Tea ladies to be drug tested

Written By: - Date published: 10:13 am, May 11th, 2012 - 45 comments
Categories: don brash, national, public services, tourism - Tags:

 Minister of Labour Kate Wilkinson seems to be living  in an alternative universe, with her comment on Checkpoint yesterday that tea ladies in the adventure tourism industry could be drug tested:

“The boss might be tested, it could be his turn or it could be the tea lady.”

We’ll take it as a given that Kate assumes the boss is a man but I do wonder just how connected to the work force, or you know…real life she is if she believes that tea ladies have survived the last three decades.

However at least we know she’s got a neighbour back there in Pleasantville; Don Brash is no doubt queuing outside his local post office right now, waiting for work.

And who does the government think is actually going to do all this testing and implementing new regualtion?  The same two (or is it one now?) DOL mining safety inspectors?

 

 

 

45 comments on “Tea ladies to be drug tested ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. ghostwhowalksnz 1
    11 May 2012 at 10:52 am

    Kate Wilkinson was answering questions ? On Checkpoint ?

    We truly have entered a parallel universe

  2. Carol 2
    11 May 2012 at 10:58 am

    real life she is if she believes that tea ladies have survived the last three decades.

    Or maybe she’s stuck in a different time warp and is referring to the “old fashioned US slang” meaning of “tea”

    http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tea

  3. Daveo 3
    11 May 2012 at 10:59 am

    Start at the top! Test the tourism minister randomly once a week! I swear he’d fail on alcohol half the time.

  4. Pascal's bookie 4
    11 May 2012 at 11:04 am

    How long would we have an adventure tourist industry if this became reality?

  5. Gareth 5
    11 May 2012 at 11:06 am

    The employers I would say, using one of the drug testing labs like this one http://www.nzdda.co.nz/ It’s fairly standard practise in a lot of industries these days and employers are happy to pay to help ensure a safe workplace.
    Anyone who heads to work pissed,hungover or stoned is a potential danger to themselves and their workmates. Unfortunately there seem to be enough people who think it acceptable to turn up to work under the influence that such draconian measures are necessary.

    • framu 5.1
      11 May 2012 at 11:23 am

      “Unfortunately there seem to be enough people who think it acceptable to turn up to work under the influence”

      build that strawman gareth

    • vto 5.2
      11 May 2012 at 12:12 pm

      “Unfortunately there seem to be enough people who think it acceptable to turn up to work under the influence”

      How many Gareth? How many do you know personally? Any? Please provide a number that you know of. Otherwise all there is is hot air…

      • Gareth 5.2.1
        11 May 2012 at 2:50 pm

        I know of seven who failed random tests on a single Wellington construction site I worked on last year…
        There were several I represented as a union delegate around 7 years 8 years ago. The outcome in that case was a requirement to undertake counselling and to submit regular drug tests for 6 months.

        • Te Reo Putake 5.2.1.1
          11 May 2012 at 2:54 pm

          How many of them were stoned?

          • Gareth 5.2.1.1.1
            11 May 2012 at 3:08 pm

            I couldn’t say for sure, the painter did say he was fucked after he did the test as he’d had a wake n bake in the morning. Outside of that I don’t know….
            Of the earlier cases 3 were tested under suspicion of been stoned…
            When I started out as an apprentice a couple of the guys would ‘smoke up’ through out the day. It was a bloody difficult situation for a 17yr old and to be fair I was happy when my time on the aforementioned crew finished….

            • McFlock 5.2.1.1.1.1
              11 May 2012 at 5:56 pm

              “seven who failed random tests”
              “3 were tested under suspicion of been stoned”
                       
              Besides the dissonance between “random” (test everybody) and “suspicion” (test with a good reason), your point seems to be that the test in at least three of the cases was simply to confirm suspicions about impairment? Sounds like vaguely competent management – although the less expensive solution than testing would be to make reasonable demands (within safety) and bung them through the disciplinary process when they fail to achieve.

    • McFlock 5.3
      11 May 2012 at 12:40 pm

      What about fatigue?
           
      Tell you what, all of the above have similar effects in that they limit fine motor control, attention and  so on. If and only if it’s a safety issue, how about actual “sobriety” tests rather than tests for drugs which might not even affect the employee’s ability to work safely and competently.
           
      A drug testing regime – even one for “tea ladies” – by employers is pointless. If the employee cannot perform their tasks, that can be detected by any halfway competent manager.  And if they can perform their workplace tasks safely, what business is it of the employer?

      • higherstandard 5.3.1
        11 May 2012 at 12:46 pm

        Plenty of people can no doubt perform their tasks well while under the influence of all types of stimulants, depressants or while tired or ill, however, those same people may not be able to perform to the expected levels should something unexpected occur.

        • McFlock 5.3.1.1
          11 May 2012 at 1:46 pm

          The point was that if they are impaired for any reason, that is the safety issue and what should be tested. Not evidence of having something in possibly minute quantities sometime previously, akin to the old thing about poppy seeds from a bun showing up on an opiate test.
                
          Drug tests pick up only a few causes of impairment for the sake of workplace humiliation and stress. Joy.
           

          • higherstandard 5.3.1.1.1
            11 May 2012 at 2:15 pm

            I may be misunderstanding you- but isn’t that a bit ‘after the horse has bolted’ type testing ?

            I’m all for random testing for those involved in the utilisation of heavy machinery, transport ing themselves or others and many other professions with a mandatory fine or stand down for those having found to have used potentially performance altering substances.

            • McFlock 5.3.1.1.1.1
              11 May 2012 at 3:31 pm

              Actually, it’s the drug testing that’s “after the horse has bolted”. 
                   
              Let’s look at truck drivers – if safety is the issue, then a drug test might catch someone who hasn’t learned a trick or two from professional athletes. There might be a deterrent effect, but there will also be the harm caused by false positives or trace-amounts due to social exposure, poppy seeds, and the like. Drug screening also fails to catch things like fatigue, tendency to text, or medical conditions. 
                   
              How about a simple gadget that, before each shift or run, tests their reaction time, fine motor control and maybe problem solving? A 3-5 minute test administered onsite, final results are immediate, if they fail they get a break to sort themselves out (maybe they just got distracted, whatever), 3 fails in a row and they get stood down, with various health/disciplinary followups. And maybe 3 separate fails in a week or month and they get additional training or whatever to find out what the issue is. And it encourages a culture of safety, rather than big brother.

              • higherstandard …
                11 May 2012 at 4:38 pm

                Sorry, I can see where you are coming from and can agree that the ‘gadget test’ would certainly be very useful in many industries and professions but it doesn’t mitigate the potential for drug impairment after the test or passing the test while under the influence.

                I can see no compelling reason why persons shouldn’t be drug tested in certain professions/positions where public safety is an issue and stood down/sacked if found to have a positive test.

                • McFlock …
                  11 May 2012 at 5:00 pm

                  Um – if they pass the impairment test, they’re not impaired.
                          
                  If they fail the drug test, they might not be impaired – it’s just something they did on the weekend (or people they were around).
                          
                  The employer has no right to control what an employee does at home.
                  The employee should not have to pee in a cup in front of another person, just in case they might be doing something in their own home that the employer doesn’t like. 
                  If I’ve done nothing wrong, I might well have something to hide – e.g. my tiny dick (or the warts on it, at least. Should they be green?).

                  • higherstandard …
                    11 May 2012 at 5:17 pm

                    No I disagree.

                    We do after all randomly test members of the public in order to promote and protect public safety, I can’t see why the same test shouldn’t apply within the employment sector.

                    As I said though I do like your ‘gadget test’.

                    • McFlock …
                      11 May 2012 at 5:42 pm

                      We test drivers for a specific, unambiguous level of alcohol that causes detectable impairment at the time of detection, while they are doing something that safety requires them be unimpaired.
                           
                      As has been pointed out, I’m not sure any drug test other than alcohol can make that claim – we don’t have the data to determine such a level, AFAIK. And do all the places with mandatory drug tests include alcohol in those tests?

              • rosy …
                11 May 2012 at 5:17 pm

                I think this is a particularly good idea, McFlock.

                Do you know if this type of testing is in practice anywhere?

                • McFlock …
                  11 May 2012 at 5:51 pm

                  no idea at all. Just seems logical to me, though.
                       
                  You’d need a couple of tests that vary (so they can’t be memorised or muscle-memory trained), and a large testing base over time. But no reason why it couldn’t be done. 

                  • rosy …
                    11 May 2012 at 6:01 pm

                    Very logical indeed – poor sleep patterns and prescription drugs are two things that immediately came to mind as impairments that drugs testing won’t pick up.

                    I might have to do a little googling to see what’s around.

                    • rosy …
                      11 May 2012 at 6:18 pm

                      Impairment testing is apparently a small field. This (U.S) study could find only 18 employers who used it in says it’s been successful at the 14 sites who agreed to be surveyed (all named).

                      t the evidence does show that impairment testing is more than a good idea. Impairment testing systems from several manufacturers have been used by 18 different employers, in a wide variety of industries over a span of 10 years. The experience of these employers demonstrates that impairment testing works in practice, not just in theory…..

                      … Our study also gave us a glimpse of the causes of impairment from an employer’s standpoint. Academic research has consistently found that fatigue is the major cause of accidents, and that illegal drug use is among the least common causes. Our input from employers was entirely consistent. Of the 7 employers who responded to this question, 4 reported that fatigue was the most common cause of impairment. The remaining 3 employers named illness, alcohol, and drugs as the most common.

            • framu 5.3.1.1.1.2
              11 May 2012 at 4:20 pm

              “used potentially performance altering substances”

              problem is the testing doesnt measure whether a substance is present at high enough levels to impair performance.
              That level hasnt been quantified for other drugs like it has for alcohol.

              All it measures is the presence of a substance at a high enough level to be picked up by the test.

              No one should be turning up to work under the influence of anything (well except coffee), but untill we can reliably say “you need to register X level of drug Y to be considered impaired” then we should stick to “impairment/cognitive testing” not “presence of substance testing”

  6. TheContrarian 6
    11 May 2012 at 11:13 am

    Don’t you think this is a little bit silly?  She said tea-lady?! Everyone point and sneer!

    Why not, you know, focus on her actual message as opposed to her antiquated method of delivery. Isn’t that what adults do?.

    (This comment is directed at the author not the commentators)

    • tc 6.1
      11 May 2012 at 12:19 pm

      ‘her antiquated method of delivery’ fits nicely with her antiquated atitudes and abilities as a minster so top marks for consistency from Grandma Kate.

  7. vto 7
    11 May 2012 at 12:15 pm

    I was appalled at the way the CAA (I think it is) talked about drugs in the balloon pilot’s system and let everybody take that as meaning he was stoned. They didn’t have any detail arouind it like quantities, time it had been in the system, etc. They lust let it float out there as a big fucking great smudge on the deceased pilot. That is unbalanced in the extreme and it is disgusting. The bureaucrat who did that should be sacked.

  8. insider 8
    11 May 2012 at 12:44 pm

    Jenny is very out of touch if she thinks this approach is anything dramatic or unusual.

    Tea ladies have been subject to drug and alcohol testing in a number of my workplaces for years. So have the CEOs. Basically the philosophy is one in-all in – I’d have thought a union official would have applauded such an approach.

    • Campbell Larsen 8.1
      11 May 2012 at 12:58 pm

      Ahh – I don’t know what workplaces you are referring to but usually the testing is limited to safety sensitive roles, meaning that CEO’s are usually exempt.
      Do you really think that everyone should be randomly drug tested? Because that is dramatic, unusual, and draconian.

      • Pascal's bookie 8.1.1
        11 May 2012 at 1:35 pm

        Yep.

      • insider 8.1.2
        11 May 2012 at 1:56 pm

        Cambell, I suggest you go and talk to companies like Air NZ, most of the oilcos, major construction, electricity to get acquainted with ‘usual’. Many don’t even allow alcohol on any site – office or operational.

        What usually happens is that those in sensitive positions get tested more. Those not in such positions get tested but rarely – however they are always subject to the possibility.

        • Campbell Larsen 8.1.2.1
          11 May 2012 at 2:36 pm

          Love to see the stats on that one insider – if it were the case that CEO’s and upper management were subject to more than just the possibility then we would be seeing a much greater backlash against such measures. However typically this kind of treatment is reserved for those who are least able to voice their displeasure without fear of reprisal at what remains a significant intrusion into ones private life.

          • Colonial Viper 8.1.2.1.1
            11 May 2012 at 2:52 pm

            But surely a business lunch between executives, their bankers and senior business colleagues would not be complete without a few drinks on the table.

            It would be uncivilised to go without; there are expectations to live up to.

          • insider 8.1.2.1.2
            11 May 2012 at 3:13 pm

            Campbell I saw a report that testing number had doubled in the last year but not who was being tested and when. I can tell you I have only ever been tested on starting employment as I’ve never been in safety sensitive positions, but I know I’ve been subject to the possibility for many many years as have all colleagues some of whom were tested. And I do know colleagues who have tested positive and lost jobs, I know of people who did not manage to get past the first day because of such and those who have suddenly walked from jobs the morning the tester turned up and their ‘name came up in the ballot’.

            • McFlock 8.1.2.1.2.1
              11 May 2012 at 3:19 pm

              That last bit’s the perfect example – they walk from the job to avoid being tested, but the fact that they still had the job prior to testing indicates that the test itself was not indicative of workplace performance – unless your manager was crap. In which case it’s not the employee who should walk.
                          

              • insider …
                11 May 2012 at 4:05 pm

                It’s not about performance today, it is about risk management for tomorrow. Plenty of drunk drivers claim they always get home safely so it is ok to keep drinking and driving. You seem to be endorsing the approach of ‘if I got through the day I wasn’t impaired’. I think it is a bit more complex than that.

                • McFlock …
                  11 May 2012 at 4:47 pm

                  Nope, not at all.
                      
                  I’m saying that assuming impairment on the basis of the mere hint of prior use is unfair, particularly when that testing methodology does not even cover all possible sources of performance impairment.
                             
                  I’m saying that if it is important for safety or performance reasons that people turn up to work unimpaired, test whether they are impaired. Not whether they party hard.
                             
                  If I took heroin, I’d be high for a short time, but the traces would be in my system for a long time. Unlike alcohol, where presence over a certain level reasonably implies impairment. 
                          
                  Drug testing has a side-effect of demonstrating employer control over what the employee does in their spare time, as well as implying suspicion and involving intimate functions. But I’m sure that’s just a happy outcome for managers who are so incompetent they can’t tell if someone’s turned up to work smashed out out of their gourd. 

            • Campbell Larsen 8.1.2.1.2.2
              11 May 2012 at 3:25 pm

              Drug testing is a big money spinner for the companies doing the testing. Perhaps now is a good time to consider whether the prime concern here is actually safety or if it is rather just a reflection of pro testing lobbyists seeking profit for their clients and the hard line, militant, anti-drug and anti-common sense stance of of the Nats.

              • insider …
                11 May 2012 at 3:57 pm

                More likely it is risk aversion/management by managers. The US legal/corporate culture I think is driving it

                • Adele …
                  12 May 2012 at 8:20 am

                  Drug testing is usually limited to safety-sensitive areas – which applies to Air NZ too. I see no rationale under risk management as to why a business would introduce company-wide drug testing. I would say that such a policy is a risk in itself.as it would be hard to justify under the test of reasonableness. Why would you want to drug test someone that presents limited risk to the organisation based on the duties they perform. Is a stoner in charge of a teacup that much of a risk?

                  Also, I confidently say that most upper management are not drug-tested.

    • felix 8.2
      12 May 2012 at 8:54 pm

      insider: “Tea ladies have been subject to drug and alcohol testing in a number of my workplaces for years.”

      Where do you work that actually has “tea ladies” and can you get me a job there?

      I fricking love tea.

  9. captain hook 9
    11 May 2012 at 2:49 pm

    the sooner cannabis is legalised then the sooner penalties for misuse can be introduced.
    While it is subject to blanket prohibition then everybody who wants to use it is reduced to hdiing in the bushes and pretending that all is jake when obviously it is not.
    As for the CAA. Letting the government introduce rules that owners are responsible for their own maintenance and inspections is just like giving the inmates the keys.
    thre is something about this country that is all arse up and back to front..Nobody knows how to do anything properly and as soon as anything happens then the kneejerk sets in, five minutes on RNZ in the morning and its all back to square one immediately.
    Its worse than some banana republic because we are supposed to be educated and intelligent but on closer inspection we just purchasers of bills of goods and crappy toys that are supposed to complete us but all they do is distract us and infantilise us.
    The nation is on the wonk.

  10. joe90 10
    11 May 2012 at 3:29 pm

    Interestingly Talleys Imlay works is re-employing people who they’d previously dismissed and among them are a few who were sacked after failing drug tests.

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    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    23 hours ago

  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    23 hours ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 day ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

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

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

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

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    5 days ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 hour ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government redress for Te Korowai o Wainuiārua
    The Government is continuing the bipartisan effort to restore its relationship with iwi as the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Bill passed its first reading in Parliament today, says Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith. “Historical grievances of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua relate to 19th century warfare, land purchased or taken ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Focus on outstanding minerals permit applications
    New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals is working to resolve almost 150 outstanding minerals permit applications by the end of the financial year, enabling valuable mining activity and signalling to the sector that New Zealand is open for business, Resources Minister Shane Jones says.  “While there are no set timeframes for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Applications open for NZ-Ireland Research Call
    The New Zealand and Irish governments have today announced that applications for the 2024 New Zealand-Ireland Joint Research Call on Agriculture and Climate Change are now open. This is the third research call in the three-year Joint Research Initiative pilot launched in 2022 by the Ministry for Primary Industries and Ireland’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Tenancy rules changes to improve rental market
    The coalition Government has today announced changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to encourage landlords back to the rental property market, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “The previous Government waged a war on landlords. Many landlords told us this caused them to exit the rental market altogether. It caused worse ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Boosting NZ’s trade and agricultural relationship with China
    Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay will visit China next week, to strengthen relationships, support Kiwi exporters and promote New Zealand businesses on the world stage. “China is one of New Zealand’s most significant trade and economic relationships and remains an important destination for New Zealand’s products, accounting for nearly 22 per cent of our good and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Freshwater farm plan systems to be improved
    The coalition Government intends to improve freshwater farm plans so that they are more cost-effective and practical for farmers, Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay have announced. “A fit-for-purpose freshwater farm plan system will enable farmers and growers to find the right solutions for their farm ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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