The Chief Prison Inspector’s report on Serco and MECF

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, October 7th, 2016 - 46 comments
Categories: Abuse of power, accountability, business, capitalism, Judith Collins, national, Politics, prisons, same old national - Tags: ,

Serco protest Kelvin Davis David Clendon-1

The neoliberal approach to the privatisation of services that should be performed by the state is well known.  First of all get the Government to starve the state institution of resources so that it performs its role poorly.  Then make a flashy offer which loses money initially but gives room to renegotiate extras.  Then attack costs, usually by suppressing wages and work conditions and staffing numbers.  And whatever happens contest any criticism and negotiate hard.  Once you are in there it will be hard to shift you out.  And just remember the Government that signs these contracts has a political interest in making them work, or at least seem to work.

The privatisation of prison services at the Mount Eden Corrections Facility was lauded by the Government when it was announced.  Judith Collins said this:

The appointment of Serco as the contract manager for Mt Eden/ACRP will bring in new ideas and international best practice which will benefit the entire corrections sector.

Serco has a strong track record in managing prisons. I’m confident that the company will bring the high standards of professionalism, safety, rehabilitation and security expected by the Government to Mt Eden/ACRP.

Collins needs to reconsider her confidence.

In July 2015 when the news of fight clubs, drugs and gang control and even the death of Nick Evans broke National shut its eyes and then claimed that it could not see anything wrong.

From Stuff:

Under fire Corrections Minister Sam Lotu-Iiga insisted on Wednesday the claims were unproven but admitted he had heard “rumours and allegations” about the death.

He was unable to say when he first heard those rumours but confirmed no action had been taken to refer the matter to police.

“[There was] Kelvin Davis’s allegation about this during the week but I’ve heard all sorts of rumours about this death and I’ve said to my officials ‘get to the bottom of it, let’s have an inquiry, an investigation’.”

Lotu-Iiga said any decision on a police investigation may be dependent on the outcome of a coroner’s inquiry and investigation by the chief prisons inspector.

Serco and the minister have both denied any knowledge of a practice called “dropping” – and say the first they heard about it was this week.

But it has now emerged that Lotu-Iiga was grilled about the practice by Davis at a parliamentary select committee hearing weeks ago.

A transcript of proceedings show Lotu-Iiga was told by Davis: “There’s this guy that passed away recently…apparently he had a ruptured lung. I’ve asked ‘how do you get a ruptured lung? It’s often from a high impact collision and there’s accusations that prisoners have been thrown off balconies and then they’re getting transferred out of Mt Eden correctional facility.”

Asked on Wednesday about that transcript, Lotu-Iiga appeared to have no recollection of the exchange.

An inquiry has been held by the Chief Prison Inspector and despite Serco’s attempt to suppress the contents the report has now been made public.

The report shows how inept the Government’s management of the contract and oversight of the facility has been.  From Radio New Zealand:

Private prison operator Serco was scoring “exceptional” performance marks when it had too few guards to detect or stop organised fight clubs at Mt Eden remand jail, a report says.

The inquiry into fight clubs at Mt Eden released yesterday showed Serco used a system that rostered on guards who were on leave, or who no longer worked there at all, leaving the prison understaffed.

Chief prison inspector Andy Fitzharris said in the inquiry report the only way of detecting and preventing organised fighting was having enough properly trained staff on deck.

Guards who were supposed to be supervising prisoners in units while prisoners’ cells were unlocked were doing so only 40 percent of the time, the report said.

“[Serco’s staffing model] was fundamentally flawed as there is documentary evidence that the staffing roster used included some staff who were on annual leave, medical leave, or had resigned,” the report said.

It said Serco’s contract with the government did not set staffing arrangements, making Serco responsible for determining how many staff were sufficient to meet its obligations.

In the report, Serco dismissed the lack of staff as a cause of the fight clubs – blaming violent gang culture instead.

The fight clubs, often in cells but sometimes in full view of CCTV, happened weekly, and possibly daily, in at least half of the prison’s 10 units that house 1000 men.

Inmates were coerced into fighting by gang members, the report said.

The Government’s response to the incidents has been inept.  Rather than cancel the contract the Government decided not to renew it when it comes up for renewal this year.  This is as weak a response as you can imagine apart from doing nothing whatsoever.

And Serco continues to run the Wiri prison in South Auckland having a 25 year contract to do so.  Again the Government claims exceptional performance at the prison but after the ACRP experience you have to wonder how reliable this ranking is especially after recent news that inmates drunk on home brew attacked staff and caused a wing to be shut down.

Congratulations again to Kelvin Davis for his work in the area.  The sooner our prisons are again fully under state control the better.

46 comments on “The Chief Prison Inspector’s report on Serco and MECF ”

  1. Richard Rawshark 1

    So now it’s official, National have become a modern Nazi party. They have let morals in NZ sink to such depths of depravity they are now using criminals to fight each other as entertainment.

    No Doubt Garth will be along with some of his justice rants on how they deserve it. After all they are just scum, why not.

    Romans did it to the Christians, Hitler turned the Jews on each other, Key places criminals in hell and leaves them to kill each other.

    Justice would be served by making National live it.

  2. Cinny 2

    Which Minister contracted Serco for Mt Eden in the first place?

    • Cinny 2.1

      Judith did, and Sam took over, he was made a scape goat big time, and now Judith is back at the helm making out to be some sort of saviour looking after those whom have been let down and abused because of Serco what a joke.

      “This Government is committed to a world-class Corrections system in New Zealand. To achieve that, we must have access to world-class innovation and expertise,” Ms Collins said.

      “The appointment of Serco as the contract manager for Mt Eden/ACRP will bring in new ideas and international best practice which will benefit the entire corrections sector.

      “Serco has a strong track record in managing prisons. I’m confident that the company will bring the high standards of professionalism, safety, rehabilitation and security expected by the Government to Mt Eden/ACRP.”

      https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/mt-edenacrp-contract-manager-announced

      • Draco T Bastard 2.1.1

        “This Government is committed to a world-class Corrections system in New Zealand. To achieve that, we must have access to world-class innovation and expertise,” Ms Collins said.

        And that would be a lie. What they’re committed to is first class profit for the corporations that own them.

      • Wensleydale 2.1.2

        I love all this talk of “international best practice” in regard to Serco. Even a fleeting examination of their track record overseas gives the distinct impression that as long as they’re making a wheelbarrow load of cash, their definition of best practice is doing barely enough to scrape by, and then auditing themselves in order to give the illusion of competence. Serco are notable only for their subterranean levels of service, and their penchant for lying about their subterranean levels of service. Check out their antics on Christmas Island. The truly frightening thing about Serco, is that their diseased tentacles appear to have penetrated almost every facet of society – including the military-industrial complex.

        https://youtu.be/ulP0QdvexFg

        • Draco T Bastard 2.1.2.1

          Serco are notable only for their subterranean levels of service, and their penchant for lying about their subterranean levels of service.

          Lying and deceit IS international best practice according to our present government.

        • invisiphilia 2.1.2.2

          Yes and the feeling that someone’s pocket got lined from the deal that gave them that contract in the first place…

      • thechangeling 2.1.3

        Sounds like a similar situation with Spotless and Compass doing the privatised jobs of providing poor public food services for our hospitals, military bases and various boarding schools and rest homes around New Zealand.

  3. Muttonbird 3

    More to come on Wiri according to Phil Twyford.

    http://www.newshub.co.nz/politics/sercos-prison-fight-clubs-might-have-spread-to-wiri—labour-2016100708

    Collins will be desperate to cover this up. Watch for her to ramp up the attacks on prisoners who are being mean to the poor Serco management.

  4. Siobhan 4

    $1.27 million in damages in the Colin Craig defamation trial vs Serco’s contract with its so called ‘steep penalties’ for security breaches, including $600,000 fines for a riot or hostage event, the unnatural death of any prisoner, any death due to prisoner action and any escape.

    Hurt feelings and privacy breaches amongst the white collars vs prisoners being forced by gangs, into ‘fight-clubs’…a glamorous term for an ‘entertaining’ beating….under the watch of the representatives of a massive Corporation deemed to be doing an excellent job by our Government..

    • dukeofurl 4.1

      having a penalty of ‘fine’ was just another negotiating point for Serco, they would then contest the fine or it would be a sort of credit debit account, so no actual money changed hands.

    • UncookedSelachimorpha 4.2

      The whole concept of attaching dollar values to prison suicides, riots etc…is just vile. The idea that money is the only real measure of anything is at the heart of a lot of NZ society’s problems – and a fatal flaw of the neoliberal right.

      A person who thinks that negotiating dollar values around these things is a good idea, is exactly the type of person you don’t want managing human issues or vulnerable people…hello Serco!

      We should do better things for lots of better reasons!

  5. mauī 5

    What really pisses me off almost as much were the responses from the government on the news last night. The commander and chief saying that Serco was probably the “wrong choice”, implying that there is a better choice of provider out there, just they haven’t found it yet… Then the blue lady saying it was all Corrections fault anyway 🙄 that they weren’t supervising Serco closely enough (See private providers are the only ones for the job). Fucking hell.. how can you vote for this crap, and where the fuck is the media letting these slack answers ride.

    https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/corrections-report-serco-fight-clubs-if-inmates-refused-there-d-pack-attacks

    • dukeofurl 5.1

      “Corrections fault anyway 🙄 that they weren’t supervising Serco closely enough

      Yes the prison monitors were stonewalled by serco and bogged down in trivia so they could anything worthwhile

      • Wensleydale 5.1.1

        And the fact that a massive trans-national corporate like Serco needs baby-sitting, just on the off-chance they’ll do something unethical, is kind of hilarious in itself. Claiming Serco are the best option to run our prisons is a bit like claiming a meth-addled lunatic with an extensive criminal record is the best option to run a child-care centre.

        http://www.news.com.au/national/former-serco-security-guard-reveals-what-life-is-really-like-at-the-christmas-island-immigration-detention-centre/news-story/1bd6fc07d045ee55a8445dda44352b40

        • Richard McGrath 5.1.1.1

          That article about the Christmas Island Detention Centre is completely out of date. In the first sentence it claims that the detainee to guard ratio is 350 to 1. In that case there must be less than one Serco officer on the island, as when I left there about six weeks ago there were fewer than 350 prisoners.

          The article is worth reading though, as the photos show the damage the crims managed to cause. Took months to get it all repaired, while our ability to provide health care to the detainees was compromised for several weeks after they smashed up the medical centre.

    • Draco T Bastard 5.2

      Then the blue lady saying it was all Corrections fault anyway 🙄 that they weren’t supervising Serco closely enough (See private providers are the only ones for the job).

      Which puts the lie to private provision being more efficient as more people are required to watch the private corporation 24/7 to make sure that they’re not fucking up. If we don’t get people watching them then this result happens.

  6. weizguy 6

    MECF was constantly at the top of the prison rankings and everyone at Corrections knew that was bollocks.

    But when the Minister, Chief Executive, and Senior Management know that private prisons have to succeed, no-one wants to stick their neck out and tell the truth.

  7. Richard Rawshark 7

    Can anyone at all tell me what the word “Accountability” stands for?

    Because if accountability is not applicable to anything anymore we are on a slippery slide.

    I think, with all the lack of accountability on quite a few issues, the issue of accountability overall has become the defining issue, or one of the top defining issues of our political generation.

  8. Draco T Bastard 8

    Again the Government claims exceptional performance at the prison but after the ACRP experience you have to wonder how reliable this ranking is especially after recent news that inmates drunk on home brew attacked staff and caused a wing to be shut down.

    I expect that there’s no inspections taking place. Why would you need inspections for a forgone conclusion?

    • Richard Rawshark 8.1

      ahh prison home brew… good shit…

      Since prisoners , well were prisoners.

      I wonder how many people here spent any time in jail, here or oversea’s and can really comment?

      I think , or perhaps know the truth being, more funny, illegal, and sometimes hysterically amusing stuff goes down inside prisons, like the time they got some visitors to leave some live ammunition in one of the sand ashtrays at HMP Durham, boy talk about over reaction jeez./.. 🙂

    • Richard Rawshark 8.2

      Inspectors.. pulease..

  9. AmaKiwi 9

    1. Cutting staffing is the ONLY way to make a profit in the prison business. Why didn’t the opposition make this a public issue years ago?

    2. On Paul Henry show (see 3 above) Phil Twyford was a disaster! The opposition? You must be joking! Read his face and body language. He and Judith Collins are good mates from that folksy club that passes for a parliament. Meanwhile inmates are getting the sh*t punched out of them by the sadistic inmates who Serco allows to run the prisons.

    3. The US government has just terminated ALL private prison contracts throughout the 50 states. Doe

    4. Collins’ excuse for privatizing the prisons was that Serco would bring “best practices and innovative management.” Translation: “We, the government don’t want to pay the minimal costs to upgrade state employed prison managers’ skills. We want private contractors to rip us off and export their ill-gotten profits overseas.”

    5. Question: How many MPs’ overseas trusts own Serco shares?

    • Cinny 9.1

      Good points AmaKiwi

      However I thought Phil was ok re the paul henry interview, but Kelvin would have been a better choice, I really admire Kelvins work re corrections etc.

      I’m still annoyed that Judith is appearing to ‘save the day’ when it was her initial decision to have Serco overseeing Mt Eden that is to blame.

      Something she said made me wonder.. she claims that the ‘fight clubs’ were happening back in 2009 when corrections was running it. She went on to say that it appears to be the same prisoners back then that are running the fight clubs now. The bit that makes me wonder is… isn’t Mt Eden a remand prison?

      Maybe The Nation or Q&A will do a story on it in the weekend

      Your 5th point requires some investigating. And your 4th point is bang on.

      I’m pretty sure opposition did speak out, Kelvin sure is doing some hard work.

      One last thing, fight clubs are common in all prisons, at least that’s what i’ve been told by those whom have been inside.

      When screws are underpaid, it’s very easy to flick them a few dollars so they can turn a blind eye.

      • AmaKiwi 9.1.1

        @ Cinny

        Thanks for your comments.

        Upstart politicians overseas (Sanders, Trump, etc.) are winning because they are able to claim they are NOT part of the establishment which has made such a mess of the economy, inequality, and environment. Twyford’s whole demeanor said, “Judith and I are long-time dear freinds.”

        That will lose Labour huge support. It is less about Twyford’s words. It was the non-verbal message he conveyed. He screwed up in spades.

  10. McFlock 10

    The inquiry into fight clubs at Mt Eden released yesterday showed Serco used a system that rostered on guards who were on leave, or who no longer worked there at all, leaving the prison understaffed.

    You know you can’t guard me with your ghost guards, John…

  11. Adrian Thornton 11

    Well maybe now that unashamed centrist neoLiberal Mike William might stop promoting his love affair with Serco and Collins at every opportunity ..but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

    Here is William’s on the Serco run Wiri south Auckland prison;
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503459&objectid=11446050

    Defending Judith Collins;
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503459&objectid=11593717

    …and btw they are not fight clubs, there isn’t any Brad Pitt glamor to be seen here, just real blood and bone which I can assure you doesn’t look at all pretty up close, just horrific and sad.

  12. Karen 12

    Andrea Vance has done a good opinion piece here:

    https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/opinion-ministers-need-wear-over-prison-fight-clubs

    As she points out Serco already had a bad reputation when it was given the contract.

    Private prisons is a bad idea, just as charter schools are a bad idea. They have been proved to be a bad idea overseas but this government is hell bent on privatising all state services no matter the results. Education, welfare, health, justice, and housing should be core government responsibilities delivered for the benefit of the whole population, but under this government they are being sold off to private providers whose only motive is profit.

    • Draco T Bastard 12.1

      Private prisons is a bad idea, just as charter schools are a bad idea.

      Getting private enterprise to provide essential government services is a bad idea.

    • gsays 12.2

      hi karen, i agree private prisons and charter schools are a bad idea, and i will go one further.
      profitting from incarceration is offensive.

      “Education, welfare, health, justice, and housing should be core government responsibilities delivered for the benefit of the whole population..”
      spot on and i would add utilities as well: gas, power, phone, internet.

      surely this resonates with plenty of voters…
      let’s hear it!

  13. Once was Tim now no longer 13

    The state has no business abrogating its responsibilities by ‘outsourcing’ them to private companies for profit, and to keep their suppotas ‘sweet’.
    However having done so, there seems to be this idea that they can’t be held accountable.
    WHEN, (eventually) there is a change in regime, I live in hope that a future government will actually do the right thing – in this case terminate Serco, recover any and all money (the cost of enquiries, etc.), and hold those responsible for what is effectively a breach of contract to account.
    It goes way beyond prison privatisations however.
    Those responsible for the absolute fuckups elsewhere in the public service (such as MPI: slave labour; fishing quotas; sleeping with those they’re supposed to monitor/or… MoBIE, as regards slave labour and the total under-resourcing of the Labour Inspectorate; or a number of issues relating to foreign students-many reduced to prostitution, living in tin shacks, destitute and resorting to gambling, crime, etc.)/ or the under-resourcing of bodies such as NZQA – such that they know of various scams and corruption amongst private tertiary education providers but are so thin on the ground that investigations are barely sequential)/ or the licensing on ‘consultants’ and others engaged in it all) …… ALL of it ….. A L L of it needs to be put right, with the culprits held to account.
    If not, it’ll simply happen again the next time we get an ideologically-driven, ‘I’m comfortable and rillexed’ bugger’s muddle of a gummint operating on the cult of personality, post-truth spin and populism.
    Although there is no ‘statute of limitations’ on much of what needs to happen, I’m not sure many currently in opposition will have the balls.
    I suspect they’ll still be worried about what some inadequate opinion poll might say, and whether the likes of a Crosby Textor is able to invent some language that conveys a ‘witch hunt’, nenny stite message (going forward)

  14. Sacha 15

    Corrections managers hid earlier 2014 investigation into fight clubs from bosses: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11724637

    And an acting Serco prison manager reported fights even earlier, in 2013: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11724637

  15. Cinny 16

    The Nation are interviewing Judith this morning about it, should be interesting

    • dukeofurl 16.1

      She will ask for even more operational oversight, under her control of course, that way these things will never see the light of day.

      And this is the same Minister who was trying to put obstacles in way of MPs visiting prisons unannounced. She is an expert at working on more coverup under the guise of more transparency- a trademark of the Key government.

  16. UncookedSelachimorpha 17

    The first and second rule of Serco is that you do not talk about fight club(s).

  17. Henry Filth 18

    Ah well, unless there’s an electoral upset in 2017, I suspect that that’s the end of the Inspector of Prisons.

    Hope he can transition successfully through the window of opportunity provided by the revolving door to the private prison sector. . .

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  • 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
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 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
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours 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
    8 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
    10 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
    10 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
    24 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 ...
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  • 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. ...
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  • Trustee tax change welcomed
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  • Minister’s Ramadan message
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  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
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  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
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