Student Fees

Written By: - Date published: 11:36 am, June 26th, 2018 - 26 comments
Categories: uncategorized - Tags: , , , , , ,

Reposted from Nick Kelly’s Blog

One of the big policies the NZ Labour Party took into the 2017 election was to start reintroducing free education. Labour in the UK took a similar policy into their 2017 election, which is thought to have contributed to the “youth quake” which saw young voters turn out and vote for Labour in that election.

In both cases this represented a significant policy U-turn for both Labour Party’s. In New Zealand user pays education really began when Labour Party Education Minister Phil Goff significantly increased fees 1990. The next National Government in 1992 increased the student loan scheme, which charged interest on money students borrowed even while they were studying. In the UK user pays tertiary education was introduced by the Blair Labour government.

In 2003 Labour had just begun its 2nd term in office. In its first term from 1999 to 2002 Labour had promised to cut the cost to students of tertiary education, and subsequently froze fees at their 1999 rate. In 2002 the promise was watered down to “keep education affordable.” What this really meant was, “allow institutions to increase fees by 5% a year.”

Just as the anti war protests were starting to tail off, the government budget announced the fee Maxima scheme allowing institutions to increase fees within the Maxima. This would be our next campaign on campus.

Institutions had been lobbying for the ability to increase fees since the 1999 freeze. Labour had failed to increase funding to tertiary institutions, citing the money they’d wasted on marketing and other waste. It was true that competition between tertiary institutions had caused significant waste. But even were this to stop, governments still needed to increase funding rather than passing increasing costs onto students.

In September 2003 the Victoria University Council attempted to hold a meeting to increase fees. The University Council decided to meet at 8am on a Friday morning thinking no student would be awake on time…wrong! The Education Action Group  I was responsible for as the VUWSA Campaigns Officer managed to successfully disrupt this meeting. Students’ Association hired a marquee and encouraged students to stay overnight (using the slogan ‘if that’s what it takes we’ll stay all night’). The university council tried to meet, but had to cancel due to the noise from students.

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Nick Kelly, Jasmine Freemantle (VUWSA Women’s Rights officer 2002, VUWSA President 2009 and Scott Trainor VUWSA Activities Officer during the October 2003 occupation of the Hunter Council Chamber protesting fee increases at Victoria University

A fortnight later the university attempted to reconvene, this time on a Thursday afternoon and again were unable to proceed. However they moved to another private room and passed the fee increases. As a result a number of us occupied the University Council chamber over night. The next day were decided to leave and regroup. At 3pm the next afternoon, a much bigger crowd of students returned to the Hunter Council Chamber having heard that fees had increased. The response from the University was to call in the police – who sent a number of vans and about 50 officers to remove us. The Vice Chancellor, Stuart McCutcheon who had been targeted by our campaign with charts of ‘sack McCutcheon’ came in surrounded by a number of cops telling us we had 15 minutes to leave, which after some deliberation we did.

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After being kicked out of the Hunter Building - having occupied 3 times in 24 hours.
Half the Wellington Police force turn up to kick protesting students out of the University registry office, October 2003
Above photos: Half the Wellington Police force turn up to kick protesting students out of the University registry

10 minutes after leaving a large order of Hell’s Pizza arrived, intended to feed the crowd of occupying students. A number of us ate nothing but pizza for the next week.

The following week was full of protests and actions on campus. The same week Massey also had fee setting resulting in similar protests. At Vic we famously burnt an effigy of the Vice Chancellor, using my fathers 1970s brown suit.

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At the end of 2003 I ran to re-election as VUWSA Campaigns Officer. As part of my election speech I burnt the Governments Education White Paper. I was re-elected with an increased vote.

The following year, 2004, fee setting protests happened again. The University were far more prepared and had the Hunter Council chamber pretty well locked down prior to the meeting. A year later in 2005 they held the meeting out at a satellite campus out of term time. Despite this we still managed to muster a decent crowd both years. Further the issue of fee increases and student debt remained on the political agenda.

We were able to win a few victories during these years. In 2004 The Massey University Council in Palmerston North voted not to increase student fees, a move described by Education Minister Trevor Mallard as “a bad management decision” (quote from the September 2005 NZUSA Conference at Christchurch College of Education). This no increase result came from a strong campaign to by students in the city, getting support of the local council and community leaders. The following year the government replaced Council members who had voted against the increase, with members who would and did in subsequent years

2005 VUWSA President Jeremy Greenbrook leads protest march to parliament, May 2005

2005 VUWSA President Jeremy Greenbrook leads protest to parliament just before the 2005 budget.

In the 2005 election opinion polls were very close. Labour really needed to pull one out of the hat to win a third term. In May 2005 a thousand strong protest march was led by Student President Jeremy Greenbrook supported by myself and others demanding the government invest in tertiary education. A few weeks later the government were to respond, announcing in their 2005 manifesto that there would be no interest on student loans not only while students were studying (which had been introduced by Labour in 1999) but for all graduates living in New Zealand. The student and graduate vote probably was one key factor in Labour being elected for a third term.

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2005 Education Minister Trevor Mallard telling Vic Uni staff and students “there will be more money for education this budget, but not for you.” Weeks later the government announced interest free student loans.

The strange thing about a win is that it can then be hard to get people energised to keep pushing. In 2006, the year I was Student President at Victoria University, and in the 2-3 years following  fee protests smaller and far less vocal. We still continued to make the case for free education as this 2006 feature column demonstrates. And the new VUW Vice Chancellor Pat Walsh didn’t fundamentally disagree. In both 2005 and 2006 Victoria University along with a number of others applied to the Tertiary Education Commission to get an exemption from the 5% fee maxima and wanted increases of up to 10%. These applications were declined.

In Labour’s final term it began increasing eligibility to student allowances. However this would be short lived once the global financial crisis hit and then there was a change of government. National had been clear from the outset that tertiary education was not a priority for funding. True to their word, they invested very little in the sector over the next 9 years. Further they introduced a number of other damaging policies such as removing elected staff and student reps, and introducing Voluntary Student Membership (VSM) in an attempt to weakening the student movement.

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Me on a New Zealand University Students’ Association (NZUSA) organised march to parliament in January 2004.

 

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Veteran Kiwi punk rock legend Chris Knox plays at an education rally at Victoria University, May 2005.

In 2016 Labour announced it would introduce 3 years free tertiary study. As often happened in Labour’s 9 years in opposition from 2008 to 2017, they announced a detailed policy which few people read. The initial media announcement was ok, but the follow through was quite poor. It seemed like this was a fairly decent policy that would never be implemented. However 18 months later, during the election campaign Labour surprised everyone by getting its house in order. New leader, new campaign materials, and amongst other things a clear commitment to free education. And much to many people’s surprise, they won.

User pays was never a good idea. The argument about tertiary education being a private good is pretty unconvincing when there are shortages of a number of qualified graduates. The argument that graduates are paid higher so can pay back the loans may have once been true, but now graduate pay rates are often barely above the living wage. Further Student debt ballooned from 3 billion in 1999 to around 10 billion in 2006 while I was VUWSA President, and kept growing after that. Further, in the economy we are moving into, having a well educated population is essential. Removing barriers to this like crippling student debt is essential.

26 comments on “Student Fees ”

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  1. ianmac 1
    26 June 2018 at 12:50 pm

    They say that student numbers are static this year so far but I would expect that when other folk realise the opportunities, more will enrol next year.

    • Carolyn_Nth 1.1
      26 June 2018 at 1:01 pm

      The free fees for the first year was for apprenticeships as well. The figures we’ve been given so far seem to be for enrollments in Uni courses. So what are the figures for apprenticeship?

      • Venezia 1.1.1
        26 June 2018 at 1:35 pm

        In spite of the very short time frame, I heard that there was a big increase in applications for the Bachelor of Nursing for 2018 at my local tertiary institute. Will the journalists seek the truth of the figures for trades enrolments & apprenticeships? Or are they so owned by their corporate masters we let one university spokesperson define the reality of the issue?

      • ianmac 1.1.2
        26 June 2018 at 3:59 pm

        Yes and how about the Polytechs?

  2. Molly 2
    26 June 2018 at 12:56 pm

    Was disappointed in the decision to pay the first year tertiary study at the initial rollout.

    For me, those most affected by fees change are those who have already paid for their first and second years fees and have got to their graduation year with an already sizeable loan.

    If there were financial restrictions on a universal rollout, I would have personally preferred that Labour chose those that have persisted with education and would have the greatest financial burden from increased fees. So, pay for the final year, and then increase the payment to the last two years, and so on, until the whole of tertiary education fees is gone.

    There is also the fact that the education sector has a varying degree of attrition for first year students. Partly due to a lack of awareness of what students would like to do as they move straight from secondary school, and also usually a parallel move into independent living. Also, I’m aware that there are some providers that have courses that are not fit for purpose at Level 3 and above, which needs to be addressed, but will still be eligible for fees free. Just a couple of reasons to start the fees free at the tail end, rather than the beginning of study.

    They have also created a cohort of people who are still studying who are just missing out who have no chance of getting any benefit from this policy. As they pay their student loans off in the future this knowledge will remain with them. First years students though, would be studying with the expectation that when they reach their final year, they will be able to meet their student fees without further borrowings. The psychological impact is lessened.

    I hope Labour consider their current policy, and make some adjustments.

  3. Draco T Bastard 3
    26 June 2018 at 1:41 pm

    Further, in the economy we are moving into, having a well educated population is essential.

    Not just the economy. Society and democracy requires a well educated populace. That’s why I say that people should either be in a job or at training.

    People benefit from doing more complex stuff and more of it and thus society will also benefit.

  4. Gosman 4
    26 June 2018 at 1:50 pm

    It isn’t really the Graduate pay rates where University graduates earn more than non graduates. It is the long term career advancement that usually goes with a Tertiary qualification. They earn more over the course of their career not necessarily at the start.

    • mickysavage 4.1
      26 June 2018 at 3:42 pm

      And at which time increased tax rates should kick in.

      Education is a public good.

      When I was at university I had my fees paid for me and I even received a modest living allowance. When my kids were at university they had student loans.

      The Government’s current policy of providing free education is a good one and what should be happening.

      Analysis (wrong in my view) to suggest that it is not having a beneficial financial effect is missing the point.

      • Baba Yaga 4.1.1
        26 June 2018 at 4:13 pm

        Education is a public good that results in private reward. The public already heavily subsidise education. Those receiving the education, and with it the private reward, should contribute.

        • Macro 4.1.1.1
          26 June 2018 at 5:32 pm

          Those receiving the education, and with it the private reward, should contribute.
          They do – through subsequently earning higher income and paying higher taxes. They also contribute to the society in cultural and other ways. Having a well educated population is beneficial for society.

          • indiana 4.1.1.1.1
            26 June 2018 at 5:42 pm

            Here’s hoping they stay employed in the country they got their free education.

            • Macro 4.1.1.1.1.1
              26 June 2018 at 5:58 pm

              In many cases they do.
              Overseas experience should not be shunned either. “Brain drains” can work both ways.

          • Baba Yaga 4.1.1.1.2
            26 June 2018 at 9:19 pm

            “They do – through subsequently earning higher income and paying higher taxes. ”

            And because of those higher incomes, they can afford it. Whereas minimum wage workers are subsidising wealthy families sending their children to Uni even more under Labour.

            “Having a well educated population is beneficial for society.”
            That’s why we already subsidise it so massively. There was no need for Labours silly bribe.

            • McFlock 4.1.1.1.2.1
              26 June 2018 at 11:04 pm

              Whereas minimum wage workers are subsidising wealthy families sending their children to Uni even more under Labour.

              The rest of it is the same shit fuckwits have been spouting for 30 years as an excuse for making poor people pay more than rich people for the same education, but whatever. This line of yours highlights another problem, though: if the minimum wage is not the living wage, and a minimum wage earner is a net taxpayer, then the problem is that the tax system isn’t progressive enough. It has nothing to do with what tax revenue is spent on, and everything to do with the rich not paying their fair share.

              • Baba Yaga …
                27 June 2018 at 7:35 am

                You don’t define ‘rich’, so your comment is meaningless. On the ‘living’ wage, why should business pay a subsidy to workers based on a construct? Businesses should pay a market wage, then the true value of education will be enjoyed by those who decide to invest in their future.

                • McFlock …
                  27 June 2018 at 7:49 am

                  Lol
                  It’s always a laugh when Tories act superior by claiming to not know what everyday words mean . As if someone has made no point if they fail to cater to your conveniently special needs.

  5. saveNZ 5
    26 June 2018 at 2:22 pm

    Personally think all university education should be free.

    But I think the apprentices should NOT be polytechnic based but on the job training like it used to be. That way you had linesmen and electricians and plumbers and builders and plasterers and tilers learning on the job and actually be paid while they did it and never be saddled with a student loan. Then when ready they should sit an exam just like your would for your drivers licence and then become qualified that way. A lot of people in the trade want to work not study and they should be apprentices without all the red tape that has come about to profit from the system and the government wanting to micro manage everything. Just go the drivers license way and things will pick up.

    As education has become a profit business, there has been an approach away from what is best for the student and what is best for industry to getting bums on seats at places of study and get government fees and now we even have the despicable fake degrees for residency or even human trafficking

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/104978434/Indian-human-trafficking-victim-denied-visa-after-testimony-he-feared-put-his-life-in-danger

    which would be unheard of in NZ a decade ago, (remember Taito Field?) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taito_Phillip_Field

    I paid over 10% compounding daily on my student loan in the 1990’s. So in some ways it is bitter sweet for those who might have just arrived in the country for a few years getting free fees when previous students had to pay more than most people in the world in NZ in interest with no right offs, and now same generation will be expected to pay the taxes too for the older folks and of course they want to get rid of the pensions now, something that was predicted to be a big problem by grey power 2011
    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1110/S00572/grey-power-warns-of-impact-of-high-immigration-rates.htm

    So young students have a lot on their plate as do those who are in the middle and the aged who expected to be well provided for and now have overflowing hospitals and retirement rip offs as we march forward in our profits before people ways.

    Social mobility and wages are static or declining, so how do students pay off those loans and get a job with so much competition and it becoming more expensive to pay day to day expenses on low wages?

    I also find the structure of university chancellors to be disgusting. Closing the arts library in Auckland while funnelling money into the design school and other courses that are replicated in many other universities in NZ, is a case in point. We are reducing quality and diversity of education in this country.

    In spite of Jacinda apparently being an arts fan and Chloe doing art history as well as law, did not see much political interest in saving this resource or the 40 jobs, at a time when they give away water for 60 never never jobs. Sad.

    Maybe a life in NZ slogging away without art and music, planning and architecture is somebodies idea of where to scrimp and an indicator of how devoid of culture we are becoming in this county.

  6. Molly 6
    26 June 2018 at 2:43 pm

    “Personally think all university education should be free.”
    Agree with you there, for all NZ citizens.

    “But I think the apprentices should NOT be polytechnic based but on the job training like it used to be. “
    IIRC, before the changes to the apprenticeship training, learning was done on the job, but it was supported by polytechnic attendance for short-term courses and examinations to ensure that the basics of that particular industry had been covered, learnt and mastered. This ensured that trainees had some experience of all aspects of their chosen industry even if their work experience or employer did not provide it. I think that was the best of both worlds.

    Currently, the quality of an apprenticeship is largely dependent on the experience and knowledge of the employer, as well as the scope of work of their employment. Theory can be attended to in a haphazard manner without practical experience, and without ensuring a quality process. Returning all apprenticeships to polytechnic, would not be practical or effective, but the neither would the avoidance of institutional standardised training and practice.

    The combination delivers more than either stand-alone system.

    (Sorry, meant to be a reply to saveNZ @ 5)

    • saveNZ 6.1
      26 June 2018 at 4:37 pm

      The builders I know of is doing polytechnic work and off the job one day a week. Personally think not working, the industry is not prepared to put up with this judging by their non interest in having apprentices when they can get cheap people for cash or overseas workers cheap, high fees for the apprentice to pay for the course and at the end of the day, building work is practical and the tests should be practical and on the job related not paper pushing.

      There is a lot of mucking around to be qualified as as a registered builder and it is driving a culture of building sites of having the unqualified builders everywhere and then someone comes along at the end and signs it all off. The qualified people don’t actually do the practical work and now we get signed off buildings that are condemned before people move in aka Tauranga!

      Anyway if making polytechnics the same as universities has been to get more entry into fields like construction, they have failed, miserably, both in quality and retention of people into those fields. Time for a rethink.

      Also know a few tradies that came to NZ from Germany, and actually got residency but don’t work in that industry as it’s not a nice one to work in apparently and too ad hoc for them when they are used to quality. They now do cash work only. So actually the current system for construction does not work on so many levels, helps bad employers, lowers quality & wages and stops entry into the field for young people and is creating dangerous buildings that are signed off.

      Likewise a joke to think that NZ will be a highly educated country in a decade, we are doing the opposite with our move to make the trades the same style ad universities and recent migrants coming here are less skilled and educated than even 5 years ago.

      Our ad hoc, low quality system filled with exploiters at every turn and fake, decreasing quality degrees with NZ qualifications, while the government turns a blind eye to and encouraging a rip off culture everywhere, is destroying our country as being an honest, educated and fair one.

      Likewise our degrees will soon be the laughing stock of the Pacific – more lawyers per capita than the UK and from Jordan Williams, Barry Hart to Ken Whitney to the recent revelations on what’s going on at Russel McVeagh… sad to see this is what the standard or lawyer’s is now, manipulating and being beyond the law.

      The police apparently “deleted’ all Kim Dot Coms records apparently, therefore can’t supply the court order… this is our countries enforcers of the law… does it sound like it’s on the right track as an educated country?

      • Molly 6.1.1
        26 June 2018 at 4:54 pm

        My son worked recently for a builder for eighteen months, where a friend was serving an apprenticeship. The quality of the builder, and their ability makes a huge difference to the quality of training of those apprentices they take on. The attendance of one day a week at a separate institution is a safeguard for all apprentices, that despite their employer they will be exposed to best practice and all aspects of their industry over their time.

        I think we are also feeling the impact of the changes to apprenticeships in the 80’s. Back then, we were more likely to have – for instance – builders that would build a house from foundation to roof. Now we have builders that specialise in foundations, then those who deal with framework, then roofing, then fitting and gibbing, then plastering. As a consequence, apprenticeships often are limited to specialised roles in building within their employment.

        Also, IIRC, trades could consolidate their polytech training in short courses that people would attend during their annual leave. So there was a choice between attending one day a week, or a three week course every year or so. That seems doable.

        If there was certainty that all employers that take on apprentices have:
        1. A quality standard and wide scope of experience to offer,
        2. An ability to teach best practice to their trainees,
        3. The time management skills to ensure their apprentices on on track for the period of their apprenticeship,
        then the need for attendance at a polytechnic to ensure consistency would be a moot point. But I don’t think we are there at present. It is much easier to identify and solve the need for quality institutional trade courses, that it is to identify, train and regulate individual employers to improve the quality of apprenticeships. We should be doing that for all our tertiary providers anyway, and this is a good place to start for immediate reward.

        Also, we had a couple of German journeyman stay with us for a couple of months, and the quality of their training seemed superb. But the value placed on that training was also one of quality standards, where we have a tendency to focus on future financial earnings. As we know, that can result in results that provide greater individual financial rewards but higher public costs.

        • saveNZ 6.1.1.1
          26 June 2018 at 5:55 pm

          The leaky buildings was not caused by the builders. It was the government BRANZ that did it by kow towing to industry to make more profits and allowing untreated timber and unsuitable claddings. Nobody held to account there of course. The rate payers and home owners have mostly had to pay for the fiasco and it driven this idea of more bureaucrats in building, which clearly isn’t working and a joke because it was the bureaucrats that caused it!

          As for the current move away from builders that would build a house from foundation to roof to builders that specialise in small pieces … it’s not working. It takes too long with all the time missing with all the different trades to turn up and quality suffers. You just need one person to make a mistake on the subcontractors and it all comes tumbling down. It makes workers cheaper commodities but it creates bad workmanship and high prices.

          They try to do the same in IT and with the same results. Too many cheap commodity “specialists” who only know a couple of things within a complicated project does not work as “not seeing the ˌwood for the ˈtrees” approach is a disaster when you have complexity.

          • Molly 6.1.1.1.1
            27 June 2018 at 12:48 pm

            … wasn’t talking about leaky buildings.

            The rest of your comment seems to reflect mine – just an alternate view on how to ensure quality training. I don’t think relying on the employers alone to deliver is going to ensure a universal quality of training for all apprentices.

            Until that assurance can be made, the attendance or addition of polytechnic adjunct courses seems the best way forward.

  7. Macro 7
    26 June 2018 at 5:28 pm

    Taking the the single statistic of a 0.03% increase in first year enrolments at University in isolation, and completely out of context, is at best hugely unhelpful, and at worst falls into the category of lies, damned lies, and statistics.
    When we look at the demographic of New Zealand’s population it is clear that the number of young people now of University age is one of a reducing cohort. There are far less young people in the 18 – 20 age group today, than there were 4 years ago.
    http://newzealandiszl.wikia.com/wiki/File:Nzip13-population-pyramid.png *
    So naturally there will be less numbers seeking places in University.
    Then there are many other factors which influence a young persons decision to seek further education at a tertiary level. The availability of jobs, and apprenticeships being a major influence.
    I am firmly of the opinion that free eduction for the whole of a tertiary study is a major investment and while this tentative step is one baby step along the way, it is a start back to a society which is happy to invest in the future of its young people.

    * This population pyramid is for the NZ population in 2012. So you need to take the 10 – 14 year cohort to see the numbers in the 16 – 20 year group today (ie the cohort of University starting age) . Notice that this group is comparatively small compared to the group of 20 – 24 year olds in 2012.

  8. Cantabrian 8
    28 June 2018 at 9:15 pm

    Baba Yaga – you are an old witch!

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  • New Zealaders  have  high expectations of  new  government:  now let’s see if it can deliver?
    The electorate has high expectations of the  new  government.  The question is: can  it  deliver?    Some  might  say  the  signs are not  promising. Protestors   are  already marching in the streets. The  new  Prime Minister has had  little experience of managing  very diverse politicians  in coalition. The economy he  ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    2 days ago

  • You won't believe some of the numbers you have to pull when you're a Finance Minister
    Nicola of Marsden:Yo, normies! We will fix your cost of living worries by giving you a tax cut of 150 dollars. 150! Cash money! Vote National.Various people who can read and count:Actually that's 150 over a fortnight. Not a week, which is how you usually express these things.And actually, it looks ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Pushback
    When this government came to power, it did so on an explicitly white supremacist platform. Undermining the Waitangi Tribunal, removing Māori representation in local government, over-riding the courts which had tried to make their foreshore and seabed legislation work, eradicating te reo from public life, and ultimately trying to repudiate ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Defence ministerial meeting meant Collins missed the Maori Party’s mischief-making capers in Parli...
    Buzz from the Beehive Maybe this is not the best time for our Minister of Defence to have gone overseas. Not when the Maori Party is inviting (or should that be inciting?) its followers to join a revolution in a post which promoted its protest plans with a picture of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Threats of war have been followed by an invitation to join the revolution – now let’s see how th...
     A Maori Party post on Instagram invited party followers to ….  Tangata Whenua, Tangata Tiriti, Join the REVOLUTION! & make a stand!  Nationwide Action Day, All details in tiles swipe to see locations.  • This is our 1st hit out and tomorrow Tuesday the 5th is the opening ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Top 10 for Tuesday, December 4
    The RBNZ governor is citing high net migration and profit-led inflation as factors in the bank’s hawkish stance. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere on the morning of Tuesday, December 5, including:Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr says high net migration and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Nicola Willis' 'show me the money' moment
    Willis has accused labour of “economic vandalism’, while Robertson described her comments as a “desperate diversion from somebody who can't make their tax package add up”. There will now be an intense focus on December 20 to see whether her hyperbole is backed up by true surprises. Photo montage: Lynn ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • CRL costs money but also provides huge benefits
    The City Rail Link has been in the headlines a bit recently so I thought I’d look at some of them. First up, yesterday the NZ Herald ran this piece about the ongoing costs of the CRL. Auckland ratepayers will be saddled with an estimated bill of $220 million each ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    2 days ago

  • And I don't want the world to see us.
    Is this the most shambolic government in the history of New Zealand? Given that parliament hasn’t even opened they’ve managed quite a list of achievements to date.The Smokefree debacle trading lives for tax cuts, the Trumpian claims of bribery in the Media, an International award for indifference, and today the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Cooking the books
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis late yesterday stopped only slightly short of accusing her predecessor Grant Robertson of cooking the books. She complained that the Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU), due to be made public on December 20, would show “fiscal cliffs” that would amount to “billions of ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Most people don’t realize how much progress we’ve made on climate change
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The year was 2015. ‘Uptown Funk’ with Bruno Mars was at the top of the music charts. Jurassic World was the most popular new movie in theaters. And decades of futility in international climate negotiations was about to come to an end in ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Of Parliamentary Oaths and Clive Boonham
    As a heads-up, I am not one of those people who stay awake at night thinking about weird Culture War nonsense. At least so far as the current Maori/Constitutional arrangements go. In fact, I actually consider it the least important issue facing the day to day lives of New ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • Bearing True Allegiance?
    Strong Words: “We do not consent, we do not surrender, we do not cede, we do not submit; we, the indigenous, are rising. We do not buy into the colonial fictions this House is built upon. Te Pāti Māori pledges allegiance to our mokopuna, our whenua, and Te Tiriti o ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • You cannot be serious
    Some days it feels like the only thing to say is: Seriously? No, really. Seriously?OneSomeone has used their health department access to share data about vaccinations and patients, and inform the world that New Zealanders have been dying in their hundreds of thousands from the evil vaccine. This of course is pure ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • A promise kept: govt pulls the plug on Lake Onslow scheme – but this saving of $16bn is denounced...
    Buzz from the Beehive After $21.8 million was spent on investigations, the plug has been pulled on the Lake Onslow pumped-hydro electricity scheme, The scheme –  that technically could have solved New Zealand’s looming energy shortage, according to its champions – was a key part of the defeated Labour government’s ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • CHRIS TROTTER: The Maori Party and Oath of Allegiance
    If those elected to the Māori Seats refuse to take them, then what possible reason could the country have for retaining them?   Chris Trotter writes – Christmas is fast approaching, which, as it does every year, means gearing up for an abstruse general knowledge question. “Who was ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • BRIAN EASTON:  Forward to 2017
    The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies. Brian Easton writes – The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Fossils
    When the new government promised to allow new offshore oil and gas exploration, they were warned that there would be international criticism and reputational damage. Naturally, they arrogantly denied any possibility that that would happen. And then they finally turned up at COP, to criticism from Palau, and a "fossil ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • GEOFFREY MILLER:  NZ’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    Geoffrey Miller writes – New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the government’s smokefree laws debacle
    The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around – incompetently, as it turns out – for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Top 10 links at 10 am for Monday, December 4
    As Deb Te Kawa writes in an op-ed, the new Government seems to have immediately bought itself fights with just about everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Monday December 4, including:Palau’s President ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Be Honest.
    Let’s begin today by thinking about job interviews.During my career in Software Development I must have interviewed hundreds of people, hired at least a hundred, but few stick in the memory.I remember one guy who was so laid back he was practically horizontal, leaning back in his chair until his ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he left off. Peters sought to align ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    3 days ago

  • Auckland rail tunnel the world’s most expensive
    Auckland’s city rail link is the most expensive rail project in the world per km, and the CRL boss has described the cost of infrastructure construction in Aotearoa as a crisis. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The 3.5 km City Rail Link (CRL) tunnel under Auckland’s CBD has cost ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • First big test coming
    The first big test of the new Government’s approach to Treaty matters is likely to be seen in the return of the Resource Management Act. RMA Minister Chris Bishop has confirmed that he intends to introduce legislation to repeal Labour’s recently passed Natural and Built Environments Act and its ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • The Song of Saqua: Volume III
    Time to revisit something I haven’t covered in a while: the D&D campaign, with Saqua the aquatic half-vampire. Last seen in July: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/07/27/the-song-of-saqua-volume-ii/ The delay is understandable, once one realises that the interim saw our DM come down with a life-threatening medical situation. They have since survived to make ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • Chris Bishop: Smokin’
    Yes. Correct. It was an election result. And now we are the elected government. ...
    My ThinksBy boonman
    4 days ago

  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science  Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 26, 2023 thru Dec 2, 2023. Story of the Week CO2 readings from Mauna Loa show failure to combat climate change Daily atmospheric carbon dioxide data from Hawaiian volcano more ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Affirmative Action.
    Affirmative Action was a key theme at this election, although I don’t recall anyone using those particular words during the campaign.They’re positive words, and the way the topic was talked about was anything but. It certainly wasn’t a campaign of saying that Affirmative Action was a good thing, but that, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • 100 days of something
    It was at the end of the Foxton straights, at the end of 1978, at 100km/h, that someone tried to grab me from behind on my Yamaha.They seemed to be yanking my backpack. My first thought was outrage. My second was: but how? Where have they come from? And my ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Look who’s stepped up to champion Winston
    There’s no news to be gleaned from the government’s official website today  – it contains nothing more than the message about the site being under maintenance. The time this maintenance job is taking and the costs being incurred have us musing on the government’s commitment to an assault on inflation. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • What's The Story?
    Don’t you sometimes wish they’d just tell the truth? No matter how abhorrent or ugly, just straight up tell us the truth?C’mon guys, what you’re doing is bad enough anyway, pretending you’re not is only adding insult to injury.Instead of all this bollocks about the Smokefree changes being to do ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • The longest of weeks
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Friday Under New Management Week in review, quiz style1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Suggested sessions of EGU24 to submit abstracts to
    Like earlier this year, members from our team will be involved with next year's General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU). The conference will take place on premise in Vienna as well as online from April 14 to 19, 2024. The session catalog has been available since November 1 ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Under New Management
    1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. Under New Management 2. Which of these best describes the 100 days of action announced this week by the new government?a. Petulantb. Simplistic and wrongheaded c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • While we wait patiently, our new Minister of Education is up and going with a 100-day action plan
    Sorry to say, the government’s official website is still out of action. When Point of Order paid its daily visit, the message was the same as it has been for the past week: Site under maintenance Beehive.govt.nz is currently under maintenance. We will be back shortly. Thank you for your ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • DAVID FARRAR: Hysterical bullshit
    Radio NZ reports: Te Pāti Māori’s co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer has accused the new government of “deliberate .. systemic genocide” over its policies to roll back the smokefree policy and the Māori Health Authority. The left love hysterical language. If you oppose racial quotas in laws, you are a racist. And now if you sack ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #48 2023
    Open access notables From this week's government/NGO section, longitudinal data is gold and Leisorowitz, Maibachi et al. continue to mine ore from the US public with Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Fall 2023: Drawing on a representative sample of the U.S. adult population, the authors describe how registered ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • ELE LUDEMANN: It wasn’t just $55 million
    Ele Ludemann writes –  Winston Peters reckons media outlets were bribed by the $55 million Public Interest Journalism Fund. He is not the first to make such an accusation. Last year, the Platform outlined conditions media signed up to in return for funds from the PJIF: . . . ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Weekly Roundup 1-December-2023
    Wow, it’s December already, and it’s a Friday. So here are few things that caught our attention recently. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt covered the new government’s coalition agreements and what they mean for transport. On Tuesday Matt looked at AT’s plans for fare increases ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    6 days ago

  • Shane MacGowan Is Gone.
    Late 1996, The Dogs Bollix, Tamaki Makaurau.I’m at the front of the bar yelling my order to the bartender, jostling with other thirsty punters on a Friday night, keen to piss their wages up against a wall letting loose. The black stuff, long luscious pints of creamy goodness. Back down ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • The Hoon around the week to Dec 1
    Nicola Willis, Chris Bishop and other National, ACT and NZ First MPs applaud the signing of the coalition agreements, which included the reversal of anti-smoking measures while accelerating tax cuts for landlords. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • 2023 More Reading: November (+ Writing Update)
    Completed reads for November: A Modern Utopia, by H.G. Wells The Vampire (poem), by Heinrich August Ossenfelder The Corpus Hermeticum The Corpus Hermeticum is Mead’s translation. Now, this is indeed a very quiet month for reading. But there is a reason for that… You see, ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago

  • Forward to 2017
    The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies.The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. They also describe the processes of the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    7 days ago

  • Questions a nine year old might ask the new Prime Minister
    First QuestionYou’re going to crack down on people ram-raiding dairies, because you say hard-working dairy owners shouldn’t have to worry about getting ram-raided.But once the chemist shops have pseudoephedrine in them again, they're going to get ram-raided all the time. Do chemists not work as hard as dairy owners?Second QuestionYou ...
    More than a fieldingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • Questions a nine year old might ask the new Prime Minister
    First QuestionYou’re going to crack down on people ram-raiding dairies, because you say hard-working dairy owners shouldn’t have to worry about getting ram-raided.But once the chemist shops have pseudoephedrine in them again, they're going to get ram-raided all the time. Do chemists not work as hard as dairy owners?Second QuestionYou ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • Finally
    Henry Kissinger is finally dead. Good fucking riddance. While Americans loved him, he was a war criminal, responsible for most of the atrocities of the final quarter of the twentieth century. Cambodia. Bangladesh. Chile. East Timor. All Kissinger. Because of these crimes, Americans revere him as a "statesman" (which says ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago

  • Government in a hurry – Luxon lists 49 priorities in 100-day plan while Peters pledges to strength...
    Buzz from the Beehive Yes, ministers in the new government are delivering speeches and releasing press statements. But the message on the government’s official website was the same as it has been for the past several days, when Point of Order went looking for news from the Beehive that had ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • DAVID FARRAR: Luxon is absolutely right
    David Farrar writes  –  1 News reports: Christopher Luxon says he was told by some Kiwis on the campaign trail they “didn’t know” the difference between Waka Kotahi, Te Pūkenga and Te Whatu Ora. Speaking to Breakfast, the incoming prime minister said having English first on government agencies will “make sure” ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • Top 10 at 10 am for Thursday, Nov 30
    There are fears that mooted changes to building consent liability could end up driving the building industry into an uninsured hole. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Thursday, November 30, including:The new Government’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on how climate change threatens cricket‘s future
    Well that didn’t last long, did it? Mere days after taking on what he called the “awesome responsibility” of being Prime Minister, M Christopher Luxon has started blaming everyone else, and complaining that he has inherited “economic vandalism on an unprecedented scale” – which is how most of us are ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    7 days ago

  • We need to talk about Tory.
    The first I knew of the news about Tory Whanau was when a tweet came up in my feed.The sort of tweet that makes you question humanity, or at least why you bother with Twitter. Which is increasingly a cesspit of vile inhabitants who lurk spreading negativity, hate, and every ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago

  • Dangling Transport Solutions
    Cable Cars, Gondolas, Ropeways and Aerial Trams are all names for essentially the same technology and the world’s biggest maker of them are here to sell them as an public transport solution. Stuff reports: Austrian cable car company Doppelmayr has launched its case for adding aerial cable cars to New ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    7 days ago

  • November AMA
    Hi,It’s been awhile since I’ve done an Ask-Me-Anything on here, so today’s the day. Ask anything you like in the comments section, and I’ll be checking in today and tomorrow to answer.Leave a commentNext week I’ll be giving away a bunch of these Mister Organ blu-rays for readers in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago

  • National’s early moves adding to cost of living pressure
    The cost of living grind continues, and the economic and inflation honeymoon is over before it began. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: PM Christopher Luxon unveiled his 100 day plan yesterday with an avowed focus of reducing cost-of-living pressures, but his Government’s initial moves and promises are actually elevating ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Backwards to the future
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has confirmed that it will be back to the future on planning legislation. This will be just one of a number of moves which will see the new government go backwards as it repeals and cost-cuts its way into power. They will completely repeal one ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago

  • New initiatives in science and technology could point the way ahead for Luxon government
    As the new government settles into the Beehive, expectations are high that it can sort out some  of  the  economic issues  confronting  New Zealand. It may take time for some new  ministers to get to grips with the range of their portfolio work and responsibilities before they can launch the  changes that  ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    1 week ago

  • Treaty pledge to secure funding is contentious – but is Peters being pursued by a lynch mob after ...
    TV3 political editor Jenna Lynch was among the corps of political reporters who bridled, when Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters told them what he thinks of them (which is not much). She was unabashed about letting her audience know she had bridled. More usefully, she drew attention to something which ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • How long does this last?
    I have a clear memory of every election since 1969 in this plucky little nation of ours. I swear I cannot recall a single one where the question being asked repeatedly in the first week of the new government was: how long do you reckon they’ll last? And that includes all ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • Minister sets expectations of Commissioner
    Today I met with Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to set out my expectations, which he has agreed to, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. Under section 16(1) of the Policing Act 2008, the Minister can expect the Police Commissioner to deliver on the Government’s direction and priorities, as now outlined in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • New Zealand needs a strong and stable ETS
    New Zealand needs a strong and stable Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) that is well placed for the future, after emission units failed to sell for the fourth and final auction of the year, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  At today’s auction, 15 million New Zealand units (NZUs) – each ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago

  • PISA results show urgent need to teach the basics
    With 2022 PISA results showing a decline in achievement, Education Minister Erica Stanford is confident that the Coalition Government’s 100-day plan for education will improve outcomes for Kiwi kids.  The 2022 PISA results show a significant decline in the performance of 15-year-old students in maths compared to 2018 and confirms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Collins leaves for Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins today departed for New Caledonia to attend the 8th annual South Pacific Defence Ministers’ meeting (SPDMM). “This meeting is an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security matters and to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the Pacific,” Judith Collins says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Working for Families gets cost of living boost
    Putting more money in the pockets of hard-working families is a priority of this Coalition Government, starting with an increase to Working for Families, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “We are starting our 100-day plan with a laser focus on bringing down the cost of living, because that is what ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme scrapped
    The Government has axed the $16 billion Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme championed by the previous government, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says. “This hugely wasteful project was pouring money down the drain at a time when we need to be reining in spending and focussing on rebuilding the economy and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • NZ welcomes further pause in fighting in Gaza
    New Zealand welcomes the further one-day extension of the pause in fighting, which will allow the delivery of more urgently-needed humanitarian aid into Gaza and the release of more hostages, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said. “The human cost of the conflict is horrific, and New Zealand wants to see the violence ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Condolences on passing of Henry Kissinger
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters today expressed on behalf of the New Zealand Government his condolences to the family of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who has passed away at the age of 100 at his home in Connecticut. “While opinions on his legacy are varied, Secretary Kissinger was ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Backing our kids to learn the basics
    Every child deserves a world-leading education, and the Coalition Government is making that a priority as part of its 100-day plan. Education Minister Erica Stanford says that will start with banning cellphone use at school and ensuring all primary students spend one hour on reading, writing, and maths each day. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • US Business Summit Speech – Regional stability through trade
    I would like to begin by echoing the Prime Minister’s thanks to the organisers of this Summit, Fran O’Sullivan and the Auckland Business Chamber.  I want to also acknowledge the many leading exporters, sector representatives, diplomats, and other leaders we have joining us in the room. In particular, I would like ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Keynote Address to the United States Business Summit, Auckland
    Good morning. Thank you, Rosemary, for your warm introduction, and to Fran and Simon for this opportunity to make some brief comments about New Zealand’s relationship with the United States.  This is also a chance to acknowledge my colleague, Minister for Trade Todd McClay, Ambassador Tom Udall, Secretary of Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • India New Zealand Business Council Speech, India as a Strategic Priority
    Good morning, tēnā koutou and namaskar. Many thanks, Michael, for your warm welcome. I would like to acknowledge the work of the India New Zealand Business Council in facilitating today’s event and for the Council’s broader work in supporting a coordinated approach for lifting New Zealand-India relations. I want to also ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Coalition Government unveils 100-day plan
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has laid out the Coalition Government’s plan for its first 100 days from today. “The last few years have been incredibly tough for so many New Zealanders. People have put their trust in National, ACT and NZ First to steer them towards a better, more prosperous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand welcomes European Parliament vote on the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement
    A significant milestone in ratifying the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was reached last night, with 524 of the 705 member European Parliament voting in favour to approve the agreement. “I’m delighted to hear of the successful vote to approve the NZ-EU FTA in the European Parliament overnight. This is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Further humanitarian support for Gaza, the West Bank and Israel
    The Government is contributing a further $5 million to support the response to urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel, bringing New Zealand’s total contribution to the humanitarian response so far to $10 million. “New Zealand is deeply saddened by the loss of civilian life and the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

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