The freedom to lie during an election campaign

Written By: - Date published: 6:55 am, December 11th, 2019 - 75 comments
Categories: election 2020, electoral commission, electoral systems, labour, making shit up, national, same old national, Simon Bridges, spin, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags:

The trend is becoming clear.  And many of us on the left are trying to understand the the background and the motivation for what is happening.  But the right have a new game plan when it comes to campaigning and damn it but it may work.

The old rules no longer apply.  The media is that compromised, that bereft of resources and that fearful for its future that it will not and cannot question the crap that is coming out of the right.

There have been two recent local examples.

First there was this attempt to graphically (and statistically) lie about the actual change in fuel taxes.

https://twitter.com/nealejones/status/1202461487194755073

It received a real trashing on Twitter.  So what does the Government paid Opposition Leader’s propaganda squad social media team do?

They repeat it.

This is not some random Hamish Price type attack.  This has been focus grouped to within an inch of its life and it will have a robust business case.

Maybe the reach is more important that the truthfulness of the message. And spats on social media increase the reach. Our righteous angst against the content may just mean that more people get the message.

This issue has been brought into stark relief by the release of the Justice Select Committee Report into the 2017 election. The report canvasses an intense debate about how the law should handle deliberate lies during an election campaign.

Labour wanted to extend the time it is an offence to publish a false statement with intent to influence voters. Currently the relevant period starts two days before election day but with the advent of early voting it is rational to increase the time. They wanted it to be two days before the start of advance voting.

It seems so rational. There are so many votes now cast during the lead up period that this period should be included in the protection. After all if the intent is to stop the illegitimate influencing of votes surely all votes should be protected, not just those cast on election day. Last election 40% of votes were advance votes. Why should these voters have less protection?

National’s response? Nope. Seems they want the ability to lie safely for as long as possible.

This is National’s view as set out in the report:

The purpose of the tight and tough constraints in section 199A that apply just to the two days prior to the election is because of the reduced opportunity for scrutiny or rebuttal so close to an election. They were introduced to stop scandalous claims being made in the last moments before an election. They come with a very high penalty. A person being declared guilty of a corrupt practice is liable to imprisonment of 2 years, a fine of up to $100,000, and inclusion on the Corrupt Practice List, removing their right to vote or hold elected office.

But with so many early votes nowadays why should these voters be treated differently?

The key legal test in section 199A is that the person has published a false statement. The issue is “what is” and “who determines” what a false statement is that becomes subject to the penalty of a “corrupt practice”. There will be different views from Election 2017 on whether National’s claims of a $12 billion fiscal hole or Labour’s of 100,000 Kiwibuild homes
are false statements, but these are best contested in the context of freedom of expression and not being shut down by this draconian “corrupt practice” provision.

What strange examples. The only defence for National was that the $12 billion fiscal hole comment was made through a complete lack of understanding of basic accounting. Labour’s Kiwibuild Homes proposal was aspirational and would never have breached the test.

The proposed amendment to section 199A is hugely significant and poses major risks for the free expression of views in the three weeks prior to a general election. National views this proposal as a further worrying erosion of free speech by the current Government that will compromise free and fair elections.

How much of a threat would the change be to National’s advertising?

The relevant section of the Electoral Act says this:

A person is guilty of a corrupt practice if the person, with the intention of influencing the vote of an elector … first publishes or republishes a statement, during the specified period, that the person knows is false in a material particular; or … arranges for the first publication or republication of a statement, during the specified period, that the person knows is false in a material particular.”

My initial impression is that false graphics, like those above, may well get the publisher into trouble.  The graphic is a material particular of the statement.  No wonder National is so worried at the proposal.

Get ready.  This could be a brutal election year.

75 comments on “The freedom to lie during an election campaign ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. tc 1
    11 December 2019 at 7:13 am

    It was always going to be this way as bridges is hopeless and nats have immense resources to play this deception game.

    Probably fine tuning the chat bots now.

    The more they can do without him and pullya etc the better will be the hollowmen approach.
    Let’s not forget their incredibly helpful msm players like hosk, hdpa,rnz etc

  2. Ad 2
    11 December 2019 at 8:38 am

    The left will win again when they become more creative liars.

    Catch up people!

    • bwaghorn 2.1
      11 December 2019 at 11:29 am

      You’re part of the problem if that's your attitude.

      • Ad 2.1.1
        11 December 2019 at 11:50 am

        Prepare to keep losing then.

        Theres now no regulation of campaign speech in strong democracies.

        Rules won't save the left.

        • UncookedSelachimorpha 2.1.1.1
          11 December 2019 at 12:28 pm

          Theres now no regulation of campaign speech in which is one of the reasons there are no strong democracies.

          FIFY

          Copying the lies of the right is the last thing we should do.

          • Ad 2.1.1.1.1
            11 December 2019 at 1:00 pm

            There are plenty of strong democracies. You're commenting from one of them.

            And the only reason Labor won here last time is because we got a good leader at the last minute. Not because of our policies or our campaign tactics.

            Copying winning strategies from others within a strong democracy is just common sense.

            • Incognito 2.1.1.1.1.1
              11 December 2019 at 1:06 pm

              IIRC, Jacinda Ardern took over the leadership 7 weeks out from Election Day. Her skills as Party leader (and potential PM) were untested.

              • weka …
                11 December 2019 at 1:09 pm

                also, there was so much going on at the last election it's hard to tell what were the contributing factors. But a big chunk of the left votes on policy and has values around lying, so Labour using campaign tactics that ignore policy and lie like National is likely to increase the non-vote. Might increase the Green vote of course, so maybe Ad is on to something there.

                • Incognito …
                  11 December 2019 at 1:20 pm

                  Sure, Ad could well be right but I don’t endorse lying to win an election. Why stop once sworn in?

                  Politics is not a contest of lies, it is a contest of ideas. Using rhetoric or the art of persuasion does not equal lying. Lying is the last refuge of a scoundrel.

                  • Ad …
                    11 December 2019 at 1:28 pm

                    And there's no such thing as truth in an election either.

                    Stop trying to find it.

                    If Labour had had a better ad campaign than Dancing Cossacks we'd have about the same retirement wealth as Australia right now.

                    The purity contest for ideas can be found at the manifesto workshops. They're down the hall; you go left, then left, then left again. You can't miss it.

                    • Incognito …
                      11 December 2019 at 10:28 pm

                      False dichotomy there, Ad. I don’t like lies and I don’t endorse them, but this doesn’t mean I advocate some kind of pure perfection and only seek and accept the Truth. I’m enough of a realist to know that ideas, intentions, aspirations can be relatively pure but that implementation and putting these into practice requires compromise at many different levels. None of that, however, makes a plausible argument for straight out lying or lying from the outset. By analogy, a comedian can only be ‘funny’ by telling crude vulgar sexist and racist ‘jokes’. I’d like to think that politicians should be more imaginative, creative, inventive, and courageous in getting their message across and countering the message of the (their) opposition. You put it as lying or losing. Maybe you were trying to be provocative? What do all those comms people do for a living?

                  • weka …
                    11 December 2019 at 1:36 pm

                    He's not right, I was being facetious about the Green vote (I think it's true, but it's still not a good idea).

                  • Gosman …
                    11 December 2019 at 1:41 pm

                    But you think anyone holding a view further than slightly right of center must be lying as they want policies that don't benefit society only themselves

                    [Letting this one through so that you can show where I said that or face a ban. I’m tired of your trolling – Incognito]

              • Ad …
                11 December 2019 at 1:25 pm

                She generated a huge popularity surge and that's why we got the win. She personally changed the campaign slogan to "Let's Do This".

                Social media just exploded.

                There's no other factor.

                Of course we could just go along and presume a leader like her will always emerge at just the right time.

                Best of luck with that, but from experience over the John Key era, it's hard work.

                • Incognito …
                  11 December 2019 at 1:31 pm

                  I don’t disagree with all that but before you said it was because “we got a good leader at the last minute” and you saw no role for policies or campaign tactics. You now seem to be contradicting yourself.

                  Sloppy wording or simplistic reductionist thinking, take your pick 😉

                  • Ad …
                    11 December 2019 at 1:34 pm

                    Well obviously last time our campaign tactics were shit until we got a better communicator on board. She now runs the country.

                    She led the communications shift through the digital space herself (with help of course). No need to discuss what is truth or mistruth or untruth there: it's simply better campaign leadership.

                    • weka …
                      11 December 2019 at 4:38 pm

                      I don't think it is obvious. Part of the reason why Labour's support picked up was because a chunk of swing voters wanted to vote for someone they like and could feel good about (and Little wasn't it, for a range of reasons). Also, the shift from the Greens because of the post-Turei welfare speech fallout.

                      Like Incognito, I find your argument here a bit uneven. That JA is also good with social media doesn't mean that Labour need to lie as well as National.

                    • Incognito …
                      11 December 2019 at 9:09 pm

                      You lost me here (wouldn’t be the first time though). We won in 2017, assuming that’s what we’re talking about, because of good or better campaign leadership; before Jacinda Ardern took over (the campaign), the campaign tactics were shite lacking. However, at 2.1.1.1.1 you were saying it was down to good leadership and “[n]ot because of our policies or our campaign tactics”!? I also struggle with your presumed irrelevancy of (our) policies. Surely, you’re not suggesting that NZ politics are so superficial that any figurehead with a good mouth and SM skills could win the election for just about any party. It is tempting to accept that because it would mean that National stands no chance as long as Simon Bridges is their leader 😉

              • Rastus …
                15 December 2019 at 9:42 am

                It was enough that she wasn't Andrew Little.

        • McFlock 2.1.1.2
          11 December 2019 at 2:30 pm

          If both sides lie as bad as each other, there's no difference.

          A victory in those circumstances is still a loss.

          And we can win without being the most copious liars on the block. Case in point: our PM.

  3. Jimmy 3
    11 December 2019 at 9:20 am

    All politicians lie and make ridiculous promises that sound great in theory but are not possible. Once elected the excuses come out. Don't forget Kiwibuild said it would build 100,000 houses!

    As for the graphs…there are lies, damn lies and statistics

    • Sacha 3.1
      11 December 2019 at 10:02 am

      All politicians lie

      That is what the lying ones want us to believe.

      • tc 3.1.1
        11 December 2019 at 4:46 pm

        Key's greatest political achievements IMO was via DP and smearing through the MSM he got the sheeple thinking they're all the same.

    • michelle 3.2
      11 December 2019 at 11:09 am

      Some lie more than others Jimmy and at the moment the national party are winning that race ( the liars race)

    • weka 3.3
      11 December 2019 at 12:57 pm

      "Don't forget Kiwibuild said it would build 100,000 houses!"

      That wasn't a lie. It was an ambitious plan that failed. The difference is important.

      • Jimmy 3.3.1
        11 December 2019 at 2:07 pm

        I will have to disagree with you on that one. They were told it was over ambitious and not achievable before they were elected and the results to date have confirmed it. When does an over ambitious plan become a lie? Another example of planting a billion trees also comes to mind……

        I think political parties need to be more accountable (other than every three years when we vote) on what they "promise". If National say if they are elected and for example said they will make a two lane highway with median barrier the length of the country, Labour could say, we will make a four lane one.

        • weka 3.3.1.1
          11 December 2019 at 2:16 pm

          A lie would be 'we know this isn't going to work, but we're going to do it anyway and pretend it will'. I don't think this is what happened. They fucked up (with the policy from the start), but that's different.

          It looks to me like Labour (and Ardern) thought a number of things were going to be easier than they have been. The issue for me is whether they are learning from that experience.

          I agree about the accountability. The Greens Policy Costings Unit policy would be a start. Afaik it didn't make it through coalition negotiations.

          https://www.greens.org.nz/policy/fairer-society/policy-costings-unit

          Planting a billion trees seems more doable to me, the problem there is that it should have been given to the Greens to do. Much of what happens with this govt is tradeoffs between the three parties. With this I wish we had a system where they could be more honest about it.

          • McFlock 3.3.1.1.1
            11 December 2019 at 2:37 pm

            What I love is that during the campaign the tories said that both KB and the billion trees were totally crazy talk.

            Sure, KB has been a bit of a fizzer, but they're srangely silent about the trees lol

  4. Sacha 4
    11 December 2019 at 9:31 am

    Monbiot on lying for political gain in a context of toothless media regulation: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/10/break-embargo-expose-press-lies-labour

    If elections are won by lies, we find ourselves governed by liars. They won’t hesitate to ramp up their deceptions when in office.

  5. Bill 5
    11 December 2019 at 9:56 am

    Can I… You write – The media is that compromised, that bereft of resources and that fearful for its future that it will not and cannot question the crap that is coming out of the right.

    Media isn't compromised in the way you suggest Micky. Our political discourse is in the shit can because (and this applies to Labour too) politicians are really struggling to defend the indefensible. They all want to see the indefensible persist because they all merely want 'their shot' at governing the status quo and making 'their shot' last as many election cycles as they can.

    Media's very much a part and parcel of the whole shenanigans that passes for politics these days – keep it dumb and very "Oh my gosh!!!" and preserve the notion that there's nothing out there bar this.

    Filling news space with wonky graph scandals and bullshit tittle tattle with either a red hue or a blue hue keeps things trucking along just nicely. Media isn't compromised. Media's a central player.

    • Gosman 5.1
      11 December 2019 at 10:29 am

      What is this nonsense about having to defend the indefensible? Ultimately your massively left wing bias has lead you to take a belief position which seemingly blinds you to the reality that people can quite easily have a different political view and can defend it.

      • Wensleydale 5.1.1
        11 December 2019 at 11:00 am

        Don't take the bait, people. Just pretend this comment never happened. Nothing to see here. Move along.

      • Tiger Mountain 5.1.2
        11 December 2019 at 11:08 am

        Ker splosh!… Gosman drops another one in the pool…

      • michelle 5.1.3
        11 December 2019 at 11:10 am

        Gosman can you please stop making lame excuses for the lying brigade national party

        • Wayne 5.1.3.1
          11 December 2019 at 12:36 pm

          I have noticed the Standardnistas are getting really wound up. Basically loosing all perspective and can only see Labour’s political opponents as the devil incarnate who could only be supported by evil people.

          Yes, the petrol price ad was seriously wrong (even David Farrar said so so he clearly was not behind it) but it was hardly the worst possible political sin.

          I would say, chill a little.

          • Ad 5.1.3.1.1
            11 December 2019 at 1:01 pm

            Based on the polling shifts this year, National's campaign tactics are right on the button.

          • weka 5.1.3.1.2
            11 December 2019 at 1:07 pm

            Sometimes people get wound up because there is something seriously wrong.

            If you don't want to be seen as a trolling, dirty politics, wind up merchant fool like Gosman I suggest putting some effort into rebutting what micky is saying in the post about National instead of inane comments telling Standardistas to chill. Because that comment looks exactly like what I would expect from the dirty politics movement that is now rife within the left (ignore the substantive points, instead have a go at undermining at the people objecting).

            You have a long history here of bringing serious conversation to TS. I don't know what's happened in the past few years but increasingly your comments look like astroturfing.

            • Gosman 5.1.3.1.2.1
              11 December 2019 at 1:27 pm

              What do you mean by rebutting? Do you want him to rebutt the fact that National are using politically spun attack ads?

          • Psycho Milt 5.1.3.1.3
            11 December 2019 at 1:55 pm

            I would say, chill a little.

            But you would say that. From our perspective, we've seen right-wing electoral success from campaigns of lies (USA and Australia maybe the foremost examples), we've seen NZ trolls-for-hire Topham Guerin promoted as leaders in running right-wing social media lying and smear campaigns, we can figure out that the trolls for hire are likely also working for National and we're now seeing an increase in lying, smearing attack ads from National. Don't expect us to assume it must be just our imaginations.

          • McFlock 5.1.3.1.4
            11 December 2019 at 2:45 pm

            can only see Labour’s political opponents as the devil incarnate who could only be supported by evil people

            It's odd, but my own impulses swing back and forth on that one. Some things I can understand as being from a different perspective, but then there's shitbirds like farrar and hooten and williams, willing to immediately make political capital out of every possible tragedy. The fuckers took barely hours to start blaming the government handling of the eruption.

            And some responses to child povertyy information are equally as sick.

          • tc 5.1.3.1.5
            11 December 2019 at 4:47 pm

            yes dear, wow DPF eh lots of integrity there.

          • Climaction 5.1.3.1.6
            11 December 2019 at 5:31 pm

            Losing their shit as any shit sticks to an incompetent government With more failures than wins in 2 years.

            cant think the last time we saw a post on the standard lauding a transformational left leaning policy, that succeeded

            • Incognito 5.1.3.1.6.1
              11 December 2019 at 5:36 pm

              That’s because you have a selective memory.

              • Climaction …
                11 December 2019 at 5:48 pm

                First year fees free – enrolments drop

                kiwibuild – .297% off it’s total goal achieved after 20% of the time has elapsed

                trees planted – a little higher, at around .578% of its target.

                One successful major policy achieved in two years of government? Anyone?

                [Do you enjoy trolling here? If so, please continue. Thus far, your comments have helped tremendously with robust debate and it would be sad to lose your contribution. Please provide links to show that you did not make up shit. I think you might be on thin ice with your assertion about enrolments but we’ll see what you come up with and it had better be good. I’m tired of your trolling here – Incognito]

                • weka …
                  11 December 2019 at 5:58 pm

                  Zero Carbon Act.

                  But there's always this to peruse.

                  https://www.labour.org.nz/progress-2yrs-2019

                  Much more likely is that the left are sick of the right wing trolls lying and being dicks.

                • Incognito …
                  11 December 2019 at 6:13 pm

                  See my Moderation note @ 5:48 PM.

                • Climaction …
                  11 December 2019 at 7:25 pm

                  Sorry fees free enrollement are up slightly but overall tertiary numbers are down.

                  Whether that’s a success or not depends on your point of view I guess

                  [You are not out of the woods yet, two more links to go. In fact, I asked for three links as you made three assertions and I have not seen any yet. We cannot discuss merits or success of stuff that you made up so we first need to make sure that you got your facts right. So far, you are on the back foot and I am serious about this – Incognito]

                  • SPC …
                    11 December 2019 at 7:38 pm

                    FFS. The purpose of free fees is to enable a no fees cost education, so people get jobs and save for a home without that debt.

                  • Sacha …
                    11 December 2019 at 7:42 pm

                    Tertiary enrolments always fall when unemployment does.

                  • Incognito …
                    11 December 2019 at 7:50 pm

                    See my Moderation note @ 7:25 PM.

                  • Climaction …
                    13 December 2019 at 2:56 pm

                    I posted a link from kiwiblog, again not the least biased of commentators but he's usually good on the stats front. this seems to have disappeared though.

                    I got trees wrong too, they're at 2.5% with 24.6 million out of one billion planted.

                    but I was right about kiwibuild. 279 house out of 100,000 is .279%

                    the numbers reflect an abject failure to deliver on major, election winning, policy announcements by this government.

                    [You made three assertions and I challenged you to provide three links. As it turns out, you were wrong on two out of three. I requested you to provide links and so far you have only produced one link. You make up shit, you correct it, with links. You make correct assertions, you support them, with links. What don’t you understand about the request for links? Your comments are held up in Pre-Moderation until you comply with the request for links. Your comments don’t disappear, they are held up until they are approved (or not). I don’t know why but I’ll give you one more chance or you come back after a long break because I have had enough of this and next time you make an assertion without link you’re out for even longer – Incognito]

                    • Incognito …
                      13 December 2019 at 6:31 pm

                      See my Moderation note @ 2:56 PM.

                    • McFlock …
                      16 December 2019 at 2:56 pm

                      Umm – no, you're wrong. The one billion trees policy was to lift total output to 1 billion trees by 2028. 100million a year, on average.

                      So far, 150-odd million have been planted, and of that 25 million were direct grants of government funding. You missed out partnership funding and the current status of the private sector.

                      So 15% achievement in 15-20% of the allotted timeframe. Not far off target, given that nothing magically appeared on the day the coalition was signed.

                    • Psycho Milt …
                      16 December 2019 at 4:15 pm

                      That's a scam that the Right's been running since the election, led by DPF who still has a "Government Tree Deficit" counter running on Kiwiblog. The grift is that they pretend the policy was for the government to plant 1 billion addtional trees. Looks like Climaction is one of the suckers the scam is aimed at.

                • Climaction …
                  13 December 2019 at 11:36 am

                  It's kiwi blog, but a neat summary.

                  turns out i was wrong about the trees promised target

                  https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2019/10/labours_year_of_delivery-2.html

                  it was 1,00,000,000 but they've achieved 24.6 million. which is 2.5% of the deliverables.

                  Still not amazing numbers though

      • Bill 5.1.4
        11 December 2019 at 11:13 am

        Liberalism isn't defensible from a working class perspective. That's not an exclusively left position btw. You think Trump was only voted in by people holding left wing political views? Of course he wasn't. The bulk of his formerly disenfranchised support came from people who were simply over having the liberal status quo imposed on them and their lives. And in Trump, they grasped at a forlorn hope for something different and perhaps better.

        But hey. If you can provide a link that offers up a robust defence of liberalism from a working class perspective in the 21stC , then I'd be keen to peruse it.

  6. Wensleydale 6
    11 December 2019 at 11:03 am

    I'd love to see Newshub or some other media outlet spend 30 minutes going, "Look at this! It's National! And they're telling lies again! Look at their dodgy statistics, hilariously skewed graphs and gratuitous hyperbole! They appear to be lying liars who tell lies! Could it be they have a history of this sort of behaviour? Why, yes… let's delve into that a little more thoroughly."

    Probably never happen though.

  7. pat 7
    11 December 2019 at 11:05 am

    There's lies…and then there's lies (and there's statistics)

    https://www.quickbase.com/blog/know-when-someone-is-lying-7-types-of-lies

    The problem is the shift in the type of lying….sadly a scrupulously honest politician seldom advances in his/her career
    P.S. and the apparent lack of consequence when exposed is extremely problematic

  8. Enough is Enough 8
    11 December 2019 at 11:44 am

    "It will not and cannot question the crap that is coming out of the right"

    I think there is a clear an obvious reason why they won't question it. Other than the tiny minority of people who read twitter (100% of whom are politically entrenched), no one in the real world sees this crap.

    National is wasting time and resources on advertising to their followers and their sworn enemies. The people who decide elections (people who aren't reading twitter all day), don't see that shit. So why would the media waste their time on that same shit when there are real issues to be discussed.

  9. Stuart Munro 9
    11 December 2019 at 2:09 pm

    Wayne wrote:

    an only see Labour’s political opponents as the devil incarnate

    The Devil is smart and sophisticated – no-one could mistake National for that.

    • I feel love 9.1
      11 December 2019 at 2:39 pm

      He also wrote "loosing" instead of "losing".

    • McFlock 9.2
      11 December 2019 at 2:50 pm

      The Robbie burns poem comes to mind.

      On John Morine, laird of Laggan

      When Morine, deceased, to the Devil went down, 'Twas nothing would serve him but Satan's own crown: Thy fool's head, quoth Satan, that crown shall wear never; I grant thou'rt as wicked – but not quite so clever.

  10. SPC 10
    11 December 2019 at 5:45 pm

    When you intend to govern in the interests of a minority lying is a necessity.

  11. Roger 11
    11 December 2019 at 7:23 pm

    Sean Topham (28) and Ben Guerin (24) (former Young Nats who specialize in social media-dirty-tricks) are currently spearheading Boris Johnson's social media campaign and will likely be behind National's current social media lie-fest. Topham and Guerin maintain offices here and will be back for the next elections. Topham and Guerin were instrumental in handing Scott Morrison and unexpected win.

  12. Irene 12
    13 December 2019 at 12:14 pm

    Crikey, didn't Hamish get it so wrong with his tweet, what a loser.

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    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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