Strewth Cobbah

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, August 16th, 2017 - 163 comments
Categories: australian politics, election 2017, International, jacinda ardern, labour, making shit up, Politics, spin, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags:

You would think that New Zealand Labour was in possession of nuclear tipped medium range missiles and had threatened to let off a few into the sea near Tasmania just to make sure they worked.

Such has been the overwhelming response from Australia’s right about Labour’s Chris Hipkins asking Peter Dunne two simple questions:

Are children born in Australia to parents who are New Zealand citizens automatically citizens of New Zealand; if not, what process do they need to follow in order to become New Zealand citizens?

Would a child born in Australia to a New Zealand father automatically have New Zealand citizenship?

And these were simple written questions to get bits of information, not significant oral questions where the opposition tries to embarass the Government.  There have been over 7,000 of them this year.

The answers to the questions would be it depends when. But under section 7 of the British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act 1948 many would, at least if they were born before 1977.

The section provides for current purposes (from what I understand):

[A] person born after the commencement of this Act shall be a New Zealander by descent if his father was a New Zealand citizen at the time of his birth.”

Pretty clear.

The problem is the Australian constitution has this appallingly racist provision:

44. Any person who … is a subject or a citizen or entitled to the rights & privileges of a subject or citizen of a foreign power … shall be incapable of being chosen or of sitting as a senator or a member of the House of Representatives.

So no Dual Citizenship.  Of any sort.  And despite our close relationship New Zealand is a foreign power.

And just to make it clear:

45. If a senator or member of the House of Representatives … [b]ecomes subject to any of the disabilities mentioned in the last preceding section … his place shall thereupon become vacant.

Also pretty clear.

Mr Joyce’s problem is that although he was born in 1967 in Australia his father was born in New Zealand.  And if he took this simple web based test he could have saved himself a lot of anguish.

The problem has arisen because a couple of Green Senators, Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlum as well as a couple of others discovered they had dual citizenship. Scott was also a Kiwi. They both graciously resigned their positions. Politics needs more gracious people.

But tories are not noted for their graciousness. Normally any problems that arise are someone else’s fault.

And so we have the Australian Government make the extraordinary claim that somehow New Zealand Labour is responsible for the mess that Barnaby Joyce finds himself in.  Not a 1948 law, not a misunderstanding of the law, not the fact his father was a Kiwi, not his failure to check up, but the New Zealand Labour Party.

At least Julie Bishop thinks so.

From Stuff:

Bishop and colleagues seemed to be channelling the wilder elements of the era of Trump as they ripped in to Shorten and his colleagues for persuading a Labour MP across the ditch to ask a question that dropped Barnaby Joyce right in it.

The result of the manoeuvre was to get official confirmation from the New Zealand government that Joyce was indeed a New Zealand citizen.

The Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, railed that this amounted to Shorten entering an international conspiracy to try to bring down Australia’s government.

Bishop was not so constrained.

“New Zealand is facing an election,” Bishop said.

“Should there be a change of government, I would find it very hard to build trust with those involved in allegations designed to undermine the government of Australia.”

And there was this unbelievable comment reported in Newshub from Bishop:

The New Zealand Labour leader Jacinda Ardern has revealed Bill Shorten sought to use the New Zealand Parliament to undermine the Australian government,” Ms Bishop told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.

“This puts at risk the relationship between the Australian Government and the New Zealand Government.”

What utter tosh.  Nothing of the sort happened.  The questions will not affect Joyce’s status.  The Liberals are flailing around trying to divert attention and blame for something they have to wear.

Their basic problem is that the media was already onto the issue well before Hipkins asked his questions.  From Adam Gartrell at the Age:

Last Monday [August 7] I got a phone call from a normally reliable source. With the section 44 wrecking ball still swinging through Parliament, the source suggested I might want to take a closer look at Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce’s citizenship.

My first reaction was to laugh. Joyce had been in Parliament since 2004, serving in both chambers. He’d risen to the second most powerful office in the land. Surely he’d done his due diligence? Plus, Joyce was a guy who prided himself in being authentically Aussie. The thought he might secretly be a Kiwi was almost too outlandish to contemplate.

Almost.

The fear of getting scooped is a powerful motivator in journalism. So I quickly started digging, establishing that Joyce’s father – James Joyce – had been born in the South Island city of Dunedin in 1924. He was born a British subject but New Zealand citizenship laws made him a New Zealand citizen. The same laws – the British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act 1948 – said: “A person born after the commencement of this Act shall be a New Zealand citizen by descent if his father was a New Zealand citizen.”

That seemed pretty black and white: there was no requirement to activate the citizenship, it was automatic.

So at 12.31pm on Monday, August 7, I sent Joyce’s media adviser, Jake Smith, an email entitled: “Is the boss a Kiwi?”

As the article shows everything unravelled from there.  Hipkins had nothing to do with it.  His questions were lodged two days later on August 9 and have still not been formally answered as I type this.  And Ministerial confirmation did not create the problem.  Anyone with a law degree would have concluded that there was an issue that Barnaby needed to address.  There was a scent of blood hanging around Barnaby and the media was onto it.

Jacinda’s response to Bishop’s idiocy was perfectly weighted with equal amounts of logic and steel:

It is highly regrettable that the Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has chosen to make false claims about the New Zealand Labour Party,” she says.

“I have been utterly transparent about this situation. I stand by my statements this morning that I knew absolutely nothing about the Barnaby Joyce case until it broke in the media yesterday afternoon.

“I also note that Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne has confirmed that the Australian media inquiries were the instigator of this issue and that he has described connections of the New Zealand Labour Party to this issue as ‘utter nonsense.'”

“I have also contacted the Australian High Commission to register my disappointment and will be meeting with the High Commissioner later today.”

You do not have to be a media genius to conclude that the tip off to Gartrell may have come from within the ranks of Australia Labor.  But to think that New Zealand Labour and Hipkins were responsible for what happened requires multiple levels of stupidity.

I guess the right in Australia and in New Zealand are fearful of losing power and are lashing out in an attempt to damage their opponents.  But it is clear to me that on both sides of the Tasman the clock is ticking for the right.

163 comments on “Strewth Cobbah ”

  1. Cinny 1

    The laws in Australia are nothing to do with NZ, so don’t blame NZ Labour for your problems. Julie Bishop should do something to change the law in her country if she has a problem with it. It’s not our fault the aussie government only has a one seat majority and their daft laws have put that in jepody.

    • popexplosion 1.1

      It’s worse. The Ozzies failed basic due diligence, the fact no Labour Aussie were caught suggests the ruling party is a lazy bunch of bankers.

      • popexplosion 1.1.1

        no worse. spies sign secreacy docs, are they also worried, nope because they do their due diligence, it’s the job. so a minister failed to walk when caught. what was they expecting, one mp and they are gone, now their gone. breaking the constitution bad, but its worse that someone asked questions in nz about nz laws. really!?#$/#

        Now for kiwi creeps and old cretins. Peters says it’s okay for a minister to break the law by not doing due diligence and asking a few questions?!/$#.

        Dunne says n.Korea has made us all citizens, like we can’t provide a oath to revise it before the next time we get elected.

        bishop rancid attack to deflect from incompetence of her own parties processes…

        • Cinny 1.1.1.1

          With the aussie government falling apart, on going infighting and a one seat majority, maybe Julie Bishop thought.. what would our hero john key do… the answer…blame nz labour to distract the public.

          Am finding it super funny, the desperation of the right wing aussie government is hilarious.

    • Ross 1.2

      Here is Barnaby Joyce being interviewed a few weeks ago. He thought it was ridiculous that he could be a NZ citizen. The interviewer did ask him if it might be a good idea to check but he wasn’t interested in doing that.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ua-hs4FX-4

  2. ScottGN 2

    I reckon there will cables flying from Wellington to Canberra
    “Please Julie! Just shut the fuck up!”

  3. Graeme 3

    How the hell did this section of their constitution work in 1901? Or for that matter with anyone of Irish, Italian or Greek decent as those nations appear to have indefinite right of decent in some circumstances (if the wikipedia page, and my interpretation, is up to snuf) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jus_sanguinis

    • dukeofurl 3.1

      In 1901 being British descent wasnt considered being an agent of a foreign power,.

      If you do have the right to another citizenship you have to formally decline it, its quite simple to do so, as Barnaby has now done so.

      But that wont protect him from having to resign as the rule apply s from the moment he nominates himself for election. On these sort of things the courts have ruled previously a person was invalidly elected so a new election must be held.

      • popexplosion 3.1.1

        but the party of govt has a one seat majority, all legislation was illegally passed.

  4. red-blooded 4

    Susie Ferguson did a good job this morning interviewing the Aussie journalist who was asking this question well before anything asked by Hipkins. Her final question raised exactly the right point – given that we’re 6 weeks from an election, just who is trying to meddle in whose internal politics?

    Winston Peters trying to coattail on this issue, though. Egg!

    • ScottGN 4.1

      That was a weirdly disjointed interview with Winston.
      I noticed that Ardern cleverly turned down Morning Report this morning, a sure sign that the dynamics of this election have been overturned in a short couple of weeks.

    • popexplosion 4.2

      bishop isn’t imploding, just like boag imploded over cabbages and water, it’s what she said early that should shock, about national voters when voting.

  5. Carolyn_nth 5

    Such a beat up in Oz about something that really isn’t the most pressing issue the country or the globe faces.

    I am staggered to see that in this day and age, Aussie, and maybe NZ too, still have such nonsense patriarchal citizenship laws – rights to citizenship via father and not mother? And this Aussie law (and the NZ citizenship one) seems to go back to the days of the British Empire.

    Sometimes the law is truly an ass!

    • miravox 5.1

      New Zealand’s moved on with it’s citizenship laws …

      The ‘by descent’ law changed from father to either parent in the 1978, according to wiki, and at that stage it also had to be claimed.
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_nationality_law

      But clearly Australia needs to look at its constitution around this.

      • dukeofurl 5.1.1

        Its very restrictive about employment at the time of nomination as well.
        Not so long ago and independent was disqualified after his election because at time of his nomination he was a teacher employed by the state of Victoria ( on leave).
        The rules exclude ‘anyone with an office of profit of the Commonwealth’
        It was thought being a state employee not Commonwealth was in the clear, but the High Court didnt think so.
        To get around that provision, candidates have to resign their jobs before the election.

        having said that the chances of the Australian constitution being changed for these issues isnt great

  6. Keith 6

    What is in essence a very bigoted piece legislation that 1940’s South Africa would be proud of, designed to ensure only pure bred Australians can represent their great land, is now biting the bigots in the arse!

    It’s so ironic that a country that disenfranchised long term New Zealander residents in Aussie to reinforce their positions as second class citizens is now ironically getting rid of the very law makers who support it.

    I’m glad Jacinda used plain terms to reject Bishops lies. Never see that from their NZ Nat toads!

    • dukeofurl 6.1

      Its not bigoted. its just rules out dual citizenship. Whether you are english or Indian doesnt matter.

      Plenty of people who have had dual citizenship have just renounced it formally and thats that. Labours selection rules requires candidates to look through parents and grandparents for any possibility of another nationality and if so just make a formal declining of it and keep some record.

  7. Incognito 7

    It seems to me that, generally speaking, the left tends to implode and self-destruct while the right tends to go down & out in blazing glory in a nuclear manner trying to annihilate everyone & everything around them. Sums it up nicely for me 😉

  8. Sanctuary 8

    Now is the time for Rocket Labs to test fire four rockets into the Tasman sea off Queensland, so the sparks of our rockets may set fire to the hearts of the oppressed masses and act as detonators giving full play to the mental power of our mighty science!!

  9. Wayne 9

    If you seriously think that the pathetic set of excuses set out in your article gets Chris Hipkins off the hook, you are delusional.
    No New Zealand MP should be asking such questions, especially when they are suggested to be asked by a foreign political party.
    Hopkins would know the citizenship issue is very sensensitive in the Australian parliament. Already this year Green senators have had to resign on this issue and Hipkins would know that. It should have been obvious to Hipkins that such questions were being suggested with only one purpose in mind. He knows that the Aussie government has a one seat majority. He may not have known it was about Joyce, but he hardly needs much insight to know it would be about the Liberals.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 9.1

      I think destroying racists transcends borders, pearl-clutcher. Obviously I can see how that might pose problems for the National Party.

      • Tuppence Shrewsbury 9.1.1

        Here you are defending dirty politics as some sort of moral crusade. Onya

        • One Anonymous Bloke 9.1.1.1

          Dirty politics? Nonsense. The racist is in breach of his own country’s racist laws. Typical right winger to say it’s someone else’s fault.

          Did Hipkins run to Cameron Slater the way John Key would? No. Did he write Australia’s constitution? No.

          Nice try, weasel.

          • Wayne 9.1.1.1.1

            Pathetic excuse for disgraceful/stupid behaviour by Hipkins. I also note Jacinda has enough sense to know it was wrong.

            • Steve Wrathall 9.1.1.1.1.1

              But it shows she’s not in control of her front bench. Whether she was in on it or not, the post-it note of “leader” on her forehead seems as loose as the previous four.

            • Ross 9.1.1.1.1.2

              Wayne

              Did you ever pull your mate John Key aside and admonish him for asking questions in the House about Tranz Rail, all the while owning thousands of Tranz Rail shares? I am sure you did because you seem like an honourable bloke.

            • NewsFlash 9.1.1.1.1.3

              But Wayne, did you listen to Hipkins reasons, I bet you didn’t, doesn’t fit your narrative does it, there is no difference between you and Bishop, both out and out liars.

            • Stuart Munro 9.1.1.1.1.4

              The only pathetic behavior here is Bishop’s Wayne – and of course yours.

            • One Anonymous Bloke 9.1.1.1.1.5

              What’s your excuse for going into bat for Australia’s white supremacist government? They are bad neighbours and richly deserve the fruits of their bigotry.

          • tuppence shrewsbury 9.1.1.1.2

            Sorry, A briefed parliamentarian asking questions in the house on a matter being investigated by compliant media which is then reported on? that’s the basic framework for performing dirty politics dumb dumb. doesn’t matter who does it.

            I don’t honestly have a problem with it, it’s just it shows the hypocrisy of decrying dirty politics when all parties get involved in it. What I don’t understand is why chippy would be stupid enough to do it when there is no upside for NZ labour?

            • alwyn 9.1.1.1.2.1

              “no upside for NZ labour”.

              There are possible I imagine, aren’t there?
              Perhaps they could offer to arrange a bit of fundraising for the New Zealand Labour Party?
              It would probably be possible to have one of the Oz unions transfer a bit of dosh to a New Zealand union and then pass it on to NZ Labour.
              Would that be legal?

              Raiding the Parliamentary purse as happened in 2005 is probably a great deal harder than it was then.
              NZ Labour certainly seem to need the money. The amount of advertising, or billboards for that matter seems very thin on the ground.

              • KJT

                Like US money to National through the NZ brethren, you mean.

                • tuppence shrewsbury

                  Exactly. Just as shady and unwanted

                • alwyn

                  I thought the Brethren were planning to run their own campaign, and not that they gave any money to National.
                  Doesn’t actually matter of course. In spite of their religious background the were suitably demonised by the Labour Government.

                  • KJT

                    No difference under the law, Alwyn.

                    The law you lot were so keen on not having breakers of same in parliament, Lately.

                    • alwyn

                      I haven’t any idea as to what your second sentence means.
                      The only person I have wished to be out of Parliament, at least recently, was a certain unrepentant fraudster who looks as if she may cease to darken the doors of the Chamber next month.
                      I don’t see what her misdeeds have to do with campaign finance.

                    • KJT

                      So. Electoral fraud is fine, so long as it is NACT, doing it.

            • Psycho Milt 9.1.1.1.2.2

              …a matter being investigated by compliant media…

              I would have thought media investigations that make the government very angry show anything but “compliance.”

    • dukeofurl 9.2

      And Joyces responsibility to check his fathers nationality ?

    • WC1 9.3

      One law for the opposition another for the deputy prime minister? A smoke screen is being used to cover an inept and unpopular Aussie government.

    • Ad 9.4

      Agreed. Hipkins should be toast and denied a Cabinet position.

      Still, another 48 hours of media devoted to Jacinda Ardern.
      Bill just can’t seem to get a break!

      • One Anonymous Bloke 9.4.1

        Oh bullshit. Get off your knees. They’re running concentration camps and you want to genuflect? Pfft!

        • Ad 9.4.1.1

          Jacinta did fine. She’ll get Mozzie votes out of it.

          But she has signalled trouble for Hopkins.

    • Adrian 9.5

      Yeah, but it worked didn’t it Wayne.
      Fuck’em. Arrogant racist bastards.

    • If you seriously think that the pathetic set of excuses set out in your article gets Chris Hipkins off the hook, you are delusional.

      Off what hook? There’s no penalty for asking a question in Parliament. He gets a telling-off from Ardern and that’s it, which is presumably why he was willing to do it. Well, that and the fact that the current Aus government is a racist one that runs concentration camps (thanks OAB, very succinct) and is actively hostile to NZ, and it’s very much in our interests that it be replaced with a better one.

    • Delia 9.7

      Yes and lets see if Barnaby resigns, because no amount of calling out your neighbours changes that he has been in the Aus govt since 2004 with dual citizenship….so I guess Julie can just sing now.

    • Anne 9.8

      Correct Wayne. Hipkins’ stupid and thoughtless action in submitting those written questions is going to haunt him for some time to come.

      But if you can summon the courage to listen to Jacinda’s thoroughly professional responses at this stand up media session, you will be able to appreciate that his leader, Jacinda Ardern left no doubt that she was equally unimpressed with his conduct.

      https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/95793008/labour-accused-of-interfering-in-australian-politics

      In due course, I expect Hipkins is going to have to pay a price of some sort for his stupidity.

      But the real crime here is that the Australian government has attempted to falsely implicate the NZ Labour Party in what is an internal matter for the Australian government. What is more, they did so knowing New Zealand is only weeks away from a General Election and that their misrepresentations of the actual facts could have an effect on the outcome of that election.

      Now that really is blatant interference in the politics of a foreign power.

      • mickysavage 9.8.1

        Agreed Anne.

        This is a beat up by the Liberals and Barnaby’s problems have nothing to do with Hipkins. Although his actions were stupid.

        I agree with Ad this helps Jacinda. Makes her appear stronger and sucks media oxygen from English.

      • KJT 9.8.2

        Always thought Hipkins was the sort of careerist that would be equally comfortable in National.

        However no NZ MP ever lost votes by embarrassing the Aussies.

    • KJT 9.9

      Run away when you ask him for facts, Wayne, is back.

      Or, is it never let the facts get in the way of a good story, Wayne.

      I am not a Hipkins fan, but since when have the Aussie Government done NZ any favours?

    • North 9.10

      Stop your weeping and whining, personal responsibility advocate Wayne. Barnaby Rubble Joyce fucked up. Simple as that. His own fault. You and yours might be listened to, tissues might be passed around, if you and yours would pull the fake scandal around the non-existent $100K bottle of Donghua Liu wine out of your collective arse. Who do you think you are, pompous right wing trougher you ?

    • KJT 9.11

      When are we going to hear about Thiels funding of the National party?

      Rather close to being an agent of a foreign power.

      • Wayne 9.11.1

        KJT
        If Theil has, it will have been disclosed in the electoral returns. As far as I am aware he hasn’t.
        Theil’s interest in NZ is not about a particular political party, it is about his broader view of New Zealand. In fact his interest in NZ started when Labour was last in power.
        He has a particular view about the NZ innovation system. He thinks our style as a people fosters innovation. That is not something specific to any one political party.

        • KJT 9.11.1.1

          Wayne. You know as well as I do, that funding for National, is not just the amounts shown in electoral returns.

          I don’t think it is our “socialist” education system, that attracts people like Theil?

          The connections of the National party who made money, when Theil, “did the NZ Government like a dinner” for millions, would make interesting reading.

    • mpledger 9.12

      Of course Chris Hipkins should have asked those questions if people asked him to find out the answers especially if they were New Zealand citizens.

      It’s just plain stupid to think that he should hide facts from people who asks questions about ****NZ***** (especially NZ law) because it might hurt another country.

      (We’d never know which foreign countries were doing dodgy stuff relating to NZ if MPs weren’t allowed to embarrass them.)

      In fact under the OIA (IIRC all questions asked are OIA questions whether explicity expressed or not) he is obliged to answer the question.

      • Wayne 9.12.1

        Mpledger,
        I have never heard of an MP asking questions at the behest of a foreign political party.
        It should instantly scream alarm bells no matter whether they are a fraternal party or not.
        Jacinda Adern had no difficulty working that out.
        The continuing defence of Hipkins in the various comments demonstrates that hyperpartisanships trumps all. But hyperpartisanship is part of the problem of modern politics. It leads a complete inability to step back and see whether something is right/sensible or not. And it is leads to the ends justifying the means.

        • Psych nurse 9.12.1.1

          But apparently the written questions have not even been answered yet, so who told the Aussies they had been asked ?.

        • dukeofurl 9.12.1.2

          Hyper partisan ? Who would have guessed that NZ labour could do that too.

          Joyce can cry a river of tears when his case is heard by the HIgh Court. The evidence is that before the question came up in NZ he was being asked about and refused to accept the possibility- laughed it off.
          He can now pay the political price

          • dukeofurl 9.12.1.2.1

            “7136 (2017). Chris Hipkins to the Minister of Internal Affairs (09 Aug 2017): Would a child born in Australia to a New Zealand father automatically have New Zealand citizenship?

            Hon Peter Dunne (Minister of Internal Affairs) replied: Reply due: 17 Aug 2017

            They havent even answered yet ( its due tomorrow 17th) but we already know the answer

            Cant have ‘bought down the government’ when we all knew the answer before the reply came’

        • lloyd 9.12.1.3

          let’s solve this issue of political bias. In the interest of trans-Tasman mateship, lets pass a law that whoever gets elected to the Australian federal parliament immediately, automatically and irrevocably becomes a New Zealand citizen. Simple, easy and will solve that bias. Having a full parliament of New Zealand passport holders in Canberra should reduce the anti-kiwi bis in laws they pass over there.

        • Pat 9.12.1.4

          oh dear Wayne….hope your getting OT rates for this line…Id be more concerned about the unnaturally close relationship between Turnbull and the NZ National Party……

    • Gabby 9.13

      What hook?
      I want his supplementary question to be ‘Why is Ms Bishop such a big sook and where are her big girl pants?’

    • Patricia 9.14

      Was the information requested top secret ? I checked on Wikipedia and it all seemed to be set out there quite clearly. I think Wayne is shooting the messenger ; if Hipkins hadn’t answered then somebody else could have done so easily.

  10. ankerawshark 10

    Wayne, Yes and Jacinda Ardern has handled tihs brilliantly. She clearly stated Chris H’s actions were unacceptable. BUT even better she called Julie Bishop out on trying to put the blame on Joyce’s predicament on the NZ Labour Party………………..That was just silly.

    It clearly came from the Australian media……………….if Oz Labour were feeding the story to the media, well of course. That is what an opposition would do.

    IMHO the Australian law is downright racist and I think it is likely Jacinda just score a few thousand extra votes from ex-pat Kiwis who want a Govt that will stand up to Oz and call them out.

    • Bearded Git 10.1

      the australian journalist who broke this story called Bishop’s remarks bonkers on Morning Report this morning

  11. Sanctuary 11

    “…The problem is the Australian constitution has this appallingly racist provision:
    44. Any person who … is a subject or a citizen or entitled to the rights & privileges of a subject or citizen of a foreign power … shall be incapable of being chosen or of sitting as a senator or a member of the House of Representatives…”

    At the time of the writing of the Australian constitution everyone (well, every white person) in the UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and NZ was still firstly and foremostly a “British subject” – a citizen of that singular and indivisible entity, the mighty British Empire. The provision was designed to keep out “foreign citizens” like dastardly Huns, garlic infused Frenchmen, troublesome Americans and nefarious Russians. If the current Australian interpretation of that clause wasn’t so ludicrously narrow, anyone with foreign citizenship derived from parents or grandparents born in the British Empire prior to the passing of the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942 (that is, born prior to September 3rd 1939 as the law was backdated) would be fine.

    • dukeofurl 11.1

      No it didnt keep out anybody who wasnt British. They just couldnt be both Australian/British and a foreign national at the same time.

      There is a current minister who was born in and bought up in Belgium. He obviously needed Australian citizenship to be elected AND to renounce his citizenship of his country of birth.
      Simple to do.

    • Gabby 11.2

      It’s not racist, it’s xenophobic.

      • dukeofurl 11.2.1

        Strangely the constitution doesnt say that to be an MP or Senator Australian citizenship is required- their Electoral Act does.

        Strictly speaking the xenophobic aspects to being ‘eligible for foreign citizenship’ are because of the courts interpretations over the years

  12. Delia 12

    Australian Liberal party is like a demented rat backed in a corner, avoid at all costs.

    • tc 12.1

      With a single seat majority in the lower house and no majority in senate.

      Turdbull screwed the pooch with his snap election, they need all the distractions they can get as they can’t govern for the backers like wupert and the infighting is toxic.

  13. Adrian 13

    The pressure really is mounting. Winnie sounded lost and lonely this morning and struggling to be coherent. And why for Gods sake was he seemingly backing Aussies over NZers.
    Halfway through the interview he sounded like he just realised he had backed the wrong horse.
    Get up earlier you silly old bugger, you’re starting to sound like me.

    • WC1 13.1

      When did Winstone sound coherent?

    • ianmac 13.2

      Winston has backed away from his yesterday tirade against Hipkins. So today he had to be seen to be a bit more neutral. And not done very fluently either.

    • Bearded Git 13.3

      agreed adrian….winnie is starting to lose it a bit ….espiner was pissed off brcause he didnt stick to the labour’s underarm bowling script and went off on tangents

  14. esoteric pineapples 14

    I suspect the two conservative parties in Australia and New Zealand have close political and personal ties and this was seen as an opportunity for the Australian government to give National a helping hand. It is quite clearly an attempt to undermine Labour’s chances of winning the election.

    “When Bishop flew over to Auckland this week for one of her regular meetings with Kiwi counterpart Murray McCully, Prime Minister John Key’s door was also open.”

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/85657144/Australia-has-no-greater-friend-what-Julie-Bishop-really-thinks-of-New-Zealand

    • dukeofurl 14.1

      I dont think they were thinking that far out. They are in a blind panic as there is now no doubt a by election will have to be held.

  15. greywarshark 15

    Julie Bishop – Crocodile Julee.
    (Oz call crocodiles Snapping Handbags – seems to suit this female – is she a woman?)

  16. Stupidity and Australian politicians seem to go hand in hand.

    Bishop is an old nag and needs to be put out to pasture.

    • popexplosion 16.1

      Bishop, was she Abbott’s deputy? is she positioning herself? As the two main parties take turns imploding. Damn Ozzie greens for falling in their sword, starting this mess off.

  17. Nick 17

    Jacinda came across well in her actions and media responses. More votes coming to Labour Yeehah.

  18. ankerawshark 18

    I wonder if that means if Joyce can revoke his NZ citizenship with relative ease if this could be the case for all those poor b…..d’s in detention centres and re-participated back to NZ could too? I mean some of them must have Australian citizenship even if its just a small percentage?

    • alwyn 18.1

      An Australian citizen cannot be deported from Australia.
      In order to deport you they would have to first revoke your citizenship, which is possible but rare.
      Basically it requires that you did not disclose all relevant information when you applied for the Citizenship.
      An easy to read explanation is given here. Sorry about the ads you will see.
      https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110301233147AAv1P7E

      If the people held in a detention centre only hold New Zealand citizenship I don’t believe they could renounce it. You can’t, I think, renounce your NZ citizenship if it would leave you stateless.

      • ankerawshark 18.1.1

        Actually thanks for clarifying that. Unfortunately that makes sense

        • NewsFlash 18.1.1.1

          Barnaby has already renounced his NZ citizenship and has received confirmation, just doesn’t help him with regard to the Law, he’ll have to go through a by-election.

  19. mac1 19

    I am confused now as to the definition of racism. I would have thought that denying membership of a parliament to a person who has citizenship in a foreign country calls in questions of nationalism, patriotism or xenophobia.

    In another situation, the defining of Winston Peters’ call to ban the wearing of ceremonial daggers by Sikh men is seen as racist. I would have thought it was cultural or religious question, but not one of race.

    I am not calling into question whether either call is reasonable, but whether the issue has been named correctly. Racism may well be in the mix, depending on the motivation of the people involved, but that is another, and further, call.

    • greywarshark 19.1

      I thought that business of wearing ceremonial daggers always, that’s what I thought the Sikh spokesman said, is an interesting one.

      I don’t believe that all cultural ideas of foreigners should be accepted. Some just don’t work with the culture we have built up. We can’t have anyone having the right to carry daggers around all the time. At their own cultural assemblies only.
      NZ is too violent to have some men allowed to carry knives as it will spread and there would be resentment against all Indians about it.

      Included in my no-nos –
      Is cover-all burkhas.
      Genital mutilation.

      • KJT 19.1.1

        When i was at primary school all of us boys carried pocket knives. I still do.

        Don’t recall anyone getting stabbed.

        Mind you, using knives, in a fight, was considered something only cowards, did.

    • popexplosion 19.2

      Given the daggers are blunt, smallish, hidden and hard to get at, seems racist to me as it’s not about the threat, or thefree expression, but entirely about the other and saying no without having to regard as arrogance rules.

      • greywarshark 19.2.1

        pop
        You are not capable of viewing the outcomes in an intelligent fashion apparently. No use discussing possible problems with someone who applies some generic precept such as people should never have no said to them if they can claim some emotional special privilege.

      • mac1 19.2.2

        I agree that it is unreasonable to ban these ceremonial daggers worn by male members of the Sikh religion but is it racist? Or is it bigotry based on religion, or culture or as you say dislike of “the other”.

        The ‘other’ can be viewed as such by other reasons than race- the poor, beneficiaries, different religion, age, sex, politics, ethnicity, region, rurality, background, education, hair colour.

        I am still unclear as the wise use of the term ‘racism’ applied here. Not, I add, through wilfulness.

        • Gabby 19.2.2.1

          If you’re parading symbols of your otherness you’re kind of othering yourself.

      • Given the daggers are blunt, smallish, hidden and hard to get at, seems racist to me as it’s not about the threat

        Just because they’re small and blunt doesn’t mean that they can’t kill so, yeah, it’s about the threat.

        • McFlock 19.2.3.1

          no, it’s about the purpose and the intention.

          It’s the difference between nail scissors and a concealed blade. An umbrella and a sword.

          A weapon needs to be practical, hence the ban on switch blades. You can carry a swiss army knife, or even a machete, if you have a non-weapony excuse. Hell, look at the Scots bandmembers wearing sgian-dubh. Exactly the same situation – used for ceremony, it’s not a weapon.

          • Draco T Bastard 19.2.3.1.1

            I have no problem using them in ceremony.

            I have a problem carrying them around permanently:

            The kirpan … is a sword or knife carried by Sikhs.[1] It is a religious commandment given by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699, that Sikhs must wear five articles of faith at all times, the kirpan being one of five articles.[2][3]

            The Punjabi word kirpan has two roots: kirpa, meaning “mercy”, “grace”, “compassion” or “kindness”; and aanaa, meaning “honor”, “grace” or “dignity”.

            Sikhs are expected to embody the qualities of a Sant Sipahi or “saint-soldier” with the courage to defend the rights of all who are wrongfully oppressed or persecuted irrespective of their color, caste, or creed.[citation needed]

            Kirpans are curved and have a single cutting edge that may be either blunt or sharp.[1] They are often between 3.0 inches (7.6 cm) and 9.0 inches (23 cm) long,[1] and must be made of steel or iron

            • McFlock 19.2.3.1.1.1

              so it’s an article of faith, not a weapon.

              A turban is not a garrotte, either.

              Someone looking pissed off, running down the street with a six inch sharp knife in their hand, yelling “I’m gonna kill the bastards” would reasonably be regarded as carrying a weapon.

              A different person, with the same knife, blunt, sheathed, inaccessible, wearing a Sikh turban – they’re wearing the Sikh equivalent of a cross on a necklace.

              It’s really no different to carrying a hammer all the time. Fine if you’re a carpenter, takes some splaining if it’s 3am, and there’s a proken window and a security alarm going off. Then it’s a burglary implement, and illegal. Or if there’s a guy on the ground with blunt trauma injuries: then the hammer is a weapon possessed without reasonable excuse. How the injuries or wndow damage were caused takes investigation, but possession is possibly the immediate reason for arrest.

              Crimes act 1961:

              202A Possession of offensive weapons or disabling substances

              (1) In subsection (4)(a) offensive weapon means any article made or altered for use for causing bodily injury, or intended by the person having it with him or her for such use.

              (2) In subsection (4)(b) offensive weapon means any article capable of being used for causing bodily injury.

              (3) In this section disabling substance means any anaesthetising or other substance produced for use for disabling persons, or intended by any person having it with him or her for such use.

              (4)

              Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years—
              (a) who, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, has with him or her in any public place any knife or offensive weapon or disabling substance; or

              (b)who has in his or her possession in any place any offensive weapon or disabling substance in circumstances that prima facie show an intention to use it to commit an offence involving bodily injury or the threat or fear of violence.

              • so it’s an article of faith, not a weapon.

                No, it’s actually a weapon dressed up as an item of faith. It says, quite specifically, that it’s to be used as one as part of their faith.

                Which means that it meets most of those clauses you listed there to be considered a weapon. It’s made to be one and it’s carried to be one.

                • McFlock

                  “Sikhs are expected to embody the qualities of a Sant Sipahi or “saint-soldier” with the courage to defend the rights of all who are wrongfully oppressed or persecuted irrespective of their color, caste, or creed.[citation needed]”

                  Doesn’t say they are required to use the kirpan to do it, though.

                  If it were meant to be used as a weapon rather than a reminder, it would need to be accessible and sharp.

                  I suppose one way of testing whether it’s meant to be used as a weapon is to see how extensive the outbreak of kirpan-related stabbings is. Lots of yanks have guns, and their shooting rate is through the roof. What percentage of our Sikh community is incarcerated for stabbing folks with these “weapons”?

                  • Doesn’t say they are required to use the kirpan to do it, though.

                    It’s implied through having to carry it.

                    If it were meant to be used as a weapon rather than a reminder, it would need to be accessible and sharp.

                    I suppose butter knives are sharp now?

                    As for accessibility, if the person can get to it then it’s accessible.

                    What percentage of our Sikh community is incarcerated for stabbing folks with these “weapons”?

                    Nice diversion but not falling for it.

                    The simple fact of the matter is that carrying these weapons is against the law in NZ. Why should we make an exception to them? Should the Black Power, Headhunters and other gangs all be allowed to carry guns because it’s part of their religion?

                    If they wish to live in NZ then they live by NZ’s laws – not the ones in India.

                    • McFlock

                      “Implied”?
                      What qualifies you to make such a proclamation upon the teachings of any religion?

                      Thing about butter knives as weapons is that a sharper knife would have caused greater injury. But then butter knives are designed to be tools for spreading butter, so are sort of shit as weapons.

                      But it does illustrate, along with your ‘gang religion’ argument, the point about carrying weapons: anything is a weapon if carried with the intention of using it to harm others. But everything can be used as a weapon, to greater or lesser effect. And sometimes what looks like a weapon is now just a tool or even a religious item.

                      So it’s a defense of reasonableness. Would an impartial judge decide that the headhunters were carrying firearms as religious objects with no intention of causing harm with them? Doubtful. The entire context of being in a gang makes that idea unreasonable.

                      But a longstanding religious practise that’s not associated with rampant crime – or even any crime in NZ as far as I can find? Seems to me the purpose of the item would be religious observance.

                • greywarshark

                  Good on you DTB Trying to bring some clarity and reason to this.
                  While others find it an interesting subject for endless discussion.

                  We in our country can’t allow people to be going round with weapons, real or fake, tucked away or on display. It only encourages the others don’t you know. I would like to see all fake weapons banished except water pistols, and they are bad enough with possible harmful results.

                  I remember that TV line ‘You’re not in Guatemala now Dr Whatisname’. When in Rome do as the Romans do applies as to NZ.

                  We try to have a good society, some of us, but we have others who if someone is wearing symbolic or fake weapons would love to do so too. Inevitably someone one of such would be shot or attacked in some way, they would only add to the uncertainty on our streets and anxiety and suspicion to police.

                  I think that Sikhs should wear their turbans, and Muslims wear their hajibs, but just not anything they may have been used to. We aren’t as civilised as they would be in India where they come from perhaps.

                  • popexplosion

                    I disagree. The fact that this is ceremonial, blunt, hard to get at, and the person is wearing a turban, shouldn’t bar them. if a Catholic wears a crucifix sharpened into a point and the upper part a handle is this now a weapon. Since arguably the crucifix evolved from the shape of a dagger/sword. So it’s just a matter of deweaponizing the object into a ceremonial object. I would whole heartily agree with banning actual daggers. So the fact that this is talked about as a ban not a negotiation is indicative of racism against Sikhs.

  20. greywarshark 20

    Australians are poor winners! They have got hold of most of our banks from which they are extracting much of our dosh and majorly funding our property boom but not likely to take much risk from small developing business.

    They are a major competitor in our skies with Jetstar. Having ruined us as a country, besmirched our airline brand and our country’s name through us being fool enough to attempt to get into their domestic airline business as a NZ business. The Oz government had granted us that right, only to arbitrarily withdraw. Instead we were offered Ansett, that spent missile, instead. Talk about North and South Korea!

    Then they decide they despise us, having won our resources on the business battlefield. They arbitrarily decide that past criminal offenders should be extracted by keyhole surgery from their family, business and friends and shut away on a foreign shore off Australia, or sent back to the distant homeland. What is our reaction, carry on obsequiously! That could be the title of a satire-laden skit about the supine level of our Anzac friendship!

    We are such poor losers, as in losers who are poor, and bound to regress along those lines if too many of our sheeple vote for Nats. There is a glimmer of hope,
    if we vote for Labour, of dealing with various hostile entities, including Oz. We must realise they are not our friends, the country a rough-house of basic unconcern for fellow humans which shows up in their government as concentrated scouring discourse and harsh policies.

  21. Ross 21

    I posted a video on the other thread about this issue. It shows journalist Patricia Karvelas interviewing Joyce about 3 weeks ago. She raised the issue of his father being a NZer. He said it was a red herring and laughed at the possibility of him having dual citizenship.He is a dick and it is ridiculous of Julie Bishop to blame Hipkins.Indeed the Labor Party handed her her arse in Parliament yesterday.

  22. popexplosion 22

    Hipkins asks question about NZ law in NZ parliament and it causes the Aussie govt to collapse. Geez. Make him PM!

  23. Macro 23

    After 23 Sep and the change of Govt – the first act should be the declaration that all Australians who are members of the Australian government and with the name Peter Dutton, shall henceforth be New Zealand Citizens – This act shall apply immediately and be irrevocable.

    • KJT 23.1

      Why don’t we just say all Australians. NZ citizenship.

      As their Government has proven to be incompetent, we can offer them our National party. At least they are partially competent.

      • Macro 23.1.1

        Gezz Mate! No I just want that xenophobic, racist, psychopath of a “Minister of Immigration” gone.

        • KJT 23.1.1.1

          The whole restriction of New Zealanders started, because all the brown people were getting into Australia through our wide open, door.

          • NewsFlash 23.1.1.1.1

            It was actually a National party policy to coerce the pacific Islanders to Aus to avoid having to pay benefits to them.

          • Macro 23.1.1.1.2

            Yes but is the evil Dutton who has ranked up the persecution of not only NZers sent to Christmas Island, but also the ongoing persecution of Refugees on Manus and Nauru.

    • You_Fool 23.2

      This was the plan on kiwiblog. Pass a law that says that as soon as an Australian takes his seat in the Aus parliament they are instantly also a NZ citizen, so they have to resign, renounce, stand in a by-election, win, take their seat in parliament, become a NZ citizen… infinite loop.

    • lloyd 23.3

      No, make ALL Australia’s parliamentary members New Zealanders automatically on their being elected. Simple.

  24. As his father was a British subject it looks like this Joyce fellow might also be British

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_nationality_law#British_citizenship_by_descent

  25. greywarshark 25

    You would think that New Zealand Labour was in possession of nuclear tipped medium range missiles and had threatened to let off a few into the sea near Tasmania just to make sure they worked.

    No need for that micky savage. They just unleash the jewel in their diving belt, Julie whatsname – Bishop. Funny that Bishop – Monk got called the mad abbott or was it the other way round. Sounds a perverted sort of religious bias to me. Now why don’t they stick to a juicy game of chess. Or turn themselves into a musical, after all there was one called Chess and that had a gritty story of the sort that would fit the Ozzies well.

    Perhaps the lyrics from I Know Him So Well would suit.
    (If I knew from the start, Why am I falling apart?)
    Boo hoo NZ. One day we will be older and wiser, maybe.
    (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDWWM6h51hc

    Or we should heed Nobody’s Side:-

    Everybody’s playing the game
    But nobody’s rules are the same
    Nobody’s on nobody’s side

    Better learn to go it alone
    Recognize you’re out on your own
    No contract truly signed

    There’s nothing certain left to know
    And how the cracks begin to show
    Never make a promise or plan
    Take a little love when you can
    Nobody’s on nobody’s side

    Never stay too long in your bed
    Never lose your heart, use your head
    Never take a stranger’s advice
    Never let a friend fool you twice
    Nobody’s on nobody’s side
    Chess – Nobodys Side Lyrics | MetroLyrics

  26. NewsFlash 26

    Great article Mickey, factual and informative, shame there aren’t more reporters who value the truth.

    I don’t know if you read Gartrells full story, but he had contacted the Liberals on multiple occasions for a response prior to publication, they did not reply, and he subsequently released the story the same day the Libs announced it.

    There has been significant backlash against Bishop by nearly all media outlets, and with the Libs demise in the senate and lower house yesterday, losing the votes, there are obviously some Libs not happy either.

    Watched Jacinda’s response yesterday, such eloquent diplomacy, something missing from NZ politics for a long time.

    The added publicity for Labour is an unexpected benefit, who would have thought.

    • dukeofurl 26.1

      NZ Minister of Internal Affairs hasnt yet replied to HIpkins questions.

      So the issue has moved on of its own accord, as we all know the answer.

      Joyce has renounced his NZ citizenship but of course thats too late to stop a by election

      • NewsFlash 26.1.1

        Did you see Hipkin’s response to the reporters question : why did you ask the question about citizenship?

        He seemed genuinely dazed at the level interest, his reply was : that he was genuinely interested in the topic of citizenship.

        Who knows, this may be correct.

        • Macro 26.1.1.1

          I hear tell that Hipkin and Gartrell (and indeed) Ardern actually all worked together as policy advisors for Helen Clark in around 2005. So there may indeed be a backstory to this, but who knows.
          Anyway – a huge mountain out of a molehill as far as NZ involvement is concerned.

          • NewsFlash 26.1.1.1.1

            That’s a long bow, but agreed, storm in tea cup created by a very, very desperate Lib/ Nat federal govt.

            Libs behind in the last 17 polls 54 to 46, that’s for Turnbull, previous 30 polls with Abbott were equally poor, hence change of PM

      • Psych nurse 26.1.2

        So who told the Aussies that the written question existed ? or are Parliamentary questions to Ministers public knowledge.

        • NewsFlash 26.1.2.1

          I think it was the reply from Dunn that alerted the Aussies, I don’t know if you saw the news segment with him.

          • dukeofurl 26.1.2.1.1

            Dunn hasnt replied officially till Thursday 17th. By then everyone could give the answer themselves as the media had been all over it for a week. Even English gave the answer when asked by journalists

        • alwyn 26.1.2.2

          “are Parliamentary questions to Ministers public knowledge.”

          They are published as soon as they are received.

          Here are today’s lot. You will see that they are all dated 16 August. I would be amazed if any Australian journalist ever looked at this though. There are thousands of these questions, often computer generated by linking the wording of a single question with a list of names to be inserted into the question.
          I suspect that is how all these questions from Winston were done. Use one question and then repeat it with the name of every single Government Department.

          Warning! I didn’t do it deliberately but the ones you will see are all from Winston Peters. If you can’t stand the man don’t follow the link.

          https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/order-paper-questions/written-questions/

        • mickysavage 26.1.2.3

          They are publicly available. There are a huge number of them and many of them are pretty mundane. They are used to get information rather than point score.

    • greywarshark 26.2

      Gartrell on Radionz this a.m. said that he told the Libs he was going to release the story after trying to get some sensible response from them for a time, and that was when they came out with it themselves.

    • mickysavage 26.3

      Thanks NF. I did read Gartrell’s full story which made me wonder what all the fuss was about. The media were already all over it.

      You have to like the Aussie media. Those that arn’t aligned to Murdoch are brave and fearless and always seem to ask the right questions.

  27. … ” But tories are not noted for their graciousness. Normally any problems that arise are someone else’s fault ” …

    A statement well worth remembering ,… and suggests a something a little like this ;

    The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: Somebody Elses … – YouTube
    you tube▶ 3:33
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyUVvII04co

  28. Treetop 28

    What a bitter pill for the Australian Government to swallow that they did not do all the necessary citizen checking.

    What is the pay back going to be?

    More legislation to kick Kiwis living in Australia.

    I chuckled about W. Peters comparing the event to the cricket underarm incident. When I first heard I thought about the underarm incident as a comparison.

    NZ pulls its weight as a partner of five eyes.

  29. greywarshark 29

    I don’t know that anyone has commented on how sour the gent is in the header image. Is this the pollie in question? He looks as if he just ate NZ and found a fishbone in it. That’s probably Maui’s jawbone he’s got there. Well now he’s Aussie he’d better give it back. They have got enough of our taonga already.

    This from the 1930s ‘Is He an Aussie, Is he Lizzie’ with Malcolm McEachern, famous bass baritone and Englishman B.C.Hillam (Flotsam and Jetsam); the probable fore runner and in the style of the late Flanders & Swann….
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByKs_Pwxpy8

    (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-u_i292My4
    Published on May 24, 2010
    McEACHERN, WALTER MALCOLM NEIL (1883-1945), singer, was born on 1 April 1883 at Albury, New South WalesMcEachern was a cultured and convivial musician who disliked pretension, especially in music. The sole aim of his singing was to give enjoyment. His size, jovial nature and booming voice gave him great presence. He recorded 187 studio performances, including opera, operetta, oratorio, art songs, and popular compositions of which 88 were made for the Vocalion Company (1921-27) and 99 (including 53 ‘Flotsam and Jetsam’ duets) for Columbia Graphophone (1927-41). On his centenary in 1983 all his solo recordings for Columbia were issued by EMI (Australia).

    Who among the oldies remember the Gendarmes Duet?
    (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIe3ZMxWOO4

    • NewsFlash 29.1

      Yes, that’s “Barnyard” Joyce, he’s the guy who told Johnny Depp to take his dogs out of Oz, Johnny Depp referred to Joyce as a GM modified tomato, lol.

      He’s the National party leader, and by comparison to the NZ model National Party. he’s just as corrupt and dishonest, something a lot of farmers have in common unfortunately.

      • greywarshark 29.1.1

        Sounds as if he should settle down depply I mean deeply in his old/new home now, dig himself into the graveyard, I mean barnyard, hey what is his name? I’m as confused as he is. However no deporting here please. We don’t want any Oz tricks here, we have enough of our own tricky dickies.

  30. Exkiwiforces 30

    Found this over at Politik and sounds likes there is a bit more to this than everyone is letting on. Anyway happy reading

    http://politik.co.nz/en/content/politics/1168/NZ-Government-kept-Barnaby-Joyce's-citizenship-top-secret-Barnaby-Joyce-Gerry-Brownlee-Julie-Bishop-citizenship.htm

  31. ScottGN 31

    This piece on the ABC from veteran Canberra politics journo Michelle Grattan is worth a read.
    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-16/barnaby-joyce-citizenship-nz-conspiracy-michelle-grattan/8812432

  32. mosa 32

    That woman Bishop is deranged and a hypocrite.

    Accusing our Labour party of interfering in their politics is a joke when they actively campaigned in Australia targeting NZ voters on behalf of John Key during the 2014 election which is a serious intrusion in our domestic affairs.

    Imagine the uproar over there if Labour was to do the same during a federal election in Australia aimed at ex pat Aussies here !

  33. Ross 33

    Meanwhile, long-time Aussie journo, Laurie Oakes, is pretty scathing of Bishop’s conspiracy theory.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULYhYIOcGbY

  34. Ross 36

    Meanwhile, another Tory Minister in Aussie could have dual citizenship.

    Jesus the New Zealand Labour Party is doing wonders since Jacinda’s promotion to Leader. Who knew they had the power to bring down the Australian Government!

    It’s unclear who Julie Bishop intends to blame for this latest debacle.

    http://www.news.com.au/national/politics/michael-keenan-may-be-dual-citizen-of-uk-and-australia/news-story/fb70840090613e9d180078100050cefc

  35. Sable 37

    In my opinion its starting to sound a little like the nonsense coming out of the USA blaming the Russian’s for everything from election failures/successes to stubbed toes…….

  36. Exkiwiforces 38

    In this morning paper this appear.

    “TAKE NOTICE that the High Court of Australia will sit as the Court of Disputed Returns pursuant to s 376 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 at 10:15am (AEST) on Thursday 24 August 2017 at the Commonwealth Law Courts Building, 119 North Quay, Brisbane of the purpose of giving directions as to the hearing and determination by the Court of Disputed Returns of the following questions transmitted by the House of Representatives on Tuesday 15 August 2017 pursuant to s 377 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918
    a) whether, by reason of s 44(I) of the Constitution, place of the Member of New England (Mr Joyce) has become vacant;

    b)if the answer to Question (a) is “yes”, by what means and in what manner that vacancy should be filled;

    c) what directions and other orders, if any should the Court make in order to hear and finally dispose of this reference; and

    d) what, if any, order should be made as to the costs of these proceedings.”

    The rest the court notice is the usual fluff.

    Word on the street here ATM from what I gather is the right wing of the Liberal party are going to make a move on Mal. The house of reps is getting to a point where the Liberal’s is losing it grip on things.

  37. Exkiwiforces 39

    Another one bits the dust, The deputy leader of the National party Fiona Nash is being referred to the Court of Disputed Returns over her dual citizenship (UK citizenship). Fiona Nash is in the senate.

    It appears two members of the government in the house of reps maybe referred to the Court of Disputed Returns and if that happens it could be all over for Mal.

  38. Exkiwiforces 40

    Here’s a update on the current shenanigans of the Australian Parliament;

    The second link tells who’s off the Court of Disputed Returns, the possibles and the probable’s (its starting to sound like an old school All Black selection rugby match)

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-18/future-of-turnbull-government-rests-on-high-court/8820112

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-18/parliament-citizenship-woes-what-on-earth-is-happening/8820688

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    Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi The fact that a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    8 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    8 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    8 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    9 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    10 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    12 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    1 day ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    1 day ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
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