The Greens sticking to their guns (and their values)

Written By: - Date published: 10:57 am, September 11th, 2020 - 157 comments
Categories: election 2020, greens, james shaw, labour, marama davidson, nz first, tax - Tags: ,

The Greens just stepped up their election campaign. This is a bold move and suddenly I’m excited about the election again.

Jason Walls covered a range of things in the NZ Herald yesterday. On what a post-election deal between the Greens and Labour might look like with regards to power sharing,

The Greens are prepared to forego a coalition or confidence and supply arrangement and sit on the crossbenches if post-election talks do not go their way.

Shaw made the statements while visiting the Wellington City Mission, some of the poorest people in the country, and talked about the GP’s Progressive Tax Reform policy in its Poverty Action Plan.

More from Shaw on what could happen in government formation,

Co-leader James Shaw made the comments on Thursday, saying the only post-election deal that was off the table completely was one which would give National power.

(My emphasis so I don’t have to spend the next 5 weeks rolling my eyes every time someone trots out the right wing hand grenade meme that the Greens will/should support National)

However, he said if the Greens held the balance of power it was “always a possibility” that it would walk away from negotiations with Labour if they could not get the gains they wanted.

If there was no coalition or confidence and supply agreement, that would force a minority Labour government to seek the Greens’ support for legislation on a case-by-case basis.

That presents a few options (leaving aside NZ First for the moment):

  • A majority Labour government, with or without the Greens
  • A Labour-led government, with Greens as a coalition partner
  • A minority Labour government, with Greens giving Confidence and Supply
  • A minority Labour government, with the Greens on the cross benches.

It’s worth adding here that in that last scenario it’s extremely unlikely that the Greens would refuse to support Labour to the extent of an election being needed. I’m sure the Greens have bottom lines, but they also have a high commitment to relationship and working things through. Likewise Labour aren’t stupid and aren’t going to want to force an election either. There is significant overlap in policy and values between the Greens and Labour, enough to make such a fall out unlikely.

Also worth noting is that the Greens will want to be in government, with Ministerial portfolios and seats at the Cabinet table.

What I’m seeing here is Shaw saying that the Greens aren’t a pushover, and if Labour are ruling out certain policies and positions with regards coalition partners, ahead of the election, then the Greens are signalling  to Labour and the electorate that they can’t be taken for granted.

Shaw said a new Labour-led government would need to be in partnership with the Greens for it to be truly transformational.

“I think, in the next Parliament if Labour and the Greens are able to form a government together, then you will see a truly progressive government for New Zealand.”

Great signalling. The lefties, including Labour voters, who are upset about Labour’s steady as she goes instead of transformation approach now have a choice.

The ball’s in our court, lefties. We have a rare chance at an election almost certainly to lead to a Labour-led second term, so what kind of Labour-led government do we want?

On Labour’s announcement that there would be no more taxes other than Labour policy in the next term (and effectively trying to rule out the Green Party’s wealth tax),

He wouldn’t say what the Greens’ bottom lines in those talks were, but said a “wealth tax” was a “top priority”.

He would also be pushing for co-leader Marama Davidson to be a minister and suggested a Green MP hold the agriculture portfolio.

Perfect. Davidson should be a Minister, and the Shaw-doubters should take note of Shaw fronting the Greens’ social justice platform and advancing his wahine Māori co-leader in an environment that too often focuses on the business suited co-leader. There’s a reason why the Greens have co-leaders.

On working with NZ First,

But Shaw said the Greens would struggle to work with NZ First, adding that the Greens’ preference was “clearly” a government without that party.

Shaw renewed his criticism of New Zealand First, saying the party has been “extremely difficult, quite chaotic and not a force for moderation inside the Government,” during this term.

One of the biggest problems of the current government has been the degree to which we, the voting public, are not allowed to see what is really going on. The Greens being honest about the relationship with NZ First is useful, would still love to know how much NZ First has had power in vetoing Labour and Green policy and development., and really hope we can see some reform of how coalition governments are done.

It’s important to note here that the kind of relationship that the Greens have with Labour post-election is in the end decided by the members. It’s the members who get to say whether to go into coalition or C/S or cross benches.

157 comments on “The Greens sticking to their guns (and their values) ”

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  1. Ad 1
    11 September 2020 at 11:05 am

    Before Greend start naming Davidson or anyone into Ministerial seats, first achieve 5%.

    Keep tracking hard left Greens, you're on a winner.

    • weka 1.1
      11 September 2020 at 11:12 am

      Hard man centrist Labourite either can't read the room, or is being disingenous.

      Talking about MD as a Minister is a message to the parts of the left (ie. voters, activists and potential campaigners) that want more than Labour is offering on welfare reform (which let's face it, is nothing at this stage), as well as to Māori, including those that vote in Tāmaki Makarau where MD is standing in the Māori electorate. Maybe to the underclass as well, god forbid someone should represent them inside govt.

    • Incognito 1.2
      11 September 2020 at 11:26 am

      To win more votes, they have to track hard centre.

    • mickysavage 1.3
      11 September 2020 at 7:39 pm

      The problem is that the Green policy proposal will appeal to left Labour voters. There are a few to pick up. Centrists can flock to Labour but if enough lefties go Green …

  2. Reality 2
    11 September 2020 at 11:10 am

    Worth reading Daily Blog's latest on the Greens, where Martin Bradbury gives his assessment of why many have turned away from the Greens as being too scary and extreme.

    • The Al1en 2.1
      11 September 2020 at 12:25 pm

      That's the same arsehole who was a consultant to mana until 2013 and provided a draft strategy for dot com and the internet party.

      Sure, he'd know all about extreme and scary, just not hypocrisy and memory loss.

      Ignore. I do.

      • Andre 2.1.1
        11 September 2020 at 12:36 pm

        Oh I dunno. Now and then there's some amusement in a ranting buffoon. Today's splurt that Reality pointed at certainly qualifies.

      • lurgee 2.1.2
        12 September 2020 at 10:45 pm

        I didn't regard Mana as scary or extreme. I voted for them.

        • The Al1en 2.1.2.1
          13 September 2020 at 12:30 am

          The point being the greens are definitely not more extreme or scary to the general electorate than the parties formerly connected with the blowhard over at the daily blog.

          Who you wasted your vote on is of no concern to me.

  3. Grant Insley 3
    11 September 2020 at 11:12 am

    Counting chickens before they're laid, let alone hatched, methinks. Greens are not currently in a position to bargain or demand from. In fact the selective targeting against Labour instead of National is not doing themselves any favours either!

  4. Andre 4
    11 September 2020 at 11:13 am

    It very much looks like green issues are being shoved to the background and the "lefter than Labour" issues are front-stage. Which looks to me like repeating the 2017 mistake.

    • weka 4.1
      11 September 2020 at 11:20 am

      Lots of the environmental issues are integrated into other policy eg their economy platform is a green economy. Rather than the environment being an add on, it's part of everything they do, including their social justice policies.

      The Greens are lefter than Labour on the environment too. Like other parties, the Greens release their policies over weeks in the election campaign. I'm expecting the strongly focused environmental ones to be rolled out over the next weeks.

      I hear what you are saying about positioning, but they're damned either way. If they go centrist, they'll be attacked by the activists and look like Labour small (why vote for the Greens when you can have Ardern is the policies are the same).

      What's on the table already,

      https://www.greens.org.nz/ourgreenvisionforaotearoa

      https://www.greens.org.nz/clean_energy_plan

    • McFlock 4.2
      11 September 2020 at 2:11 pm

      The 2017 mistake was not realising some of their senior MPs were closet tories.

      But going for agriculture balances the perceived equity focus, I think.

      • Andre 4.2.1
        11 September 2020 at 2:18 pm

        The 2017 mistake was not realising some of their senior MPs were closet tories.

        That's not a bad thing if you're seriously trying to be green. Incorporating perspectives from the entire range of political thought gives a better chance of robust policies that can at least be swallowed by a larger portion of society. Otherwise, the "watermelons" trope becomes fair and accurate.

        • McFlock 4.2.1.1
          11 September 2020 at 2:26 pm

          I mean, I know I'm biased, but modern tory socioeconomic policies are incompatible with any but the most limited and ineffectual environmental policies.

          e.g. fisheries cameras. Water quality. Mining on "conservation" land.

          • Andre 4.2.1.1.1
            11 September 2020 at 2:34 pm

            There's plenty of right-wingers in occupations that aren't wanton resource exploitation that are disgusted with those things too.

            • McFlock 4.2.1.1.1.1
              11 September 2020 at 3:23 pm

              Not the NZ1 crowd.

              Not the nats.

              Otherwise attempts at blue-green parties would thrive, rather than being essentially stillborn.

              • Dennis Frank …
                11 September 2020 at 3:53 pm

                attempts at blue-green parties would thrive, rather than being essentially stillborn

                I've been pondering this. Best guess: better things to do. They would vote for one that got up & running & looked credible. They lack time &/or motivation doing the hard work to make it happen themselves.

                I recall you once replied here to me that you'd done time in the NLP back when I was in the Greens, and we agreed on the pros & cons of Anderton that day. You may have been one of those who put in the hard yards to make the NLP successful (or you may have just gone along for the ride). If the former, you know what a drain it is on your energies (physical/mental/spiritual).

                It's why I avoided being a joiner & just flew solo through the '60s/'70s/80s. But I'm glad & tried the self-sacrifice thing for a few years because it gave Aotearoa a green political option that works (in a schizoid kinda way). I reckon most rightists are just too individualistic to make that collective effort required.

                • McFlock …
                  11 September 2020 at 4:20 pm

                  "Better things to do".

                  That's just saying that voting nat and putting up with their environmental activities is easier than finding electoral support for a party that wants to protect the environment without changing the economic system.

                  You avoided being a joiner. But between the greens, social credit/dems, NLP, and a few others on the leftish, and ACT/United/a few other tory parties on the right, MMP has helped a number of new or smaller parties get somewhere.

                  But left greens do seem to be significantly more electorally popular than any attempt at blue greens.

                  • Dennis Frank …
                    11 September 2020 at 6:17 pm

                    left greens do seem to be significantly more electorally popular than any attempt at blue greens

                    Yep, the historical consistency of that pattern over quarter of a century is dramatic. I just wonder if it's due more to rightist political incompetence. If they got serious & threw people & money at the opportunity things could change…

                    • Andre …
                      11 September 2020 at 6:32 pm

                      Nah, there really aren't enough of them to make a 5% threshold. If the threshold were 2% – maybe. To even get that, though, they'd need someone a lot better than Vernon Tava or Nick Smith fronting it.

                      But when serious credible ones do make the effort to be serious with the Greens to the point of doing the work to get high on the list and even into parliament, then it's worth taking on board what they have to say. What might come out of that then has a much better chance of not just getting biffed out by lunchtime the day the next lot get in.

                    • McFlock …
                      11 September 2020 at 9:03 pm

                      While the Turei/Graham thing might have been ameliorated by some closer talks within caucus about direction, I don't think it would have been avoided.

                      A key part of environmentalism is sustainability. Applied strictly to the environment, this comes into conflict with capitalism.

                      And if you take that sustainability framework and apply it to wider society in order to eliminate the conflict between environment and socioeconomic system, then the likes of Graham will always eventually come into conflict with that framework.

                      Things like social equity and "identity politics" are attempts to lessen the exploitative and destructive structures within society. Attempts to accept and preserve the diversity of society, like preserving forests to prevent erosion and desertification.

                      I suspect that is why there are more red greens than blue greens.

                • solkta …
                  11 September 2020 at 4:22 pm

                  The more obvious answer is that they just don't fly – that you can't have your cake and eat it too. The Progressive Greens got 0.26% in the 1996 election.

            • weka 4.2.1.1.1.2
              11 September 2020 at 3:45 pm

              And the Greens will work with them. Problem is those people aren't making up Nat and NZF.

  5. Robert Guyton 5
    11 September 2020 at 11:21 am

    I love this positioning. James is front-footing. Those who want the Greens to be reactive, cautious, modest and retiring, should be kept well away from strategy sessions for this election. Faint heart never won fair lady. James is spot-on to take a lead on the makeup of the next Government. His claim that the party would walk away from negotiations with Labour if they could not get the gains they wanted is the soundest position to take and shows where the spine of the party is. Good work, James; you weathered the rain of nay-say from the rank and file over the green school, so this latest flapping-about will barely dimple your pond's surface.

  6. Ad 6
    11 September 2020 at 11:21 am

    After 3 years of getting thrown around Parliament like a rag doll, Shaw wants us to believe he's grown a spine.

    You guys are just toast.

  7. Reality 7
    11 September 2020 at 11:47 am

    Marama Davidson as Minister of Agriculture? Now that is scary and off the planet and any wavering Green voters from a rural base will take to the hills.

    • Incognito 7.1
      11 September 2020 at 11:53 am

      Stampede and gridlock traffic!

    • Robert Guyton 7.2
      11 September 2020 at 12:28 pm

      The rural base is already in the hills, isn't it?

    • bwaghorn 7.3
      11 September 2020 at 1:27 pm

      Just spied a very pro labour farming 70 something lady's post on my fb page .

      Simple said in large letters .

      The greens are dangerous!!!

      Not sure I agree but I cant help feeling many greens have fds. (Farmer derangement syndrome)

      • Robert Guyton 7.3.1
        11 September 2020 at 2:56 pm

        If she said, "the greens are dangerous", she was probably referring to some vegetables outside of the 3 she's traditionally served up to her husband. Kale, maybe, or, God forbid, bok choy!

      • greywarshark 7.3.2
        11 September 2020 at 3:20 pm

        Sheep can be dangerous. A ram managed somehow to cause the death of an old lady crossing its paddock. It's important to keep the mind alert to what is really dangerous, and what is disturbing. The Greens are definitely that. And when you live in Rip Van Winkle country you need to disturb strongly or everyone will sleep through. Perhaps the Greens should wear small ornamental cowbells based on the Swiss ones. Instead of cycle bells when out walking it would be the Greens out and about, 'ware a live person approaching!

        • bwaghorn 7.3.2.1
          11 September 2020 at 6:08 pm

          Na they dont need bells they can smell a green for 40 passes

          Shit I'm not sure what I am but the fuckers pegged me for different around here as soon as I moved here ,

      • Draco T Bastard 7.3.3
        11 September 2020 at 4:19 pm

        The greens are dangerous!!!

        To the unsustainable life that she represents.

    • weka 7.4
      11 September 2020 at 2:07 pm

      "Marama Davidson as Minister of Agriculture?"

      You misread.

      Eugenie Sage is the current GP spokesperson for Agriculture. She'd be a good choice, has ministerial experience, and the ability to cross the conventional/regenag divide.

      • Binders full of women 7.4.1
        11 September 2020 at 5:30 pm

        But sadly the best environment MP has been demoted on the list and will be less likely to get in than Chloe.

      • bwaghorn 7.4.2
        11 September 2020 at 6:12 pm

        Not a good idea ,I like Sage shes got guts and is the best green I can see .

        Big But though is shes already loath by many out here and you cant change anything if you cant take people with you .

        Her or Shaw as associate maybe but O'connor should have the job for as long as labour is in .

  8. Sabine 8
    11 September 2020 at 12:14 pm

    It’s the members who get to say whether to go into coalition or C/S or cross benches.

    really?

    • solkta 8.1
      11 September 2020 at 12:19 pm

      Yes. The negotiating team will present a recommendation but the decision is made by branch delegates.

      • Sabine 8.1.1
        11 September 2020 at 12:23 pm

        Yes, that worked well a few weeks ago. Did it not? And is this not the reason for this post today, namely that J.Shaw going it alone did so much damage that the Greens are now going on this 'we happy in opposition' tour of the faithful?

        So, color me skeptic.

        • Robert Guyton 8.1.1.1
          11 September 2020 at 12:29 pm

          I've coloured you dyed-in-the-wool skeptic.

        • solkta 8.1.1.2
          11 September 2020 at 12:29 pm

          What are you talking about? There was no delegate decision a couple of weeks ago.

          It did work well last election though.

        • Incognito 8.1.1.3
          11 September 2020 at 12:29 pm

          Completely different situations. The GP membership has no say in Government and Ministerial decisions (e.g. Green School) but they do have a say in post-Election talks/negotiations.

        • weka 8.1.1.4
          11 September 2020 at 12:32 pm

          "Yes, that worked well a few weeks ago. Did it not?"

          Do you really have to keep displaying your political ignorance Sabine? Matt and I have both written posts and many comments on how the Green Party works. There are Green Party members and activists here who know who likewise explain how it works. A few weeks ago it was explained in public that Shaw was bound by Ministerial confidentiality and wasn't allowed to take those decisions to his own party's caucus. And so on.

          Your ignorance is looking decidedly willful.

    • Incognito 8.2
      11 September 2020 at 12:24 pm

      Do you find it hard to believe or hard to accept?

  9. gsays 9
    11 September 2020 at 12:43 pm

    I think you are on to something here Weka, mention Greens and the levers of power and all the centrists and conservative lefties rush in with their doubts, concerns and reckons.

    My 2¢ worth: if the Greens stick to the principles they may find themselves out of cabinet but Rome wasn't built in a day, nor one election cycle.

    I would love to see Marama Davidson as a minister as well as Chloe Swarbrick.

    I was originally attracted to the Greens for their social justice platform, nowadays not so much.

    The environment must be front and centre. Social reform matters little when the crops have failed, sea water laps at your ankles and you have no fresh water to drink.

    • greywarshark 9.1
      11 September 2020 at 12:54 pm

      My 2¢ worth: if the Greens stick to the principles they may find themselves out of cabinet but Rome wasn't built in a day, nor one election cycle.

      How often do people calmly going forward have to be reminded that we are running out of time, species, regular climate patterns etc, and can't be casual about leaving things to future election cycles. The illustration here is be like a duck, calm and unruffled on the surface and paddling like mad underneath.

      • gsays 9.1.1
        11 September 2020 at 6:34 pm

        Stretching your water fowl analogy, the serene, visible part of the duck is the Greens in Wellys @ the Beehive. The kinetic, propelling, working department would the green-minded rest of us, Growing, sharing, organising, teaching, learning, blogging…

    • weka 9.2
      11 September 2020 at 2:04 pm

      one of the reasons I like what Shaw said yesterday is it reminds me that the Greens can do their work in a number of different ways. Being in cabinet is one way, but being on the cross benches means they can speak up more strongly on climate esp. We need a voice to push Labour on climate and I can see the Greens doing that in a number of different ways.

      • Robert Guyton 9.2.1
        11 September 2020 at 3:01 pm

        100+++, weka. Winston used to threaten to occupy the cross-benches and wield power that way and we cursed him for his cunning and clever strategy. Here, James is indicating that The Greens could employ the same strategy/ exploit the same weakness, and his own team are, once again, headless-chickening it! He must have the patience of a saint; in fact, reports from inside of Parliament indicate that he has!

        • weka 9.2.1.1
          11 September 2020 at 3:54 pm

          It's not only having a spine, but also having a heart and brain working together on the bigger picture. The Greens want change not power and there is more than one way to skin that possum. NZ politics and the left still don't really get this about the Greens.

          Are there GP members stressing about this position?

      • gsays 9.2.3
        11 September 2020 at 6:53 pm

        It can be a bit to get the head around, having power or influence without being on the government benches but that is last century politics.

        • Grafton Gully 9.2.3.1
          11 September 2020 at 8:34 pm

          Having power or influence without being on the government benches is what social media propaganda is all about and weakens democracy, which is great if you want to weaken it. The alternative is some kind of big boss surveillance system where gsays and a to z minus g responds

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H8tux-Dk5Y

      • Chris T 9.2.4
        11 September 2020 at 6:58 pm

        As much as I kind of still trust Shaw, even after the "Green School". They have tasted the baubles and pay packets of being ministers now, so I am thinking cross benches would be a last resort.

        • solkta 9.2.4.1
          11 September 2020 at 7:01 pm

          It will not be the MPs choice. MPs will not be the majority on the negotiating team. There will also be another team advising the negotiating team, and then delegates from branches will make the decision.

          • Chris T 9.2.4.1.1
            11 September 2020 at 7:23 pm

            True.

            Tbh, I am just one of those people who don't trust any politicians to act above it all, what ever their chosen colour scheme.

        • Incognito 9.2.4.2
          11 September 2020 at 7:41 pm

          You do know that all Green MPs donate 10% of their gross income to the Party, don’t you?

          • Chris T 9.2.4.2.1
            11 September 2020 at 8:28 pm

            Yes I do

            Not sure what difference this makes.

            They were doing it before my point.

            • Incognito 9.2.4.2.1.1
              11 September 2020 at 8:37 pm

              It puts your premise under a different light, a green rather than blue light. Don’t you appreciate the nuance and context of this fact?

              • Chris T …
                11 September 2020 at 8:47 pm

                No I don't

                I don't trust politicians.

                Just because they are in the Green Party this does not make them moral heroes.

                I am sure a lot of Nats and Labour MPs donate 10% of their wages to other causes given the money they earn.

                • Incognito …
                  11 September 2020 at 9:00 pm

                  I’m sure you cannot back that up and do you really believe that?

                  You raised a nice strawman there. It goes like this: ‘the father of five was lauded a moral hero because he did not once hit his wife during a heated argument’. Get it?

                  Just because you don’t trust politicians doesn’t mean you have to portray them all as weak greedy power-hungry egotists. You confirmation bias is showing.

                  • Chris T …
                    11 September 2020 at 9:07 pm

                    Completely disagree with your analogy.

                    And I am not portraying them as all as weak power hungry egotists.

                    I am just saying I would’nt completely trust any.

                    Still not sure if it is a requirement or a choice to get on their list, assuming first then a better analogy would be if you give 10% away would you like to be paid heaps.

                • Craig H …
                  11 September 2020 at 11:00 pm

                  Not sure about the Nats, but Labour MPs donate 10% of their salaries to the Labour Party.

              • Chris T …
                11 September 2020 at 8:50 pm

                Sorry. The other thing I would ask is, is it through choice or a requirement to get on the list?

        • Chris T 9.2.4.3
          11 September 2020 at 11:26 pm

          Forget I mentioned it.

          It would be just be quite nice to know the arrangements for MPs philanthropic payments and the reasons

    • Grafton Gully 9.3
      11 September 2020 at 7:32 pm

      Fuck the "environment" and fuck "social reform" What matters is sustainable enterprises with living wages.

      As for "crop failure" heard of GMO and Grow Lights ? "Sea water laps at your ankles"- move inland and "no freshwater to drink" – there will always be fresh water – it's called rain and failing that desalination plants powered by new generation nuclear.

      • Pat 9.3.1
        11 September 2020 at 8:41 pm

        I recall reading an article about a previous climate period where it was estimated there was no rain for in excess of 40years in an area that is now known as (IIRC) California.

  10. Austringer 10
    11 September 2020 at 3:58 pm

    If the polling numbers are close to correct or better for those on 3 points odd % then possible, the same party structure in the house with some lesser seats and others more.
    So Labour as the dominant governing party may elect to give the Greens a possible nod with sharing associate Ministerial positions or decide to rule alone, with the understanding that the Greens will be a fairer caring opposition other than those others opposed.

  11. Chris T 11
    11 September 2020 at 6:00 pm

    I think they would be lucky to get into parliament going by the polls at the moment let alone make demands tbf.

    They should have been doing it last time.

  12. ScottGN 12
    11 September 2020 at 7:15 pm

    Doling out the Crown limos already guys?

  13. Corey Humm 13
    11 September 2020 at 7:37 pm

    The Greens will never be in a Labour cabinet simply because of the structure of the party. Grassroots Members could roll a sitting minister if the minister made a decision the party membership didn't like… The scandal that would cause in media would make the govt look like a joke unless they make it that membership can't roll a sitting minister then Labour will never let them near cabinet, not even if the coalition is 32 lab mps and 30 green mps. If I'm wrong about the inner workings of the party I apologise but the bottom up structure of the party would make it unreliable to make hard calls in cabinet.

    Also this isn't strong, the greens say in every election that this is what they would do, last time was dif because of the MOU but if nzf is Queen maker again and the greens even hesitate on a confidence deal then nzf would go with national and blame the greens like Peters blamed Anderton in 96 over confidence. So I hope they don't get too negative with Peters.

    [“Grassroots Members could roll a sitting minister if the minister made a decision the party membership didn’t like”

    Please explain how that could happen? Specifically. Unless you have a clear pathway in mind about your assertion and you can back it up, you need to retract your statement now. It is in no way ok to make up shit like this in an election year, for reasons which should be obvious (but in case it’s not, if it’s a lie it’s a slur, and it’s also a troll move that will lead to arguments that can’t be resolved if it’s not true). – weka]

    • weka 13.1
      11 September 2020 at 7:52 pm

      mod note for you.

    • DS 13.2
      12 September 2020 at 7:46 am

      Ministers are appointed by the Governor-General, on recommendation of the Prime Minister. Even if an MP were actually expelled from their party, it actually wouldn't matter – it's the PM's decision.

      (I am also profoundly sceptical of the idea that the Green membership has unilateral ability to expel an MP from the party).

      • froggleblocks 13.2.1
        12 September 2020 at 10:12 am

        (I am also profoundly sceptical of the idea that the Green membership has unilateral ability to expel an MP from the party).

        Obviously it wouldn't happen if all of the MPs resolutely thought the person should remain an MP but the membership strongly disagreed. But such a circumstance is exceptionally unlikely to ever occur.

        So lets consider the more realistic one: the caucus is divided or undecided, and a vocal bloc of green members, perhaps even a plurality or majority, make the case that an MP should be expelled from the party.

        It would seem like an odd situation for a Labour PM to see this person get expelled from their party, but then maintain them as a minister, when the caucus was ultimately swayed by the membership to go along with the expulsion.

        Perhaps it could happen if there was a conscience vote, or an MP voted against the party on a matter that Labour required their one vote in order to pass a bill that the membership disagreed with?

        • weka 13.2.1.1
          12 September 2020 at 10:19 am

          "and a vocal bloc of green members, perhaps even a plurality or majority, make the case that an MP should be expelled from the party."

          How would that happen?

          • froggleblocks 13.2.1.1.1
            12 September 2020 at 11:48 am

            How would what happen? A bloc of people in the party want to get rid of an MP?

            Happened already: https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2020/04/marxist_faction_in_greens_target_chloe_sage_and_shaw.html

              • froggleblocks …
                12 September 2020 at 4:10 pm

                Never said they were successful in their endeavour. Weka asked how a bloc of members would oppose a sitting MP.

                • Incognito …
                  12 September 2020 at 4:20 pm

                  You wrote:

                  How would what happen? A bloc of people in the party want to get rid of an MP?

                  Happened already: [link]

                  That was ambiguous and could easily confuse readers of this site, as the only thing that has happened already is a minor fraction in the party wanting to get rid of a number of MPs next term by leaving them off the list. They did not succeed, which is what my link showed. So, nothing had happened already.

                  This was quite different to what was being discussed in this thread 🙂

                  • froggleblocks …
                    12 September 2020 at 7:31 pm

                    sigh

                    It was a reply to the specific question weka asked, she quoted:

                    “and a vocal bloc of green members, perhaps even a plurality or majority, make the case that an MP should be expelled from the party.”

                    That is what I said already happened.

                    • Incognito …
                      12 September 2020 at 7:35 pm

                      I give up!

                      The Q. was about a sitting MP.

                      No, that has not happened already, what happened was an unsuccessful attempt to influence the candidate list for the 2020 election.

                    • froggleblocks …
                      12 September 2020 at 7:47 pm

                      Candidates who are all sitting MPs.

                    • Incognito []
                      12 September 2020 at 7:52 pm

                      Attempting to change the candidate list is not expelling a sitting MP from the Party!

                    • froggleblocks …
                      12 September 2020 at 7:55 pm

                      Strictly speaking no, but it has the same outcome – ensuring that someone who is a sitting MP for the Greens would cease to be a sitting MP for them.

                    • Incognito []
                      12 September 2020 at 8:02 pm

                      Strictly speaking, all MPs cease to be sitting MPs after an election. Successful candidates need to be sworn in to become new MPs.

                      No sitting MP has been expelled.

                      No sitting MP has been removed from the candidate list.

                      You are imagining things that have not happened already.

                    • froggleblocks …
                      12 September 2020 at 8:09 pm

                      No sitting MP has been expelled.

                      No sitting MP has been removed from the candidate list.

                      You are imagining things that have not happened already.

                      I never claimed either of those things had happened. I claimed that a bloc had attempted to expel sitting MPs; as you say that's not technically correct that that's what they tried to do, even if the outcome would be the same.

                    • Incognito []
                      12 September 2020 at 8:26 pm

                      The outcome that you seem to crave would have to wait for the election, which could be three years away. At most (!), members can attempt to influence the candidate list, which is usually done in the lead up to the election. Ergo, members cannot expel a sitting MP from the Party because they dislike or disagree with that MP.

            • solkta 13.2.1.1.1.2
              12 September 2020 at 12:17 pm

              How would that achieve sacking a sitting Minister? How would that achieve expelling an MP from the party? Ministers are only ministers until the next election and coalition agreements too. And James and Chloe are 2 and 3 on the list regardless. Don't be a dick.

              • weka …
                12 September 2020 at 12:38 pm

                it's weird. People afraid of the democracy but then misrepresenting that democracy in some odd ways.

              • froggleblocks …
                12 September 2020 at 4:12 pm

                How would that achieve expelling an MP from the party?

                By getting the caucus to agree that the MP needed to be expelled by whatever methods are allowed by the Green party.

                How would that achieve sacking a sitting Minister?

                I already said how. It would be unusual if a group of members were successful in getting an MP expelled from the party, to then have the PM keep that member as a minister in her cabinet when they had been expelled from the party they were elected into Parliament under.

                And James and Chloe are 2 and 3 on the list regardless. Don't be a dick.

                I never said the bloc was successful, or that I agreed with them. Weka asked how a bloc of members could oppose a sitting member – exactly as that bloc did.

                • solkta …
                  12 September 2020 at 4:49 pm

                  Expelling somebody from the party would have nothing at all to do with the caucus. Stop talking out your arse.

                  You haven't explained how members could get an MP expelled from the party. Even the traitor MPs last election were not expelled from the party.

                  No, weka asked you to explain how members could expel an MP from the party. Attempting to push someone down the list is a different thing altogether. And that is also not doing it while they are "sitting" as each election has a new list.

                  Stop being a dick.

                  • weka …
                    12 September 2020 at 5:08 pm

                    Pretty sure they considered expelling Clendon and Graham, but chose not to go that route. I'm not sure of the mechanism, but I assume it's something the exec does not the caucus. Seem to remember Shaw saying he was going to set the process in motion.

                    Froggleblocks, the conversation started with CH asserting that the Green membership could remove a Minister if they didn't like something the Minister did. This has no bearing in reality. The membership has more power than in other parties, but it's shared power, not dictatorial power. And there are limits on it for obvious reasons.

                    There are processes that have to be done through for all parts of the party. For instance if a large number of members wanted Shaw removed from his Associate Finance position due to the Green Schools thing, and they tried to do it the way you suggested via the party list, the first opportunity for that would be in 2023. The List process takes months to complete and then there would be the wait for the election and hoping the party got a low vote. Doesn't really make sense (and as pointed out it's just really unlikely that the membership would act like that without the party taking action against an MP much earlier).

                    Unless someone wants to reference those processes and explain *how the membership could remove a Minister or expel MP, it just looks like people making things up from a misunderstanding of how the party works.

                  • weka …
                    12 September 2020 at 5:18 pm

                    solkta, can you please stop telling fb to stop being a dick. Once was enough, and I'd rather not have this turn into a flamewar.

            • weka 13.2.1.1.1.3
              12 September 2020 at 12:37 pm

              A bloc of people wanted Shaw, Swarbrick and Sage out of parliament and tried to do this by influencing the member's List selection. They didn't succeed because most of the party are oblivious to their position and the list is selected by member vote on a prepared list before final adjustment for sex etc.

              That doesn't tell us how the members could *expel a sitting MP from the party though. At best, if most of the party agreed, the MP would have been dropped down the list and then the Greens would have to get a low enough party vote at the next election so the offending MP didn't get in. Not exactly a winning strategy and in the real world I can't see enough Green members agreeing to vote on the list in this way to make this happen. In the meantime, if an MP was working against the party, there are other mechanisms that the exec can use long before the members got a say, which is what happened in 2017.

              There *may be a way for members to remove a sitting MP if the exec hasn't acted, I'm not aware of it, but it would almost certainly require an SNG and due process. If you know of such a process please share.

              (and I really suggest not using PDF as a resource because it's basically his job to misrepresent the opposition parties to National).

              • Incognito …
                12 September 2020 at 1:56 pm

                That would be DPF, but PDFs are a pain too 😉

              • froggleblocks …
                12 September 2020 at 4:18 pm

                There *may be a way for members to remove a sitting MP if the exec hasn't acted, I'm not aware of it, but it would almost certainly require an SNG and due process. If you know of such a process please share.

                I don't know that the Greens have a process for removing an MP from the party, but it would be pretty incredible if they had absolutely no way to do this whatsoever except waiting until the next election.

                The entire point of this conversation is that that process could be started by the members, if the rest of the party wasn't acting for whatever reason. Another way to think about this: imagine some members spilled the beans on some corrupt behaviour or actions of a sitting Greens MP, and therefore they started the process of getting a Green MP removed from the party, and again I think it would be incredible for a Labour PM to keep a Green MP as a minister in their cabinet if their own party had expelled them.

                (and I really suggest not using PDF as a resource because it's basically his job to misrepresent the opposition parties to National).

                It was published elsewhere, that was just the first result in google.

                Here's Stuff if you prefer it, for some reason: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/121235996/leftwing-green-faction-wants-to-axe-coleader-james-shaw-and-eugenie-sage-and-chle-swarbrick

                • Incognito …
                  12 September 2020 at 5:02 pm

                  You have it all back to front.

                  The entire point of this conversation is that that process could not be started by the members.

                  Weka has already explained why she suggested (not preferred) not using PDF as a resource, so it was not “for some reason” as you stated.

                  • froggleblocks …
                    12 September 2020 at 7:37 pm

                    The entire point of this conversation is that that process could not be started by the members.

                    So you think if members exposed corrupt practices of a sitting MP, worthy of them being dispelled from the party, that the executive / caucus / whoever else would just shrug and say "oh well, the members exposed it, and we are powerless to do anything because the members exposed it first, so they will just stay an MP".

                    Weka has already explained why she suggested (not preferred) not using PDF as a resource, so it was not “for some reason” as you stated.

                    I explained why I used Kiwiblog as a reference, because it was the first result in google, but I knew it was posted elsewhere because that's how I read about it in the first place, so I found her an alternative reference that she might prefer.

                    • Incognito …
                      12 September 2020 at 7:45 pm

                      It doesn’t matter what I think, what matters are facts about how the GP works.

                      The KB thing had been clearly explained so there was no need to use a disagreeable “for some reason”.

                    • froggleblocks …
                      12 September 2020 at 7:49 pm

                      So you're saying the GP works in such a way that if the members exposed something very disagreeable about an MP, the executive etc would do nothing.

                      I think the Greens have more integrity than that, personally.

                    • Incognito []
                      12 September 2020 at 7:56 pm

                      Where did I say such a thing? Why do you appear to have such a problem with reading comments properly?

                    • froggleblocks …
                      12 September 2020 at 8:02 pm

                      It was a question extrapolated from your previous comments, where you first said that green party members could not start a process that would result in an MP being expelled from the party.

                      You said it doesn't matter what "[you] think" they can do, what matters is the facts of how they work. So I'm asking you if you're saying the facts of how they work is that if members exposed something very disagreeable about an MP, the executive would do nothing.

                      I have no problem reading comments, you have problems answering simple questions.

                    • Incognito []
                      12 September 2020 at 8:18 pm

                      By extrapolating you mean ascribing things to me that I have not said. That’s not showing good faith, IMO 🙁

                      The central Q. in this thread has been all along how the GP membership can expel a sitting MP.

                      Your comments have been hypothetical distractions and assumptions, devoid of facts.

                      If you have any facts to share about the workings of the GP then please do so.

                    • McFlock …
                      12 September 2020 at 8:17 pm

                      lol so if I'm following the thread correctly, it started from grassroots green members being able to "roll" a minister. Now the membership need to expose something so horrible that the party executive is compelled to expell the minister, whom the PM would then fire from Cabinet?

                      Why not just say that any member of the public can get any minister fired by simply uncovering the minister committing crimes punishable by up to two years imprisonment, so when the minister is found guilty by judge/jury they're inelegible for office?

                      Seems about as silly.

                    • froggleblocks …
                      12 September 2020 at 8:35 pm

                      Why not just say that any member of the public can get any minister fired by simply uncovering the minister committing crimes punishable by up to two years imprisonment, so when the minister is found guilty by judge/jury they're inelegible for office?

                      Seems about as silly.

                      Weka is the one demanding examples of how the green membership could roll a green minister, implying that it can't be done. The fact that the green membership may not have any additional power in this regard than the membership of any other party, or of the general public, is not germane to the question of whether they can.

                      You want a plausible example of where the membership might force something like this, where the caucus and executive didn't? If there was a conscience vote in Parliament and a particular green MP voted in a way that a majority of the membership disagreed with. The caucus and executive would probably say "the MP can do what they want, it's a conscience vote" but if enough of the membership rebelled, they could force their hands to expel the MP. Ultimately enough of the membership could stop being registered members, resulting in the Green party losing their party registration.

                      Is all of this far-fetched? Of course. Is it something that could happen? Yes. That's all that is required to answer weka's challenge.

                      Perhaps weka meant to ask “how does the green party membership have more power in this regard than any other party membership or general member of the public”. But she didn’t.

                      Getting angry at me for answering weka’s specific question seems a bit pointless.

                    • weka …
                      12 September 2020 at 8:42 pm

                      more like I was asking how it could be done in any real world scenario, rather than a very abstract hypothetical. I've already explained in a number of ways why I think your examples don't work.

                      Here's the GP constitution, just in case anyone wants to have a go at figuring out how the membership might remove a Minister, or expel an MP against the wishes of the caucus.

                      https://elections.nz/assets/Party-files/green-party-rules-and-constitution.pdf

                    • McFlock …
                      12 September 2020 at 8:45 pm

                      Anyone can whinge enough to get someone else to do something. It's not the same as having the power to do it yourself.

                      Seems to me that you're more interested in semantic point-scoring than actually discussing the powers members actually have – or don't.

                    • froggleblocks …
                      12 September 2020 at 8:46 pm

                      Here's the GP constitution, just in case anyone wants to have a go at figuring out how the membership might remove a Minister, or expel an MP against the wishes of the caucus.

                      Now you're shifting the goal posts, weka. Up until now the phrase "against the wishes of caucus" has not been uttered by you, or been in contention.

                      In fact my very first answer in this thread said such a thing wouldn't happen, but what could happen is if the membership were able to convince the caucus to change their mind and agree with expulsion, even if initially they weren't in favour of it.

                    • Incognito []
                      12 September 2020 at 9:00 pm

                      Subpart 2—House has no power to expel from membership of House
                      23 Members’ seats become vacant only as provided in Electoral Act 1993
                      (1) The House has no power to make a member’s seat become vacant by expelling the member (whether to discipline or punish the member, to protect the House by removing an unfit member, or for any reason or purpose) from membership of the House.
                      (2) Subsection (1) overrides any law to the contrary.

                      http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2014/0058/latest/whole.html#DLM6136744

                      I think that settles it.

                      Enjoy the rest of your evening.

                    • froggleblocks …
                      12 September 2020 at 8:47 pm

                      Seems to me that you're more interested in semantic point-scoring than actually discussing the powers members actually have – or don't.

                      Whingeing / speech is a power. The membership managed to extract an apology from Shaw for his recent screw up. Clearly the MPs are answerable to the membership, we're only talking about a matter of degree here.

                    • froggleblocks …
                      12 September 2020 at 9:04 pm

                      I think that settles it.

                      It doesn't. That's talking about making someone not be an MP.

                      The question has been, can the green party membership make a green MP who is a minister not be a minister any more.

                      The route to not being a minister, via the green party membership exercising their power is:

                      1. Membership are furious about the actions of a green MP who happens to be a minister in cabinet with a Labour PM.
                      2. Membership convince caucus and/or executive to expel MP from the Green party.
                      3. MP remains in Parliament but becomes independent, as per JLR. The Greens explicitly do not believe in the Waka Jumping legislation and would not use it, although they would be entitled to do so, in much the same way that National didn’t use it against JLR.
                      4. Under advice from remaining Greens MPs / ministers, or on their own recognisance, Labour party PM removes the now-independent MP from their ministerial posts.

                      Step 4 flows directly from step 1, that was instigated by the membership.

                      In any event the specific legislation you reference (which just to be clear is not relevant to what we are discussing) was routed around by the waka-jumping legislation: http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2017/0006/latest/whole.html#DLM7478608

                      Clause 4 amends section 55, which sets out when the seat of a member of Parliament becomes vacant. The amendment provides that the seat of a member of Parliament will also become vacant when the member ceases, under new section 55A, to be a parliamentary member of a political party for which he or she was elected.

                    • Incognito []
                      12 September 2020 at 9:09 pm

                      😀

                • weka …
                  12 September 2020 at 5:16 pm

                  The party certainly has mechanisms for removing an MP who was working against the party. You can look up what happened to Clendon and Graham in 2017.

                  "The entire point of this conversation is that that process could be started by the members, if the rest of the party wasn't acting for whatever reason."

                  I'm sure there are ways for members to start the process of removing an MP, but that's not what CH was proposing. They were suggesting that the membership could do this themselves.

                  "Another way to think about this: imagine some members spilled the beans on some corrupt behaviour or actions of a sitting Greens MP, and therefore they started the process of getting a Green MP removed from the party, and again I think it would be incredible for a Labour PM to keep a Green MP as a minister in their cabinet if their own party had expelled them"

                  Yeah, that's way off what we were talking about. I'm a non active member and if I knew about corruption with a Green MP, I 'm sure me contacting the party and telling them would set some things in motion. Hell, a non-member could instigate such a process. And someone (member or not) could instigate the same process within Labour.

                  But that's not the same as the membership being able to remove a sitting MP in the way CH suggested where the clear implication was that the members have so much power that the party can't be trusted to have Ministers inside cabinet.

                  • froggleblocks …
                    12 September 2020 at 7:40 pm

                    They were suggesting that the membership could do this themselves.

                    Starting the process is how they bring it about in this circumstance that CH initially said:

                    Grassroots Members could roll a sitting minister if the minister made a decision the party membership didn't like

                    If it becomes clear that 99% of the membership don't like something a minister does, then of course the executive (or whoever) will do what is necessary to correct the situation, because if they don't, they won't have a party any more.

                    But that's not the same as the membership being able to remove a sitting MP in the way CH suggested where the clear implication was that the members have so much power that the party can't be trusted to have Ministers inside cabinet.

                    It is the same. As you’ve outlined, the members of all parties have that power, not just the membership of the Greens.

                    • weka …
                      12 September 2020 at 8:44 pm

                      quite, which is why this sub thread is a bit of nonsense. The point of CH's comment was that Labour wouldn't want Greens in cabinet because the membership can't be trusted.

                      But at least we have established that there's no evidence thus far that grassroots members could roll a sitting minister if the minister made a decision the party membership didn't like.

                    • greywarshark …
                      12 September 2020 at 8:53 pm

                      Froggleblocks why don't you bore the pants off some other blog that wants to put its count up? You go on and on and on and on….

                    • froggleblocks …
                      12 September 2020 at 8:55 pm

                      But at least we have established that there's no evidence thus far that grassroots members could roll a sitting minister if the minister made a decision the party membership didn't like.

                      I don't agree.

                      But there's also been no evidence presented that they couldn't bring about expulsion of that MP from the party. It would then stand to reason that a Labour PM would sack them as a minister on advice of the remaining Green ministers / MPs.

                      greywarshark – if you don’t like my comments, don’t read them.

  14. ScottGN 14
    11 September 2020 at 7:56 pm

    @weka 12.1

    That’s not trolling. It’s a question and given that several posters in this thread have outlined various Green MPs they would like to see as ministers in the next government it’s a valid question don’t you think? Don’t count your chickens and all that…

    [it’s a backhanded question with innuendo designed to slur without presenting a coherent political argument that people can engage with. I’ve asked nicely, now I’m telling you. You can make actual political arguments, including critiquing the Greens, but don’t troll my posts (or elsewhere on site) – weka]

  15. ScottGN 15
    11 September 2020 at 8:10 pm

    @weka 13.1

    What has Corey Humm done that warrants this mod note? Apart from over egging his argument. Which I think is quite interesting actually. Is the Greens party structure and does their decision making processes have the potential to be at odds with Westminster notions of collective cabinet responsibility? You only have to look across at NSW to see what happens when the minor party in a coalition government decides to play hardball.

    • weka 15.1
      11 September 2020 at 8:18 pm

      If you can produce evidence that the GP members can roll a cabinet minister, please post it. I'm not aware of such a power. Had CH *asked if such a thing was possible, that would have been fine. Instead they made a claim of fact and either need to back it up or retract it. This is standard stuff on TS, you can't just post any old thing here, the purpose of the site is robust debate and that requires people to not make shit up esp on important issues in important contexts like a general election.

      Just so we are clear, exploring the extent of GP members powers is acceptable, misrepresenting them is not.

    • Incognito 15.2
      11 September 2020 at 8:48 pm

      FWIW, the Green Party has had a long-standing principled opposition to the waka jumping Law.

  16. ScottGN 16
    11 September 2020 at 8:44 pm

    “If I'm wrong about the inner workings of the party I apologise but the bottom up structure of the party would make it unreliable to make hard calls in cabinet.“

    This was also part of Corey Humm’s post. Given the events of the last couple of weeks it’s a question worth asking. Can the Greens maintain their broad based grassroots decision making processes and have cabinet ministers who are accountable to collective cabinet responsibility? Why not focus on the whole post not just the bit that pisses you off?

  17. mosa 17
    11 September 2020 at 11:07 pm

    "If there was no coalition or confidence and supply agreement, that would force a minority Labour government to seek the Greens’ support for legislation on a case-by-case basis"

    This strategy maybe the only way Labour would take them seriously if a coalition agreement does not cut the mustard.

    A bigger Green vote would help and it remains to be seen if Shaw's recent spelling out of their bottom lines will galvanise their party vote , i for one totally agree with this approach.

    If they make it back it gives the progressive voters amongst us some hope.

    And the message that the Greens are serious about policy concessions which is admirable as they have an excellent policy mix.

    The next polls will be an indicator.

  18. sumsuch 18
    12 September 2020 at 1:34 am

    Their policies are spot on, just a little violence lacking. Though I suppose MJS … I just remember the violence behind him. And why I would prefer the Alliance. The 'art of the possible' is over with 10 years to fight climate change. We're in a 'special' time.

  19. millsy 19
    12 September 2020 at 8:42 pm

    On election night, I dont think people will give a shit about the Greens. First prioirty is National to not be in government. If the Greens sink without trace so be it.

    The state housing suburbs will be abuzz with celebration if Labour pull off a sole majority. Not because they are any fans of Jacinda, but because they dont want National screwing them over, like they screwed over their parents and grandparents in 1991.

    • weka 19.1
      12 September 2020 at 8:45 pm

      election night 2023 might be a different matter.

    • greywarshark 19.2
      12 September 2020 at 8:50 pm

      That is a pathetic idea to put forward Millsy. Tghe Greens have been a principled opposition for decades, continuing on from others, while the two major teams played footsy with each other and us. They are NZrs heart and soul and if you consider they can just curl up and die no matter, then you show the lack of thought and principle that you and others like you display.

  20. sumsuch 20
    13 September 2020 at 1:21 am

    Aren't the policies of the Greens so much better than Labour? Everything the Left wants. Only lacking the old charisma. A talker.

  21. infused 21
    13 September 2020 at 1:37 am

    the greens have done a pretty good job ruling themselves out of the next government over the last two weeks.

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    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    11 hours ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    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
    2 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago

  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: “What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    Bowalley Road
    5 days ago

  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Sad tales from the left
    Michael Bassett writes –  Have you noticed the odd way in which the media are handling the government’s crackdown on surplus employees in the Public Service? Very few reporters mention the crazy way in which State Service numbers rocketed ahead by more than 16,000 during Labour’s six years, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • In Whose Best Interests?
    On The Spot: The question Q+A host, Jack Tame, put to the Workplace & Safety Minister, Act’s Brooke van Velden, was disarmingly simple: “Are income tax cuts right now in the best interests of lowering inflation?”JACK TAME has tested another MP on his Sunday morning current affairs show, Q+A. Minister for Workplace ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Don’t Question, Don’t Complain.
    It has to start somewhereIt has to start sometimeWhat better place than here?What better time than now?So it turns out that I owe you all an apology.It seems that all of the terrible things this government is doing, impacting the lives of many, aren’t necessarily ‘bad’ per se. Those things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Auckland faces 25% water inflation shock
    Three Waters became a focus of anti-Government protests under Labour, but its dumping by the new Government hasn’t solved councils’ funding problems and will eventually hit the back pockets of everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 8:06 am today are:The Government ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Small accomplishments and large ironies
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • The Song of Saqua: Volume VII
    In order to catch up to the actual progress of the D&D campaign, I present you with another couple of sessions. These were actually held back to back, on a Monday and Tuesday evening. Session XV Alas, Goatslayer had another lycanthropic transformation… though this time, he ran off into the ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago

  • Accelerating the Growth Rate?
    There is a constant theme from the economic commentariat that New Zealand needs to lift its economic growth rate, coupled with policies which they are certain will attain that objective. Their prescriptions are usually characterised by two features. First, they tend to be in their advocate’s self-interest. Second, they are ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    6 days ago

  • The only thing we have to fear is tenants themselves
    1. Which of these acronyms describes the experience of travelling on a Cook Strait ferry?a. ROROb. FOMOc. RAROd. FMLAramoana, first boat ever boarded by More Than A Feilding, four weeks after the Wahine disaster2. What is the acronym for the experience of watching the government risking a $200 million break ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • Peters talks of NZ “renewing its connections with the world” – but who knew we had been discon...
    Buzz from the Beehive The thrust of the country’s foreign affairs policy and its relationship with the United States have been addressed in four statements from the Beehive over the past 24 hours. Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters somewhat curiously spoke of New Zealand “renewing its connections with a world ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Government redress for Te Korowai o Wainuiārua
    The Government is continuing the bipartisan effort to restore its relationship with iwi as the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Bill passed its first reading in Parliament today, says Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith. “Historical grievances of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua relate to 19th century warfare, land purchased or taken ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Focus on outstanding minerals permit applications
    New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals is working to resolve almost 150 outstanding minerals permit applications by the end of the financial year, enabling valuable mining activity and signalling to the sector that New Zealand is open for business, Resources Minister Shane Jones says.  “While there are no set timeframes for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Applications open for NZ-Ireland Research Call
    The New Zealand and Irish governments have today announced that applications for the 2024 New Zealand-Ireland Joint Research Call on Agriculture and Climate Change are now open. This is the third research call in the three-year Joint Research Initiative pilot launched in 2022 by the Ministry for Primary Industries and Ireland’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Tenancy rules changes to improve rental market
    The coalition Government has today announced changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to encourage landlords back to the rental property market, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “The previous Government waged a war on landlords. Many landlords told us this caused them to exit the rental market altogether. It caused worse ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Boosting NZ’s trade and agricultural relationship with China
    Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay will visit China next week, to strengthen relationships, support Kiwi exporters and promote New Zealand businesses on the world stage. “China is one of New Zealand’s most significant trade and economic relationships and remains an important destination for New Zealand’s products, accounting for nearly 22 per cent of our good and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Freshwater farm plan systems to be improved
    The coalition Government intends to improve freshwater farm plans so that they are more cost-effective and practical for farmers, Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay have announced. “A fit-for-purpose freshwater farm plan system will enable farmers and growers to find the right solutions for their farm ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New Fast Track Projects advisory group named
    The coalition Government has today announced the expert advisory group who will provide independent recommendations to Ministers on projects to be included in the Fast Track Approvals Bill, say RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones. “Our Fast Track Approval process will make it easier and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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