The future of UK Labour and what it means for Aotearoa

Written By: - Date published: 10:09 am, April 2nd, 2024 - 55 comments
Categories: Deep stuff, Keir Starmer, labour, Left, uk politics - Tags:

Over in the United Kingdom it is clear the Conservative Government is on its last legs.

There are predictions that not only will it lose power but there are some suggestions that the loss could be catastrophic, with the party winning fewer than 100 seats and even the Prime Minister Richi Sunak being under threat.

From the Guardian:

The Conservatives are on course for their worst election result, winning fewer than 100 seats, according to a new poll.

The seat-by-seat analysis gives the Tories 98 constituencies compared with Labour’s 468, giving Sir Keir Starmer a 286-seat majority, the Sunday Times has reported.

The 15,000-person poll, conducted by agency Survation on behalf of Best for Britain, gives Labour a 45% vote share with a 19-point lead over the Conservatives.

Rishi Sunak’s party is on track to win 98 seats with none in Scotland or Wales, according to the research. It also suggests the prime minister is at risk of losing his own constituency, the new Richmond & Northallerton seat in North Yorkshire, to Labour with his lead less than 2.5 percentage points.

A brief review of the history shows clearly the reasons for the Conservative Party’s plunge in support.

According to the Office for Budget Responsibility Brexit has been a disaster. Who can forget Boris Johnson’s leadership duing Covid where an inept response caused many unnecessary deaths. Or Partygate where he breached well published rules and then deliberately misled Parliament over what had happened. Or the short yet destructuve rule of Liz Truss which led directly to the UK economy crashing because of doctrinaire commitment to tax cuts for the wealthy?

Richi Sunak has stopped the bleeding of support. But clearly the past few years have caused more than a flesh wound to the Conservative Government.

To confuse things however Keir Starmer has tacked Labour to the right.

I don’t know why he thinks this is strategically let alone morally a good thing to do. But refusing to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to stop Israel’s genocide of Palestinians has surprisingly not gone down very well with activists. And backtracks on green investment and the mistreatment of former leader Jeremy Corbyn and former front bencher Diane Abbott have seen a bleeding of membership. Under Corbyn in 2019 the membership was 532,000. The latest figure suggests that it is now 366,000 and that numbers have declined by nearly 24,000 in the past couple of months.

This is jaw dropping.

And the drop is not only because of people leaving in disgust. There has also been an active program of getting rid of members who think the Labour Party should actually be a left wing party.

From the Guardian:

Four in five Labour members back Keir Starmer and believe he will win a majority at the next election, according to private polling that shows the transformation of the party’s grassroots.

Two polls shared with the Guardian demonstrate how the composition of Labour’s membership has changed since Starmer was elected leader in April 2020.

Since then his advisers have embarked on a mission to change the party, starting with the proscription of several far-left groups that had been supportive of Jeremy Corbyn.

“There has absolutely been a deliberate strategy to change the membership,” one Labour official said. “The proscription of those groups was absolutely key because it sent a message that if you’re in any way affiliated with them, this is not the party for you.”

The United Kingdom’s first past the post system clearly gives the major parties considerable extra power. Unlike New Zealand under MMP disaffected members have nowhere really to go.

But this particular approach is converting Labour into nothing more than a franchise with some historical good vibes being used by those with little appreciation of its raison d’être but seeking to maximise their power.

And diminishing your membership means that you are more and more reliant on donations from wealthy benefactors, most of which are designed to maximise access and affect policies to their benefit.

Give me a mass membership noisy passionate and sometimes unpredictable movement any time.

I appreciate that careerist politicians think that their position should entitle them to a career.

But us activists are not interested in giving them privilege.

They are given the benefit of our support to do a job. If they are unable or unwilling to do this job then they should seek alternative employment. And make way for others that will do their best to advance the progressive cause and make the world a better place.

I suspect that Starmer will be the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and lead a labour lite Goverment which will be a pale immitation of its predecessors. New Zealand Labour should not think that this is a blueprint of what will work here in Aotearoa.

55 comments on “The future of UK Labour and what it means for Aotearoa ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Rose 1
    2 April 2024 at 10:32 am

    It gets worse. This from the BBC.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lancashire-68707225

    Sounds like the UK Labour Party wants centralised control. Now where have we seen them try that before?

  2. mike 2
    2 April 2024 at 11:00 am

    good idea to put the boot in before they've even been elected.

    can anyone imagine that happening on the other greedy and incompetent side?

    who needs an opposition when we can provide a home grown one for ourselves?

    • mickysavage 2.1
      2 April 2024 at 11:22 am

      I don't think that criticism in the Standard in Aotearoa will adversely affect in any way UK Labour's chances.

      • mike 2.1.1
        2 April 2024 at 2:00 pm

        of course it won't – its just that the same happens here.
        my last sentence says it all.

    • James Simpson 2.2
      3 April 2024 at 12:03 pm

      Because we should always call our government to account and push them to be courageous. Especially when they fail to do things that they promised to do or when they fail to do things we would expect of a left wing government.

      In a democracy it is our role to be critical of, and to challenge the government, regardless of who that government is.

      A left leaning government shouldn't get a free pass from us, simply because they are from our side. This isn't a sport where we simply cheer them on.

      In fact I'd go further and say our voices should be loudest when our side is in government. A right wing government will ignore our opposition, but it is my hope that a left wing government will react to what we have to say.

  3. Nic the NZer 3
    2 April 2024 at 11:02 am

    I think it should be made more clear that the Labour party move to remove left wing members is synonymous with the anti-semitism allegations. This suggests one of the basis for Starmer's extremely politically clumsy support of Israel is to maintain the narrative that the anti-semitism purge was justified. However its become clear enough to state in public that the main difference between those party members targeted and not targeted was their left or center politics, with the goal of purging the left candidates from the party. It should also be understood that if Starmer takes a public position against Israel then the same influence who smeared his opponents could probably destroy his reputation.

  4. Sanctuary 4
    2 April 2024 at 11:25 am

    Starmer is almost guaranteed to be the next UK PM. Unfortunately, he is a chinless wonder who entirely inhabits the narrow fantasyland of Westminster lobby politics.

    The most likely character of a Starmer government will be an ineffectual, tinkering Tory lite administration – a soi-disant social democratic party more interested in policing the remnants of the Corbyn left than effective government and one with no answers to the deep and systemic problems facing a post-North Sea oil, deindustrialised and massively unequal United Kingdom.

    My prediction is all a Starmer administration will achieve is to finally discredit democracy as an engine of change in the eyes of the UK electorate and to be swept aside in five years by a far-right, authoritarian Conservative party remodelled by someone like Suella Bravermann in the image of Hungary's Fidesz.

    The big worry for me though is the outsized influence UK politics seems to hold on NZ politicians imaginations. Luxon and Willis are clearly inspired by Osborne and Cameron, and I fear the biggest lesson Hipkins will take from Starmer's sleepwalk to victory is to reassure himself that simply being a small target and not being the other lot will work as an electoral formula for NZ Labour as well – despite the 2023 defeat saying otherwise.

    • SPC 4.1
      2 April 2024 at 11:33 am

      All somewhat so, but 5 years of Labour government rather than a continuation of the status quo is a short term good.

      The objective is to state clearly that the UK circumstance is poor and the problem requires a long term fix (two terms minimum) by those who not make the mess.

      People before the economy – well being budgets etc.

      And bravely bringing in electoral reform – preferential voting in electorates (50% to win) and SM seats (0.8% for one party list seat – 120 of those). As I recommended to Tony Blair in 1998 (only Jenkins seemed to get it).

      • Sanctuary 4.1.1
        2 April 2024 at 12:20 pm

        FPP will not be replaced under Starmer, all the increasingly ridiculous and anachronistic political trappings of British power like the bloated monarchy will be retained. Even reform of the House of Lords is certainly a bridge to far for Starmer, because the HOL is too useful as a pay off for friendly political operatives to reform. Arise, Lord Akehurst of Haifa, etc etc etc.

        Whatever you thought of Corbyn and his policies his destruction at the hands of an united establishment where Oxbridge liberals at the Guardian joined hands with the far-right smear merchants of the Daily Mail to see off the insurgency says the most important thing for the London ruling elites maintaining their status and privileges is far, far, far, far more important than doing anything that might help reversing the UK's decline.

        • SPC 4.1.1.1
          2 April 2024 at 12:45 pm

          One the current decline path Northern Ireland will join Eire (higher GDP, a better passport and no EU border issues). Continuance of the existing co-rule arrangement within Eire might well be enough to secure consent.

          Starmer should adopt a flexible approach on referendums – allow the people to decide by choice of passport (when a majority have Irish passports the area transfers to Eire).

          And Scotland could well join the EU.

          Starmer would be wise to form an English parliament as a repository of its nationalism apart from the Commons of the UK government, it is the failure to do this that led to Brexit.

          That and progressive government that improved well being for the people might keep the island of Britain united, that and constructive relationship with the EU – as its reliable defence partner.

    • Rose 4.2
      2 April 2024 at 11:34 am

      In Starmer there is an acknowledgment that in most western democracies the majority oscillate around the centre. When there is a desire for change there might be slight movement to the right (as in NZ) or a slight movement to the left (as there will be in the UK.) Generally there is no desire in the majority to sharp left or sharp right. And there in lies the challenge for Hipkins / his successor. Does he seek to out left TPM or the Greens with more extreme wack policies or seek a path back to power with a continuation of the left / right tinkering we’ve had in NZ since 1984?

      • Sanctuary 4.2.1
        2 April 2024 at 12:17 pm

        This comment is nonsense, have you even studied UK politics since the GFC?

        The Tories have retained power not by an appeal to the centre but with divide and rule via series of culture war distractions. Brexit, immigration, transphobia, Islamaphobia, cancel culture, "woke" etc etc etc. The big reason the Tories are now facing electoral catastrophe is their increasingly desperate attempts to use the levers of culture war to save them are no longer working or are actively backfiring because after 14 years, they've run out of people to blame.

        Starmer will sleepwalk to victory on the back of an exhausted, corrupt and distracted Tory party so bereft of answers that even the Murdoch press can no longer defend them. Starmer's polcy proscriptions, such as they are, amount to the weakest manifesto in modern times. Under Starmer, labour has been gutted of any vision or mission and it exists almost entirely as a vehicle for the Byzantine ambitions of the Labour right – they'll do nothing of substance in power and then once they lose in 2030 they'll all fuck off to the House of Lords and various private sector sinecures where their supine lack of activity will be amply rewarded by the UK plutocracy.

        • Rose 4.2.1.1
          2 April 2024 at 12:34 pm

          have you even studied UK politics since the GFC?

          Yes, extensively.

          • Sanctuary 4.2.1.1.1
            2 April 2024 at 12:38 pm

            That just makes your post look even worse.

            • Rose 4.2.1.1.1.1
              2 April 2024 at 12:41 pm

              If you cut the hyperbole from your post @ 4.2.1 we are essentially saying the same thing, so not quite sure what your point is?

        • Dolomedes III 4.2.1.2
          2 April 2024 at 1:17 pm

          You have serious problems with reality if you actually believe that the Tories have stayed in government by "divide and rule via series of culture war distractions". The 21st century British Tories – much like the 21st century NZ National Party – has been reluctant to fight the culture war. Despite their mediocrity and rudderless confusion, they've stayed in power for yonks mainly because UK Labour has been in even worse shape. Hysterical outbursts by the likes of Angela Rayner haven't helped. And Brexit wasn't a culture-war move by the Tories – have you already forgotten that pig-lover David Cameron called for a referendum on Brexit to silence the eurosceptic faction in his party, because he was confident of a "remain" outcome?

          What other "culture war distractions" you have in mind? Efforts to stop illegal immigration? Surely that's a reasonable and necessary objective. Telling UK universities they must allow freedom of expression on campus? And what is this "transphobia" you allege? Shutting down a clinic that was mutilating and de-sexing vulnerable young people? What would you say to Keira Bell about "culture war distractions"?

          You're right about one thing at least – Keir Starmer is indeed a chinless wonder. Though curiously you failed to mention two notorious examples of his chinlessness – his craven “taking of the knee”, and his prolonged difficulty in deciding what a woman is.

      • Drowsy M. Kram 4.2.2
        2 April 2024 at 12:31 pm

        Does he seek to out left TPM or the Greens with more extreme wack policies…

        More extreme wack policies, eh – such as a wealth tax or universal free dental care?

        All depends on your PoV – if one prefers the self-serving pro-feudal mindset of the landLord class, then NAct pollies are your go-to guys. Make hay while the sun shines on spaceship Earth – global warming and ecosystem collapse are not their ‘problem’.

        Gareth Vaughan on the RBNZ's competition reticence, landlordism & the housing crisis, Biden's crisis management blueprint, SWIFT & CBDCs, Germany's €23b green experiment [31 March 2024]
        Where Adam Smith and Karl Marx found common ground was in the idea that everyone’s interests are aligned against landlords: they are an economic deadweight. Even if we leave aside the appalling conditions and precarity that private renters face, anyone with an interest in lower taxes, lower wage bills and increasing the number of first-time buyers must equally be interested in smashing the private rented sector to bits. Homebuyers are now forced to compete with landlords, who chase sensational yields in our unregulated rental market, and £85.6bn a year (which comes, of course, from wages and taxes) is wasted on rent. A renewed collapse of landlordism would represent not just the tenants’ revenge for the housing crisis, but a much broader and more valuable moment of social progress.

        Bano has a book out. It's called Against Landlords: How to Solve the Housing Crisis. I imagine ACT leader and impending Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour won't be reading it. It was Seymour, after all, who upon the Coalition Government's formation declared they'd be restoring landlords' dignity.

        Restoring landLords' 'dignity' laugh That's a good one – one day early.

          • KJT 4.2.2.1.1
            4 April 2024 at 3:10 pm

            In other words aiming towards it while developing capability is definately possible. And I suspect, would have majority support.

            Unfortunately NACT do not do "building capability"!

            • Traveller 4.2.2.1.1.1
              4 April 2024 at 3:50 pm

              If the policy was truly for 'universal free dental care’, it is bats. No amount of 'developing capability' can hide that.

          • Drowsy M. Kram 4.2.2.1.2
            4 April 2024 at 7:32 pm

            Just a matter of funding 'prioralties' smiley – oral health vs welfare for landLords.

            Well, yeah.

            Yeah, well – and good (oral) health to you too.

            Greens' free dental care policy doesn't go far enough – expert
            [7 Aug 2023]
            NZDA chief executive Dr Mo Amso told Breakfast he welcomed the Greens' policy for "getting the conversation going", calling it "a long time coming".

            "They have identified as well that there are other barriers to accessing dental care," he said.

            "They're tackling the biggest barrier, which is cost. But they also, in their policy, recognise that there are other barriers such as rurality, where you live, that can significantly determine whether you can access dental care or not."

            However, Amso said the policy doesn't go far enough to address long sought after public health initiatives around disease prevention, sugar reduction, water fluoridation in schools and other social barriers to accessing care.

            He said there was an "undeniable link" between people's overall well-being and their oral health.

            Single-step move to universal dental care cost-prohibitive – Grant Robertson [15 Nov 2022]
            The [Labour] government is under renewed pressure to invest heavily in dental care after a report found treatment was so expensive some people were resorting to pulling out their own teeth.

            The Tooth be told report, commissioned by the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, said free or subsidised access to dental care in Aotearoa would save millions of dollars in healthcare over time.

            The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. – Lao Tzu

            But even a single step would be too much for some – unless there’s a buck in it.

            • Traveller 4.2.2.1.2.1
              4 April 2024 at 10:20 pm

              "Just a matter of funding 'prioralties' smiley – oral health vs welfare for landLords."

              No, just a matter of not wanting to waste money give welfare to the wealthy.

              "Universal dental care is a nice thought, but I don't think that is something that is achievable and don't think that is something a Government would be willing to fork out."

              Dr Russell said a targeted, subsidised approach would make a "huge difference to a lot of people's lives".

              Free dental care for all 'absolutely not possible', NZ Dental Association says (1news.co.nz)

              • Drowsy M. Kram …
                4 April 2024 at 10:42 pm

                No, just a matter of not wanting to waste money give welfare to the wealthy.

                Agreed, wealthy Kiwis get plenty of welfare, and our self-serving CoC govt is bent on serving them so much more.

                Your 1NEWS link (“absolutely not possible“) is over 4 years old – for a more up-to-date view of the NZDA's position, try this link – it’s not too taxing.

                Greens' free dental care policy doesn't go far enough – expert
                [7 Aug 2023]
                NZDA chief executive Dr Mo Amso told Breakfast he welcomed the Greens' policy for "getting the conversation going", calling it "a long time coming".

                "They have identified as well that there are other barriers to accessing dental care," he said.

                "They're tackling the biggest barrier, which is cost. But they also, in their policy, recognise that there are other barriers such as rurality, where you live, that can significantly determine whether you can access dental care or not."

                However, Amso said the policy doesn't go far enough to address long sought after public health initiatives around disease prevention, sugar reduction, water fluoridation in schools and other social barriers to accessing care.

                He said there was an "undeniable link" between people's overall well-being and their oral health.

                • Traveller …
                  4 April 2024 at 11:28 pm

                  Some of that I agree with. What I don't agree with is the government (AKA the taxpayer) paying for oral health measures for vast swathes of the population who can afford to take care of themselves.

                  Edit: If universal free dental care was ‘absolutely not possible’ in 2020, how can it be possible in 2024?

  5. Ad 5
    2 April 2024 at 12:25 pm

    New Zealand's Labour has just gone through a massive year of disruption and key personnel loss, and electoral loss, and loss of power.

    So my warning to every Labour member reading this is simple:

    Keep your Party membership current. Because you may well have to pick a side and deselect poor performing MPs, and get in better candidates. For that you need valid membership.

    Not a moment to do an Anderton. But we may need to roll the shit ones.

    They work for us.

    • Adrian 5.1
      2 April 2024 at 2:55 pm

      It may be a lot sooner than we think, there are so many stressors in the structure that keeps the three together, that one death or severe illness or an episode of truly bizarre behavior may be enough to pull it apart.

    • mac1 5.2
      2 April 2024 at 3:39 pm

      And if you're not a member, join. Even join another party if Labour does not fit, but join and be involved. Get into policy, candidate selection, fundraising, door-knocking, phoning, hoardings, be a secretary or treasurer, or whatever.

      Meet interesting people. Drink good fundraising wine (I just bought some today!). Sing songs into the small hours with your fellow lefties (we have the best songs).

      Just as in drama societies there are all sorts of roles to play. Take a part else you stay only in the audience and have no say in what is actually staged.

    • Darien Fenton 5.3
      6 April 2024 at 2:27 am

      Yes but we also need to look at who is already coming through and celebrate that despite Labour's smash defeat, we have MPs like Barb Edmonds, Aeysha Verrall, Camilla Belich, Willow-Jean Prime, to mention just a few of the smart younger women, in particular. Tangi Utikere is no slouch and nor is Kieran McAnulty. I don't know who the "shit" MPs are but opposition is a good time to hone skills and take the government on. Labour needs to get more MPs and you are right, selections will be important, as will policy processes, which are happening right now.

  6. Mike the Lefty 6
    2 April 2024 at 2:50 pm

    Things might not be quite as rosy as they appear for Labour.

    Note the astonishing victory for the left George Galloway in the recent Rochdale by-election, which Labour should have won in a canter.

    The Brits have rightfully had an absolute gutsful of those useless self serving Tories but that's the only time UK Labour win.

  7. Tiger Mountain 7
    2 April 2024 at 4:25 pm

    Mike the Lefty is right, George Galloway may not be everyones fave, but he has principles and sticks to them with good results recently from a large Muslim vote.

    NZ Labour needs to make a grovelling apology to the NZ working class for fucking their lives for the last 40 years and then move on to being a 21st century version of social democracy…that works in with TPM and Greens.

    • Grey Area 7.1
      2 April 2024 at 5:55 pm

      I agree with the second bit TM. Not going to happen though.

      • Tiger Mountain 7.1.1
        3 April 2024 at 9:49 am

        Heh, you are probably right GA, but…nothing ever happens if you do not raise a demand…

        I just hope enough new gens get politically aware and active.

    • Belladonna 7.2
      2 April 2024 at 6:35 pm

      Principles like these ones?

      This other election address, targeting a different demographic, tells another story. It trumpets Galloway’s record of backing Brexit, opposing Scottish independence and supporting family values. A whole paragraph is dedicated to outlining his opposition to transgender rights and his conviction that “God creates everything in pairs”. “I believe in law and order,” the letter reads. “There will be no grooming gangs in Rochdale. Even if I have to arrest them myself.” It ends with a deliberate nod to Donald Trump, promising to “make Rochdale great again”. Alienated white voters were a key part of Galloway’s winning coalition.

      https://www.theguardian.com/politics/commentisfree/2024/mar/03/writing-off-george-galloway-ignores-his-dangerous-appeal-to-both-far-left-and-right

      • Nic the NZer 7.2.1
        2 April 2024 at 7:56 pm

        Guardian on message for Rishi Sunak already? Apparently Sunak went on TV on the day of Galloway's election to announce he was dangerous, so dangerous in fact that he was quite able to greet him normally around parliament later that day (according to Galloway).

  8. Binders full of women 8
    2 April 2024 at 6:43 pm

    It's been 47 years since UK elected a PM not called Blair so the choice is obvious. Tack to the centre and win. Ditch the ee up by gum tards. What can labour here learn? Prob nothing…unable to connect with poor and workers.

    • DS 8.1
      3 April 2024 at 1:06 am

      From 1950 to 1997, the only British Labour leader to win an election was Harold Wilson. So what?

  9. Ad 9
    2 April 2024 at 6:58 pm

    Labour in the UK and in NZ could do worse than to go back to the Marmot report that Labour UK commissioned, which set out six areas to reduce inequality for people:

    https://www.instituteofhealthequity.org/resources-reports/fair-society-healthy-lives-the-marmot-review

    Pot holes and tax breaks for landlords didn't make an appearance.

  10. Res Publica 10
    3 April 2024 at 10:26 am

    I think the problem faced by just about every left (or center-left) party in every democracy is that the culture wars perpetrated by the right post GFC have left the electorate angry and exquisitely aware of the inequities generated by unbridled capitalism, but at the same time viciously distrustful of the state.

    We're boxed in by angry populism on one flank, and the popular perception as the left as being worse at managing the economy on the other.

    One potential solution is what UK Labour is attempting successfully (with a generous dollop of help from the Tories): accept those constraints, avoid spooking the horses, and hope the other side fucks up enough to have a shot.

    Another is to take some risks, make a clear and compelling case for an alternative, then actually deliver. Which is something NZ Labour categorically failed to do over the last 6 years, and which UK Labour no doubt will stumble over.

    However, option B requires solid, pragmatic, progressive policy, a desire and ability to judge and take political risks, and a sufficiently charismatic leader to sell these policies to the electorate.

    TLDR; insipid, incremental mumblefuckery might occasionally win you an election every 9-12 years. But only bold, brave, root-and-branch reform will actually change the world. And we can only pick one.

  11. Michael 11
    3 April 2024 at 1:30 pm

    "New Zealand Labour should not think that this is a blueprint of what will work here in Aotearoa."

    That is precisely what NZ Labour's apparatchiks will think. All they need to do is sit back, watch the wheels fall of the Nactzi threesome and walk back into the Beehive following a snap election. BAU with the PSA firmly in charge of the agenda.

  12. Darien Fenton 12
    9 April 2024 at 4:44 am

    bit late commenting here ; I agree on the surface Keir Starmer's language feels very National lite. But delve a bit deeper into their policy please : eg this "New Deal for working people". Looks pretty good to me.

    https://labour.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/New-Deal-for-Working-People-Green-Paper.pdf

  13. Mat Simpson 13
    9 April 2024 at 5:40 pm

    " Give me a mass membership noisy passionate and sometimes unpredictable movement any time "

    Unless they are making noise on here then you get rid of them

    Your a hypocrite and a sell out !

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  • Portrait of a Man.
    I am painting in oil, a portrait of a manWho has taken all the heart aches,And all the pain he can stand.I am using all the colors of blue,I have here on my stand.I am painting in oil, a portrait of a man.This has been an interesting week for me. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    21 hours ago

  • The Hoon around the week to May 17
    Helen Clark joins the Hoon as a special guest talking whether Aotearoa should join Aukus II, and her views on the fast track legislation and how Luxon and the new Government are performing. File Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    21 hours ago

  • Weekly Roundup 17-May-2024
    We’re at the end of another week. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked if the Herald’s poor journalism will cost lives On Tuesday Matt covered Wayne Brown’s proposal for public transport in the Long ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    22 hours ago

  • Rishi’s relaunch
    With an election due in less than nine months, Britain’s embattled PM, Rishi Sunak, gave a useful speech earlier this week. He made a substantial case for his government, perhaps as compelling as is possible in the current environment. Quite an achievement. His overall theme was security, first pulling ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    1 day ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #20 2024
    Open access notables Publicly expressed climate scepticism is greatest in regions with high CO2 emissions, Pearson et al., Climatic Change: We analysed a recently released corpus of climate-related tweets to examine the macro-level factors associated with public declarations of climate change scepticism. Analyses of over 2 million geo-located tweets in the U.S. showed that climate ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • The thrilling possibilities of charter schools
    You can be all negative about these charter schools if you want, but I’m here to accentuate the positive. You can get all worked up, if you want to, by the contradiction of Luxon saying We’re going to make sure that every school in the country is teaching exactly the same ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • This Unreasonable Government.
    Losing The Room: One can only speculate about what has persuaded the Coalition Government that it will pay no electoral price for unreasonably pushing ahead with policies that are so clearly against the national interest. They seem quite oblivious to the risk that by doing so they will convince an increasing ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Supreme Court weighs in on name suppression
    Name suppression decisions can be tough sometimes. No matter your views on free speech, you have to be hard-hearted not to be torn by the tug of the competing arguments. I think you can feel the Supreme Court wrestling with that in M v The King. The case for ...
    Media Law JournalBy Steven
    2 days ago

  • Is This A “Merchants” Government?
    The Merchants of Menace: The Coalition Government has convinced itself that the “Brahmins’” emollient functions have become much too irksome and expensive. Those who see themselves as the best hope of rebuilding New Zealand’s ailing capitalist system, appear to have convinced themselves that a little bit of blunt trauma is what their mollycoddled ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • This is what corruption looks like
    When National first proposed its Muldoonist "fast-track" law, they were warned that it would inevitably lead to corruption. And that is exactly what has happened, with Resources Minister Shane Jones taking secret meetings with potential applicants: On Tuesday, in a Newsroom story, questions were raised about a dinner Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Take that, Vladimir – and be warned: we have plenty more sanctions (at least, we hope so) in our ...
    Buzz from the Beehive One day – hopefully – we will push that Russian rascal, Vladimir Putin, beyond breaking point.  Perhaps it will happen today, when he learns that Foreign Minister Winston Peters is again tightening the thumbscrews. Peters announced further sanctions, this time on 28 individuals and 14 entities ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • More Harm Than Good.
    How Labour’s and National’s failure to move beyond neoliberalism has brought New Zealand to the brink of economic and cultural chaos.TO START LOSING, so soon after you won, requires a special kind of political incompetence. At the heart of this Coalition Government’s failure to retain, and build upon, the public ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • The Ombudsman fails again
    In 2020, the Operation Burnham inquiry reported back, finding that NZDF had lied to Ministers and the New Zealand public about its actions in Afghanistan. The inquiry saw a large number of documents declassified and released, which raised another problem: whether they had also lied to the Ombudsman in his ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • No Time To Think: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    “Members of Parliament don’t work for us, they represent us, an entirely different thing. As with so much that has turned out badly, the re-organising of MPs’ responsibilities began with the Fourth Labour Government. That’s when they began to be treated like employees – public servants – whose diaries had ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Lobbying for Waikato’s Medical School causing problems for the Govt
    It’s becoming a classic case study for why lobbying deals with politicians need greater scrutiny. Former National Minister Steven Joyce runs a lobbying company with a major client – the University of Waikato. The University desperately wants $300m+ of taxpayer funding to establish a third medical school in New Zealand, ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago

  • Picking Sides.
    Time To Choose: Like it or not, the Kiwis are either going into AUKUS’s  “Pillar 2” – or they are going to China.HAD ZHENG HE’S FLEET sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Universities offer course in self-serving cowardice
    Henry Ergas writes –  When in Randall Jarrell’s Pictures from an Institution, a college president is accused of being a hypocrite, the novel’s narrator retorts that the description is grossly unfair. After all, the man is still far from the stage of moral development at which the charge ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • The teacher trainee challenge
    David Farrar writes –  Radio NZ reports: The Education Review Office says too many new teachers feel poorly prepared for their jobs. In a report published on Monday, the review office said 60 percent of the principals it interviewed said their new teachers were not ready. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Words and (in)actions
    New Zealand’s economic performance and the PM’s vision   Michael Reddell writes –  When I wrote yesterday morning’s post, highlighting how poorly both New Zealand and its Anglo peer countries have been doing in respect of productivity in recent times (ie, in the case of New ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • What do you hope for/fear from the budget?
    Hi all,Firstly - thank you! You guys are awesome. The response I’ve received to last night’s mail has been quite overwhelming. It’s a ghastly day outside, but there are no clouds in here.In case you didn’t read my email and are wondering what on earth I’m talking about you can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on ACT’s charter schools experiment
    If there was still any doubt as to who is actually running this government – and it isn’t the buffoon from Botany – then this week’s announcement of a huge spend up on charter schools has settled the matter. While jobs and public services continue to be cut in the ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    2 days ago

  • Drought fuels wildfire concerns as Canada braces for another intense summer
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gaye Taylor As widespread drought raises expectations for a repeat of last year’s ferocious wildfire season, response teams across Canada are grappling with the rapidly changing face of fire in a warming climate. No longer quenched by winter, nor quelled by the ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus and pick ‘n’ mix for Thursday, May 16
    Half of Christchurch City Holdings Ltd’s directors and its chair resigned en masse last night in protest at Christchurch City Council’s demand to front-load dividends File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The chair of Christchurch City Council’s investment company and four of its independent directors resigned in protest last ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Controversial proposal could threaten coalition
    The University of Waikato has reworded an advertisement that begins the tender process for its new $300 million-plus medical school even though the Government still needs to approve it. However, even the reworded ad contains an architect’s visualisations of what the school might look like. ACT leader David Seymour told ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Of Rings of Power Annatar, Dramatic Irony, and Disguises
    As a follow-up to the Rings of Power trailer discussion, I thought I needed to add something. There has been some online mockery about the use of the same actor for both the Halbrand and Annatar incarnations of Sauron. The reasoning is that Halbrand with a shave and a new ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    2 days ago

  • The future of Nick's Kōrero.
    This isn’t quite as dramatic as the title might suggest. I’m not going anywhere, but there is something I wanted to talk to you about.Let’s start with a typical day.Most days I send out a newsletter in the morning. If I’ve written a lot the previous evening it might be ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • The PM promises tax relief in the Budget – but will it be enough to satisfy the Taxpayers’ Union...
    Buzz from the Beehive The promise of tax relief loomed large in his considerations when  the PM delivered a pre-Budget speech to the Auckland Business Chamber. The job back in Wellington is getting government spending back under control, he said, bandying figures which show that in per capita terms, the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Fucking useless
    Yesterday de facto Prime Minister David Seymour announced that his glove puppet government would be re-introducing charter schools, throwing $150 million at his pet quacks, donors and cronies and introducing an entire new government agency to oversee them (the existing Education Review Office, which actually knows how to review schools, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Setting things straight.
    Seeing that, in order to discredit the figures and achieve moral superiority while attempting to deflect attention away from the military assault on Rafa, Israel supporters in NZ have seized on reports that casualty numbers in Gaza may be inflated … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    3 days ago

  • Far too light a sentence
    David Farrar writes – Newstalk ZB report: The man responsible for a horror hit and run in central Wellington last year was on a suspended licence and was so drunk he later asked police, “Did I kill someone?” Jason Tuitama injured two women when he ran a red ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Unwinding Labour’s Agenda
    Muriel Newman writes –  Former US President Ronald Reagan once said, “Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation.” The fight for ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Sequel to “Real reason Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Chhour”
    Why Courts should have said Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Karen Chhour Gary Judd writes – In the High Court, Justice Isacs declined to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal to compel Minister for Children, Karen Chhour, to appear before it to be ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • The Govt’s Fast-Track is being demolished by submissions to Parliament
    Bryce Edwards writes –  The number of voices raising concerns about the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill is rapidly growing. This is especially apparent now that Parliament’s select committee is listening to submissions from the public to evaluate the proposed legislation. Twenty-seven thousand submissions have been made to Parliament ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • A generation is leaving at a rate of one A320-load per day
    An average of 166 New Zealand citizens left the country every day during the March quarter, up 54% from a year ago.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The economy and housing market is sinking into a longer recession through the winter after a slump in business and consumer confidence in ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • NZUP RORS back to life
    The government has made it abundantly clear they’re addicted to the smell of new asphalt. On Tuesday they introduced a new term to the country’s roading lexicon, the Roads of Regional Significance (RoRS), a little brother for the Roads of National (Party) Significance (RoNS). Driving ahead with Roads of Regional ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • School Is Out.
    School is outAnd I walk the empty hallwaysI walk aloneAlone as alwaysThere's so many lucky penniesLying on the floorBut where the hell are all the lucky peopleI can't see them any moreYesterday morning, I’d just sent out my newsletter on Tama Potaka, and I was struggling to make the coffee. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • How Are You Doing?
    Hi,I wanted to check in and ask how you’re doing.This is perhaps a selfish act, of attempting to find others feeling a similar way to me — that is to say, a little hopeless at the moment.Misery loves company, that sort of deal.Some context.I wish I could say I got ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago

  • The Rings of Power: Season Two Teaser Trailer
    I have hitherto been fairly quiet on the new season of Rings of Power, on the basis that the underwhelming first season did not exactly build excitement – and the rumours were fairly daft. The only real thing of substance to come out has been that they have re-cast Adar ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – What ended the Little ice Age?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Talking Reo with the PM
    “The thing is,” Chris Luxon says, leaning forward to make his point, “this has always been my thing.”“This goes all the way back to the first multinational I worked for. I was saying exactly the same thing back then. The name of our business needs to be more clear; people ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Waitangi Tribunal’s authority in Chhour case is upheld – but bill’s introduction to Parliament...
    Buzz from the Beehive It’s been a momentous few days for Children’s Minister Karen Chhour.  The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court decision which blocked a summons order from the Waitangi Tribunal for her. And today she has announced the Government is putting children first by introducing to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Australia jails another whistleblower
    In 2014 former Australian army lawyer David McBride leaked classified military documents about Australian war crimes to the ABC. Dubbed "The Afghan Files", the documents led to an explosive report on Australian war crimes, the disbanding of an entire SAS unit, and multiple ongoing prosecutions. The journalist who wrote the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • Some “scrutiny”!
    Back in February I blogged about another secret OIA "consultation" by the Ministry of Justice. This one was on Aotearoa's commitment in its Open Government Partnership Action Plan to "strengthen scrutiny of Official Information Act exemption clauses in legislation" (AKA secrecy clauses). Their consultation paper on the issue focused on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • TVNZ is loss-making, serves no public service due to bias, and should be liquidated
    Rob MacCulloch writes –  According to the respected Pew Research Centre, “In seven of eight [European] countries surveyed, the most trusted news outlet asked about is the public news organization in each country”. For example, “in Sweden, an overwhelming majority (90%) say they trust the public broadcaster SVT”. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • The conflicted Covid Chair
    David Farrar writes –  Kata MacNamara reports:    Details of Tony Blakely’s involvement in the New Zealand Government’s response to the pandemic raise serious questions about the work of the Covid-19 Royal Commission of Inquiry over which he presides. It has long been clear that Blakely, a ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Attacking the smartest and most resilient people in the room is never a good idea
    Chris Trotter writes – Are you a Brahmin or a Merchant? Or, are you merely one of those whose lives are profoundly influenced by the decisions of Brahmins and Merchants? Those are the questions that are currently shaping the politics of New Zealand and the entire West. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • A fortune-telling failure, surely, if the tarot cards can’t see a bulldozer coming
    RNZ reports –  It’s supposed to be a haven of healing and spiritual awakening but residents of the Kawai Purapura community say they’ve been hurt and deceived. It’s the successor to the former Centrepoint commune, and has been on the bush block opposite Albany shopping centre since 2008. It ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The climate battleground heats up
    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. Usually we have a video chat to go with this wrap, but were unable to do one this week. We’ll be back next week.Several reports ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Bernard’ s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Tuesday, May 14
    The Transport Minister has set a hard 'fiscal envelope' of $6.54 billion for transport capital spending. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The economy is settling into a state of suspended animation as the Government’s funding freezes and job cuts chill confidence and combine with stubbornly high interest rates to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on why anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitic
    To be precise, the term “anti- Zionism” refers to (a) criticism of the political movement that created a modern Jewish state on the historical land of Israel, and to (b)the subjugation of Palestinians by the Israeli state. By contrast, the term “anti-Semitism” means bigotry and racism directed at Jewish people, ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Climate change is making hurricanes more destructive
    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Because hurricanes are one of the big-ticket weather disasters that humanity has to face, climate misinformers spend a lot of effort muddying the waters on whether climate change is making hurricanes more damaging. With the official start to the hurricane ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Wayne Brown’s PT Plan
    Yesterday the Mayor released what he calls his “plan to save public transport” which is part of his final proposal for the Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP). This comes following consultation on the draft version that occurred in March which showed, once again, that people want more done on transport, especially ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • Potaka's Private Universe.
    And it's a pleasure that I have knownAnd it's a treasure that I have gainedAotearoa’s coalition government is fragile. It’s held together by the obsequious sycophancy of Christopher Luxon, who willingly contorts his party into the fringe positions of his junior coalition partners and is unwilling to contradict them. The ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Our slow regional councils
    The Select Committee hearing submissions on the fast-track consenting legislation is starting to become a beat-up of regional councils. The inflexibility and slow workings of the Councils were prominent in two submissions yesterday. One, from the Coromandel Marine Farmers Association, simply said that the Waikato Regional Council’s planning decisions were ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law after all
    Back in April, the High Court surprised everyone by ruling that Ministers are above the law, at least as far as the Waitangi Tribunal is concerned. The reason for this ruling was "comity" - the idea that the different branches of government shouldn't interfere with each other's functions. Which makes ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • NZTA takes the wheel after govt gives it the road map for regional roads (and puts a speed governor ...
    Buzz from the Beehive  Tolling was mentioned when Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced the government was re-introducing the Roads of National Significance (RoNS) programme, with 15 “crucial” projects to support economic growth and regional development across New Zealand. All RoNS would be four-laned, grade-separated highways, and all funding, financing, and ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • Change in Catalonia?
    or the past 14 years, ever since the Spanish government cheated on an autonomy deal, Catalonia has reliably given pro-independence parties a majority of seats in their regional parliament. But now that seems to be over. Catalans went to the polls yesterday, and stripped the Catalan parties of their majority. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • Having an enrolment date is not depriving anyone of a vote
    David Farrar writes –  Radio NZ report: Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins said the Electoral Commission should make sure the system ran smoothly and “taking away the right of thousands of people to vote” was not the answer. “Thousands of people enroled and voted on the day. If ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Perhaps house prices don’t always go up
    Don Brash writes –  There was a rather revealing headline in the Herald on Sunday today (12 May). It read “One in 8 Auckland homes on market were bought during boom, may now sell for loss”. The first line of text noted that “New data shows one in ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Can’t read, can’t write, can’t comprehend – and won’t think…?
    Mike Grimshaw writes –  At a time when universities are understandably nervous regarding the establishment of the University Advisory Group (UAG) and the Science System Advisory Group (SSAG) it may seem strange – or even fool-hardy – to state that there are long-standing issues in the tertiary sector ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Time for some perspective
    Lindsay Mitchell writes –  A lack of perspective can make something quite large or important seem small or irrelevant. Against a backdrop of high-profile, negative statistics it is easy to overlook the positive. For instance, the fact that 64 percent of Maori are employed is rarely reported. For ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Will NZ Herald’s ‘poor journalism’ cost lives?
    Earlier this year, the Herald ran a series of articles amounting to a sustained campaign against raised pedestrian crossings, by reporter Bernard Orsman. A key part of that campaign concerned the raised crossings being installed as part of the Pt Chevalier to Westmere project, with at least 10 articles over ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    5 days ago

  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to May 19 and beyond
    TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 19 include:PM Christopher Luxon is expected to hold his weekly post-cabinet news conference at 4:00pm on Monday.Parliament is not sitting this week. It resumes next week for a two-week sitting session up to and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • Webworm Popup Photos!
    Hi,Thanks to all the beautiful Worms who came to the LA Webworm popup on Saturday.It was a way to celebrate the online store we launched last week — and it was super special.As I talk about a lot, I really value our community here — and it was a BLAST ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago

  • DJ Fred Again – Assurance report received
    "On the 27th of March, I sought assurances from the Chief Executive, Department of Internal Affairs, that the Department’s correct processes and policies had been followed in regards to a passport application which received media attention,” says Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden.  “I raised my concerns after being ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • District Court Judges appointed
    Attorney-General Judith Collins has announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges, to replace Judges who have recently retired. Peter James Davey of Auckland has been appointed a District Court Judge with a jury jurisdiction to be based at Whangarei. Mr Davey initially started work as a law clerk/solicitor with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Unions should put learning ahead of ideology
    Associate Education Minister David Seymour is calling on the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) to put ideology to the side and focus on students’ learning, in reaction to the union holding paid teacher meetings across New Zealand about charter schools.     “The PPTA is disrupting schools up and down the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Craig Stobo appointed as chair of FMA
    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly today announced the appointment of Craig Stobo as the new chair of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). Mr Stobo takes over from Mark Todd, whose term expired at the end of April. Mr Stobo’s appointment is for a five-year term. “The FMA plays ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Budget 2024 invests in lifeguards and coastguard
    Surf Life Saving New Zealand and Coastguard New Zealand will continue to be able to keep people safe in, on, and around the water following a funding boost of $63.644 million over four years, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “Heading to the beach for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • New Zealand and Tuvalu reaffirm close relationship
    New Zealand and Tuvalu have reaffirmed their close relationship, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says.  “New Zealand is committed to working with Tuvalu on a shared vision of resilience, prosperity and security, in close concert with Australia,” says Mr Peters, who last visited Tuvalu in 2019.  “It is my pleasure ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New Zealand calls for calm, constructive dialogue in New Caledonia
    New Zealand is gravely concerned about the situation in New Caledonia, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.  “The escalating situation and violent protests in Nouméa are of serious concern across the Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.  “The immediate priority must be for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New Zealand welcomes Samoa Head of State
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met today with Samoa’s O le Ao o le Malo, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, who is making a State Visit to New Zealand. “His Highness and I reflected on our two countries’ extensive community links, with Samoan–New Zealanders contributing to all areas of our national ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Island Direct eligible for SuperGold Card funding
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced that he has approved Waiheke Island ferry operator Island Direct to be eligible for SuperGold Card funding, paving the way for a commercial agreement to bring the operator into the scheme. “Island Direct started operating in November 2023, offering an additional option for people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Further sanctions against Russia
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters today announced further sanctions on 28 individuals and 14 entities providing military and strategic support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  “Russia is directly supported by its military-industrial complex in its illegal aggression against Ukraine, attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity. New Zealand condemns all entities and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • One year on from Loafers Lodge
    A year on from the tragedy at Loafers Lodge, the Government is working hard to improve building fire safety, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I want to share my sincere condolences with the families and friends of the victims on the anniversary of the tragic fire at Loafers ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Pre-Budget speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for having me here in the lead up to my Government’s first Budget. Before I get started can I acknowledge: Simon Bridges – Auckland Business Chamber CEO. Steve Jurkovich – Kiwibank CEO. Kids born ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • New Zealand and Vanuatu to deepen collaboration
    New Zealand and Vanuatu will enhance collaboration on issues of mutual interest, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “It is important to return to Port Vila this week with a broad, high-level political delegation which demonstrates our deep commitment to New Zealand’s relationship with Vanuatu,” Mr Peters says.    “This ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Penk travels to Peru for trade meetings
    Minister for Land Information, Chris Penk will travel to Peru this week to represent New Zealand at a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific region on behalf of Trade Minister Todd McClay. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting will be held on 17-18 May ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Minister attends global education conferences
    Minister of Education Erica Stanford will head to the United Kingdom this week to participate in the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) and the 2024 Education World Forum (EWF). “I am looking forward to sharing this Government’s education priorities, such as introducing a knowledge-rich curriculum, implementing an evidence-based ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Education Minister thanks outgoing NZQA Chair
    Minister of Education Erica Stanford has today thanked outgoing New Zealand Qualifications Authority Chair, Hon Tracey Martin. “Tracey Martin tendered her resignation late last month in order to take up a new role,” Ms Stanford says. Ms Martin will relinquish the role of Chair on 10 May and current Deputy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Joint statement of Christopher Luxon and Emmanuel Macron: Launch of the Christchurch Call Foundation
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