The cost of a US Harvard education: global land exploitation

Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, May 7th, 2013 - 51 comments
Categories: farming, national/act government, nz first, overseas investment, sustainability, trade, winston peters, workers' rights - Tags:

US publicly funded universities struggle to get the funds they need to maintain their educational programmes (CNN 05/05/13).  Many resort to endowment investments to raise some necessary funds.  The “Ivy League” Harvard University stands out for it’s aggressive endowment enterprises, some of which exploit the people, communities, inadequate regulations and environment in relatively poor countries.

Harvard University has also bought a significant amount of productive land in NZ, in order to support the education of its students.

The endowment activities are managed by the university’s non-profit entity, the Harvard Management Company (HMC). It engages in investment-focused, profit-making fund-raising enterprises in regions like Latin America and Africa.  There, some of the HMC’s damaging practices contradict other Harvard initiatives aimed at fostering environmental sustainability, and training African farmers to be self-sufficient.  HMC activities undermine its aim to provide support for students lacking sufficient funding.  HMC also aims to support the university’s educational and research objectives, especially in the sciences.

The Guardian reported in 2011, on the African “land grab” by US university endowment funds, with Harvard being one of the leading culprits, causing many people to be pushed off the land. According to a study by the Californian, Oakland Institute, some US universities were raising funds through the use of British hedge funds and European financial speculators.

Researchers say foreign investors are profiting from “land grabs” that often fail to deliver the promised benefits of jobs and economic development, and can lead to environmental and social problems in the poorest countries in the world. …

Much of the money is said to be channelled through London-based Emergent asset management, which runs one of Africa’s largest land acquisition funds, run by former JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs currency dealers.

Harvard african land grab Farmers-work-in-thhe-Saha-007

Image accompanying the Guardian article

Operating through “complex layers of companies and subsidiaries“, the universities were investing large endowment funds.  They were criticised for taking advantage of weak regulations in poor regions of the world and over-stating the benefits to the local communities.

The HMC to be secretive, often masking the extent and impact of the its global activities.  About a week ago, Krishna Dasartha and Sandra Y.L. Korn, published a post on the Harvard Crimson (newspaper for the university) highly critical of the recently revealed activities of the HMC logging company Agrícola Brinzal in Chile.  They conclude that Harvard University should not be involved in such damaging enterprises, and that they should, at the very least, operate within local laws.

Chilean investigative journalists Paulette Desormeaux and Josefina Court have recently revealed that, since 2004 Harvard University has created eleven companies that exploit the Chilean forestry industry.

One of these is Agrícola Brinzal, which faces two lawsuits in Ancud. The National Forest Corporation (CONAF) pressed charges against the company for the illegal clearfelling of 189 acres of native forest, and also for breaching the forest management plan – they reforested 181 acres of land with eucalyptus instead of native plant species.

The eucalyptus trees are considered more profitable for the wood market because they grow faster than native species.

Harvard accused of illegal logging in Chile

Image accompanying the Chilean article

It has only recently become known that Agrícola Brinzal is managed by the Harvard’s HMC. This company had received significant subsidies from the Chilean government.

Strongly implicated in Brinzal’s activities in Latin America, is New Zealander Andrew G. Wiltshire. Earlier in his career, Wiltshire was in charge of forest planning and management at the New Zealand Forest Service.  He has worked for HMC since 2001, and is now its “managing director and head of alternative assets“.

A Sunday Star Times article of July 2012 by Charles Anderson, reports that Wiltshire played a key role in HMC’s land purchases and related enterprises in NZ.  The article begins,

Forget movie mogul James Cameron or China’s Shanghai Pinxin, America’s Harvard University is among the largest foreign-owned landholders in New Zealand.

The big question is why the Harvard Management Company has bought almost 200,000 hectares at an estimated cost of almost $1 billion?

Wiltshire won’t talk about such buy-ups, in keeping with the HMC managers’ “veil of secrecy”.  However, the HMC chief executive has stated that they rely on expert staff, such as those with forestry backgrounds (like Wiltshire), when analysing their investments. Harvard benefited from Wiltshire’s insider knowledge, and went on to make some significant (though somewhat erratic) profits from its Kaingaroa enterprise, as well as from the Maniototo Big Sky Farm that it bought a couple of years ago.  According to Anderson,

In 2003 the company bought 162,000ha of Kaingaroa forestry estate from the Central North Island Forestry Partnership after it went into receivership.

Before his move to Boston, Wiltshire worked with Kaingaroa developers the New Zealand Forest Service, then became a partner in GMO Renewable Resources, now an investment adviser for Harvard.

An article on Wealth Daily at the end of last year, claims that “Andy Wiltshire”, is the highest paid employee at Harvard.  This is apparently the result of HMC, “playing the insider game” by rubbing “elbows” with people in the know about the kind of private investment opportunities they pursue.  Certainly, the Harvard Management Company includes people with experience and connections in speculative and investment banking in its Executive Team and its directors.

Given its record of damage and exploitation, it is worrying that the HMC is one of the largest foreign landholders in NZ, and is expanding its operations.  The Otago Daily Times reported on May 1st, that the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) consented to Harvard’s Dairy Farms Partnership buying another farm in the Maniototo:

In its decision, the OIO said Harvard planned to upgrade the property to operate as a dairy and dairy support farm, which would create jobs in the area.

However, HMC’s dubious track record of failed promises in Africa and Latin America should make us cautious.  Their activities result in profits being siphoned off to pay for US education, while universities in the host countries (as in NZ) operate with relatively meagre funds.

We need to ensure that there are regulations to prevent NZ’s land and resources being exploited and damaged by ruthless profit-seeking entities.

 

51 comments on “The cost of a US Harvard education: global land exploitation ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. vto 1
    7 May 2013 at 8:30 am

    .
    There is no benefit to having foreign landlords.

    • tinfoilhat 1.1
      7 May 2013 at 9:03 am

      There is no benefit in having landlords.

      • vto 1.1.1
        7 May 2013 at 9:16 am

        correct.

        A community that is owned by the people that live and work in that community is the strongest community.

        This should guide policy on foreign ownership of our land. This is where we should be aiming. Let the Harvard money spend it all in the US. That is where it is printed so they should keep it there – we don’t want their dunny paper.

      • Bill 1.1.2
        7 May 2013 at 9:35 am

        Hallelujah – consistency! Both foreign landlords and domestic landlords are private landlords content to have us remain as landless ‘others’ with no effective sovereignty.

        • karol 1.1.2.1
          7 May 2013 at 9:44 am

          Note, the final line of my post didn’t specify that the “ruthless profit seeking entities” were foreign. I stated it that way on purpose. ie:

          We need to ensure that there are regulations to prevent NZ’s land and resources being exploited and damaged by ruthless profit-seeking entities.

          There are several angles to the issues raised by Harvard’s global activities.

          But there is also an element of Harvard siphoning off profits to help pay for the education of, largely middle and upper-class Americans.

  2. Peter 2
    7 May 2013 at 9:19 am

    Most these assumptions are incorrect Karol. I deal with Harvard employees and managers most weeks in my day job, and from my experience, their environmental and people management is definitely a cut above what they replaced. That’s the view from most of the community too.

    • karol 2.1
      7 May 2013 at 9:40 am

      If that’s so, Peter, is that the result of the government’s regulations, or the Harvard managers? Can we trust the Harvard managers in the long term and in all their NZ enterprises? Note, not all their activities in relatively poor countries have been damaging, but some have.

      There are a couple of other angles to my post as well:

      the fact that the profits are being siphoned off overseas to help pay for the higher education of Americans;

      the actual numbers of productive jobs and opportunities available to Kiwis under the Harvard management.

      • Peter 2.1.1
        7 May 2013 at 9:46 am

        Mostly the responsibility of the Harvard managers, who have direct KPIs based on environmental performance of their properties.

        One or two of the good things are regulations imposed by the OIC, which actually exceed anything put in place by local councils.

      • Peter 2.1.2
        7 May 2013 at 10:41 am

        Employment has also increased on their farms, from what I know of, as has pay, and conditions.

      • Populuxe1 2.1.3
        7 May 2013 at 4:12 pm

        “the fact that the profits are being siphoned off overseas to help pay for the higher education of Americans;”

        Which would be you selectively ignoring that there is nothing to prevent, for example, New Zealanders (and people from many other countries) studying at Harvard provided they meet the academic standards. Here, for example, is a Harvard scholarship for Commonwealth students. http://www.frankknox.harvard.edu/newzealand.html
        There are other more general scholarships for US study as well, like the Fulbright.

        Indeed the Ivy League universities have expressed surprise that so many New Zealand postgrads choose Oxbridge over American equivalents, mainly for reasons of snobbery rather than excelence of tuition and resources.

        “the actual numbers of productive jobs and opportunities available to Kiwis under the Harvard management.”

        I believe Harvard’s New Zealand farms are administered by a New Zealand manager and staff – I’m not entirely sure what you’re getting at?

        • karol 2.1.3.1
          7 May 2013 at 8:52 pm

          Yes I know about the scholarships. It’s only a minority of NZ individuals that benefit from them. I know people who applied for Fullbrights. Many want them – few get them.

          It’s all part of the international competitive “free market” that has taken over the unis. The US unis benefit at the expense of the unis in smaller countries like NZ.

          Basically those scholarships are one of the means by which top US and European unis try to attract the most capable high flyers from overseas. Its part of the way they aim to maintain their internationally competitive edge. And the US government supports it to enable them to maintain their economic edge.

          Note that the Harvard endowment investments (the HMC) aims, not just to give grants/scholarships to students, but also to fund research and especially science research – that’s what the US wants to have as an edge for science and technology innovations. Unis international kudos comes largely from their research profile. And in the sciences, that feeds into business.

          So, Harvard uses it’s significant wealth and funds to make even more money out of NZ through its agricultural investments here – this so that it can continue to maintain its global competitive edge.

          Meanwhile, the most capable Kiwis scholars get drawn into the US/European unis – part of the brain and skills drain from NZ.

          And NZ unis then have to struggle to maintain a competitive international profile, on less funds (bigger classes etc). NZ uni researchers need to publish in major international journals to keep their competitive edge. But, I know some Uni academics who have complained about how they have to conduct research on topics of interest to the leading Uni countries – research on specific NZ issues can get marginalised.

          etc, etc…. I could continue on with more points in this direction, but I’m tired.

          it’s all part of the global neoliberalisation of Universities, and US neocolonialism.

          • Populuxe1 2.1.3.1.1
            7 May 2013 at 9:36 pm

            Oh FFS, why shouldn’t New Zealanders study overseas? Suprisingly enough, not all gifted scholars born in this country give a flying fuck about New Zealand subjects. Really hard to do nuclear physics or study obscure Renaissance artists here. The parochialism is making my head hurt. I know people who applied for Fullbrights and got them – so the fuck what? Does it possibly occur to you that there might have been better candidates? Quelle horreur! As it is there are almost too many universities in New Zealand – I doubt we would need more than two, and academic entry standards are too low anyway… etc, etc….. but I’m bored. My academic successes must be blinding me to the whole injustice of only a small portion of the population being academically outstanding.

            • karol 2.1.3.1.1.1
              8 May 2013 at 8:03 am

              Mate. I’m happy for you for your success and others. I have nothing against them/you getting a good education.

              It’s not about you and them.

              It’s about NZ and what’s best for the country.

              But, I guess you just don’t give a fuck about NZ and having NZ universities delivering a quality education for as many Kiwis as possible, and then being able to keep as many of the most productive and capable people as possible.

              • Populuxe1 …
                8 May 2013 at 12:48 pm

                Your assumptions that every New Zealander wants, needs, or is capabable of the academic rigor of a university education is astounding. It was that reasoning that brought about the collapse of academic standards in the first place, a rot that eventually spread to high schools and the introduction of NCEA. What we need is higher university standards, not the devolution of universities into glorified trade schools with diplomas in eating lunch.

  3. Maggie May 3
    7 May 2013 at 9:27 am

    KAROL says.

    “We need to ensure that there are regulations to prevent NZ’s land and resources being exploited and damaged by ruthless profit-seeking entities.”

    This will never happen while John Key is Prime Minister.

    • Colonial Viper 3.1
      7 May 2013 at 10:43 am

      But is there a potential PM in Parliament from any party which would be different in this regard.

      • Peter 3.1.1
        7 May 2013 at 11:42 am

        No one I can see. Shearer wouldn’t be any better.

        • Peter 3.1.1.1
          7 May 2013 at 11:43 am

          There is also this weird assumption that somehow Kiwi owners will run the land better. That isn’t backed up by past experience. What we want is an environmental ethic amongst farmers, and for people to realise that pissing nutrients off land into rivers isn’t good for either the bank balance nor the environment. That applies regardless of who owns or manages the land.

          • DH 3.1.1.1.1
            7 May 2013 at 12:55 pm

            Well personally I want an end to the internationalising of NZ land so Kiwi residents who have to earn $NZ incomes can afford to buy it.

            The only way a foreigner can buy NZ assets is by paying more than a Kiwi buyer. The Kiwi buyer who loses out to the foreigner looks at the next cheapest land and pushes the price of that up. The Kiwi who loses on that deal goes to the next cheapest, pushes that price up… and so on.

            The more foreign buyers there are the higher the prices go. It’s schoolboy economics; when demand for a finite resource increases the price must go up. Land is a finite resource and foreign buyers add to the existing domestic demand. Add up 1+1.

            By world standards NZ is a medium-income nation and we’re facing high-income prices for land because of foreign buyers. Just who is the Goverment working for?

            Harvard can fuck off along with the rest of the foreign parasites who contribute nothing to this country.

  4. Brett Dale 4
    7 May 2013 at 10:42 am

    FFS Karol, get the chip of your shoulder, you couldnt give a sh*t about what you copied and paste, you just hate Harvard because its American.

    • karol 4.1
      7 May 2013 at 10:53 am

      Ah, Brett – the old “anti-American” aggressive defense.

      And yet, even some Harvard staff and students are concerned about, and disapproving of, the secretive activities, and sometimes damaging impacts of the university’s Harvard Management Company.

      Do you have anything of substance to contribute?

      And please don’t try to tell my what I give a shit about.

      • Brett Dale 4.1.1
        7 May 2013 at 11:17 am

        How come you never write about about negative items about universities or organizations outside the USA. No, its always big bad America with you, isnt it?

        Your bigorty is quite clear.

        • Peter 4.1.1.1
          7 May 2013 at 11:25 am

          I wouldn’t attack her personally, just focus on the facts. On the whole, the Harvard properties I know are better managed than when they were kiwi-owned, largely due to the fact that Harvard have invested in them in order to improve their enviromental performance, instead of the capital starved kiwi owners.

        • karol 4.1.1.2
          7 May 2013 at 11:36 am

          Sigh: if you care to check, most of my posts are against the “neoliberal” revolution, corporate power, social inequalities, the war on the poor – mainly focused on NZ.

          The US wealthy and powerful do tend to play a major role in pushing corporate power eg Obama through the TPPA, etc.

          But I also have also been critical of Ian Fletcher’s role in the false info provided by his UK boss, MP Andrew Turnbull in falsifying the reasons for the UK going to war in Iraq.

          Margaret Thatcher

          Aussie Banks

          Kiwis and Aussies involved in the global money maze.

          I was also critical of Chinese companies buying land in NZ.

          Now do you have anything of substance to offer on the topic, other than your hypersensitivity to any criticism of powerful US entities?

  5. Leopold the Viper 5
    7 May 2013 at 1:38 pm

    ‘I was also critical of Chinese companies buying land in NZ.’

    He’ll accuse you of being racist now….

  6. Sosoo 6
    7 May 2013 at 3:06 pm

    Harvard is basically a hedge fund with a small university attached to it (not original claim).

    • Populuxe1 6.1
      7 May 2013 at 4:16 pm

      Nor an accurate one.

      • Colonial Viper 6.1.1
        7 May 2013 at 7:58 pm

        It’s like Apple is a hedge fund with a medium sized technology company attached to it.

        • Populuxe1 6.1.1.1
          7 May 2013 at 8:06 pm

          Yup

          • Colonial Viper 6.1.1.1.1
            7 May 2013 at 8:07 pm

            Well, I was being serious.

            • Populuxe1 6.1.1.1.1.1
              7 May 2013 at 8:12 pm

              Christ, I hope not.

              • Colonial Viper …
                7 May 2013 at 8:15 pm

                Yep. Apple has more hard cash and convertible assets on hand than the reserve banks of most countries.

                • Populuxe1 …
                  7 May 2013 at 8:22 pm

                  I would still say the company has had a greater impact on the world through its products, however.

                  • Colonial Viper …
                    7 May 2013 at 8:26 pm

                    However that’s the past IMO; now that Jobs is gone I think the Apple revolution is going to give way to incremental product revisions and playing it safe. Conservative hedge fund behaviour.

                    Also check out their latest financial engineering – borrowing billions of dollars to distribute to shareholders. See what I mean.

  7. Binders full of viper- women 7
    7 May 2013 at 7:49 pm

    I was thinking about the Harvard set up as I drove past the Kaingaroa Forest recently.. Said to my pal ‘I reckon they’ll be good owners… I imagine they’re like Maori tribes .. in to it for the long hall .. and pretty conservative’. And I don’t like isolationist ideas. I must be happily neo-liberal (whatever that means).

  8. Colonial Viper 8
    7 May 2013 at 8:00 pm

    Basically, Harvard are smarter and more enterprising than most NZers are, who seem to just want to sit back and bank consistent annual returns every year doing fuck all.

  9. RedLogix 9
    7 May 2013 at 8:10 pm

    Another example of New Zealand losing more of it’s economic sovereignty.

    We are constantly told that “we don’t pay our way in the world”; yet in term of goods and services alone our current account deficit is modestly positive over the long-term. It’s only when you include “investment income”, ie overseas owners extracting their profits back overseas… that our deficit tumbles to something in the range of 7-9% of GDP pa.

    That is one of the things that is hurting this country as much as anything else; we’re at the wrong end of a giant global wealth pump, constantly sucking off the cream of our productivity every year. And so far no government has dared mention it, much less attempt to fix it.

    • Populuxe1 9.1
      7 May 2013 at 8:15 pm

      Ok, and how did the Cullen Fund work again?

      • Colonial Viper 9.1.1
        7 May 2013 at 8:16 pm

        How is that relevant?

        • Populuxe1 9.1.1.1
          7 May 2013 at 8:22 pm

          So it wasn’t investing in foreign assets, then?

          • Colonial Viper 9.1.1.1.1
            7 May 2013 at 8:27 pm

            Yes it was. So…?

            • Populuxe1 9.1.1.1.1.1
              7 May 2013 at 8:39 pm

              So you don’t see a slight hypocrisy in praising one and condemning the other?

              • Colonial Viper …
                7 May 2013 at 8:44 pm

                Uh, no, I think it’s an entirely consistent position…

                To be clearer, I’m only interested in the direction of the wealth pumps located in NZ.

                • Populuxe1 …
                  7 May 2013 at 9:39 pm

                  How quaintly parochial.

                  • Colonial Viper …
                    7 May 2013 at 9:51 pm

                    yes, I’m very parochial about being a New Zealander. Major wealth pumps need to point into the nation, not out of it.

                    • Populuxe1 …
                      8 May 2013 at 12:51 pm

                      Just so long as it isn’t other people’s countries thinking the same thing, eh? Why that’s entirely fair and logical… Yeah, right.

              • RedLogix …
                7 May 2013 at 9:42 pm

                Pop. It is the gross imbalance that is the problem. The Cullen fund returns are a small fraction of the net investment flows in/out of this country.

                As long as that imbalance persists we need more Cullen funds and fewer Harvards. Nothing hypocritical at all.

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    There's a hole in the river where her memory liesFrom the land of the living to the air and skyShe was coming to see him, but something changed her mindDrove her down to the riverThere is no returnSongwriters: Neil Finn/Eddie RaynerThe king is dead; long live the queen!Yesterday was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Bright Blue His Jacket Ain’t But I Love This Fellow: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power E...

    My conclusion last week was that The Rings of Power season two represented a major improvement in the series. The writing’s just so much better, and honestly, its major problems are less the result of the current episodes and more creatures arising from season one plot-holes. I found episode three ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    4 days ago
  • Who should we thank for the defeat of the Nazis

    As a child in the 1950s, I thought the British had won the Second World War because that’s what all our comics said. Later on, the films and comics told me that the Americans won the war. In my late teens, I found out that the Soviet Union ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36 2024

    Open access notables Diurnal Temperature Range Trends Differ Below and Above the Melting Point, Pithan & Schatt, Geophysical Research Letters: The globally averaged diurnal temperature range (DTR) has shrunk since the mid-20th century, and climate models project further shrinking. Observations indicate a slowdown or reversal of this trend in recent decades. ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • Media Link: Discussing the NZSIS Security Threat Report.

    I was interviewed by Mike Hosking at NewstalkZB and a few other media outlets about the NZSIS Security Threat Report released recently. I have long advocated for more transparency, accountability and oversight of the NZ Intelligence Community, and although the … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • How do I make this better for people who drive Ford Rangers?

    Home, home again to a long warm embrace. Plenty of reasons to be glad to be back.But also, reasons for dejection.You, yes you, Simeon Brown, you odious little oik, you bible thumping petrol-pandering ratfucker weasel. You would be Reason Number One. Well, maybe first among equals with Seymour and Of-Seymour ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • A missed opportunity

    The government introduced a pretty big piece of constitutional legislation today: the Parliament Bill. But rather than the contentious constitutional change (four year terms) pushed by Labour, this merely consolidates the existing legislation covering Parliament - currently scattered across four different Acts - into one piece of legislation. While I ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Nicola Willis Seeks New Sidekick To Help Fix NZ’s Economy

    Synopsis:Nicola Willis is seeking a new Treasury Boss after Dr Caralee McLiesh’s tenure ends this month. She didn’t listen to McLiesh. Will she listen to the new one?And why is Atlas Network’s Taxpayers Union chiming in?Please consider subscribing or supporting my work. Thanks, Tui.About CaraleeAt the beginning of July, Newsroom ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Inflation alive and kicking in our land of the long white monopolies

    The golden days of profit continue for the the Foodstuffs (Pak’n’Save and New World) and Woolworths supermarket duopoly. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 5:The Groceries Commissioner has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The thermodynamics of electric vs. internal combustion cars

    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler I love thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is like your mom: it may not tell you what you can do, but it damn well tells you what you can’t do. I’ve written a few previous posts that include thermodynamics, like one on air capture of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Three.

    The notion of geopolitical  “periphery.” The concept of periphery used here refers strictly to what can be called the geopolitical periphery. Being on the geopolitical periphery is an analytic virtue because it makes for more visible policy reform in response … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Venus Hum

    Fill me up with soundThe world sings with me a million smiles an hourI can see me dancing on my radioI can hear you singing in the blades of grassYellow dandelions on my way to schoolBig Beautiful Sky!Song: Venus Hum.Good morning, all you lovely people, and welcome to the 700th ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • I Went to a Creed Concert

    Note: The audio attached to this Webworm compliments today’s newsletter. I collected it as I met people attending a Creed concert. Their opinions may differ to mine. Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Government migration policy backfires; thousands of unemployed nurses

    The country has imported literally thousands of nurses over the past few months yet whether they are being employed as nurses is another matter. Just what is going on with HealthNZ and it nurses is, at best, opaque, in that it will not release anything but broad general statistics and ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • A Time For Unity.

    Emotional Response: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addresses mourners at the tangi of King Tuheitia on Turangawaewae Marae on Saturday, 31 August 2024.THE DEATH OF KING TUHEITIA could hardly have come at a worse time for Maoridom. The power of the Kingitanga to unify te iwi Māori was demonstrated powerfully at January’s ...
    Bowalley Road
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change: Failed again

    National's tax cut policies relied on stealing revenue from the ETS (previously used to fund emissions reduction) to fund tax cuts to landlords. So how's that going? Badly. Today's auction failed again, with zero units (of a possible 7.6 million) sold. Which means they have a $456 million hole in ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Two.

    A question of size. Small size generally means large vulnerability. The perception of threat is broader and often more immediate for small countries. The feeling of comparative weakness, of exposure to risk, and of potential intimidation by larger powers often … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • Nicola Willis’s Very Unserious Bungling of the Kiwirail Interislander Cancellation

    Open to all with kind thanks to all subscribers and supporters.Today, RNZ revealed that despite MFAT advice to Nicola Willis to be very “careful and deliberate” in her communications with the South Korean government, prior to any public announcement on cancelling Kiwirail’s i-Rex, Willis instead told South Korea 26 minutes ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • Satisfying the Minister’s Speed Obsession

    The Minister of Transport’s speed obsession has this week resulted in two new consultations for 110km/h speed limits, one in Auckland and one in Christchurch. There has also been final approval of the Kapiti Expressway to move to 110km/h following an earlier consultation. While the changes will almost certainly see ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    6 days ago
  • What if we freed up our streets, again?

    This guest post is by Tommy de Silva, a local rangatahi and freelance writer who is passionate about making the urban fabric of Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland more people-focused and sustainable. New Zealand’s March-April 2020 Level 4 Covid response (aka “lockdown”) was somehow both the best and worst six weeks of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    6 days ago
  • No Alarms And No Surprises

    A heart that's full up like a landfillA job that slowly kills youBruises that won't healYou look so tired, unhappyBring down the governmentThey don't, they don't speak for usI'll take a quiet lifeA handshake of carbon monoxideAnd no alarms and no surprisesThe fabulous English comedian Stewart Lee once wrote a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Five ingenious ways people could beat the heat without cranking the AC

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons Every summer brings a new spate of headlines about record-breaking heat – for good reason: 2023 was the hottest year on record, in keeping with the upward trend scientists have been clocking for decades. With climate forecasts suggesting that heat waves ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • No new funding for cycling & walking

    Studies show each $1 of spending on walking and cycling infrastructure produces $13 to $35 of economic benefits from higher productivity, lower healthcare costs, less congestion, lower emissions and lower fossil fuel import costs. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • 99

    Dad turned 99 today.Hell of a lot of candles, eh?He won't be alone for his birthday. He will have the warm attention of my brother, and my sister, and everyone at the rest home, the most thoughtful attentive and considerate people you could ever know. On Saturday there will be ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Open Government: National reneges on beneficial ownership

    One of the achievements of the New Zealand’s Open Government Partnership Fourth National Action Plan was a formal commitment from the government to establish a public beneficial ownership register. Such a register would allow the ultimate owners of companies to be identified - a vital measure in preventing corruption, money ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt One.

    This project analyzes security politics in three peripheral democracies (Chile, New Zealand, Portugal) during the 30 years after the end of the Cold War. It argues that changes in the geopolitical landscape and geo-strategic context are interpreted differently by small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    7 days ago
  • Tea and Toast

    When the skies are looking bad my dearAnd your heart's lost all its hopeAfter dawn there will be sunshineAnd all the dust will goThe skies will clear my darlingNow it's time for you to let goOur girl will wake you up in the mornin'With some tea and toastLyrics: Lucy Spraggan.Good ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • NLTP 2024 released – destroying pipeline of shovel ready local projects

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Waka Kotahi yesterday released the latest National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) for 2024-27. The NLTP sets out what transport projects will be funded for the next three years, including both central and local government projects. As expected given the government’s extremely ideological transport policy, it’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    7 days ago
  • Can Brown deliver his roads

    The Government’s unveiling of its road-building programme yesterday was ambitious and, many would say, long overdue. But the question will be whether it is too ambitious, whether it is affordable, and, if not, what might be dropped. The big ticket items will be the 17 so-called Roads of National Significance. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    7 days ago
  • New paper about detecting climate misinformation on Twitter/X

    Together with Cristian Rojas, Frank Algra-Maschio, Mark Andrejevic, Travis Coan, and Yuan-Fang Li, I just published a paper in Nature Communications Earth & Environment where we use the Computer Assisted Recognition of Denial and Skepticism (CARDS) machine learning model to detect climate misinformation in 5 million climate tweets. We find over half ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • Excerpting “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies.”

    In the late 2000s-early 2010s I was researching and writing a book titled “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Chile, New Zealand and Portugal.” The book was a cross-regional Small-N qualitative comparison of the security strategies and postures of three small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Hating for the Wrong Reasons: Of Rings of Power, Orcs and Evil

    A few months ago, my fellow countryman, HelloFutureMe, put out a giant YouTube video, dissecting what went wrong with the first season of Rings of Power (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ6FRUO0ui0&t=8376s). It’s an exceptionally good video, and though it spans some two and a half hours, it is well worth your time. But ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: “Least cost” to who?

    On Friday the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment released their submission on National's second Emissions Reduction Plan, ripping the shit out of it as a massive gamble based on wishful thinking. One of the specific issues he focused on was National's idea of "least cost" emissions reduction, pointing out that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Israeli Lives Matter

    There is no monopoly on common senseOn either side of the political fenceWe share the same biology, regardless of ideologyBelieve me when I say to youI hope the Russians love their children tooLyrics: Sting. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Luxon Cries

    Over the weekend, I found myself rather irritably reading up about the Treaty of Waitangi. “Do I need to do this?” It’s not my jurisdiction. In any other world, would this be something I choose to do?My answer - no.The Waitangi Tribunal, headed by some of our best legal minds, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Just one Wellington home being consented for every 10 in Auckland

    A decade of under-building is coming home to roost in Wellington. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday September 2:Wellington’s leaders are wringing their hands over an exodus of skilled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Container trucks on local streets: why take the risk?

    This is a guest post by Charmaine Vaughan, who came to transport advocacy via her local Residents Association and a comms role at Bike Auckland. Her enthusiasm to make local streets safer for all is shared by her son Dylan Vaughan, a budding “urban nerd” who provided much of the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    1 week ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #35

    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, August 25, 2024 thru Sat, August 31, 2024. Story of the week After another crammed week of climate news including updates on climate tipping points, increasing threats from rising ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • An Uncanny Valley of Improvement: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episodes 1-3 (Season ...

    And thus we come to the second instalment of Amazon’s Rings of Power. The first season, in 2022, was underwhelming, even for someone like myself, who is by nature inclined to approach Tolkien adaptations with charity. The writing was poor, the plot made no sense on its own terms, and ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Alcohol debris and Crocodile Tears

    I write to you this morning from scenes of carnage. Around the floor lie young men who only hours earlier were full of life, and cocktails, and now lie silent. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • When Do We Look Away?

    Hi,The first time I saw something that made me recoil on the internet was a visit to Rotten.com. The clue was in the name — but the internet was a new thing to me in the 90s, and no-one really knew what the hell was going on. But somehow I ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • The decades just fly by

    You turn your back for a moment and a city can completely transform itself. It was, oh, just the other day I was tripping up to Kuala Lumpur every few months to teach workshops and luxuriate in the tropical warmth and fill my face with Char Kway Teow.It has to ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • 2024 Reading Summary: August

    Completed reads for August: Aesop’s Fables (collection), by Aesop Berserk: Volume XXV (manga), by Kentaro Miura Benighted, by J.B. Priestly Berserk: Volume XXVI (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVIII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXIX (manga), by Kentaro Miura ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Is recent global warming part of a natural cycle?

    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is recent global warming part ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • White Noise

    Now here we standWith our hearts in our handsSqueezing out the liesAll that I hearIs a message, unclearWhat else is there to decide?All that I'm hearing from youIs White NoiseLyrics: Christopher John CheneyIs the tide turning?Have we reached the high point of the racist hate and lies from Hobson’s Pledge, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • The Death Of “Big Norm” – Exactly 50 Years Ago Today.

    Norman KirkPrime Minister of New Zealand 1972-1974Born: 6 January 1923 - Died: 31 August 1974Of the working-class, by the working-class, for the working-class.Video courtesy of YouTubeThese elements were posted on Bowalley Road on Saturday, 31 August 2024. ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Claims and Counter-Claims.

    Whose Foreshore? Whose Seabed? When the Marine and Coastal Area Act was originally passed back in 2011, fears about the coastline becoming off-limits to Pakeha were routinely allayed by National Party politicians pointing out that the tests imposed were so stringent  that only a modest percentage of claims (the then treaty ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand Honours Maori King ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • The Principles of the Treaty

    Hardly anyone says what are ‘the principles of the treaty’. The courts’ interpretation restrain the New Zealand Government. While they about protecting a particular community, those restraints apply equally to all community in a liberal democracy – including a single person.Treaty principles were introduced into the governance of New Zealand ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • The Only Other Reliable Vehicle.

    An Elite Leader Awaiting Rotation? Hipkins’ give-National-nothing-to-aim-at strategy will only succeed if the Coalition becomes as unpopular in three years as the British Tories became in fourteen.THE SHAPE OF CHRIS HIPKINS’ THINKING on Labour’s optimum pathway to re-election is emerging steadily. At the core of his strategy is Hipkins’ view ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 weeks ago
  • A Big F U to this Right Wing Government

    Open to all - deep thanks to those who support and subscribe.One of the things that has got me interested recently is updates about Māori wards.In April, Stuff’s Karanama Ruru reported that ~ 2/3 of our 78 councils had adopted Māori wards in NZ.That meant that under the Coalition repeal ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 weeks ago

  • Action to grow the rural health workforce

    Scholarships awarded to 27 health care students is another positive step forward to boost the future rural health workforce, Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “All New Zealanders deserve timely access to quality health care and this Government is committed to improving health outcomes, particularly for the one in five ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Pharmac delivering more for Kiwis following major funding boost

    Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed the increased availability of medicines for Kiwis resulting from the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our Government assumed office, New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Sport Minister congratulates NZ’s Paralympians

    Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop has congratulated New Zealand's Paralympic Team at the conclusion of the Paralympic Games in Paris.  “The NZ Paralympic Team's success in Paris included fantastic performances, personal best times, New Zealand records and Oceania records all being smashed - and of course, many Kiwis on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations

    A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report.  “It will have the mandate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New appointments to the FMA board

    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister has today announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) board. Tracey Berry, Nicholas Hegan and Mariette van Ryn have been appointed for a five-year term ending in August 2029, while Chris Swasbrook, who has served as a board member ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • District Court judges appointed

    Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new District Court judges. The appointees, who will take up their roles at the Manukau Court and the Auckland Court in the Accident Compensation Appeal Jurisdiction, are: Jacqui Clark Judge Clark was admitted to the bar in 1988 after graduating ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government makes it faster and easier to invest in New Zealand

    Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged by significant improvements to overseas investment decision timeframes, and the enhanced interest from investors as the Government continues to reform overseas investment. “There were about as many foreign direct investment applications in July and August as there was across the six months ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New Zealand to join Operation Olympic Defender

    New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government commits to ‘stamping out’ foot and mouth disease

    Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says that a new economic impact analysis report reinforces this government’s commitment to ‘stamp out’ any New Zealand foot and mouth disease incursion. “The new analysis, produced by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, shows an incursion of the disease in New Zealand would have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Improving access to finance for Kiwis

    5 September 2024  The Government is progressing further reforms to financial services to make it easier for Kiwis to access finance when they need it, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.  “Financial services are foundational for economic success and are woven throughout our lives. Without access to finance our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Prime Minister pays tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia

    As Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to Kotahitanga will have a lasting impact on our country. “Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Resource Management reform to make forestry rules clearer

    Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced proposals to reform the resource management system that will provide greater certainty for the forestry sector and help them meet environmental obligations.   “The Government has committed to restoring confidence and certainty across the sector by removing unworkable regulatory burden created by the previous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • More choice and competition in building products

    A major shake-up of building products which will make it easier and more affordable to build is on the way, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Today we have introduced legislation that will improve access to a wider variety of quality building products from overseas, giving Kiwis more choice and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Joint Statement between the Republic of Korea and New Zealand 4 September 2024, Seoul

    On the occasion of the official visit by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand to the Republic of Korea from 4 to 5 September 2024, a summit meeting was held between His Excellency President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Comprehensive Strategic Partnership the goal for New Zealand and Korea

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol. “Korea and New Zealand are likeminded democracies and natural partners in the Indo Pacific. As such, we have decided to advance discussions on elevating the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • International tourism continuing to bounce back

    Results released today from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) confirm international tourism is continuing to bounce back, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey says. The IVS results show that in the June quarter, international tourism contributed $2.6 billion to New Zealand’s economy, an increase of 17 per cent on last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government confirms RMA reforms to drive primary sector efficiency

    The Government is moving to review and update national level policy directives that impact the primary sector, as part of its work to get Wellington out of farming. “The primary sector has been weighed down by unworkable and costly regulation for too long,” Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.  “That is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Weak grocery competition underscores importance of cutting red tape

    The first annual grocery report underscores the need for reforms to cut red tape and promote competition, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “The report paints a concerning picture of the $25 billion grocery sector and reinforces the need for stronger regulatory action, coupled with an ambitious, economy-wide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government moves to lessen burden of reliever costs on ECE services

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government has listened to the early childhood education sector’s calls to simplify paying ECE relief teachers. Today two simple changes that will reduce red tape for ECEs are being announced, in the run-up to larger changes that will come in time from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Over 2,320 people engage with first sector regulatory review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says there has been a strong response to the Ministry for Regulation’s public consultation on the early childhood education regulatory review, affirming the need for action in reducing regulatory burden. “Over 2,320 submissions have been received from parents, teachers, centre owners, child advocacy groups, unions, research ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs women in horticulture

    “The Government is empowering women in the horticulture industry by funding an initiative that will support networking and career progression,” Associate Minister of Agriculture, Nicola Grigg says.  “Women currently make up around half of the horticulture workforce, but only 20 per cent of leadership roles which is why initiatives like this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government to pause freshwater farm plan rollout

    The Government will pause the rollout of freshwater farm plans until system improvements are finalised, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard announced today. “Improving the freshwater farm plan system to make it more cost-effective and practical for farmers is a priority for this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Milestone reached for fixing the Holidays Act 2003

    Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden says yesterday Cabinet reached another milestone on fixing the Holidays Act with approval of the consultation exposure draft of the Bill ready for release next week to participants.  “This Government will improve the Holidays Act with the help of businesses, workers, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • New priorities to protect future of conservation

    Toitū te marae a Tāne Mahuta me Hineahuone, toitū te marae a Tangaroa me Hinemoana, toitū te taiao, toitū te tangata. The Government has introduced clear priorities to modernise Te Papa Atawhai - The Department of Conservation’s protection of our natural taonga. “Te Papa Atawhai manages nearly a third of our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Faster 110km/h speed limit to accelerate Kāpiti

    A new 110km/h speed limit for the Kāpiti Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS) has been approved to reduce travel times for Kiwis travelling in and out of Wellington, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • IVL increase to ensure visitors contribute more to New Zealand

    The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) will be raised to $100 to ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand, Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Matt Doocey and Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka say. “The Government is serious about enabling the tourism sector ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Delivering priority connections for the West Coast

    A record $255 million for transport investment on the West Coast through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s road and rail links to keep people connected and support the region’s economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “The Government is committed to making sure that every ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Road and rail reliability a focus for Wellington

    A record $3.3 billion of transport investment in Greater Wellington through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will increase productivity and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. We're focused on delivering transport projects ...
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