The Climate Commission Report

Written By: - Date published: 5:19 pm, June 9th, 2021 - 54 comments
Categories: climate change, ETS, labour, science - Tags:

As they said they would, the Government has today released the full advice from the Climate Commission, taking into account all the submissions and all the big fat evidence.

The government very much views this as an achievable blueprint, and have prepared for the release with strong indicators of the policy fields and responsibilities to get the whole plan together.

A few highlights:

Finance

The Commission recommends that the Government recycle revenue from the Emissions Trading Scheme back into emissions reductions programmes. Labour’s already committed to this from the 2022 Budget.

They also want much clearer information about financial firms’ exposure to climate risk. Minister Shaw has been on to this for a while. The government recently became the first country in the world to introduce a law requiring this.

Their next message was: don’t delay your start on this because the longer you leave it the tougher it will be on your economy.

Transport

From 1990 to 2019 our road transport emissions increased by 96.2%. Minister Wood put out a paper last month with four options to consider, to go into the Emissions Reduction Plan. Also he’s anticipated the Commission by already re-weighting the transport programme in favour of low-carbon transport projects and programmes. Including cycleways.

Agriculture

The Commission underscores the necessity of decreasing biogenic methane. They also want a farm-level emissions, management, and pricing system. There’s supposed to be work on that already underway across universities and Crown Research Agencies. It will be quite a test for Minister O’Connor to actually deliver a credible and widely accepted system to ruminant farmers in their part of the Emissions Reduction Plan. We’re still the only country in the world to legislate for a price on agricultural emissions.

Energy

Initiatives like the Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry Fund is a wee start. But also phasing out every single coal boiler in every public building. Somehow, get to Fonterra and NZSteel as well. This will need a much sterner signal from the Emissions Trading Scheme price signals. This is in the bailiwick of Minister Woods. James Shaw wants a sinking lid on total emissions.

Buildings

Apparently there’s a thing called the Building for Climate Change Programme, which I confess I’ve not heard of. That’s with the Minister of Building and Construction Poto Williams. They could do worse than give ISCA a call – they’ve already accredited their first major infrastructure project here.

Clearly at the moment this is a set of non-binding advice with a whole lot of submissions and research behind it.

But if you want an even more adventurous government, get in there and lobby with your ideas to shape the system to achieve the goals.

We’ll see a bit of coverage on this over the next few days as the main players react.

54 comments on “The Climate Commission Report ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Enough is Enough 1
    9 June 2021 at 5:42 pm

    As Jacinda said today, this is a matter of life and death.

    I was almost in tears today and so thankful that we have a Prime Minister that realises that indsuptable fact, and takes the deadly nature of this crisis seriously.

    I am confident that if her government adopts these measures we will see real results in Aoteroa by 2050, and our children will inherit a sustainable and healthy environment by which to live in.

    Thank you Jacinda. For the second time in 18 months, you are making decisions which will literally save our lives.

    • Incognito 1.1
      10 June 2021 at 9:59 pm

      The thing is that CC is a global issue that we cannot stop at the border. Everybody has to play their part and pull up their socks. Aotearoa-New Zealand can be a leader or a lagger. The Opposition is opting for the latter and hopefully this Government is opting to continue on their Covid path and do what it takes and more. As with the Covid measures, they will be costly and inconvenient and the burden should not fall disproportionally on the poorer Kiwis, as usual.

  2. Pat 2
    9 June 2021 at 6:21 pm

    "The commission’s dropped its idea to electrify the main rail lines."

    but

    "Electric planes by 2030 and electric ships after 2025 are significant additions. "

    WTF?

    • alwyn 2.1
      9 June 2021 at 11:01 pm

      I'm sure that Grant R. is planning to set up New Zealand's answer to Airbus. Our new world leading business.

      I believe that there are a couple of cases where companies have converted 9 passenger aircraft to be powered by batteries and to have flown them for up to 30 minutes.

      I also understand they only had a pilot on board though. But hey, we can lead the world.

        • alwyn 2.1.1.1
          10 June 2021 at 9:59 am

          You should be careful. I have seen adverse comments from moderators when people simply post a link with absolutely nothing else to explain why the link is of any meaning to the debate..

          What on earth did you do it for anyway? The link has nothing whatsoever to do with my comment so why are you replying to me? Surely even you can see that.

          • Incognito 2.1.1.1.1
            10 June 2021 at 10:06 pm

            The link is a perfect response to your comment. Surely, even you can see that. You don’t need to read the linked article, just go by the title/headline. Surely, even you can manage that.

            Please let us know what else Grant R. is planning, since you’re so sure about it.

            Yes, we can lead the world and you better believe it!

            • alwyn 2.1.1.1.1.1
              10 June 2021 at 11:37 pm

              A perfect response?

              You do know the difference between aircraft and tugboats don't you? One flies. The other one floats.

              And you are aware that Airbus is one of the two main producers of aircraft?

              And you did observe that I never commented on whether tugboats, or other ships, could be battery powered? I very seriously doubt the feasibility of battery powered passenger aircraft, not whether ships may go that way.

              So please explain why you think an article talking about boats being battery powered has anything to do with my having serious doubts about the arrival of battery powered passenger planes in the next decade or so?

              • Incognito …
                11 June 2021 at 8:01 am

                One flies. The other one floats.

                And here endeth Alwyn’s lesson for the day.

                Tomorrow’s lesson: which of the two fits into the Government’s plan to tackle CC?

                One step at the time and at the end of the year Master Shaw will do his exam.

                • alwyn …
                  11 June 2021 at 1:39 pm

                  I am pleased to see that you are capable of learning, at least when it is about simple concepts. You now seem to have grasped the idea that just because two words are used in a single sentence they don't always go together and that it is possible to talk about one of them without including the other. Very good.

                  Next week we will perhaps try and get you to understand that one word can have different meanings. Rocket. If you try very hard we may be able to understand that just because Robert Stephenson called his early locomotive 'Rocket' it doesn't mean it was a rocket in the way that the word is used for the vehicles that launch objects into space. If you try very hard I think we can teach you that. Then, if you visit a railway station you won't be disappointed when the vehicle that pulls up is not a Saturn 5 first stage. You will have to concentrate of course, which may be rather hard for you.

                  I fear you may have limitations of course. I doubt we can expect you to ever understand that, when Thomas Piketty wrote 'Capital in the Twenty-First Century', it wasn't a dissertation on Wellington's enthusiasm for bike lanes during the last 20 years.

              • joe90 …
                11 June 2021 at 2:01 pm

                serious doubts about the arrival of battery powered passenger planes in the next decade or so?

                Fortunately, not everyone's ready to throw the towel in just yet.

                Wright Electric has completed what it says will be a key element in its plans to develop an electric propulsion system that could potentially power a single-aisle airliner to enter commercial service by 2030. The U.S. company reported late last week that it has successfully demonstrated the inverter that will convert DC power from batteries to the AC power that will drive electric motors.

                https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2021-05-10/wright-electric-advances-plans-electric-airliner

                • alwyn …
                  11 June 2021 at 6:23 pm

                  I would certainly love to see such a development. I am a little doubtful when I read "The 15-employee start-up has financial backing from Y Combinator and the Clean Energy Trust, as well as from various venture capital groups and private investors." but I guess even Microsoft and Alphabet started as two people operations.

                  I'm a little put off because I felt very strongly, back in about 2018 or so, that we would have fully self driving cars in around a decade. I'm not quite so confident at the moment., even if we apparently have self driving taxies in Phoenix AZ They are still having problems though with the technology and limit the area they can be used in and the people who are allowed to be customers.

                  Still, even if it takes a bit longer than 2030 electric planes will get here sometime.

    • Jenny how to get there 2.2
      10 June 2021 at 7:47 am

      Pat

      "The commission’s dropped its idea to electrify the main rail lines."

      but

      "Electric planes by 2030 and electric ships after 2025 are significant additions. "

      WTF?*

      *Kicking can, road, down the,

      • Incognito 2.2.1
        10 June 2021 at 8:46 am

        You didn’t read or don’t understand the OP. So much is clear from your simpleton comment.

        Maybe you could do some analysis on this particular aspect, yes? I’m sure there is more than a soundbite or headline in the Report to guide you. Or just do what Pat did and show your outrage.

        • Pat 2.2.1.1
          10 June 2021 at 9:05 am

          Outrage?…or disbelief?

          Tugboats dont move freight nor people and as noted by KJT electrifying rail is low hanging fruit that can be converted with proven existing technology , so can kicking as Jenny says is a fair observation.

          I hear the Commissioner and Minister are to be interviewed on RNZ shortly.

          • Incognito 2.2.1.1.1
            10 June 2021 at 9:20 am

            Hi Pat, your commentary is usually of much higher standard than three letter expletives. As you can see, it invites simpleton comments from others and I’m sure that was not the Author’s intention.

            A tugboat is just a tugboat, don’t get hung up on, that’s Alwyn’s job.

            I’m sure you realise that the Report is advice to the Government, in the first instance, and to all of us. It is clearly mentioned in the OP.

            Cheers.

            • Pat 2.2.1.1.1.1
              10 June 2021 at 9:52 am

              "A tugboat is just a tugboat, don’t get hung up on, that’s Alwyn’s job."

              Indeed…and a simpleton response.

              The advice to the Government that is as the Minister again stated is the basis for their decision making…and we know time is of the essence.

              • Incognito …
                10 June 2021 at 10:12 pm

                “It is smarter and cheaper to act now, and that’s why we’ve spent the last three and a half year laying the foundations for a prosperous, low-emissions economy.

                “But we can see from the Commission’s advice there is more to do.

                …

                “How we’ll do this will be set out in an Emissions Reduction Plan that will be published before the end of the year.”

                …

                The Commission’s final advice sets out a pathway for reducing emissions across a range of sectors, all of which the Government is making progress on.

                • Pat …
                  10 June 2021 at 10:41 pm

                  "KiwiRail's rolling stock fleet has an average age of 35 years and the South Island fleet has an average age of 46 years. The expected useful life of a locomotive is about 30 years."

                  https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/108434234/kiwirail-defends-decision-to-purchase-new-diesel-trains

                  We have committed to a fossil fuel powered rail network past 2050…that may appear progress to you , to me its an admission that net carbon zero is not being treated with the urgency the rhetoric claims.

                  • Incognito …
                    10 June 2021 at 10:49 pm

                    I don’t expect progress to be equally fast or slow, for that matter, in all areas and sectors. Similarly, not all areas sectors make an equal contribution to the overall balance of outputs (greenhouse gasses).

                    • Pat …
                      10 June 2021 at 10:58 pm

                      Not all sectors contribute equally but the sector you have nominated to pick up a substantial reallocation of transport movements can be rightly expected to have close attention paid to its capacity to reduce its carbon footprint…..unless the nomination is faux, which would call into question the entire basis of the proposal.

                    • Incognito []
                      10 June 2021 at 11:17 pm

                      Isn’t that the Opposition’s job, to find a tiny issue and magnify it as much as they can hoping it will blow up in the Government’s face and destroy any public perception of legitimacy and justification? It seems the Cynic-19 virus is mutating rapidly here and becoming more infectious 🙁

                    • Pat …
                      10 June 2021 at 11:27 pm

                      I thought the oppositions job (whomever they may be) was to (re)gain the Treasury benches.

                      Cynicism is fed by disingenuity….they have only themselves to blame.

                    • Incognito []
                      11 June 2021 at 7:51 am

                      I do also find it hard to resist the temptation to become cynical, pessimistic, and negative. It takes conscious, constant, and considerable effort, AKA eternal vigilance. But I keep tugging along …

                    • Pat …
                      11 June 2021 at 9:42 am

                      Yes it is difficult not to be cynical by default, something I check myself with constantly….I like to think I am a fair minded cynic however.

                    • Incognito []
                      11 June 2021 at 10:34 pm

                      😀

            • alwyn 2.2.1.1.1.2
              10 June 2021 at 10:09 am

              "A tugboat is just a tugboat, don’t get hung up on, that’s Alwyn’s job."

              And just what do tugboats have to do with me? If you insist on making snide remarks about me at least try to make them at least slightly relevant.

              Do you even read what I say or are your comments just an uncontrolled reflex response to seeing my name? If you can't give a rational response to what I have to say why not simply accept that fact instead of just throwing vague insults into the mix.

      • KJT 2.2.2
        10 June 2021 at 8:57 am

        Puzzling if true.

        Electrifying the main line is ,,"low hanging fruit".

        Achievable within the short term with currently available technology.

        And, if we put much more on rail, stop wasting money on more roads for trucks, a big decrease in transport pollution.

        Electrifying ships, as opposed to small boats on short runs, hasn't been solved. Nor has electric freight and passenger aircraft.

        I suspect nuclear fusion is likely to happen faster than electric, in future. Even if we triple the energy density of batteries electric still doesn't work.

        The two uses where the energy density of hydrogen, used as a storage/battery for ships and aircraft, has a place.

        • Stuart Munro 2.2.2.1
          10 June 2021 at 10:18 am

          For shipping, hybrid sailers are a better path than electric in any case. Battery issues like cost and displacement won't make long run electric shipping especially rational for quite some time.

          Electric flight, aside from lighter than air, looks like a folly at this point – a black hole down which to pour funds that should be electrifying rail or the like.

          There are a lot of established technologies that can be upteched to provide lighter carbon use without gratuitous waste of funds – a cable car system for bikes and pedestrians could cross a certain harbour pretty cheaply for instance, and being much lighter than other options could be built much more quickly also, with less use of carbon intensive inputs like cement and steel.

          • KJT 2.2.2.1.1
            10 June 2021 at 3:23 pm

            Much as I would like it. I would have a job for life teaching how to make square riggers go to windward, sail is not a viable option. The number of hybrid sailing ships required to replace one container ship heading from Auckland to Lyttelton, against a normal winters SW's would be less energy efficient than the diesal ship. Which is in itself more energy efficient than even, electric trains

            Electric flight, especially for freight, will not be viable for decades, if ever.

            You are forgetting, with a bridge is that it lasts over a hundred years, saving emissions and energy long after the build costs, emissions included, is long ago lost in time. Any other option is more expensive in both energy and money. But typical of NZ short term thinking.

  3. Gosman 3
    10 June 2021 at 7:59 am

    Why should the government regulate gas out of existence when surely biogas is as much a "clean" energy as using wood? In many cases (such as rural areas and camping) gas fired cookers are the best way of cooking food.

    • KJT 3.1
      10 June 2021 at 8:47 am

      I think we are talking about petroleum derived gas, fossil fuels.

      There will still be biogas available for our camp stoves.

      A use for all that bovine methane, perhaps.

      • Gosman 3.1.1
        10 June 2021 at 8:49 am

        Except I thought the idea was to restrict the installation of gas appliances. Surely there is little problem with gas appliances if they use Biogas?

        • KJT 3.1.1.1
          10 June 2021 at 10:53 am

          I agree.

          In fact, I think biogas is what we will use in future for off grid power. A friend already runs his stove and hot water off his compost and toilet.

          However it cannot, at least with present technology, be enough to replace our fossil gas use in quantity. Need about 10 times New Zealand's current planted area, to replace our current energy use with biofuels. I can't see farmers, who resist even the slightest attempts to make them pay for their industries pollution, adopting carbon capture anythime soon. Or any of our Governments having the guts to make them.

          Gas may have a future. Certainly oil companies and the Aussie Government, are investing big in it to avoid stranded assets. The billions they have put into the Gorgon project, for one. Look up https://netpower.com/xt Power

          This may work for electricity generation, not for inefficient domestic gas appliances though. The problem oil companies have is after decades of AGW denial, no one believes them anymore

          Then there is nuclear fusion.

          All of those are future maybes though.

          Electrifying the main line and reducing trucks on the roads are things we can do now! The current mania for building roads for trucks, may well prove, like investment in coal power plants, wasted money.

          • Gosman 3.1.1.1.1
            10 June 2021 at 10:57 am

            This is the problem. The Climate Commission is recommending that the government ban the installation of Gas appliances when the real issue is not the appliances themselves but the type of fuel they are using. Surely you just want to ensure that the Gas that is "bad" is taxed so that people use the Gas that is "good".

            • KJT 3.1.1.1.1.1
              10 June 2021 at 11:11 am

              Yes. I think we should be keeping all options in play.

              Being realistic about AGW mitigation, it will take a big energy use reduction, energy efficient buildings, transport, products, along with technologies, new developments and research.

              There is no ,"magic bullet".

              • Gosman …
                10 June 2021 at 11:15 am

                I don't think you understood my point. Why is the Climate Change Commissioner recommending action that is unnecessary for tackling climate change?

                • KJT …
                  10 June 2021 at 11:23 am

                  Yes. I do.

                  There are many things in the commission's report, even with my limited reading of it so far, that I find puzzling.

    • Jenny how to get there 3.2
      10 June 2021 at 9:38 am

      Gosman

      10 June 2021 at 7:59 am

      …….In many cases (such as rural areas and camping) gas fired cookers are the best way of cooking food.

      Welcome to the 21st Century Gossie.

      • Jenny how to get there 3.2.1
        10 June 2021 at 10:02 am

        Gee Gossie, you are so fossil fuelish. Just think, how useful this device would be after the Zombie Apocalypse, when all gas supply retail outlets have been trashed. After a long day of blasting zombies, you could still make yourself a toasted cheese sandwich.

      • Gosman 3.2.2
        10 June 2021 at 10:29 am

        You are not addressing the issue I raised. Why are gas fired appliances a problem if they use biofuel?

        • Jenny how to get there 3.2.2.1
          10 June 2021 at 12:00 pm

          What bio-fuel?

          Z Energy puts biofuel plant to sleep, asks for Govt money

          Eloise Gibson, May 12 2020

          Z Energy has put its Auckland biofuel plant to sleep after a bidding war broke out for the fatty animal waste it runs on.

          Fourteen people's jobs will be lost, while Z looks into selling the fuel overseas to earn a higher margin. A further five employees will keep their jobs…..

          https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/300010423/z-energy-puts-biofuel-plant-to-sleep-asks-for-govt-money

          In the end, Z Energy's much hyped biofuel project has proved to be little more than a marketing side show to divert the public’s attention, while they continue with their main business uninterrupted.

          Similar, I suspect, to your quibble about gas powered camp cookers.

          • gsays 3.2.2.1.1
            10 June 2021 at 12:28 pm

            I went to a tiny house 'expo' in Motueka recently. I saw a domestic unit that has got me inspired.

            Try this biogas:

            homebiogas.com.

  4. gsays 4
    10 June 2021 at 8:50 am

    All good at Government and corporate level.

    The BIG challenge us 'What do we do as an individual?'

    Ralph Sins was on The Panel speaking in this. He reckoned cut down in good waste. 1/3 of food we buy us thrown out

    Also being a 'reductarian', reducing the amount if meat you eat.

  5. Ad 5
    10 June 2021 at 9:07 am

    I haven't seen this government try and turn whole industry sectors yet. Other than housing. It's going to need the most monumental effort from all of the relevant Ministers.

    This government are certainly good at bailing employers out, and letting some really low productivity sectors wither. Good work on both counts.

    But whether they have enough levers, and can operate them with sufficient skill, to let our industry sectors react and adjust to such policies ….. I have my doubts.

  6. Jenny how to get there 6
    10 June 2021 at 9:22 am

    '

    'Fundamentally dishonest'

    We are being scammed.

    No Right Turn

    Wednesday, June 09, 2021

    The draft report set its budget based on 2018 emissions….

    ….New Zealand's Paris target, which uses a 2005 baseline to hide how weak it is against internationally-reportable 1990 numbers). This rewards failure, delays action, and is fundamentally dishonest.

    http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2021/06/climate-change-scammed.html

  7. Sabine 7
    10 June 2021 at 9:44 am

    In the meantime Wellington is cancelling busses because the local population does not want jobs that don't pay a living wage or something and no one wants to drive the busses. But then maybe all the drivers got just ill, and are still ill, as that is an ongoing problem. Maybe we need some cheap drivers from overseas to make up for the shortfall?

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/wellington/124369481/metlink-says-sorry-after-more-than-100-buses-cancelled-in-wellington-over-four-days

    Wellington’s bus service has apologised for increased cancellations, after more than 100 services were cancelled in a four-day period.

    Tramways Union secretary Kevin O’Sullivan said the cancellations were a symptom of a much wider problem.

    Drivers were fed-up with poor pay and conditions in the industry, he said.

    Roger Blakeley​, chair of Greater Wellington Regional Council’s Transport Committee, said they were acutely aware of the cancellations, and disruptions caused, and were working directly with the bus companies to solve the issue.

    It is less than three months since Metlink issued a similar apology.

    In December it said staff leave and increased illness had resulted in more cancellations, but O’Sullivan said it was due to 40 drivers resigning over poor working conditions.

    Just don't give up your car yet, if you need transport, because a reliable public transport / bus / train service, that is really hard work.

    Here have an EV……….that will make it all better.

    • Ed1 7.1
      10 June 2021 at 10:27 am

      We need to keep remembering that problems with Wellington Transport are the natural result of the then National Government policies that forced the Regional Council to accept contracts on the basis of lowest price only, with bids able to be made on parts of the system only to ensure that the service would be fragmented. The contracting companies can only make money by exploiting deficiencies in the provisions for penalties for non-performance; which the Council needs to apply vigorously, but which will be resisted by the contracting companies . . . at everyone's expense.

      While presumably contracting requirements are no longer so stupidly idealogical, I suspect the best solution is to return to council owned services for both buses and rubbish collection – think of the emissions from having multiple companies running trucks around picking up rubbish from their çlients'and missing others . . .

      Does anyone know when bus services contracts come up for renewal?

    • Ad 7.2
      10 June 2021 at 1:05 pm

      The utter failure of Let's Get Wellington Moving is on the shoulders of all the councils there including Wellington Regional Council. They have been given every opportunity to get a plan to government – and this government is by a long way the most public-transport-friendly this country has had since the 1930s.

      Currently the only major transport projects underway in the Wellington region are central government ones. In time the Wellington Council budget from this year will make a difference.

      It would not surprise me if the Minister simply makes all his main moves through the NLTP and otherwise ignores Wellington's civic politics altogether.

  8. Pat 8
    10 June 2021 at 2:30 pm

    Less is more….unless it's time.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/2018799160/disappointment-over-the-final-climate-change-commission-report

    "The lack of urgency is highlighted by the latest analysis of climate risk by Breakthrough, Australia’s National Centre for Climate Restoration. Its Climate Reality Check found that to avoid catastrophic outcomes, net-zero emissions will have to be reached globally by 2030, not 2050."

    https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/10-06-2021/mike-joy-why-i-was-disappointed-by-the-climate-commissions-big-report/

    It appears we are determined to "win slowly".

  10. Phillip ure 10
    10 June 2021 at 3:29 pm

    I guess not eating animal-flesh…is off the table…?

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    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
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    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
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    7 days ago
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    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
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  • 'Pacific Futures'

    President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests.    Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone.    Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
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