The curious case of Liz Truss

Written By: - Date published: 6:57 am, January 17th, 2023 - 34 comments
Categories: Austerity, Brexit, Financial markets, uk politics - Tags: , , , , ,

Originally published on Nick Kelly’s blog The premiership of Liz Truss will be remembered for many years to come. She will be remembered as being the shortest-serving former UK prime minister (for now), resigning after seven weeks. It will be remembered that only two days after going to Balmoral to meet the monarch, Queen Elizabeth II passed away having served 70 years on the throne, making Truss her 15th and final PM. People will also remember the Truss premiership for plunging already bad Conservative Party polling numbers down to record lows, giving the opposition Labour Party an unprecedented 30% lead. But the main thing her seven weeks as Prime Minister will be remembered for – destroying the longstanding myth that the Conservative Party are good at managing the economy.

As outlined in a post earlier this year in a global economic crisis, governments, in the short term at least, are limited in what they can do to remedy the situation. However, the one thing governments can certainly do is not make the situation worse. In this Liz Truss and former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng failed spectacularly.

The now infamous ‘mini budget’ or “Growth Plan” of 23 September 2022 caused the pound to hit an all-time low against the US dollar, and force the Bank of England to intervene to prevent chaotic drops in gilts prices from stinging pension funds and threatening financial stability. How on did the UK’s natural party of government, the party of sound money and fiscal responsibility manage to get it all so badly wrong? And so quickly?

Since 2008, as pointed out in my last blog post, right-of-centre governments have stepped back from full Thatcherite free market policies due to the fact that these policies directly resulted in the crisis of the last decade. Whilst free market and trickle-down economics may no longer be electorally viable, there remain many true believers in the small government crusade.

The decline and fall of Boris Johnson as PM was entirely of his own making and had been on the cards for some time. During the period, the disquiet within the Conservative Party was not so much over “Party-Gate” but the increase in taxes, namely National Insurance, to keep their manifesto commitment to fund social care, a policy area where previous governments have failed to grasp the nettle. Tory Party members were furious that a Conservative Government had raised taxes, and former Chancellor Rishi Sunak was in their eyes to blame. Enter Liz Truss.

Truss, on becoming Foreign Secretary in early 2022, began doing these strange photos where she was imitating former Tory Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. This Thatcher cosplay was matched by sound-bite rhetoric about free markets and individualism. This really played to the home crowd with supporters in the Tory Party claiming “in Liz we Truss.”

Warnings from former Chancellor Sunak that the programme announced by Liz Truss when running for leader would make the economic situation worse were ignored by the party membership. In Liz they Trussed, in early September she became Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister.

A decade before coming to power, a group of right-leaning Tory MPs authored a book titled Britannia Unchained, a treatise, arguing that Britain should adopt a different and radical approach to business and economics or risk “an inevitable slide into mediocrity.” These MPs belonged to the Conservative Party ‘Free Enterprise’ group and included Liz Truss and the person a decade later she was to appoint as Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng.

In a later attempt to shift the blame to former Prime Minister Liz Truss for what happened, claiming he warned her the government were moving too fast. Kwarteng has not yet apologised for his mini budget on 23 September or the catastrophic fallout. In fact, his frustration seems more with the fact that Truss ended up sacking him, not long before being forced to resign herself. The truth is, the throwing caution to the wind approach of slashing taxes, removing restrictions on banker bonuses, and slashing other regulations such as IR35 were all consistent with what he and Truss had argued in Britannia Unchained a decade earlier. And these ideas found favour with the Conservative Party membership – with the idealised view of Thatcher’s vision of small government, deregulation and low taxation. For the general public, this was not so much ‘Britannia Unchained’ as ‘Libertarians Unhinged.’

Where this mini-budget really hit the rocks, especially with the financial markets, was the unfunded tax cuts and spending increases. The Tories, having implemented austerity policies during their first term in office with the Lib Dems, found out the hard way that underfunding the Police or the NHS was simply not an option. The 2017 election where they lost their overall majority, and Corbyn’s Labour had an unexpected surge in support largely due to increased turnout by young voters, was largely due to an anti-austerity backlash. In Kwarteng’s mini-budget, the solution was that the government borrow to pay for tax cuts and spending increases. The former Chancellor argued that cutting taxes and red tape this would stimulate economic growth meaning the government would soon be able to repay the debt.

Many were surprised to see financial markets react to a right-wing Tory budget in this way. Threats of capital withdrawal and other measures are not uncommon when centre-left governments try to implement their agenda. Yet here we had a right-wing budget and the market responded badly. One issue was that Truss and Kwarteng completely ignored the Office for Budget Responsibility before preparing the mini-budget. This office was set up by former Conservative Chancellor George Osborne, in response to his claims that Labour had acted financially irresponsibly when in power. This office was designed to be a check and balance for the left, yet it was the right who fell foul of it. One of Britain’s key selling points is that is a rules-based economy. By not consulting the OBR before the mini-budget, Truss and Kwarteng damaged Britain’s brand.

Cutting taxes at a time of high inflation is not a terribly smart move as it will drive up inflation further. Borrowing money to cut taxes and increase spending is what the Government in Greece did prior to the 2008 financial crash, with devastating consequences. Add both of these to a world economy struggling in the wake of the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it is no surprise that the markets reacted as they did.

Within days, Truss was forced to sack Kwarteng and announce a U-turn on the mini-budget, to much tormenting that “the lady is for turning” with reference to Margaret Thatcher’s famous quote. Within 44 days of becoming Prime Minister, Truss announced her resignation, having days earlier replaced her friend Kwazi Kwarteng with Jeremy Hunt as Chancellor and almost all measures in the mini-budget had to be reversed.

It was would easy to blame Truss and Kwarteng for this specular failure. Many have cited her shocking performances in the media as why ultimately she resigned and question how someone got to the highest level of public office when so clearly unable to perform. Leadership qualities play a significant role, and in modern politics media presentation is critical. But this was not a problem of style and presentation alone, as abysmal as this was under the Truss premiership.

The initial reaction to the Mini Budget in September was very positive from many in the Conservative Party and their cheerleaders in the tabloid media.

Front page of The Daily Mail in response to Kwazi Kwarteng’s mini-budget

For Tory Party members and Daily Mail readers, this was the budget they had been waiting for. Far from being a surprise, the mini-budget was implementing not just the promises of Truss’s leadership campaign, but the wishes of many rank-and-file Conservatives. After enduring Sunak’s National Insurance increase the free market wing of the party finally had their way, at last, a true Tory budget. Never mind Britannia Unchained, this was Conservative Party unleashed.

The ‘get Brexit done/anti-Jeremy Corbyn’ coalition that won the Conservatives the 2019 election now finds itself in tatters. Not only were so-called red wall voters from the North East of England put off by the return of trickle-down economics, but polls show that large swaths of traditionally Conservative voting south of England were also in despair. Within the Conservative Party, those who still subscribed to Edmund Burke’s view that no “generation should be arrogant enough as to only think of themselves” and that borrowing for tax cuts would harm future generations, found themselves in the minority. In fact, the enduring influence of one-nation conservatism made popular by Benjamin Disraeli, of pragmatism and paternalism was replaced with an unwavering belief in small government and the market.

That Conservative MPs managed to avoid another membership ballot and Rishi Sunak replacing Liz Trus is the topic of the next blog post. Needless to say Conservative MPs, many from Constituencies once considered save tory, are now terrified by recent polls. Allowing the party membership a say risked a further dose of trickle-down right-wing economics, making the Tories unelectable for a long time. It was the party members who supported Truss, while in the first round, only 50 backed Truss for leader, though other candidates who had MP backing early on also espoused not dissimilar economic views.

Some who supported Truss may now have reflected on what happened and perhaps realise that these policies not only do not work, but electorally they are poison. But many on the right will blame it on Truss, her leadership style and the speed with which she tried to implement the reforms. In many ways, the fact that the mini-budget changes were done quickly and communicated poorly was a good thing, as it meant these policies were reversed quickly. A more media-savvy and gradual implementation would have done more harm in the long term. It is no accident that since 2008, free market trickle-down economics has been out of fashion. The Truss premiership has been a timely reminder that these policies do not work and should not be tried again.

34 comments on “The curious case of Liz Truss ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Tony Veitch 1
    17 January 2023 at 7:33 am

    there remain many true believers in the small government crusade.

    Christopher Luxon and David Seymour, to name two local examples.

    Plus all exploiters of other (bottom-feeders) people both here and elsewhere.

    Small government means few regulations and lax enforcement – an exploiters wet dream.

    • Bearded Git 1.1
      17 January 2023 at 8:03 am

      With the Granny Herald doing a passable imitation of the Daily Mail.

      • tc 1.1.1
        17 January 2023 at 11:45 am

        Stuff must be feeling left out but with Damien grant, brook Sabin, Pagani, Dunne, prebble etc I'm sure they'll be competitive in this election year of spin.

        • Mike the Lefty 1.1.1.1
          17 January 2023 at 8:10 pm

          While the election campaign is running Stuff will probably be running critically important stories about which politicians own poodles, and how difficult it is to look after your poodle when you are a busy politician.

    • Gosman 1.2
      17 January 2023 at 10:58 am

      Liz Truss didn't support small government. She was going to impose a price cap on energy payments that would have cost 150 billion pounds. She promised NOT to cut government spending.

      https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/12/uk-pm-truss-says-she-will-not-cut-public-spending-to-fund-tax-cuts.html

    • tinderdry6 1.3
      17 January 2023 at 1:35 pm

      I am deeply suspicious of 'big government'. It seems to me the larger a share of GDP is consumed by the public sector, the less efficient it becomes. And there are a number of studies that support that view.

      "Small government means few regulations and lax enforcement – an exploiters wet dream."

      Do you have any evidence for this?

      • Tony Veitch 1.3.1
        17 January 2023 at 1:41 pm

        Just off the top of my head – leaky house debacle of the 1990s (Nat government).

        Pike River mining disaster, courtesy of Nat governments.

        RSA workers exploited by unscrupulous horticulturalists.

        I'm sure a 5 minute Google search will confirm all of the above, and others.

        • tinderdry6 1.3.1.1
          17 January 2023 at 3:52 pm

          There are a number of problems with your response.

          Leaky home crisis:

          1. The leaky homes crisis incorporated houses built before the 1991 Building Act, some as early as 1988. The causes of these are well documented here, and happened prior to the 1991 Act,

          2. The 1991 Act introduced a system of self regulation that relied heavily on Council issued and monitored building consents. The leaky homes crisis was a failure of government implementation as much as regulation.

          Pike River

          The regulations governing the operation of Pike River date to 1992, but the drift wasn't constructed until 2007. A closer look at the disaster shows just how culpable government departments were, along with poor company management and an overly compliant union.

          The Pike River mine permit was approved by the Ministry of Economic Development in 1997.

          Some quotes:

          "MED approved the issue of Pike’s mining permit in 1997. Its focus was the economic benefits to New Zealand. MED did not fully apply the criteria set out in its coal policy programme, which included requirements to check the experience of the applicant and its proposed mining methods, and to ensure that these represented good mining practice. In terms of the coal programme, health and safety, which is intrinsic to good mining practice, was not MED’s concern. MED did not consult DOL so no one looked at the health and safety implications of the proposed mine."

          And:

          "Because Pike was assumed to be a ‘best practice’ and ‘compliant’ employer the inspectors adopted a low-level compliance approach. This proved ineffective, as was most evident regarding the need to provide two emergency exits from the mine. In mid-2009 the main ventilation shaft was designated the second means of egress out of the mine. To use it involved a 110m ladder climb that was physically exhausting in normal conditions, but probably impossible in an emergency. In April 2010 an inspector told the mine manager that the shaft, although technically compliant, was not a suitable emergency escapeway. In August DOL advised Pike by letter that a new egress was required ‘as soon as possible’.[8] In November 2010 Pike said a new egress would be established by mid-2011. DOL considered this unsatisfactory, but took no further action before the explosion."

          This is a failure of government oversight. Not exactly inspiring examples in favour of bigger government.

        • Thinker 1.3.1.2
          17 January 2023 at 9:59 pm

          How quickly Tinderdry forgets the mobilisation of the public sector from the first covid crisis.

          The private sector would be just finalising their alliances and submitting their RFPs about now…

          • tinderdry6 1.3.1.2.1
            17 January 2023 at 11:21 pm

            Ah but I'm not arguing against public services, per se. In fact, I am a supporter of a mixed economy with government intervention, particularly in long term planning and in regulating the excesses of the market. However, my argument, supported by studies I referred to, is simply that "the larger a share of GDP is consumed by the public sector, the less efficient it becomes."

      • Drowsy M. Kram 1.3.2
        17 January 2023 at 10:05 pm

        "Small government means few regulations and lax enforcement – an exploiters wet dream."

        Do you have any evidence for this?

        Just an opinion (we all have 'em): You'd have to be a fool not to 'follow the money.'

        Small government costs

        The SEC [Securities and Exchange Commission] during the Bush II administration operated on a bare bones budget and was staffed by incompetent bureaucrats and political hacks. As a result, Wall Street collapsed and the stock market crashed because of weak regulations and lax enforcement of rules.

        Does a $700 billion bailout of Wall Street by President Bush ring a bell? Of course, this was followed by an $800 billion stimulus by President Obama that saved the economy from falling into a deep depression. Both actions increased the national debt considerably.

        • tinderdry6 1.3.2.1
          17 January 2023 at 11:06 pm

          "…and was staffed by incompetent bureaucrats and political hacks."

          There's your problem. Not small government. Incompetent bureaucrats and political hacks inhabit governments of all sizes. Unfortunately.

          • Drowsy M. Kram 1.3.2.1.1
            17 January 2023 at 11:24 pm

            There's your problem.

            There's our problem – that and selective quoting wink

            The SEC [Securities and Exchange Commission] during the Bush II administration operated on a bare bones budget and was staffed by incompetent bureaucrats and political hacks.

            We see what we wanr to see – what serves our interests. Follow the money.

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenSecrets

            • tinderdry6 1.3.2.1.1.1
              17 January 2023 at 11:27 pm

              So were the subsequent problems caused by the bare bones budget or the incompetent bureaucrats and political hacks?

              • Drowsy M. Kram …
                17 January 2023 at 11:39 pm

                Would be a bit of both, don't you think – that small government "bare bones budget" could have contributed to the staffing issues, imho.

                Might have been other forces at work to ensure the SEC was staffed by “incompetent bureaucrats and political hacks” – it was the Bush II presidency.

                https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Securities_and_Exchange_Commission#Commission_members

                • tinderdry6 …
                  18 January 2023 at 9:11 am

                  "that small government "bare bones budget" could have contributed to the staffing issues, imho."

                  Perhaps the expression 'bare bones' simply means lean and efficient. Perhaps it means considering a lesson we learn in the private sector that by employing the best people, you actually often require less people.

                  • Drowsy M. Kram …
                    18 January 2023 at 9:21 am

                    Perhaps the expression 'bare bones' simply means lean and efficient.

                    Another lesson we might learn is that when an opinion piece is titled "Small government costs", the expression "bare bones budget" simply doesn’t mean what you want it to mean – context, my dear boy, context.

                    This is an impressive crowd. The haves and the have mores. Some people call you the elite. I call you my base. – Bush II (in waiting)

                    • Incognito …
                      18 January 2023 at 10:00 am

                      We all know that only private schools, for example, hire only the best teachers because they can best teach bigger and more classes than the mediocre ones who work at public schools teaching boring mediocre kids of mediocre parents with mediocre jobs – often in the public sector, of course – living in mediocre houses in average suburbs. Only the best are good enough to rise to the top of success, which is the lesson they teach & learn so well at private schools and in the private sector, if you are good enough to get a foot in the door, that is – having contacts aka relationships is just a lucky coincidence. In fact, this absurd yet addictively compelling (self-)belief and that you are someone special, with all the self-righteous entitlement associated with it, is almost a requirement for a successful career in the private sector. \sarc

    • Thinker 1.4
      17 January 2023 at 9:55 pm

      Small government ought to come with fewer MPs. But, you never see National or ACT pushing for that.

      • tinderdry6 1.4.1
        17 January 2023 at 11:22 pm

        Totally agree. In fact fewer MP's would be a good idea even if we didn't agree on the size of government overall!

      • Gosman 1.4.2
        18 January 2023 at 11:47 am

        You are mistaking Parliament for Government. They are too different things. You can have smaller Government with either a smaller or larger Parliament but on balance Parliamentary oversight on government is a good thing and therefore you want sufficient MP's to do that.

  2. Gosman 2
    17 January 2023 at 10:54 am

    Again you misunderstand the cause of the failure of Liz Truss's policies. The issue was not the cutting of taxes or regulations. It was that these were also accompanied by increased government spending. The Market's rejected such a fiscally irresponsible approach and the UK government suddenly had to pay higher rates on it's borrowing.

    She could either have raised taxes to fund her spending committments OR cut spending to afford to give a tax cut but she couldn't do both. She tried to and paid the price.

    • bwaghorn 2.1
      17 January 2023 at 11:52 am

      So the person that he right-wing of the UK thought was their best and brightest, was economically illiterate?

      • Gosman 2.1.1
        17 January 2023 at 1:00 pm

        This is a good article from the Right leaning Spectator magazine about here policies written just before she resigned.

        "This is all a fatal combination of miscalculation and hubris. Truss and her Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng clearly thought the markets would speak their language and fund their tax cuts. They thought their confrontational attitude towards the UK’s financial institutions would go down a treat. They were wrong on both counts – but these were bad assumptions. Having spent my twenties working tirelessly to promote the nuances of free-enterprise, growth-maximising policies, I am horrified and infuriated to see the words ‘Growth Plan’ plastered across a economic plan that paid less lip service to fiscal discipline than a Gordon Brown Budget."

        https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/truss-is-hurting-the-free-market-cause/

    • Nic the NZer 2.2
      17 January 2023 at 12:31 pm

      Lol. How much did guilt yields rise? Who actually pulled the plug on the Truss govt?

      • Gosman 2.2.1
        17 January 2023 at 1:02 pm

        The markets killed the plug on her time as Prime Minister.

        "They say power corrupts. I think perhaps it gives you amnesia, because there was a time, not too long ago, when Truss was well versed in free-market policy and seemed to understand economic reality – that the markets don’t respond like an audience at Tory conference. Markets need – we all need – to know that there is a plan. For her to blame the caustic market reaction to her borrow-and-spend mini-Budget on left-wing whingeing is simply to be in denial."

        https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/truss-is-hurting-the-free-market-cause/

        • Nic the NZer 2.2.1.1
          17 January 2023 at 6:08 pm

          Such violence to the kings english. I'm sure the UK population will be assured that the markets can get a new PM when ever they choose.

    • adam 2.3
      17 January 2023 at 9:03 pm

      Good to see you arguing for the same shit show to happen here Gossy. Like the spin, impressive.

      At least you’re consistent.

      ACT a nightmare in the making – our economy is going to fall over if these muppets get their ideological shitfuckery into government.

      • Gosman 2.3.1
        18 January 2023 at 10:05 am

        We've already established that what did it in for Liz Truss was the fact she was fiscally irresponsible and that led to the Markets to reject her via ditching government debt and the Pound. ACT is not fiscally irresponsible because it is going to cut wasteful government spending alongside tax cuts.

        • Incognito 2.3.1.1
          18 January 2023 at 11:53 am

          It is very irresponsible to have a repeal razor gang starting a bonfire of regulations and cuts to the public sector that is there for (almost) everyone whilst proclaiming that it is pretty much guaranteed aka promised that the market will come to the rescue and do a better job. For the mythical market saviours and Knights of the Round Business Table to ride into town they will remove as many obstacles & objections and make the ride as easy & smooth (and pretty legal) as they can to pave the way with the heads of the great unwashed as cobblestones. The ones who pay no or very little net tax and have no or very little net wealth (e.g., assets) won’t be any better off and most likely worse off. Who are they again??

          • Gosman 2.3.1.1.1
            18 January 2023 at 12:08 pm

            Why would cutting the Ministries of Women and Culture cause any issues?

            • Incognito 2.3.1.1.1.1
              18 January 2023 at 6:52 pm

              Are you giving us the heads up on what ACT will be cutting when given the chance? It is always good to hear this from an insider and a reliable source such as you.

              What “issues” are you referring to? Life or death issues? Economic collapse issues? What criteria do you use to determine if it is an "issue"?

              I have no idea how you’d cut Culture out of the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage and can only assume ACT and you will cut the whole lot because you deem it ‘wasteful’. Does this mean we won’t see David again on DWTS?

              As to cutting the Ministry of Women, do you think the job is done or that it is done close enough?

              For example:

              In 2022, the national gender pay gap – the gap between men’s and women’s median hourly pay – was 9.2 percent.

              https://women.govt.nz/gpg

              Are you a woman, Gosman, or a sealion?

              Would cutting your commenting privileges here cause any issues for you?

              • Gosman …
                19 January 2023 at 9:36 am

                Having a dedicated ministry does not guarantee nor preclude something happening if it did not exist.

  3. tWiggle 3
    17 January 2023 at 8:17 pm

    This Led By Donkeys clip is a good backgrounder on the input of economic think-tanks to the disastrous economic strategy of Liz Truss's government.

    https://youtu.be/IRDLIOME47c

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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • An announcement about an announcement
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • All the Green Tech in China.
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    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Western Express Success
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    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    2 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick ‘n’ mix of the news links at 7:16am on Monday, April 22
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to April 29 and beyond
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #16
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    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: The Government’s new fast-track invitation to corruption
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    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Thank you
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    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Determining the Engine Type in Your Car
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How to Become a Race Car Driver: A Comprehensive Guide
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How Many Cars Are There in the World in 2023? An Exploration of Global Automotive Statistics
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How Long Does It Take for Car Inspection?
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • Who Makes Mazda Cars?
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    4 days ago

  • How Often to Replace Your Car Battery A Comprehensive Guide
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • Can You Register a Car Without a License?
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    4 days ago

  • Mazda: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Reliability, Value, and Performance
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    4 days ago

  • What Are Struts on a Car?
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    4 days ago

  • What Does Car Registration Look Like: A Comprehensive Guide
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How to Share Computer Audio on Zoom
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How Long Does It Take to Build a Computer?
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How to Put Your Computer to Sleep
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • What is Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT)?
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • iPad vs. Tablet Computers A Comprehensive Guide to Differences
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How Are Computers Made?
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How to Add Voice Memos from iPhone to Computer
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • Why My Laptop Screen Has Lines on It: A Comprehensive Guide
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How to Right-Click on a Laptop
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • Where is the Power Button on an ASUS Laptop?
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How to Start a Dell Laptop: A Comprehensive Guide
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Serious populist discontent is bubbling up in New Zealand
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    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago

  • How to Take a Screenshot on an Asus Laptop A Comprehensive Guide with Detailed Instructions and Illu...
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How to Factory Reset Gateway Laptop A Comprehensive Guide
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • The Folly Of Impermanence.
    “You talking about me?”  The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
    Bowalley Road
    4 days ago

  • A crisis of ambition
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Have 308 people in the Education Ministry’s Curriculum Development Team spent over $100m on a 60-p...
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • 'This bill is dangerous for the environment and our democracy'
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • The Bank of our Tamariki and Mokopuna.
    Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • The worth of it all
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    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • What is the Hardest Sport in the World?
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • What is the Most Expensive Sport?
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • Pickleball On the Cusp of Olympic Glory
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • The Origin and Evolution of Soccer Unveiling the Genius Behind the World’s Most Popular Sport
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    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • How Much to Tint Car Windows A Comprehensive Guide
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  • Why Does My Car Smell Like Gas? A Comprehensive Guide to Diagnosing and Fixing the Issue
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  • How to Remove Tree Sap from Car A Comprehensive Guide
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  • How Much Paint Do You Need to Paint a Car?
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  • Can You Jump a Car in the Rain? Safety Precautions and Essential Steps
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  • Can taxpayers be confident PIJF cash was spent wisely?
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    Point of OrderBy gadams1000
    4 days ago

  • EGU2024 – An intense week of joining sessions virtually
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    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Submission on “Fast Track Approvals Bill”
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    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    5 days ago

  • The Case for a Universal Family Benefit
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    PunditBy Brian Easton
    5 days ago

  • A who’s who of New Zealand’s dodgiest companies
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    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • On Lee’s watch, Economic Development seems to be stuck on scoring points from promoting sporting e...
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    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • New Zealand has never been closed for business
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    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago

  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago

  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago

  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
    Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale.  “It is good ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
    The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Trade relationship with China remains strong
    “China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.   Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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