The cycleway & the coming benefit cuts

Written By: - Date published: 9:24 am, August 12th, 2010 - 42 comments
Categories: benefits, class war, Economy, unemployment - Tags:

I always thought the cycleway would come to be emblematic of this government. An unserious ruse, a policy that would have been a joke if the reality of the recession weren’t so serious.

There’s something of the cycleway thinking in the Nat’s benefit cuts agenda – not just the wrong answer to the challenges facing the country, but a calculated distraction.

Just as a cycleway is the wrong solution to a recession, welfare cuts are the wrong solution to a jobs shortage crisis.

A cycleway might be a minor tourist attraction for a selected segment of the tourist market but the idea that it could be constructed in time to shorten the recession, or that it would create significant numbers of jobs, was always a sick trick played on the gullible.

Welfare cuts are a similar populist appeal to the gullible. Will it make a lot of difference to the economy or government finances? Ultimately, probably not. No welfare reforms are going to cut off hundreds of thousands of needy families entirely, which is what it would take to save serious money. But any cuts will hurt those families who are already on their bare bones.

The claim is that making benefits harder to get will make force ‘bludgers’ to work instead. The reality is that the jobs aren’t there and that’s why the number of beneficiaries has climbed so much. Look at how beneficiary numbers track the number of jobless: the fewer people wanting work but unable to find it, the fewer people on benefits.

Not all beneficiaries are jobless and not all jobless are beneficiaries but the 110,000 increase in jobless workers since the recession began has been accompanied by 70,000 increase in the number of beneficiaries. Create more jobs and you will reverse that, reducing the number of beneficiaries.

The real way to cut the welfare bill is to have a full employment policy. But this government has never been interested in real solutions. It uses ruses instead – a cycleway to cover a government too busy with tax cuts focus on tackling a recession, welfare ‘reforms’ in place of an economic/jobs strategy.

Like the cycleway, attacking beneficiaries is a distraction from what’s really going on. There aren’t enough jobs, the recession is not really over and rather than dealing with that, this government is focused on carving off an ever large slice of our shrinking national wealth for their rich buddies.

It’s a double insult for the poor and the jobless. Not only are they turned into figures of public spite by a government of the rich, the cuts to their meagre benefits will be pay for tax cuts for the rich.

42 comments on “The cycleway & the coming benefit cuts ”

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  1. Craig Glen Eden 1
    12 August 2010 at 9:38 am

    And the uber rich get richer and Johnny boy just smiles and waves, when will the injustice end?

  2. Cnr Joe (withasparemoment) 2
    12 August 2010 at 9:56 am

    I still really really really want a job on this cycleway. WINZ can\\\’t seem to find any openings. Paula? Giz a phukkin Job!
    I want to live in a tent village somewhere (this summer) – work the mornings and evenings digging and what have you, siesta and read during the heat of the day, earn a small wage, shop at the commissary. I really want this!!
    Even better if I could work on a piece of the nationwide cycleway near the coast so our work gang can bodysurf and fossick for kai moana…..but – does this not sound great?

  3. Rosy 3
    12 August 2010 at 10:40 am

    But we can still afford to use up the valuable time of the reducing public services to investigate bringing in Pandas instead of investigating bringing in jobs.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10664819

  4. ak 4
    12 August 2010 at 11:05 am

    Spot on Marty: it’s the classic, eons-old right-wing reactionist tactic of bread/circus, divide/rule, now brought to us in farcical kiwi microcosm with the current biketrack/bennie-bash. By the testosterone-free benefactor of a vicious misogynic campaign – himself the son of a beneficiary.

    It’d be comical if it wasn’t so utterly blatant and cruel.

    Sole consolation is the inexorable demise of targets for right-wing hatemongery. For the moment, bennies are it: but as the economy and farming continue to tank, increasingly, bennies are us. Meaning them, and their spawn.

    Which leaves the old favourite: already being set up with a series of cuts and slaps.

    Prediction: when the pain from the jackboots of Fire at Will and Benniebash finally washes the crumbs from the eyes of Maori leadership, Orewa One II will be wheeled out in all it’s knackered glory. Two months before the election.

  5. Augustus 5
    12 August 2010 at 11:09 am

    No doubt we will still be bringing in cheap labour from overseas for wine and fruit growers, though.

  6. roger nome 6
    12 August 2010 at 11:41 am

    Sometimes i think this song was written about our dear leader:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arac_GhGxwk

  7. Bill 7
    12 August 2010 at 11:45 am

    Question. Has it been stated that there will be benefit cuts, or is the scary UK scenario through the link along the lines of what Johnny and the Shit Sacs have in mind?

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/cameron-calls-in-bounty-hunters-to-catch-benefit-fraudsters-2049096.html

    Question Anybody got a good memory or a ready link to the sums of money involved in white collar fraud that were reported fairly recently? That is, the report which stated that only frauds involving amounts over a certain ( rather large, from memory) sum were recorded?

    Question Anybody care to to do a rough and ready comparison on monies lost to white collar crime and monies lost due to benefit fraud? Might be fun to assume the same criteria of reporting for WINZ as for the white collar fraud…ie only amounts over that same sum as counted for white collar fraud count for WINZ fraud?

    And taking in the estimated totals between the two sets and dividing them down by the total numbers of beneficiaries ( one in eight?) on the one hand and white collar workers on the other (one in five?) see who’s ripping who?

    • Marty G 7.1
      12 August 2010 at 11:49 am

      it hasn’t been stated there’ll be cuts specifically but that’s clearly the agenda. Probably higher thresholds to get benefits, more work testing etc, rather than actual cuts to the size of benefits – they’ll let inflation do that job.

      • Bill 7.1.1
        12 August 2010 at 12:12 pm

        Not quite apples and apples, but the picture looks pretty clear from here. Looks like we need a government inspired hate campaign against all you thieving white collar types.

        http://www.oag.govt.nz/2008/benefit-fraud/part3.htm

        3.12
        The Ministry’s data-matching activities are extensive. For example, in the year to 30 June 2007, the National Data Match Centre compared more than 12 million records with other agencies. This resulted in 193,358 matches and 18,588 cases of overpayments. The total value of these overpayments was $19 million.

        http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10659738

        White-collar crime in the first six months of this year hit a record high of $72 million – more than for the whole of 2008 – a survey released today reveals.

    • loota 7.2
      12 August 2010 at 11:50 am

      A good start would be to tally up the sums frozen or lost in various collapsed finance companies and speculative investment funds.

    • bbfloyd 7.3
      12 August 2010 at 12:37 pm

      bill.. good point.(re, benefits) my experience with past national govt’s is that they tend to waste large amounts of money harassing beneficiaries while whittling away at entitlements. or the other fallback is simply making the red tape trail more convoluted. it costs the govt more, but satisfies the bigots and reactionaries.

      • David 7.3.1
        12 August 2010 at 2:36 pm

        Spending money harassing beneficiaries isn’t just about satisfiying bigots, it also creates more desperate and demoralised people willing to work for less. Combined with the fire at will law and restrictions on unions, this will help lower labour costs.

  8. marsman 8
    12 August 2010 at 12:17 pm

    The grotesque Bennett claimed in a press release in Stuff last night that job vacancy ads on-line had increased by ten percent. Is this more Bennett bullshit? Maybe it’s Public Service jobs,people leaving in droves to escape the poisonous atmosphere created by the NACT nasties?She claimed therefore the recession was almost over and the unemployed should be ready.

    • bbfloyd 8.1
      12 August 2010 at 12:45 pm

      marsman… my impression is that there has been a lot more sales jobs being advertised. the kind where you go door to door. not really jobs as such. more like traps for the desperate.

      • Carol 8.1.1
        12 August 2010 at 6:34 pm

        I think I heard something on Nat Rad this evening about how there has been an increase in part time jobs, and a decrease in full time ones.

  9. Draco T Bastard 9
    12 August 2010 at 12:19 pm

    Not surprising – NACT are working hard to bring down wages and inflict more hardship on the average hard working kiwi – that way their and their rich mates profits will go up. The NACTs have NFI as to how the economy works but they do have an idea as to how they would like it to work and that involves all the wealth going to them.

  10. Claudia 10
    12 August 2010 at 12:41 pm

    If they bring in unemployment insurance, it will
    be time-limited, see below for a good description from a US vocational guidance counsellor.

    http://www.peakoilblues.org/blog/?p=2353

    • Bored 10.1
      12 August 2010 at 6:41 pm

      Unemployment insurance is just another rort by those who dont want to pay for the mess they and their system creates.

      • ZB 10.1.1
        12 August 2010 at 8:28 pm

        Unemployment insurance has to come with a market player, you won’t be able to insure yourself via a labor union.
        That’s the evil of insurance, if all the people who paid car, house, etc put them in a pot for payouts to members, and
        the money invested, the money would be huge.
        Insurance isn’t the problem, the market is. See this is the wonderful thing about capitalism, the greedy get even greedier until they tank the system over with their greed, and then the people get to remake the system more equitably. So bring it on NACT, I mean it, the wooner they do away with government and welfare…

        …oops, but that’s the point, its not about welfare, or smaller government, its just simple about keeping profits for the few up. Funny thing happened, the greedy just got called on their debt and they need money to pay the interest on their loans, so the government is obliging with low taxes for business and the richest. With 100% GDP owed in private hands (much by overseas kiwis and foriegners) should we even care? I mean the system is corrupted to the core, the money might as well be monopoly.

        I suppose what I’m trying to say is the rich have most to lose, and if they continue practicing what National are then they will tank the system without one lousy red communist having to lift one single finger. Governments rule by the consent of the people and I don’t see even businesses being all that pleased with so much money sloshing around as forward valuations disappear as yet another economic reality turns up. Pollution cost more to clean up the more the price of a barral of oil costs. Not only that but a market assessed on perfect principles doesn’t reflect the underlying reality of economies and people, and when you look at the way we consume, its like we take one bite of an apple and then throw it away. This is what we do everything we don’t recycle, or we buy hard to recycle goods, everyone time we replace a kettle our forefathers never did (they had a kettle on the cooker!!), the economic world valuation of real value is totally skewed by speculators, and therein lies the problem for the rich. Anyone with any sense sees its all just funny money, and its hilarious to watch them play the same shell game to squeeze more out of the poorest, because this time its not working! British government says they will export out of their nations debt, what a job, export too whom, export what? people? We are ruled by a generation of brown nosers who got promoted not on ability, or expertise, but their ability to recite neo-liberal dumb, now they have lots of the money and they have reaped a world incapable of providing equal value in goods and services.

        They need to pull their heads out of their collective behinds and start building the real economy of the future,
        broadband to the home, tax the private car into history, provide cheap local and inter-town public transport, and build build build energy infrastructure, on homes, on ridges, into the ground. But they are too bloody dense to grab the future, this includes the Labour party. Its going to get worse before it gets better.

        • Deborah Kean 10.1.1.1
          23 August 2010 at 12:26 am

          “you won’t be able to insure yourself via a labour union.@
          (Just fixed up your spelling for you there..)

  11. bbfloyd 11
    12 August 2010 at 12:49 pm

    you beaut paula!!! i’m in the starting blocks. i’m ready, i’m ready’ i’m ready… i’m waiting, i’m waiting, i’m waiting……..aaany minute now i’m gonna have a job. aaany minute…..i’m gettin sleeepy… so tired… can i sit down now.

  12. Claudia 12
    12 August 2010 at 1:03 pm

    bbfloyd: it could be worse, you could be in Terror Australis. See

    http://www.audreyapple.blogspot.com/

  13. Bored 13
    12 August 2010 at 1:39 pm

    When an individual is for any time outside of their expectations of, and the comforts / security of society they will question the legitimacy of the rules of society. When people who are unemployed are abused by politicians in power as well as deprived of their security, income, jobs etc they will decline their assent to the legitimacy of the rules, laws and ultimately goverment.

    Given the above is it cynical to ask if NACT has done a cost benefit analysis of the risks versus the rewards (i.e the social costs that can be ignored versus the tax breaks for their mates etc)? Are NACT gambling on whole groups reacting to their actions by breaking the rules (crime, welfare abuse) so that they can divide and conquer (the tested “us and them approach”)?

    • Bill 13.1
      12 August 2010 at 2:04 pm

      Hang on Bored. You saying that unemployment will in and of itself, given enough time, lead to people becoming criminals? If that’s what you’re saying, then what you’re saying isn’t true.

      And are you also saying that people who consider various institutions to be centres of illegitimate power hold this view only because they are unemployed and otherwise not fully integrated into contemporary society? ‘Cause that’s also not true.

      Plenty of people who are unemployed for many years do not become criminals.

      And there are people who are well rewarded by contemporary society who hold authority in contempt.

      • Bored 13.1.1
        12 August 2010 at 3:16 pm

        Bill, you jump too far. The outcomes you question are all possible results, its a very individual thing. What I can add is that faith in the institutions of state / society can be broken, legitimacy goes with it and the resultant behavoir may include what you mention. Or some other form such as insurrection, plain opting out, or whatever. It just depends who you piss off and what alternatives they have to utilise.

        My contention is not that Nact are now pushing the boundaries (that is beyond dispute) but that they may have made a cynical decision to do so for benefits both financial and populist..

        • Bill 13.1.1.1
          12 August 2010 at 3:43 pm

          Dunno.

          When faith in the Roman Catholic Church waned, there wasn’t too much of anything noticeable beyond The Church not being able to call the shots in quite the way it had done previously. (I know there was a protestant/catholic split and resultant grabs for power by the elites and figure heads of both sects, but I’m talking more the attitude of people in the street)

          Or take the loss of legitimacy experienced by the institutions behind state control throughout Eastern Europe. If the free marketeer hyenas and vultures of the west had left well alone, the result would have been that the erstwhile centres of power would simply have been forgotten, as irrelevancies inevitably are, and people would have constructed new institutions operating on different modes of organisation.

          The same will happen here some day.

          Meanwhile, any centre of power can pit person against person, either by design or accident, through their policies or actions. And the best defence against that is familiarity, as opposed to insular life’s and lifestyles leaving us vulnerable to the influence of the negative stereotype.

          • Bored 13.1.1.1.1
            12 August 2010 at 6:39 pm

            Bill, along with you I think familiarity may be the best defense against the status quo. Interesting thing you mentioned was the collapse of the East European communist regimes, they did so precisely because the populace lost faith in the institutions and their legitimacy collapsed. If that same legitimacy were lost here what would replace it? Hopefully not more free market bollocks or some form of authoritarianism such as fascism or communism.

          • Bored 13.1.1.1.2
            12 August 2010 at 7:46 pm

            Bill, familiarity is certainly the best defense, I cant say it will be what everybody chooses.

            Interesting comment from you re the loss of legitimacy that lead to the collapse of Eastern European Communism. What might replace the system here if it lost legitimacy? Hopefully not more free market bollocks, nor some form of authoritarianism such as communism or fascism.

  14. Bill 14
    12 August 2010 at 9:26 pm

    Our hopes concurs.

    And the outcome is all down to familiarity again and that being able to render any attempt at the hi-jacking of a popular outpouring impossible.

    The bullshit result of 1917 set us back 100 years in my opinion. Lets not go there again. My fear is that we haven’t learned. I look at the left and it’s all endgame 1917 redux. When I say ‘endgame’ 1917 I’m basically thinking of 1921 and Kronstadt; the authoritarian Bolsheviks banging the final nail in the coffin of any possibility of a genuine left revolution.

    If you are hazy on the Kronstadt uprising then go here for transcripts of original publications emanating from the naval base.

    And then weep.

    • Bill 14.1
      12 August 2010 at 9:40 pm

      Oh, and you should probably bear in mind that ‘free trade’ when mentioned in the context of 1921 was not in any way similar to the neo liberal free trade of today. It basically meant the freedom for me to sell my wares (eggs, meat, or produce of whatever variety) directly to others through local markets rather than having to sell everything to the state.

  15. jcuknz 15
    13 August 2010 at 4:16 pm

    I’m not worried about the ‘bludgers’ because I’m sure they know the wrinkles to get by … but it is the others who get caught ou by this foolish lack of policy to right the problems … if they would only admit they hadn’t a clue it might be better.

  16. hmmmm 16
    16 August 2010 at 12:15 am

    National is more Labour than Labour. This whole right wing rich mates line rings hollow (you can have that word now that Labour lies to the right of National) when you have a National government spending more and taxing even more than Labour did. This National government is not right wing, it is conservative, in the sense of undoing almost none of all the policy it voted against in Opposition. The over-taxed, enormous spend, low productivity status quo is apparently a-ok now that National is in power. Indeed National is adding to Labour’s legacy in some areas, such as student loans and WFF.

    Fans of Muldoon will no doubt be happy with the current direction, and but for his blue tie I rather suspect this blog’s authors would be a bit more forthcoming in their admiration.

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    The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    23 hours ago

  • The Case for a Universal Family Benefit
    One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    24 hours ago

  • A who’s who of New Zealand’s dodgiest companies
    Submissions on National's corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law are due today (have you submitted?), and just hours before they close, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop has been forced to release the list of companies he invited to apply. I've spent the last hour going through it in an epic thread of bleats, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago

  • On Lee’s watch, Economic Development seems to be stuck on scoring points from promoting sporting e...
    Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago

  • New Zealand has never been closed for business
    1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago

  • Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Melissa Lee and the media: ending the quest
    Chris Trotter writes –  MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago

  • The Hoon around the week to April 19
    TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago

  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    1 day ago

  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago

  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A Step–by–Step Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and third–party applications. So, let‘s dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. That‘s why they introduced the “Recently Deleted“ folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Here‘s how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the “Recents“ tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on “Edit“. Select “Show Recently Deleted“. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose “Recover“ to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Here‘s how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose “Erase All Content and Settings“. Follow the on–screen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose “Restore from iCloud Backup“ during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore Third–Party Apps (with Caution): ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago

  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    2 days ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    2 days ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    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
    9 hours 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    5 days 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
    5 days 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
    5 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
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