The Government’s finances are in very good shape

Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, December 17th, 2020 - 66 comments
Categories: climate change, debt / deficit, Economy, employment, grant robertson, housing, International, Keynes, labour, poverty - Tags:

These are in remarkably good shape.  Who would have predicted that dealing properly with a global pandemic would have had better results for the economy than timidly dealing with it and trying to ensure that economic activity continued?

And that making baby boomers stay home and spend their wealth on new kitchens or meals out or local holidays would be much better for the economy than spending the money on overseas holidays or overseas luxuries?

Whatever the reason the country’s figures are looking remarkably good.

From Radio New Zealand:

A faster and stronger economic rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic will see the government’s finances headed back to surplus sooner than expected, according to the Treasury.

The half year economic and fiscal update (HYEFU) shows lower budget deficits over the next four years as a strong tax take and lower expenses bolster the government’s finances.

“While New Zealand’s economy contracted in 2020 it is forecast to rebound strongly in 2021, outperforming regions we compare ourselves to like the Euro Zone, the United Kingdom and Japan,” Finance Minister Grant Robertson said.

Economic growth is forecast to be 1.5 percent in the year to June next year compared with a slight contraction forecast in the September pre-election update.

Unemployment is expected to peak at 6.8 percent in 2022 and then decline over the next three years to about 4 percent, compared to a 7.7 percent peak forecast in September.

The lower jobless rate was expected to reduce social welfare benefit costs as well as boost the tax take, which would also benefit from higher GST and corporate tax revenue.

“The fiscal position is still challenging,” Robertson said.

However, higher income and lower costs are expected to see smaller budget deficits.

Net debt is now forecast to peak at 52.6 percent of GDP in 2023 down from the PREFU prediction of 56%.  If you look overseas the current figure for Germany is 60%, the UK is 81%, France is 97%, the United States is 107%, Italy is 135% and Japan is an eye watering 237%.

These figures provide a lot of fiscal headroom.  Which is why I would urge the Government to consider spending on some areas where there are crises.  Like:

  • Poverty.  Complete the implementation of the Welfare Expert Advisory Group’s 42 recommendations.
  • Climate change.  Build those walkways and cycleways and get rid of those coal boilers.  And while they are at it build light rail.
  • The housing crisis.  Get on with the building of tens of thousands of good quality homes of varying sizes that suit all shapes and sizes of kiwi families.

This Government has the opportunity to be completely transformational.  Now is not the time to hold back and look for a middle way.  Now is the time to be brave.  Let’s do this.

66 comments on “The Government’s finances are in very good shape ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Sabine 1
    17 December 2020 at 8:46 am

    oh yeah?

    Tell that to the Sally Army, to all the community food banks, the families that will have nothing for christmas and so on and so forth.

    Oh right, that will be next on the list, maybe something to promise with the next election cycle.

    But hey, boomers who don't need it are buying new kitchens, while others sleep and live in cars next to the few public toilets still available near rugby fields.

    Good grief, this is tone deaf beyond believe.

    • SPC 1.1
      17 December 2020 at 8:52 am

      You may have skipped right over

      These figures provide a lot of fiscal headroom. Which is why I would urge the Government to consider spending on some areas where there are crises. Like:

      Poverty. Complete the implementation of the Welfare Expert Advisory Group’s 42 recommendations.

      Climate change. Build those walkways and cycleways and get rid of those coal boilers. And while they are at it build light rail.

      The housing crisis. Get on with the building of tens of thousands of good quality homes of varying sizes that suit all shapes and sizes of kiwi families.

      • Sabine 1.1.1
        17 December 2020 at 12:32 pm

        Mickey might be urging the government to do stuff,

        sadly the government don't give no fucks nor shits and does very little.

        As i said, wishfull thinking never fed anyon e, never housed anyone, and certainly never did lift up those that need money more then anything else.

        But maybe the Ghosts of Christmas past, present and future will visist these empty suits and they will drop a few dollars and second bowl of soup to the poor children of poor adults that have not got enough.

        Oh right, they ruled that out. So not gonna happen.

        • SPC 1.1.1.1
          17 December 2020 at 12:44 pm

          Sure, there is a lack of immediate proactivity.

          The government rides out the pandemic, secures the election win by being acceptable to the middle class and then waits for the new year and the next budget round to respond to growing and acute hardship (referring to past actions to help for now).

          The ship of state is what it is.

    • woodart 1.2
      17 December 2020 at 10:47 am

      actually, YOU are tone deaf. do you come on here prepared to whinge, or do you have to work at it.?I have never seen any constructive critisism from you, just incessant whingeing. not at all helpful . constructive critisism would be mentioning free dental care, or restructuring beneficiary tax rates for part time work. not just whingeing…..

      • SPC 1.2.1
        17 December 2020 at 11:37 am

        The worth of the increase in amount that beneficiaries can earn before the abatement at 70 cents in the dollar will come through when there is more part-time employment as we come out of this pandemic.

    • Adrian Thornton 1.3
      17 December 2020 at 11:24 am

      +1 @Sabine, now brace yourself for the Labour sycophants to come on and barate you for actually demanding real progressive change now…..however that is just a fantasy or course, we all know that the so called middle classes is who and what Labour has really come to represent…first and foremost, that is just a plain fact born out of Labours own actions and policies (or lack of either as the case maybe)…

      Labour’s landslide election win was “inspirational” and will create even more excitement in property, says Auckland real estate millionaire Don Ha.

      https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/real-estate/123141018/house-prices-set-to-keep-soaring-after-labours-inspirational-win

      Jacinda Ardern says 'sustained moderation' remains the Government's goal when it comes to house prices, as people 'expect' the value of their most valuable asset to keep rising

      https://www.interest.co.nz/property/108301/pm-jacinda-ardern-says-sustained-moderation-remains-governments-goal-when-it-comes

      And to add insult to injury that prick Grant Robertson who had his University education for free is happy to burden all our children with huge debt for that same privilege….and then the rents this generation have to pay while they are studying are fucking obscene…but not it seems to this lot, no they are busy normalizing it all.

      • James Thrace 1.3.1
        17 December 2020 at 11:49 am

        Grant Robertson was part of the first generation of student loan payers, coupled with interest on his loan while he was studying.

        Hardly "free"

        • Sabine 1.3.1.1
          17 December 2020 at 12:33 pm

          and then he joined government and did nothing to make it easier on people that have it harder then himself.

        • Adrian Thornton 1.3.1.2
          17 December 2020 at 12:56 pm

          Thanks for correcting me there, my bad.

          However my point still stands, straddling our youth with debt for education…what else do you need say about the ugly Liberal political ideology that Robertson is the cheerleader of? I mean seriously it is about as a low brow, bottom feeding, short term thinking political ideology that has existed…

          Typical of this Liberal view on education…it's always a race to bottom with this lot, Labour and National are as bad as each other….

          71 Massey professors hit out over controversial science shake-up

          https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/71-massey-professors-hit-out-over-controversial-science-shake-up/QFMKVCY7QS5G2VPAE32BCQDVJA/

          • Siobhan 1.3.1.2.1
            17 December 2020 at 3:01 pm

            Don't feel too bad….For some reason 'statsNZ' is "Closed"..but if you google "Average Student Loan Leaving Debt' (Image) and squint really hard, you will get some idea of how much individual student debt has increased since 1992….so while not free, Robinson enjoyed a far far easier debt burden than students over the last 20 years…

      • gsays 1.3.2
        17 December 2020 at 12:47 pm

        How to tell if you are a Labour sycophant number 1:

        You view a 'surplus' as good management.

  2. Pat 2
    17 December 2020 at 8:53 am

    The governments finances are in 'good' shape as long as the international financiers deem them so…and in an economy reliant on imports to function that approval is critical, sadly.

    • Ad 2.1
      17 December 2020 at 9:00 am

      The overseas banks and rating agencies adore us.

    • Tricledrown 2.2
      17 December 2020 at 9:24 am

      Tough times for every country our balance of payments is the best in years cheap oil low demand now vaccines are becoming available our country starts at a much higher point of economic activity than most so will grow faster than most it will be at least 18 months plus before the economy fully recovers.

      • Incognito 2.2.1
        17 December 2020 at 11:35 am

        Do you ever read replies to your comments and if so, why don’t you respond to those replies? It’s a weird way of ‘engaging’!?

    • Nic the NZer 2.3
      17 December 2020 at 10:54 am

      What exactly do you think happens if financiers stop rating NZ? They are irrelevant and corrupt to boot.

      In Australia some states have been downgraded to AA+ from AAA. Meanwhile the countries central bank governor has been telling them that the important thing is states supporting economic growth and they shouldn't worry about credit ratings because their central bank has their back anyway.

      • Pat 2.3.1
        17 December 2020 at 1:08 pm

        The RBNZ only issues NZD…and that buys sweet FA…unless you happen to think you can have an operating first world economy that runs on milk powder, logs, wine and fruit.

        And credit ratings agencies may well be corrupt but they hold sway over the desirability of the NZD…..unless again you believe what we have to offer the world is so unique and desirable that we can ignore the fact that for 40 years we havnt managed to convince anyone of that to the tune of billions shortfall a year.

        So by all means ignore the credit ratings agencies and the capital markets if you are prepared to restrict everyones access to all those things they expect/demand…..something tells me you would be neither up front about about such and also well insulated from the effects or you wouldnt be so enthusiastic about its imposition

        • Nic the NZer 2.3.1.1
          17 December 2020 at 3:23 pm

          So the credit rating agencies are going to lock us out of foreign exchange markets, is apparently the mechanism.

          However should we really be getting permission from offshore private finance firms before undertaking cycleway building, removing coal boilers or responding to climate change? I am going to suggest that is extremely dodgy belief. New Zealand is more than capable of doing those kinds of things for itself of course.

          As to the evidence (which you present) after 40 years of trade deficits its clear these guys are either not that fussed or not that influential.

          • Pat 2.3.1.1.1
            17 December 2020 at 4:29 pm

            The credit ratings agencies dont lock you out (you usually lock yourself out) but they can cause you to be priced out which has the same effect.

            I doubt that cycleways or coal boilers are on the list of concerns and responding to climate change would I expect only be an issue if handled poorly…as to our capability, it has steadily reduced to the point where we are unable to manage a basic residential construction programme without outside input so I wouldnt be so confident …certainly in the short/medium term, without a considerable period of investment in improving that local capability.

            Not that fussed?…theyve extracted a pretty good return to date and own over half the countries assets in return, not to mention having considerable influence over policy …change those parameters and see how fussed they are.

            • Nic the NZer 2.3.1.1.1.1
              17 December 2020 at 6:40 pm

              There is just something very inconsistent about these claims about the need for New Zealand to have to run trade surpluses (or else).

              As you noted the country has a pretty long standing record of not running trade surpluses and the or else doesn't appear to be happening.

              As for the claim that credit rating agencies own over half the countries assets, I mean in which alternate universe? Please do give us the link and send it on to the overseas investment office while your at it.

  3. aj 3
    17 December 2020 at 10:01 am

    This morning RNZ nat's financial spokesman Woodhouse . . . 'the governments finances are just like a household'…. blah blah blah. The last 30yrs of neoliberalism set in stone

    • Siobhan 3.1
      17 December 2020 at 11:40 am

      All the more weird and downright delusional/dishonest a comparison given that Households Debt To Income in New Zealand is at 163.80 percent and yet we have a housing policy designed to encourage even more debt….

    • Phillip ure 3.2
      17 December 2020 at 8:28 pm

      woodhouse sounded like a voice from a long distant past..

  4. tc 4
    17 December 2020 at 10:34 am

    There's never been a better time to crack onto the 3 bullet points in your piece Mickey.

    Finances, Political capital, majority in the house, plenty of the term left to make an impact and sell it before next election.

    Get on with it labour !
    P.S. you. may want to look at RNZ handing the likes of woodhouse a soapbox rather than facing some tough questions. Not something nat pollys are used to from the msm.

  5. Siobhan 5
    17 December 2020 at 10:53 am

    "Climate change. Build those walkways and cycleways and get rid of those coal boilers. And while they are at it build light rail."

    Woah, woah there…hold your horses Mickysavage..we don't want to get too radical about dealing with climate change and the deepening crisis of trapped babyboomers running out of new cycle paths to explore.

  6. RedBaronCV 6
    17 December 2020 at 11:08 am

    Yeah sure the government should spend some cash on the entrenched problems – they need it. It could also tax the upper wealth more to get the deficit paid back faster ready for the next disaster.

    BUT above all it needs to change the background settings that caused a lot of these issues so they don't reoccur in the short term. Everything from excessive immigration to serious labour market reform to booting unproductive overseas investment – which would be most of it in our houses and farms to removing the local oligopolies in power and telecommunications. and whatever else I haven't thought of.

    I don't see any appetite for that at any level too much Tony Blair in high heels.

  7. Ad 7
    17 December 2020 at 11:22 am

    Minister of Finance Robertson and the Treasury team should be congratulated.

    We remain at just over 5% unemployed, and with an underutilisation rate of 13% the right low paid and low value jobs in low productivity industries are getting squeezed the hardest: tourism and hospitality.

    We have no massive rise in mortgagee sales.

    We have a popular and effective government who is managing the economy very well.

    New Zealand is also within the set of countries where Covid-19 is controlled and also where economies are recovering.

    That's about as good a push into 2021 as anyone could wish for.

    • aj 7.1
      17 December 2020 at 1:50 pm

      That's about as good a push into 2021 as anyone could wish for.

      True. And we need this to provide a payout for ALL kiwis.

    • Pat 7.2
      17 December 2020 at 2:08 pm

      "We have no massive rise in mortgagee sales"

      "Since the original guidance was issued in March, many lenders have been supporting customers affected financially by COVID-19. The regulatory guidance means banks can continue to offer temporary mortgage deferrals to their customers, without those loans being viewed as being in default, Deputy Governor and General Manager of Financial Stability Geoff Bascand says.

      The extension takes effect from when the existing guidance expires on 27 September and will apply until 31 March 2021, at which point the usual treatment will resume. Banks will still be able to offer deferrals to borrowers after this date, but they will not have the same concessionary regulatory treatment."

      https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/news/2020/08/reserve-bank-extending-mortgage-deferral-scheme

      Even without the deferral scheme you wouldnt expect mortgagee sales within so short a period.

    • Stuart Munro 7.3
      17 December 2020 at 3:59 pm

      just over 5% unemployed

      The government that brought in slave fishers doesn't get to pat itself on the back. 5% (assuming the figures aren't juked, and they usually are) find their government is consistently working against their interests by tricks like mass low wage immigration.

      Now would be a good time to put governance on an honest footing, and the best place to start would be with a clear-out of neo-liberal civil servants. Brash didn't lard Treasury with a far-right freakshow for nothing, he was putting a mighty ham-fisted hand on the scale of evidence driven policy. Time it came off.

      • Ad 7.3.1
        17 December 2020 at 5:20 pm

        We dont have mass low wage immigration now. And not for a while either.

        • Stuart Munro 7.3.1.1
          17 December 2020 at 6:10 pm

          We've had it for decades, and in direct contravention of our immigration laws – which were selectively not enforced, as is normal in massively corrupt countries.

          Where are the prosecutions for fraudulent visa scams? The Bottle-O guy brought in 107 unskilled workers – there's 107 unemployed kiwis right there. Has he been fined the equivalent of 107 benefits for the working lifetime of those he fraudulently brought in? He has not. The ordinary NZer is paying the cost of his offending – no cost recovery, much less a deterrent. Where is the proceeds of crime seizure of his assets?

          We still have some hundreds of thousand of workers and fake students brought in under Key – it takes a lifetime for unskilled workers to work their way through the economy – the Russian slave workers are still here forty years later.

          Naturally the selective stats used by Treasury won't show that – immigration is an epic good – drives wages and latte costs down, and spruiks the investment property – yippee!

          • Ad 7.3.1.1.1
            17 December 2020 at 6:27 pm

            You seem closer to this than I am.

            I was referring to Pacific seasonal workers and complaints from farm owners, and tourist businesses anticipating the new flight bubbles.

            • Stuart Munro 7.3.1.1.1.1
              17 December 2020 at 7:51 pm

              One might expect, when criminal employers are selling residency, which was the fudge factor that made working for an abusive employer desirable or tolerable to 107 unskilled staff who got visas from him, that the civil service entity that always reduces human issues to accounting ones, would have done the maths on all facets of that curious business.

              Were the public service not complicit in allowing such rorts to continue, and keeping their delinquencies out of the public eye that is.

              The Bottle-O guy was merely one of the most public instances of gross abuse; treated as if he'd run up a few parking fines instead of generating substantial human misery and rendering the blithe assumptions upon which policy is made null.

  8. Enough is Enough 8
    17 December 2020 at 11:29 am

    Totally agree Mickey. Now is the time to do what needs to be done.

    I will be so dissappointed and disillusioned if we are sitting here in 12 months time still waiting for the structural reforms we desperately need.

    Have a good break Labour MPs. In the new year we expect nothing short of you hitting the ground running and destroying the neo-liberal economy that has caused so much pain over the past 35 years

  9. SPC 9
    17 December 2020 at 11:35 am

    The housing crisis. Get on with the building of tens of thousands of good quality homes of varying sizes that suit all shapes and sizes of kiwi families.

    Let's hope the Maori MP's make a big push for delivery of homes (small factory build) onto Maori land. Social housing of this sort would allow older Maori to have somewhere to retire to (iwi homeland community). Many older Maori cannot retire because they have market rents to pay. It would also assist with homelessness in Northland etc. The government costs would be the houses and the infrastructure.

  10. Muttonbird 10
    17 December 2020 at 11:38 am

    Yep. If only this government had the courage to deal with the pearl-clutching centre right the same way they dealt with Covid.

  11. Adrian Thornton 11
    17 December 2020 at 12:34 pm

    OK Mickysavage, how about we take out a little wager on this?…

    You propose the the labour govt implement at least one of the following …

    • Poverty. Complete the implementation of the Welfare Expert Advisory Group’s 42 recommendations.
    • Climate change. Build those walkways and cycleways and get rid of those coal boilers. And while they are at it build light rail.
    • The housing crisis. Get on with the building of tens of thousands of good quality homes of varying sizes that suit all shapes and sizes of kiwi families.

    "This Government has the opportunity to be completely transformational. Now is not the time to hold back and look for a middle way. Now is the time to be brave. Let’s do this."

    So, I would be more than happy to lose this bet, but nonetheless I bet you $50 to go to your (or mine if you lose) favourite charity that none of those three things (not counting cycle paths) are fully implemented within the next three years….or started at such depth that they are irreversible..what say you?

    .

    • SPC 11.1
      17 December 2020 at 12:47 pm

      Getting rid of coal boilers and building some light rail is doable even for this lot. The three year time frame will be the reason I won't take you up.

      • Adrian Thornton 11.1.1
        18 December 2020 at 3:55 pm

        I specified in the bet that as long as they had any of those three ideas started to a large degree ( in an irreversible way) I lose…so put your money where your mouth is my friend.

        • SPC 11.1.1.1
          18 December 2020 at 7:55 pm
          1. I suppose irreversible for light rail means a plan, the purchase of land and a start to construction.

          They have already announced funding to replace some school boilers this term,

          This includes $50 million to replace 90 school coal boilers

          https://www.education.govt.nz/school/property-and-transport/school-facilities/boilers/#replace

          I do not know how many coal boilers there are – schools also use gas and wood chip.

          2. Would a further committment to do more by the end of the 3 years (in the next term) be enough?

          3. Cycle and walkways – yeah they can plan, fund and start those by 2023.

    • Tiger Mountain 11.2
      17 December 2020 at 1:12 pm

      Your fiddy will be safe Adrian–but no pleasure in that for people in desperate need for the Govt. to do what is clearly needed.

      I really won’t enjoy three years of (justified) whinging about Labour not delivering by some, and three years of piss weak centrists finding a thousand ways to justify Labour not delivering!

      What would be good is working class and allies, getting organised to take on this Govt. not in an all out hostile way, given the current class forces line up in NZ, but in a forceful and strategic way. The money is there “just do it” Labour! If everyone goes all passive, and surly rather than fighting, as per the Clark years, 2023 is potential gift for the right and conspiracists.

    • Ad 11.3
      17 December 2020 at 5:19 pm

      Just go to Ardern direct on Twitter or Facebook. Propose them to her. See who follows – they will.

  12. Tiger Mountain 12
    17 December 2020 at 12:59 pm

    I have read Micky Sav on The Standard for many years now and it is no secret that he is a Labour Loyalist, so loyal that he makes some of the bubbly Labour loyalists I know personally, look half hearted. He is a man of the West, lives for Glen Eden and the Waitakere Board, and his dad was a union President.

    So, when Micky says plainly “ Now is not the time to hold back and look for a middle way.” re Poverty, Climate Change and Housing, the Labour Caucus should leap into action because Mr Savage would not say that publicly unless a whole bunch of New Lynn Labour people felt that way too.

    The thing with NZ Labour though, is the Parliamentary wing has without fail that I know of, subordinated the membership, particularly when in office. So even the most genuine behests will have little practical effect–“Jacinda and Robbo are not for turning” from their neo liberal orthodoxy.

    So direct action is needed to shift the Caucus by the working class and NGOs. Rent strikes, occupations of empty houses, community organising, strategic strikes and boycotts, revitalisation of Climate Strikes and school actions, picketing Labour Ministers wherever they turn up, large delegations to the new rural Labour MPs Electorate offices are what will turn the Caucus. Build a campaign to retire neo liberalism for good in 2023!

    • Adrian Thornton 12.1
      17 December 2020 at 1:31 pm

      @ Tiger Mountain, That seems to be a pretty insightful comment and probably not far off the mark, and your last part is right on the mark, direct action is what is needed alright.

      Turn Labour Left!

    • Ad 12.2
      17 December 2020 at 5:16 pm

      In my experience you get more done at barbecues.

      But if you want to occupy a derelict house, go for it.

      • Tiger Mountain 12.2.1
        17 December 2020 at 6:15 pm

        Direct action can deliver as seen every day in a micro sense in multiple settings. “but if we act we might lose…yes, but if you do nothing you will definitely lose”.

        Take historic Takaparawhā (Bastion point) and today–Ihumātao. The latter can go various ways, corporate supporters are obviously in the Māori world too, but at least Iwi members will now determine the outcome. Would not have happened without thousands of supporters ready to act–the Auckland Police were operationally out manoeuvred with their attempted night time clampdown when it became apparent they did not have the numbers.

        So many incremental gains have come from organisation rather than networking among the elite.

        36 years of institutional neo liberal theory and practice, where every human activity imaginable has been reduced to a transaction, where many New Zealanders know their Fly Buys Points, but would not have a clue what they should be paid for working a Public Holiday, is surely a mountain to climb, but passivity is not the needed response to this Govt.’s bourgeois paralysis. Jacinda is running some sort of “Chicago Boys” programme, while holding a ridiculous MMP majority.

        For a few amazing weeks the PM put public health before private profit–they need to make that the default setting. But it will not happen without working class action.

        • Ad 12.2.1.1
          17 December 2020 at 6:22 pm

          Go for it!

          1 win every 45 years seems fair return.

          • Tiger Mountain 12.2.1.1.1
            17 December 2020 at 7:52 pm

            Class struggle is cumulative actually, advances won are extended to other generations as long as they are defended and extended.

            Sick Leave barely existed in an enforceable way until the Northern Drivers Union won it in 1968, Redundancy Pay won by locked out Mangere Bridge workers in 1982, Paid Parental Leave, Homosexual law reform, Gay Marriage, Nuke Free NZ–all resulted from community organisation and action. Pay Equity and resulting life changing training and pay opportunities, and the $20 minimum wage are further examples of taking action getting results.

            • Ad 12.2.1.1.1.1
              18 December 2020 at 6:53 pm

              If you are interpreting Ihumatao as a class struggle you are deeply misguided.

              • Tiger Mountain …
                19 December 2020 at 1:08 am

                Failed attempt to deflect from my point about working class wins sticking.

                In a class society with a division of labour, and private ownership and appropriation of socially produced wealth, most actions involving post colonial fall out and challenging corporate behaviour, definitely are class struggle.

                • Ad …
                  19 December 2020 at 8:46 am

                  The book No Right Turn by Chris Trotter documents how wrong that set of assumptions has been over our history.

                  Your examples conflate working class struggle with generalised civic activism.

                  In one of the most unequal societies in the world, our activisms are now minor and managerialist.

                  • Tiger Mountain …
                    19 December 2020 at 2:15 pm

                    Using Mr Trotter, who I have known for approaching 40 years now as backup, shows how ill equiped you are to talk about class struggle. Chris is an articulate historian, but he vacillates like many academics and long distance columnists in search of the next payment–and who can blame him for that in one way.

                    You really don’t seem to understand what a class analysis of society is Ad.

  13. Maurice 13
    17 December 2020 at 3:28 pm

    We the peasants have not been picked clean yet nor has our ability to repay borrowing – so plenty of government funding still available!

  14. AB 14
    17 December 2020 at 5:41 pm

    Labour under Ardern is a brilliantly-led centre-right party. You have to admire them – everything the National party might have been if it wasn't in cahoots with the ideological freak show that commands the upper echelons of NZ business.

  15. Hunter Thompson II 15
    18 December 2020 at 8:35 am

    The HYEFU is only one way of asssessing our situation.

    Don't forget what Robert Kennedy once said – GDP measures everything except that which makes life worthwhile.

    Today’s news item on the half-built pseudo castle on the North Canterbury Plains sums it up for me.

  16. Tiger Mountain 16
    20 December 2020 at 4:56 pm

    To Ad at 19 Dec 3.07pm…

    “Working class struggle is dead here.”–what sort of fuckwittery is this? Does union activity not count as struggle in your world view?

    This past week First Union had extended strike action at Countdown call centre in Ponsonby, and Etū had a week of strike action by care workers at Lifewise Home Support.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Stories of varying weight

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 hours ago
  • Balancing External Security and the Economy

    New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    17 hours ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: The unravelling of the offsets

    The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    22 hours ago
  • What makes us tick

    This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    23 hours ago
  • Foreshore and seabed 2.0

    In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Royal Commission report into abuse in care

    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    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
    19 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

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.  “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

    The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New infrastructure energises BOP forestry towns

    New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 'Pacific Futures'

    President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests.    Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone.    Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-07-26T23:27:46+00:00