The Air New Zealand Industrial dispute

Written By: - Date published: 7:49 am, December 11th, 2018 - 53 comments
Categories: business, capitalism, Economy, jacinda ardern, john key, Judith Collins, labour, national, same old national, Unions, wages, workers' rights - Tags:

After a decade of pent up frustration at stalled wage talks and non existing wage increases there has been a certain amount of industrial action recently.

The latest news involves Air New Zealand.  And it provides a text book example on how important media is concerning strikes.

Management got in first:

Air New Zealand engineers have outlined plans to strike on the airline’s busiest travel day of the year, putting Christmas travel plans at risk for tens of thousands of travellers.

The unions (The Aviation and Marine Engineers Association and E tū) representing Air New Zealand’s aircraft maintenance engineers, aircraft logistics and related staff served a notice of the planned action only four days before Christmas.

The strike action is set to involve almost 1000 staff members on December 21, and could affect the travel plans of 42,000 customers booked to travel on that day.

The strike action involves a pay dispute, in regard to annual increases in staff pay.

A statement from Air New Zealand said that while the group of engineers has received pay increases annually for the past 12 years, it has so far rejected recent proposals by the airline including an immediate two per cent pay increase followed by a further three per cent increase after 12 months, with a further pay review in mid-2021.

Air New Zealand said the average income of the maintenance engineers, logistics and other staff to strike is $115,000 – and around 170 of them earn more than $150,000.

In addition to the pay concerns, staff are also asking for an extra week of annual leave for employees with five years’ service (taking shift workers to six weeks a year), free reserved car parking spaces within 500 metres of their workplace, and the right to renegotiate terms just prior to the busy Christmas season again next year.

Air New Zealand General Manager Aircraft Maintenance Viv de Beus described the proposed strike action as extremely disappointing.

“It would be devastating to see the holiday plans of more than 40,000 hardworking Kiwis and international visitors ruined,” de Beus said.

“We have only been in negotiations with this group for six weeks so industrial action is entirely premature. We remain committed to working closely with the engineers’ unions to reach a reasonable agreement and avoid strike action if at all possible.”

Going public and blaming the union for taking action is hardly the thing that an employer wanting to maintain good relations would do.  But the first thing you do if you want to win the all important PR battle.

Etu has responded:

Aviation unions say they are very disappointed with the misleading information released by Air New Zealand in response to a strike notice by its aviation engineers.

The engineers and logistics workers have voted to issue strike notices in response to Air New Zealand’s demands for cuts to their conditions.

Air New Zealand is making record profits thanks to union members, and Engineering members have rejected the airline’s demands for clawbacks, says Savage, E tū’s Head of Aviation.

“No one wants to disrupt people’s Christmas plans, but Air New Zealand has taken an unnecessarily aggressive approach.

“This is not just about pay. It’s about repeated proposals by the airline weeks out from Christmas to pay them less than colleagues who have already settled, and to cut into key conditions, including overtime rates.

“This affects line and hangar engineers, but also store workers and aircraft cleaners, who are covered by the same document and who are struggling to get ahead,” he says.

“Our members feel under-appreciated and under attack. The ballot results show an overwhelming resolve to take action to defend themselves.”

And yes Air New Zealand made its second highest profit ever, $540 million last year.  For it to try and wind back wages and conditions when it is doing so well is appalling.

This guy has turned up to provide independent unbiased commentary.

And National MPs are salivating at the chance to claim we are going to have 1970s style industrial relations and that it is all Labour’s fault.

Of course Collins’s claim has been debunked repeatedly but why let facts get in the way of attack politics and right wing political rhetoric.

I suspect that if this dispute does not settle then it will trigger some intense anti union rhetoric from the right.  This could be an interesting couple of weeks.

53 comments on “The Air New Zealand Industrial dispute ”

  1. Tuppence Shrewsbury 1

    So striking on the busiest flying day of the year is the right way to get what the unions want. Think of the tens of thousands of people, on less money than these engineers, who’ve scrimped to pay for airfares now uncertain if they’ll make it home for Christmas. A family time. They could have striked after Christmas when everyone is going home. More effective and just as disruptive.

    But no, ruin christmas, see how many people agree with the unions

    • mickysavage 1.1

      Why blame the workers? What about the company for trying to wind back wages and conditions when it is making huge profits?

      Demands for cuts were bound to provoke a response.

      • NZJester 1.1.1

        Timing is everything in these industrial disputes and they would have started the demands for the wind back in the lead up to the busy Xmas time knowing it would have a high chance to lead to a strike. They, not the union decided to use their customers as pawns to have media ammunition against the unions to paint them as the bad guy. If you were to find the original press release word documents sent by Air NZ to the press and checked what date they were created I bet they would date to before they first even started to talk to the unions.
        I would not be surprised if this all leads back to John Key himself as the man behind the idea to strip away the worker right at Air NZ. After all, while he was PM of NZ he was doing just that on a larger scale.

      • Tuppence Shrewsbury 1.1.2

        I think Air New Zealand has a lot to answer for. I doubt it would be able to cop completely with the busiest day of the year without an engineers strike. their customer service is piss poor and there punctuality is almost offensive.

        Engineers know this, why add to the frustration to ruin christmas? why not get more public sympathy by striking after christmas when people need to get back to work and away from their extended family. Imagine being stuck with Uncle Nev for another night because you couldn’t fly? then imagine missing out on the pre christmas family bbq because you couldn’t fly. which one would you be more pissed at the engineers at.

        Just because a union does something mickey, doesn’t’ mean it’s 100% right in the matter

      • Grantoc 1.1.3

        Because the worker’s unions control when strikes are called and they call them when it suits them within the law.

        Employers don’t call for strikes nor can control when they happen.

        In any case a disgruntled traveler on the 21st of December who is frustrated by not being able to travel and who’s Christmas plans are disrupted by striking staff is not going to say themselves:

        “Well I’m really ok about having my Christmas holiday plans disrupted because I support striking Air NZ employees who already earn more than me. I know their claims are much more important than my Christmas plans with my family and friends so I’ll just suck it up.”

        If these unions think they’re going to get the public’s sympathy for striking on the 21st then they’re whistling in the wind.

        If the government thinks the travelling public will not ultimately blame them for this situation, then it too is whistling in the wind.

        • patricia bremner 1.1.3.1

          “They won’t get sympathy from the travelling public”
          That is exactly why these employers front foot aggressive tactics getting journalists and bloggers like you to point out “You are well paid” and “You want more?” Rather than, “Hey Air NZ, you are being a bad employer, as these people have worked to help you make a record profit and you don’t want to share that? Shame!!”
          I see J Key’s hand in this.

          • Tuppence Shrewsbury 1.1.3.1.1

            A typical purse lipped statement of conspiracy from you Patricia. It’s either the msm or the national party right?

            The government owns 70 odd percent of air nz. I sense grant Robertson’s hand in the refusal to grant the engineers their Christmas wish list

            • patricia bremner 1.1.3.1.1.1

              Rubbish, the Board has the say.

              • Tuppence Shrewsbury

                And the board is employed by the shareholders and are required to produce them the highest possible value. So the shareholders are in charge here

                • Draco T Bastard

                  Considering National’s refrain about hard-working Kiwis I’d expect you to support those hard-working Kiwis to get more of the value that they produced rather than that of the shareholders who produced no value at all.

                • Red Blooded One

                  No question the Board is working for the Shareholders but it is the Board that is in charge. Shareholders only have any power to influence the Board once a year at voting time when we insignificant little shareholders get to vote for the Board.

            • Red Blooded One 1.1.3.1.1.2

              70% odd? The Govt owes 51% Tuppence. Math or facts not your strong point? I ask through pursed lips of course.

      • the other pat 1.1.4

        why???…..because its the workers striking thats why…..reminds people of the cook strait ferries way back……their organisers and the members need their heads read…..no public support equals no sympathy from the public and gives the tories ammunition to slay the left……im a union rep myself and i disagree with the timing of this…..anz company fucks only win here regardless how fucking retarded and evil they are

  2. Antoine 2

    We shall hope that the airline makes some good concessions

    A.

  3. Ankerrawshark 3

    I have gone on strike from flying Air NZ as much as possible. Fly trans Tasman a bit and they don’t serve you a meal on the plane. Qantas do. I also despise the safety instructions videos that must cost the airline a lot of money, and imo are distracting from the safety message (one extrely sexiest including supermodel babes in bikinis in very poor taste. ). They have money to splash around on this BS, but not to pay the workers who keep the planes safe up in the sky!!!!

    I think an airline engineer should earn over $100000. What a stressful job that must be. Worked with a guy:many,many years ago who had signed off the Erebus plane (engineer) and described months of agony wondering if he’d done something wrong after the plane crashed

    And oh just while I think of it I wish JOHN key would piss off to Hawaii for good

  4. Michelle 4

    They (air nz) made record profits pay them what they have asked and get on with it
    (the business) they paid out bonuses so whats wrong with a pay increase

  5. greywarshark 5

    The Unions have done this before, and i recall the infamous Cooks and Stewards Union on the ferries – striking at times of important holidays and family get togethers which Christmas enables.

    By acting at this time to cause maximum disruption to people and the airline, they are behaving as irresponsibly and unfairly as their bosses. There is no way of getting round this.

    The Unions have a fair grievance but that doesn’t turn workers using dirty tactics to the people of NZ into spotless white angels. Keep the pressure up, go on strike if necessary after the holiday season, people will still notice and feel upset but understand, if they aren’t mindless money-maniacs like John Key and Christopher Luxon, ex cleaning products company leader. He and Key’s henchmen and women need to clean up their act for sure. The Unions shouldn’t stoop so low.

    It is wrong and there is nothing good and fair and reasonable about going on strike around Christmas-January.

    • Rae 5.1

      And that is what the public are seeing, rightly or wrongly. Helen Kelly did so much good work in restoring some mana for unions and unionism. All of that could go with the timing of these strikes. Again, rightly or wrongly.
      Take the public with you, is all I can advise.

  6. indiana 6

    Pfffttt….Air New Zealand should just do what all other airlines around the world do, and outsource Engineering and Ground Handling.

  7. millsy 7

    People forget that the 1970’s boasted the highest living standards in this country history. If being inconvienced every so often because of the odd strike is the price for overtime, shift allowances, generous pay raises, job security, full employment, and being able to pay other bills after housing costs, then that is a price worth paying. If National had their way, we would be all on minimum wage for our working lives with no sick leave or holidays, and if we join a union, no work.

    • Draco T Bastard 7.1

      If National had their way, we would be all on minimum wage for our working lives with no sick leave or holidays, and if we join a union, no work.

      And there wouldn’t be a minimum wage.

    • ankerawshark 7.2

      And Millsy, during the 1970, before Roger Douglas Maori suicide rates were comparable to Pakeha……………………………..so neoliberal economics caused major disruption to the lives of many (to put it mildly). Maori suffered the most and we have had a growing suicide rate for Maori ever since…………………

      BTW I now no longer think of it as Labour. It was Douglas, Prebble et al who high jacked the party and then formed ACT. Their true home

      • Enough is Enough 7.2.1

        “BTW I now no longer think of it as Labour. It was Douglas, Prebble et al who high jacked the party and then formed ACT. Their true home”

        Yet their fundamental reforms remain in place which in my mind down not make the Clark or Jacinda lead Labour governments any better than the Lange government.

        This government is in its infancy and has the opportunity to do great things. But other than tinkering around the edges, it has yet to do anything which reverses the destructive polices of Rogernomics.

        • aom 7.2.1.1

          Perhaps there is a glimmer of hope. The proposed education changes look like the rolling back of Rogernomics/neo-liberalism. We may see more to ward off the inevitability of NZ’s gilets jaunes.

          • gsays 7.2.1.1.1

            hear hear, aom.
            best news in an age, maximising cooperating and diminishing the competing.

            also, taking a community need focus over a ‘shareholder’ view is a step forward and a step away from the ‘reforms’.

            heh.. i had to look up gilets jaunes.

      • patricia bremner 7.2.2

        Yes 1000% right They were a Trojan Horse.

    • greywarshark 7.3

      millsy
      I think you have the telescope pointed the wrong way at the 1970s. Having too many strikes as we did, when we “had overtime, shift allowances, generous pay raises, job security, full employment” etc. – is one of the reasons that we haven’t got those advantages now.

      Airily going on in wish-fulfilment mode instead of hard-headed planning on how to keep what we had, and build more jobs and a strong economy on it, bringing down inflation was a mistake made by workers with a simple focus and little overview. A good union economist to advise how to work with business for the workers’ long-term benefit was needed then. Unfortunately Peter Conway didn’t start as economist with the CTU until 2000.
      https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/new-zealand-union-veteran-peter-conway-has-died-jw-173913

      Conway rose to national attention when he joined the CTU as its economist. In 2008 he was persuaded to take on the onerous role of CTU secretary.
      It was a tough time – the National Government was in power and Conway often found himself battling strong political forces.
      Did his job wear him down and lead to the depression that enveloped him? No-one could say for sure, but those close to him felt it took a toll.

      https://thestandard.org.nz/the-air-new-zealand-industrial-dispute/#comment-1560976

      This was an interview with Peter Conway in 2009 where he gives his views on the Rogernomics years among other things.
      http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/the-wellingtonian/1390883/The-Wellingtonian-interview-Peter-Conway

      https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2015/06/ropes-of-sand-honouring-memory-of-peter.html
      A trade union leader loses his battle with acute depressive illness.
      In the NZ Herald of 10/6/15 the death of Peter Conway, former Secretary of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions – at over 300,000 strong, this country’s largest voluntary organisation – merited precisely 63 words.

      Please note that this good, committed and talented man went into a decline trying to help unionists and died from a ‘depressive’ illness. Would unionists please think their situation through and use their brains and not just start the mousewheel going again. The result will again be one of killing off opportunities of betterment for workers, and possibly killing off the people at the coalface of negotiation with business. Use your experience to make wise judgments of your tactics please.

      Conway [1953-2015] died trying to hold onto a union system tattered and torn because of lack of an intelligent game plan, and Helen Kelly is another strong advocate lost. The old union bosses who failed workers in the end, were able to live out long lives, unlike the later generation.
      https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5k13/knox-walter-james
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Skinner

      Unionists need to act more strategically, and not automatically follow leaders like Knox and his ilk by demanding more and causing the old criticism of ‘holding the country to ransom’. Striking at holiday times indicates nothing has been learned. It seems that there are unionists who are careless of unions’ standing among the general public. There will be a net loss from this strike if it is persisted with.

      • Nic the NZer 7.3.1

        I seriously doubt the, international political movement which invaded NZ in the late seventies, was in any way caused by NZ union actions.

  8. Gabby 8

    Sirponyboy needs the money to bring in another guest speaker.

  9. ankerawshark 9

    Gabby, lol but too true.

  10. mary_a 10

    I wonder what the serial ponytail puller and hair fondler pervert receives financially and in perks for being a member of Air NZ’s board? Bet it is considerably more than what the airline’s engineers, logistics personnel and cleaners et al receive!

    The creepy ponytail tugger’s position on the board makes no difference to safety, whereas the engineers and logistics staff do, as do the cleaners who contribute to airline hygiene!

    My daughter is booked to fly down here on 21 Dec with Air NZ. However she is supporting the engineers and other related staff with their claims, despite the inconvenience.

    • Jilly Bee 10.1

      Yep, mary_a, my partner and I are booked to fly to Melbourne on 21st December with Air New Zealand to spend time with family over Xmas and I still support the engineers and related staff. As long as they’re still talking as at Tuesday afternoon, there is hope of a solution.

    • patricia bremner 10.2

      Good for her Mary_a. Solidarity is what we need. They (Key and c/o) like to divide and conquer.

      • Red Blooded One 10.2.1

        Air NZ has played the divide and conquer game with mastery for years. They are ruthless which is why that little creep Key fits in so well. Good luck to the Engineers. I know if my butt was sitting on a plane seat on Dec 21 I would want it to have been serviced by someone well rested and well remunerated for their skills.

  11. Michelle 11

    key might be respected in the business world but many kiwis cant stand the sight of the him including myself

    • patricia bremner 11.1

      Respect? No no ….. a little feared for his snide underhand power plays which have always seen him leaving BEFORE any disaster. Teflon John.

  12. R.P Mcmurphy 12

    why is it that the employer of the best trained workforce in new zealand wants to screw down these workers to the status of day labourers.
    this is just plain crummy.

    • patricia bremner 12.1

      Air NZ really wanted to outsource these aspects of the business.. Why were these workers separated from other agreements already settled? It bodes ill.

  13. ken 13

    Someone who I know works for Air NZ – says thing have got pretty nasty there since John Key turned up.

    • tc 13.1

      I heard it started under Noriss, continued with zeal by Fyfe and now it’s gone full banksta.

      It’s what happens when profit is everything……people are just commodities you want to pay the least you can to. Look up to the board and share registry, created by shonky flogging off a chunk and you’ll see why.

      • Red Blooded One 13.1.1

        Air NZ has always had a terrible staff relations attitude but yeah Noriss, was a shocker and Fyfe just smile and trousers. The current boss has no respect for the staff either. Strange for a company who’s greatest assets are it’s staff.

    • Michelle 13.2

      what do yo expect Ken key is cunt of the worst kind he is all about money not people

  14. tc 14

    What did you expect from a board with those characters on it. I’ll wager shonkys loving this.

  15. CHCOff 15

    There is abit of an anarchist element to ALL these strikes…which seems more like a continuation of the previous Govt’s policies in terms of societal cohesion.

    The short term gain collectives never really stick for what they are trying to represent.

  16. “It would be devastating to see the holiday plans of more than 40,000 hardworking Kiwis and international visitors ruined,”

    Hard working Kiwis , eh?

    Are Air New Zealand staff suddenly excluded from that descriptor when it suits?

    ‘Hard working Kiwi’s.

    To be used as a blunt , emotionally charged weapon and always used with broad brush strokes. Stated often by far right wing neo libs as a way to sound as if they are siding with workers , – and at the same time enabling them to demonize their targets ( usually another worker group ) . John Key and Bill English used it when it suited and in the same breath promptly labelled NZ workers as lazy , drug addled , shiftless types that justified importing tens of thousands of immigrants to provide cheap labour doing menial jobs under slave conditions. And who also provided the ChiNational party with votes from a large , gratefully servile group of new immigrants with the goal of becoming NZ residents.

    And undermining Trade Unions even further and passing legislation designed to push down wages and conditions.

    Whats in a word ? … or a worn out cliche ?

    Much.

    Perhaps we should start using the term ‘ Lazy , grossly over salaried , share holder cowering elitist corporate CEO’s ‘ to differentiate between ‘ hard working Kiwis’.

    Might be a bit of a mouthful , but in many cases very apt.

  17. Michelle 17

    Aren’t we short of engineers if this is the case we need to pay them accordingly when we have shortage of a profession this make them more valuable like housing supply and demand. As I mentioned earlier the company made a big profit and staff were given bonuses so why not pay the Engineers the increase they want and avert the strike. Lets make sure all kiwis have a lovely xmas. Times are hard and we all need to stick together and think of others less fortunate at this time of the year whether you believe in xmas or not its about whanau and friends and having a good rest after working for the year.

    • greywarshark 17.1

      You wouldn’t remember probably Michelle, but NZ got into trouble in the past by just reacting tand giving too much on union demand. The wages went up and up and so did inflation. Unions on the fwerries did this sort of thing last century. The people lost sympathy with them leading to the turncoats in Labour to choose the Treasury line and bring in neo lib economics and free markets which have ruined our country’s living standards.

      Just because they ask doesn’t mean that the firm must pay or they go on strike. That is blackmail. I am very sorry that the unions would bring the whole union system into disrepute with this sort of behaviour which shows no concern for the ordinary person. They are behaving like any arrogant company and we expect better consideration from workers, even when they have special skills.

      • Nic the NZer 17.1.1

        It seems to me this implication that, unpopular unionism is responible for the invasion of neoliberalism, is completely made up. Just for starters Roger Douglas politics and reforms were a surprise to the electorate and not something they demanded or a popular movement.

        Additionally at that time unionists like Knox were spectacularly unsuccessful at getting their way againt the prior National government.

        Is there any evidence you can provide to back up this claim? Say like a Douglas biography sub titled “I only did it all to screw over those unionists”.

  18. Ian Boag 18

    As I understand it, this group have had regular pay increases over the last 12 years. There is some story of this having been frozen at a time when the company was doing badly. Penal rates have always been there. So it is not surprising that the union might have thought this year would not be very different.

    I am told the union is asking for 3+3% and have been offered 2+2%. Hard to imagine that difference is not bridgeable. The extra leave and car parking stuff is just fluff.

    The company have obviously decided that this year is when double time gets the axe. The union think differently and it seems to be a die-in-the-ditch issue for both sides. If neither side blinks we get chaos. Dollar-wise I doubt that reducing the double-time hours to time-and-a-half would amount to a hill of beans for the company.

    Air NZ are nice people though – as soon as I heard about this I changed our 21/12 PMR-SYD flight to the 20th. It only cost me $450. I did ask about whether Air NZ might come to the party, but was told I should have called first. Apparently what I would have been told is “it will cost you $450” and “if the strike goes ahead Air NZ will contact affected pax and look to arrange another flight when they can”. Really ….. ?

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  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    1 day ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    1 day ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity
    This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti.  Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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