probably too late to seek help from a medical professional if you trust Key. Devious and misleading come to mind.

    • ropata 18.1
      13 June 2013 at 11:13 pm

      Hi “Yes”,
      I have a fantastic investment opportunity, guaranteed* double your money in 1 year, I wear a shiny suit and talk monetarist gobbledygook, just like “Keys”.

      You can trust me too, NZ investment companies are safe as houses**

      Show me the money!

      * or not
      ** in christchurch red zone

  19. Poneke 19
    15 June 2013 at 3:16 pm

    Heh .. you speak with a forked Ropata, .. but I enjoy the parody.

    We need more truth-speakers.

    Can I sell you a small Antipodean country so I can retire tax-free to Monaco ?

    You might have a small problem with tangata whenua ..

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    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    15 hours ago

  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    17 hours ago

  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    18 hours ago

  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    18 hours ago

  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    18 hours ago

  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    18 hours ago

  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    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
    18 hours 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
    19 hours 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
    22 hours 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
    22 hours 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
    22 hours 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
    23 hours 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 ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    24 hours 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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 ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day 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
    1 day 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 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
    3 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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 ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    5 days ago

  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago

  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: “What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Sad tales from the left
    Michael Bassett writes –  Have you noticed the odd way in which the media are handling the government’s crackdown on surplus employees in the Public Service? Very few reporters mention the crazy way in which State Service numbers rocketed ahead by more than 16,000 during Labour’s six years, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • In Whose Best Interests?
    On The Spot: The question Q+A host, Jack Tame, put to the Workplace & Safety Minister, Act’s Brooke van Velden, was disarmingly simple: “Are income tax cuts right now in the best interests of lowering inflation?”JACK TAME has tested another MP on his Sunday morning current affairs show, Q+A. Minister for Workplace ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Don’t Question, Don’t Complain.
    It has to start somewhereIt has to start sometimeWhat better place than here?What better time than now?So it turns out that I owe you all an apology.It seems that all of the terrible things this government is doing, impacting the lives of many, aren’t necessarily ‘bad’ per se. Those things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Auckland faces 25% water inflation shock
    Three Waters became a focus of anti-Government protests under Labour, but its dumping by the new Government hasn’t solved councils’ funding problems and will eventually hit the back pockets of everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 8:06 am today are:The Government ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Small accomplishments and large ironies
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days 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
    12 hours 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
    18 hours 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
    19 hours 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
    21 hours 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
    21 hours 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
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