The Cabinet reshuffle

Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, June 14th, 2022 - 64 comments
Categories: chris hipkins, jacinda ardern, labour, michael wood, national - Tags:

There was some drama yesterday in the Beehive.

Kris Faafoi and Trevor Mallard announced that they will be resigning from Parliament.

Faafoi’s resignation was transmitted pretty clearly when he gave up the Mana seat last election.  His is the best way to end your parliamentary career.  Structure things so that no by election is required and the functioning of Parliament can continue with no fuss.  If Simon Bridges had done the same thing the country would have been spared the millions that the Tauranga by election will cost.

Trevor Mallard also announced that he will be resigning.  He is apparently to be appointed as our next Diplomat to Ireland.

Mallard is controversial.  He has a habit of getting involved in incidents that attract controversy.  He is also hard working and dedicated to the job.  Audrey Young’s analysis that Mallard will make a fine diplomat and that he is competent, usually acts in the best interests of Parliament and New Zealand, and can work collegially is also accurate.

In particular she said:

Most of what he does as Speaker, and previously as a minister, has been uncontroversial and unseen. He is competent, usually acts in the best interests of Parliament and New Zealand, and can work collegially.

He has undertaken reforms that have allowed Opposition MPs to put the heat on ministers if they don’t know their stuff.

He has not been a great Speaker inside the House because of his intolerance of hubbub, which tends to come more from the Opposition.

Mallard is 80 per cent good, 20 per cent bad but it is the bad that is remembered, particularly two episodes as Speaker.

National has attacked his performance as Speaker.  My view is that this is hubris and a reflection of the fact they still do not understand how they are not in power.  Mallard is direct and often abrupt but if you watch him closely he has really tried to make Parliament work better.

The third major development was Poto Williams’s sideways shuffle out of Police and into Conservation and Disability issues.  Chris Hipkins will replace her as Police Minister.

I thought she was an interesting choice as Police Minister but her considerable experience dealing with domestic violence meant that her selection was a good one.  More recent pressures from gang inspired drive by shootings and National’s frankly misogynist attacks on her have caused Ardern to adjust.

The debate rankles.  National’s suite of policy proposals will have no practical effect.  The answer is to increase police resources and police numbers both of which Poto has achieved.

And this morning National kept up with the foghorn claiming that Hipkins will be nothing more than window dressing for the public.  National’s tactic of attacking and raising people’s level of grumpiness is pretty clear.

It will be interesting to see what Hipkins does about National’s campaign for warrantless searches of gang members.  The proposal is legally very difficult to get right and in my view cannot be justified.  At least National appears to now understand that there is a warrantless power of search for arms and is arguing that there should be no restrictions on when it can be exercised.  But don’t expect any reduction in National’s rhetoric.

She is an utterly decent person, a very good employer, unlike many in Parliament and a hard working, well networked and intelligent MP.  Politics as usual, as played by National, does not not credit these sorts of people.  It should.

Kiritapu Allen has been elevated into Cabinet and given the Justice portfolio.  Call me biased but I think that lawyers should always be preferred for this position.

Priyanca Radhakrishnan has also been awarded for completing some important projects and has also been elevated to Cabinet and will be associate Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety.

Michael Wood has shown his importance by being made Minister of Immigration.  This is one of those portfolios that can challenge but I am sure he will be up to the job.

There are other consequential changes.

Today Next Tuesday should be an interesting day in Parliament.

64 comments on “The Cabinet reshuffle ”

  1. john2 1

    micky,

    I don't think parliament is sitting this week.

    john2.

    [One detail I should have checked. Now corrected – MS]

  2. Jimmy 2

    Kris Faafoi should have left a year or so ago when he wanted to. Asking someone to stay in a job when they want to leave rarely works out, and it was clear to everyone that Kris did not have his heart in the job and now leaves a mess for someone else to clean up.

  3. Peter 3

    "But her (Williams') considerable experience dealing with domestic violence meant that her selection was a good one."

    The way things work, considerable experience, expertise and success are far from the forefront when you're a Minister and things work the way they do.

    Appearances, perceptions, acceptability. Williams does not look like Mark Mitchell or Matt King. She doesn't seem to have the 'dog' about her of Tolley, Bennett or Collins.

    Gangs and street crime are where it's at and the only way some will see those being sorted is some big boofhead white male or an attack hound woman in the job.

    • Robert Guyton 3.1

      The gangs weren't "sorted" in the past when there was "some big boofhead white male or an attack hound woman in the job.", were they?

      • Peter 3.1.1

        Of course not. Reality doesn't count though the way the game is played. It's the noise, attention and attacks that are important.

        I mean in terms of "sorting" and in the past, there was no housing crisis before October 2017 was there?

      • Anne 3.1.2

        … the only way some will see those being sorted is some big boofhead white male or an attack hound woman in the job.

        Good response RG, but its sad that so many people support this perception.

        It is interesting to note that – setting aside the PM – both Poto Williams and Kris Faafoi were specifically attacked by National and ACT. Misogyny and racism are still deeply embedded in their psyche. It amuses me that the very 'Christian-like' Christopher Luxon has embraced both prejudices without a smidgen of self awareness as to the hypocrisy of his stance. Indeed his lack of self awareness should imo preclude him from ever becoming prime minister.

        • PsyclingLeft.Always 3.1.2.1

          Yep….a combination of that and purblind/tone deafness. But hey thats what makes him National's Leader !

          Im good with Jacinda : )

        • alwyn 3.1.2.2

          I would think that National and ACT have been quite catholic in their campaigns. They have also had a go at Twyford and Clark, Mallard and Mahutu, Davis and Jackson, Wood and Woods, Little and Sepuloni, Ardern and Robertson etc, etc.

          The only thing they have in common is that they are all incompetent. That criteria gives them an enormous range of targets doesn't it?

          • Anne 3.1.2.2.1

            That's your view point. I beg to differ. Yes, they criticised all those ministers but it was based on the policies they had adopted – or not adopted as the case may be – not on ethnicity or gender. I single out the PM, Mahutu, Williams and Faafoi as having an extra personal layer of attack over and above political considerations.

            The PM because she is a woman and the great white folks out there can't abide a woman in charge. Mahuta because she is a woman and Maori. Williams for the same reason. Faafoi because he is a Pacific Islander.

            • alwyn 3.1.2.2.1.1

              I very much doubt that Williams is regarded as a Maori by the people of Ngai Tahu among whom she resides. She is the child of Cook Islanders who emigrated to New Zealand.

              Can anyone who actually is Maori care to comment on my supposition?

              • Anne

                Cook Islanders are of Maori descent.

                • alwyn

                  How do you work that out Anne? There is a phrase "Cook Island Maori" but that is the language, not the people.

                  People from the Cook Islands were precisely that. They were not people from New Zealand and therefore cannot have been Tangata Whenua can they?

            • Louis 3.1.2.2.1.2

              +1 Anne.

          • Patricia Bremner 3.1.2.2.2

            sad What a sad comentator you are. "All are incompetent" Wow what a sweeping generalisation. Alwyn that is silly and I'm sure you know it.

            I am on record as saying I did not agree with Mallard's petty sprinkler behaviour.

            But I think this group of people is hugely talented, working on policies not favoured by the right, and are attacked in personal cruel ways. National are known for these personal attacks.

            Kris Fafoi said of Jacinda Ardern "I am in awe of her capacity and Leadership." This was a planned retirement with no by-election, to avoid costs.

            The fact that Chris Luxon has pulled his motley crew together, apart from Simon Bridges, does not change their habits of working on campaigns attacking ministers, lying about the intent of legislation, keeping people on edge and angry by magnifying areas of difficulty, and ignoring or rubbishing successes.

            We recognise this pattern as disruptive dirty politics. Chris Luxon has spread his cloak over Woodhouse Bishop et al, but they are still there, nasty as ever. imo.

            • alwyn 3.1.2.2.2.1

              "this group of people is hugely talented"

              "his motley crew"

              Now that is whet I would call " sweeping generalisations". Still what else can we expect from a true believer in the dogma of the left?

              I do think the dozen I named are incompetent. That is why I said they are all incompetent. It doesn't mean that there aren't any in the Labour Caucus, and even in the Cabinet who are OK. They don't rise to the top however as that would show up the more highly ranked people as being far less competent than the ones below them in the pecking order.

              • Patricia Bremner

                "Motley crew" as in the band. You have to convince me that Woodhouse Bishop Brownlee would be better… not to mention the guy who can't count. Goldsmith. I have been quite polite in the face of some failures.

            • Louis 3.1.2.2.2.2

              +1 Patricia Bremner

          • Mike the Lefty 3.1.2.2.3

            "Catholic in their campaigns.."????

            God might know what you are talking about, but no-one else does.

            • alwyn 3.1.2.2.3.1

              If you are going to quote me please do so properly. You put a capital letter on the word catholic. I did not.

              The word Catholic is generally used to refer to the Catholic Church. Without the capital letter, ie catholic, it doesn't have any particular religious meaning.

              I was using it in the meaning of "universal in extent; involving all; of interest to all." It can also mean "broad or wide-ranging in tastes, interests, or the like; having sympathies with all; broad-minded;" Any decent dictionary will show you this.

              It is a perfectly appropriate word and I am sure that most educated people would understand what I was saying.

              • In Vino

                Yes, you are technically correct alwyn, but maybe you should become aware that many educated people are likely to regard you as a pedantic weasel if you carry on in this manner.

                I saw you that way a long time ago, and decided not to feed the troll. But I am now making an exception, pour encourager les autres.

                • alwyn

                  When I use a perfectly normal word in a comment, and use it correctly, I feel completely entitled to defend myself when someone complains about my comment with something like "God might know what you are talking about, but no-one else does".

                  I think I am justified in correcting the slur thrown in my direction. I also do it to help others who may not understand the distinction between different uses of the one word in different circumstances. In this case I am merely trying to encourage other people to understand the full glory of the English language.

        • Chris 3.1.2.3

          "Good response RG, but its sad that so many people support this perception."

          Yes, and it's even sadder when you realise that those "so many people" are our average, hard-working New Zealanders, just doing their best to get ahead.

  4. James Simpson 4

    Simon Bridges had ambitions to win back the leadership when he won Tauranga in 2020. I don't think he had any plans to leave this term.

    The swing in the Polls under Luxon's leadership told him that those ambitions would not be fulfilled for the best part of a decade, which is why he has bailed.

    • Sacha 4.1

      The party bosses may have told him he could serve their interests better in the Ak Chamber of Commerce job, as a stepping stone to a Mayoral run in 2025.

  5. alwyn 5

    Micky suggests that the way to go is

    "Structure things so that no by election is required and the functioning of Parliament can continue with no fuss. If Simon Bridges had done the same thing the country would have been spared the millions that the Tauranga by election will cost."

    Perhaps Micky is right. That was certainly the way that other National leaders during this century, Brash, Key and English, took. Instead Simon seems to have followed the path of those leaders from the dark side. Clark, Goff and Shearer were all Labour Party leaders and they all departed in ways that forced by-elections. Selfish lot, weren't they?

    • mickysavage 5.1

      Key didn't. He was still the MP for Hellensville but Parliament agreed to not run a by election.

      Brash was always list only.

      English was on the list from 2014 so that he could devote more time to finance.

      Clark stood with the intent of remaining PM. It would have been a sign of weakness for her to do otherwise.

      Goff had no long term plan but when the super city presented an opportunity he went with it.

      Shearer can speak for himself.

      • alwyn 5.1.1

        No Key wasn't the MP for Helensville up until the next election. He, and Cunliffe for that matter, remained in Parliament until it was within 6 months of the next election date. Once that time had been reached they could resign without there having to be a by-election. Both of them did resign at that time, but not before the date which would have required an election If that is not arranging to "Structure things so that no by election is required" what is it?

        Whatever you may think of their reasons of course Clark, Shearer and Goff all put New Zealand to the cost of a by-election. If you are going to complain about Bridges you are a hypocrite not to say the same thing about them.

        Key, English, Brash and Cunliffe didn't put the country to the cost of a by-election so you should applaud them.

        • mickysavage 5.1.1.2

          Chill out.

          I was referring to politicians deciding to retire soon going list only.

          Key didn't. The deal was done so that he and Cunliffe could bow out within 6 months of the election.

          English went list only for a different reason.

          I am suggesting to you that Clark and Goff did not intend to go early.

          • alwyn 5.1.1.2.1

            That's all right.

            I don't believe that Simon Bridges intended to quit early either. I think he considered he had an excellent chance of leading the party again after Collins was badly defeated in the election.

            On the other hand I am quite sure that Clark intended to quit if she did not make it back as Prime Minister. Unless she was totally delusional, and PMs often are if they get to a third term, she would have known that her chances of winning were probably 1 in 4 at best and that she was very likely to be leaving the New Zealand taxpayer to bear the cost of a by-election.

            It is all irrelevant of course. People can always kid themselves that their party are always honorable and their opposition aren't.

            Not having ever been a member of a party I am at an advantage over you. I believe, and everything I have observed makes me think I am right, that all politicians put themselves first in every situation. I don't have a party to which I have sacrificed my soul so I expect that. I am not saying the politicians are corrupt. They merely think that they know better than anyone else what is good for the people.

  6. Puckish Rogue 6

    There it is, the lefts great playbook:

    'misogynist attacks on her'

    Its never that the (left) female politician is not up to it, its misogyny.

    If thats the case (and I don't think it is) then isn't Ardern showing weakness in not standing up for her, keeping her in her position, showing confidence in her?

    Ardern made the correct call and I don't think its because of misogyny as much as it was competency:

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/03/parliament-uproar-after-police-minister-poto-williams-denies-rise-in-gang-violence.html

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/04/labour-mp-helen-white-shares-increase-in-gang-activity-concerns-days-after-police-minister-poto-williams-denies-rise-in-gang-violence.html

    • And you link to newshub as evidence to support Natz and right whingers continuing and ingrained misogyny!

      Ho hum.

      • Puckish Rogue 6.1.1

        No you're right, its all to do with misogyny and nothing to do with the headlines

        • Patricia Bremner 6.1.1.1

          The Headlines reflect the misogyny, that coupled with a view the patriarchy is the "Right" model. Pun intended.

          This is based on the Christian model of "The husband shall rule over his wife" and an old custom that saw marriage as a property exchange. The wife and her chattles as part of the bargain. To say otherwise is to ignore history. So women leaders have to excel or go.

          • Puckish Rogue 6.1.1.1.1

            The headlines suggest to me that Williams was out of touch with what was happening in NZ as evidenced by White (was she being misogynist as well?) contradicting her a few days later

            But thats just me

  7. Herodotus 7

    How can someone who goes missing in their role as minister of police be then gifted the conservation role ?? To me this tokenism oin finding a safe ministry to place her as the minister. Instead there should be someone with a passion for then ministry, and I have not read anything regrading Poto gives me the impression of her having a passion here.
    I fear for DOC and that they will lose any visibility that they have in caucus, perhaps this is how low Labour view DOC in importance. I hope the Greens start to become more vocal and not leave it up to Nats and Act to be advocating for this dept.

    • Muttonbird 7.1

      Perhaps Poto Williams' history of good work in domestic abuse policy (apparently) stands her in good stead when tackling the same type domestic abuse the dairy industry (male) inflicts upon our environment (female).

      • Herodotus 7.1.1

        Where in any of her bios are references to DOC or the environment there in nothing I can find. If DOC was of a high priority why then has Kiritapu Allan had this taken away from her??? Should it not go to someone who has displayed they have the ability to be a minister of a major portfolio not someone who has and I quote the PM “said the Police ministerial portfolio's focus "has, currently, been lost" or is Conservation at a similar level as Min of racing or the arts ???

        • Muttonbird 7.1.1.1

          You are being very, very naive to the realities of politics, Hero.

          Fact is, JA has been much more cognisant of application than her predecessor (not Bill English) when choosing ministerial appointments.

          • Herodotus 7.1.1.1.1

            M'bird do you think DOC will is better served with having Poto instead of Kiritapu as their minister ? As I have more focus in DOC/environment in this area than most others, by being involved on a volunteer basis. So this appointment concerns me as I believe that the change in ministers has weakened the dept. and is an area that a strong minister should be appointed into the role and should be one that commands a front bench position. But that is my view.

            • Jimmy 7.1.1.1.1.1

              I think the unfortunate reality is, any portfolio would be better served having Kiritapu as their minister rather than Poto Williams.

              • Robert Guyton

                You mean some politicians are better than others?

                That's some perceptive thinking right there, Jimmy!

                • Jimmy

                  Yes that is exactly right. In fact some politicians are so much worse they shouldn't be there at all.

                  • Robert Guyton

                    Oh, I see, you're attacking Poto Williams here, Jimmy. I thought you were making a reasonable comment about varying skill levels. I didn't recognise that you were going for character assassination.

                    • Jimmy

                      I reject the premise of your question…just kidding!

                      No character assassination from me. Simply she was not up to the job. And no, before you play the race card or the sexist card, it is not to do with her race or sex. Just that she was promoted beyond her means in to a position that she did not have the skill set for. Like Phil Twyford and David Clark were. And thus why they have been moved.

                    • Robert Guyton

                      I'm not playing cards, Jimmy, just clarifying with you your intent; bagging Poto Williams.

            • Anne 7.1.1.1.1.2

              So, you choose to damn her before she's even got her foot inside DOC's door. I have noticed over the years that is your modus operandi. Add an unhealthy dose of negativism over every action taken or word uttered by Labour ministers or pit them one against the other, and I think we have a typical troll.

              Why don't you own up to it once and for all.

  8. georgecom 8

    one of the solutions to the gang issue is stemming the import of australian trained criminals. the best time to stem that was about 3-4 years back but not possible with the previous aussie pm and some in his party. we might hope now that criminals trained in Aussie will stay in Aussie rather than them export their problems across the tasman.

    Will have far more effect than some vague rubbish law the likes of ACT and National promote about court orders to stop gang members gathering together. I am sure that most gang members would pay attention to a court order banning them from meeting other gang members, now wouldn’t they. Either that or valuable police time wasted trying to enforce rubbish law that has minimal effect rather than focus on catching criminals, taking guns off the street and busting drug syndicates.

    On ACT, David Seymour was quoted in the NZH about Hipkins as police minister as reflecting a thin talent pool in Labours caucus. Looked like a classic case of a black pot to me.

  9. Chess Player 9

    Deck chairs on the Titanic

    • In Vino 9.1

      With Luxon keen to play White, Queen's gambit, against an opponent who is highly advantaged in talent.

  10. Ed1 10

    The article by Audrey Young does seem reasonably fair regarding Mallard. I'm aware that she has been around as a journalist for quite a long time, but did she have personal or family connections to a political party at one time?

  11. " Next Tuesday should be an interesting day in Parliament "

    Ye the regular circus performers will give another outstanding performance except very few will actually watch or be remotely interested in the farce that is the New Zealand parliament.

    Except Mickey.

  12. Belladonna 12

    Mallard is direct and often abrupt but if you watch him closely he has really tried to make Parliament work better.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/audrey-young-believe-it-or-not-trevor-mallard-will-make-a-fine-diplomat/3OA6SK4T5GGRWGO3XXPBPC6TPU/

    I would say that Mallard is his own worst enemy. I certainly agree that he has the good of Parliament at heart, as Speaker. But, it's the 20% of the time that he shoots from the lip which is remembered.

    I can forgive a punch up in the parliamentary foyer – especially as it was getting on for 20 years ago, and he could be expected to have got older and wiser over time.

    What I find unforgivable is his (subsequently proven false) public claim that a parliamentary staffer had committed rape, followed by a settlement (where we, the NZ public, had to foot the bill), only for him to use parliamentary privilege last year to double down on the accusations. A blatant abuse of his power and privilege.

    The sprinkler affair was merely stupid. But, once again, his instinctive reaction was then doubled down on. Backing up and apologising doesn't seem to be in his DNA.

    If (and it's a big if) he can be persuaded or 'managed' so as to think before he speaks – he may well be a very effective diplomat. Certainly, no one can doubt that he has the good of NZ at heart. If not, then we may see NZ in the international headlines for the wrong reasons.

    • Anne 12.1

      What I find unforgivable is his (subsequently proven false) public claim that a parliamentary staffer had committed rape…

      From memory he said "… it sounds like rape." In truth, that is exactly what it did initially sound like and he was by no means the only person to think so. He should have kept his mouth shut of course and given the outcome I doubt he will commit such a misdemeanour again.

      The fellow at the centre of the drama was not guilty of rape, but he didn't appear to come out of it smelling of roses either.

      • Belladonna 12.1.1

        He knew the exact situation. As the person to whom the inquiry was reporting, he was kept fully informed (his subsequent defence that he didn't know what 'rape' was, hardly holds water)

        Regardless. He absolutely should not have commented at all. And to double down, repeating the accusation using parliamentary privilege, was the height of bullying. Using his power and prestige to attack someone who had no right of reply.

        It's that pattern of 'attack when cornered' behaviour that makes me doubt very much that he's actually learned a lesson.

        I don't agree with much of the use politicians put parliamentary privilege to – there have been many examples of very poor decision-making which have been protected – and I think that it's well past it's 'use-by' date. After all, if politicians are so heavily restricted in what they can say in the house about each other – why should the rest of NZ be an open target?

  13. "

    What I find unforgivable is his (subsequently proven false) public claim that a parliamentary staffer had committed rape, followed by a settlement (where we, the NZ public, had to foot the bill), only for him to use parliamentary privilege last year to double down on the accusations. A blatant abuse of his power and privilege.

    The sprinkler affair was merely stupid. But, once again, his instinctive reaction was then doubled down on. Backing up and apologising doesn't seem to be in his DNA.

    Yes I whole heartedly agree.

    you must never …shoot from the lip Bella Donna

  14. I find this "Williams was not competent to be Police Minister and she has no credentials for DOC" rather interesting.

    In my elderly mind it shows that writers don't want to understand that MPs are elected to become Ministers, rather they are elected to represent the electors. Should we go back to Pepys' day when only the entitled were elected – oh wait, that's Luxon's group isn't it.

    Perhaps parties could stand a serving police officer in one electorate (Minister of Police), a builder in another electorate (Housing) and so on and so on?

  15. Belladonna 15

    OK, for a bit of light-hearted relief — you'll all, I'm sure, be fascinated to know the *true* reason that Mallard has resigned.

    Straight from the horse's …. mouth — it's all about Winston!

    https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA2206/S00116/mallard-resignation-a-cover-up.htm

    “On the 25th May the Speaker received a letter from my Solicitors concerning his decision to trespass me and hundreds of others during February’s parliamentary protest.”

    “In that letter, it was made clear that there would be court action taken against Mr Mallard if he did not provide specific explanations, documents, and referenced authority with which he, in a free and democratic society, trespassed hundreds of New Zealand citizens from the Nation’s Parliament.”

    “Both Mallard and the Prime Minister knew that he was facing potential prosecution for his actions and can be no coincidence that the announcement of his resignation comes just two weeks after my Solicitor’s letter was sent to his office.”

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    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    1 day ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    1 day ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    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 ...
    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 ...
    1 day 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
  • AT Need To Lift Their Game
    Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
    6 days ago
  • Christopher's Whopper.
    Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Funding hole for tax cuts growing by the day
    The pressure is mounting on the Government as it finalises its Budget Policy Statement, but yet more predicted revenue ‘goes missing’. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Climate Commission has delivered another funding blow to the National-ACT-NZ First coalition Government’s tax-cutting plans, potentially carving $1.4 billion off the ‘climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Luxon’s brave climate change promise
    The Government now faces the prospect of having to watch another tax raise the price of petrol when, only six days ago, it abolished the Auckland Regional Fuel tax. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon argued that the regional fuel tax imposed costs on lower-income people with less fuel-efficient vehicles  and that ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    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
    3 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
    5 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
    6 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
    19 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
    23 hours 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
    5 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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