The making of National’s campaign ad

Written By: - Date published: 9:35 am, August 31st, 2017 - 55 comments
Categories: election 2017, Media, national, same old national, social media lolz, spin, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags:

National used to be ambitious for New Zealand.

But if you look at what it did to create its campaign video (h/t Simon Wilson) it seems that this ambition is no more …

I understand this is the instructions handed out to people who took part in its campaign film. Note the following:

  1. No minimum wage being paid, actually no wage. And participants had to be available for up to 4 days with no expectation of being paid.
  2. Actors are being paid in petrol vouchers, that is contributing to the black economy. Maybe National was worried that these feckless amateur actors would spend their ill gotten gains on drink and drugs and stuff, just like beneficiaries…
  3. Racial profiling of people to create an artificial impression of inclusiveness. I mean when is the last time you saw someone having the description of “mixed blood”? Does this mean that some blood (white) is good and some blood (not white) is bad? I mean, really WTF?

National. Wanting to create a brighter future but I am not sure who for …

55 comments on “The making of National’s campaign ad ”

  1. AsleepWhileWalking 1

    Lol I will remember the bit about police record if/when MOAS breaks

    • greywarshark 1.1

      Note the ban on previous convictions. Does that mean that the actors can expect a conviction as part of the ‘shoot’? It is an example about how they talk in rote cliches, without thinking of the meaning.

      And what about giving prezzy vouchers to cover the cost of transport, and what will they do for food while they are there on site? Perhaps they will be put out to graze like the favoured animals of this country.

  2. millsy 2

    Yep, that is National for you. Paid in ‘experience’. If they has their way, all young workers would be paid in ‘experience’.

  3. alwyn 3

    I wonder if the Labour Party are going to reimburse the taxpayer for the use of the Crown Limo in which Jacinda tours the streets of the country while looking out over the happy populace?
    Or did they borrow the private transport of one of their well heeled, if anonymous, donors.

    • Muttonbird 3.1

      She’s the leader of the opposition representing 40% of voters with several commitments per day. I’ve witnessed both her and English’s protection squad in the last few days and she was asked why so many. She said it’s only at election time.

      Perhaps you want her to get an uber to these commitments?

      • alwyn 3.1.1

        I wasn’t talking about her travelling from event to event in a Limo.
        The are provided for the use of the Leader of the Opposition and I don’t have any objection to that.

        I was asking about the car being used in the Labour Party election advertisement, which is clearly a BMW like the Crown Limos.
        They are paid for by Ministerial Service and the expenditure of their money on election advertising is forbidden.

        [lprent: That is a unsubstantiated assertion of a fact.

        I suspect that the any actual wording of related to election advertising will be somewhat more nuanced than your grossly simplified version. It sounds like the type of deliberately formulated dirty politics smear beloved by the paid liars of the National PR team and spread by Kiwiblog and Whaleoil.

        If you (and anyone else) wants to use it here, then provide a link to the relevant law or regulation so readers can make up their own mind. Or prepare to not be able to comment here until well after the election. I don’t have time for unsubstantiated statements of ‘fact’. ]

        • Muttonbird 3.1.1.1

          Curious that you are so hot on this right now.

          The Waterview tunnel cost the NZ taxpayers $1.4B but that didn’t stop Bill English using it for election advertising.

          https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DGhKDe2UAAExlSt.jpg

        • tracey 3.1.1.2

          What do you think about National’s instructions above?

        • mac1 3.1.1.3

          The old “they (allegedly) did it too” argument as a deflection, Alwyn?

          Got proof?

        • McFlock 3.1.1.4

          One car looking vaguely like some others is now enough for right wing fucks to start a smear campaign.

          If that’s all they’ve got, they’re screwed.

        • alwyn 3.1.1.5

          For lprent.
          For your information I have included a link to the rules that apply.

          I would offer the following items.
          I did not make an “unsubstantiated assertion of a fact”. I said it looked like a Crown Limo, and not that it “was” such a car. If it wasn’t, and simply looks like one there is obviously no problem. Does anyone know?

          The ad I am talking about is clearly an election advertisement.
          The vehicle used in the ad is clearly a BMW and certainly looks like, and was probably meant to be viewed by people watching the ad as being one of the Crown Limos. I imagine the reason is to try and make Ardern look like someone comfortable in the role of a PM. I am asking whether it is one of the Government fleet.
          The Crown Limos are paid for by Parliamentary Services.

          See this link, in the section on Parliamentary Service funding
          https://www.parliament.nz/en/visit-and-learn/parliament-in-election-year/limits-on-election-related-spending-begin/
          and in particular the words
          “Parliamentary Service funding cannot be used for any communication that is an election advertisement published during the regulated period. ”
          If the car in the ad was in fact a Crown Limo it is very difficult to see any interpretation of this sentence that would allow it to be used in making this ad.

          I can see very little difference between making this advertisement and the activities undertaken by nearly all parties, with the honourable exception of Jim Anderton’s Progressive Party, in 2005. It is also very difficult to see the Maori Party’s $48 as other than a clerical error.
          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_New_Zealand_election_funding_controversy

          • tracey 3.1.1.5.1

            what do you think of the Nats instructions above?

            • alwyn 3.1.1.5.1.1

              They sound rather like the ones the Labour Party used to recruit people for their campaign don’t they?
              Perhaps Matt has got a job with National now?
              It is an awfully crumpled flier isn’t it?

          • McFlock 3.1.1.5.2

            “I am asking whether it is one of the Government fleet.”

            No, you’re phrasing a smear as a question.

          • tracey 3.1.1.5.3

            I confess I wouldn’t know a Crown limo if it ran me over.

            • alwyn 3.1.1.5.3.1

              You will.
              Just look for flash BMWs with number plates starting CR.
              You are probably safe now but it was necessary to keep a sharp eye out on the road south of Christchurch a number of years ago One managed to travel at up to 180kph to let a politician catch a flight to go to a Rugby Test. There was a police escort but even so.
              Then one took another polly, at the time in Jacinda’s job, the wrong way down a one way street while also going to a Test Match.
              Beware!

              • McFlock

                then there was the one parked on lines outside the current pm’s hairdresser. And the one that drove onto a protestor in the 1990s. I think the chester burrows one was a personal vehicle. But it’s sad that the nats make a habit of driving into people.

                • alwyn

                  I’m quite neutral in my opinions. The second comment was of course about a National member.
                  The first was about a Labour one though.

                  • McFlock

                    So neutral that you’re taking a post about National’s treatment of workers (and cynical racial profiling) as an opportunity to imply misuse of Ministerial Services assets by Labour.

                    Judge Jeffreys had a reputation for similar neutrality.

                    • alwyn

                      Where on earth did that little non sequitur come from?
                      I hardly think that the Labour campaign ad was prepared in total blindness to the race of the people appearing.
                      Ask Phil T about how to do racial profiling. He’ll tell you how to recognise Chinese names.

                    • McFlock

                      Only on your planet is actually raising the subject of the post a non sequiter.

                      Not to forget the fact that after nine years of tory government all you have are highlights from the “Labour did it too” variations.

              • Robert Guyton

                Alwyn – your efforts to implicate/imply wrong-doing here are, well, distasteful, I have to say, and petty. I’d not say nasty but they are edging toward spiteful and reflect poorly on you, when viewed through the lens of good-heartedness. Why do you feel so pinched by Jacinda, I wonder? Clearly, your stomach knots at the thought of Helen Clark, but shouldn’t you have got over that by now? How about you empty that flagon of bile, or whatever it is you’re sipping from, and give Jacinda a chance to restore your faith in socialist-aligned women; I think you’d enjoy life a lot more if you softened your stance, relaxed your opposition and made yourself a cup of good old black tea, with a generous squirt of the milk of human kindness in there to put a smile back on your dial.

                • alwyn

                  I really think you should stop worrying about the state of my stomach lining Robert and look to the future.
                  By now I suppose you will have accepted that the present party, calling itself the Green Party, is not going to make it back into Parliament.
                  You really will have to adopt the proposal of Joe Hill
                  ” Don’t waste any time mourning. Organize!” ”
                  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_mourn,_organize!
                  There is no time to waste. It is time to organise a proper Environmentalist Party, rather than the one we have had flying a false flag these last few years. Why, if it we had a party with proper conservationist, environmentalist roots, I might even vote for them myself.

                  • One Anonymous Bloke

                    Your opinions are irrelevant. Get used to it.

                    • alwyn

                      I have suggested elsewhere that you aren’t being forced to read them. Save yourself some unhappiness, and apparently your stomach an overdose of acid, by simply skipping happily over them.
                      I really won’t be hurt if you don’t study carefully my pearls of wisdom. Really I won’t.

                    • One Anonymous Bloke

                      you aren’t being forced to read them

                      No-one forcing me to laugh at them either, and derisive rebuttal takes such little effort.

                  • By now I suppose you will have accepted that the present party, calling itself the Green Party, is not going to make it back into Parliament.

                    Er, what? I suppose by now you will have accepted that my wishful thinking will become reality? Are we supposed to do something other than laugh at that?

                  • Doogs

                    Alwyn –

                    As a matter of course I read your comments on a variety of posts. I do that because I read everybody’s comment. It gives me an overall picture.

                    Unfortunately, for you of course, the reflux starts to rise as soon as I see your name.

                    Your comments always needle, poke, sneer and mock. You never have anything positive to add. It’s your style. The moderators on this site are generous to a fault in dealing with you and your ilk.

                    You are here to revile, denigrate, insult and debase.

                    My fervent hope is that you fuck off to Kiwiblog or somewhere your vile acidic style of ‘debate’ will be appreciated.

          • David Dennis 3.1.1.5.4

            Oh alwyn, no one cares.
            Really? Part of her ad campaign MAY include her using a Government car? Get a life man.

            That’s it? Why so picky. Bugger the car, why don’t you like Labour?

        • tracey 3.1.1.6

          I haven’t seen the Ads, isn’t she just shown looking out a window?

    • AsleepWhileWalking 3.2

      Not even similar

    • Ed 3.3

      What is your view on the letter above?

  4. Anne 4

    The Nats have been paying volunteers and others with petrol or food vouchers for probably decades. Their motto is: you never do anything for nothing – a motto carried out in their governance of the country.

  5. I mean when is the last time you saw someone having the description of “mixed blood”?

    Last time I saw a right-wing White guy over 60. There’s still plenty of them out there.

    • Muttonbird 5.1

      Perhaps National and their support base thinks Harry Potter is real and this is Hogwarts?

    • One Anonymous Bloke 5.2

      …when is the last time you saw someone having the description of “mixed blood”?

      Two National Party supporters bleeding profusely from self-inflicted wounds?

  6. francesca 6

    I reckon one of those actors did a cheeky pony tail swipe as an act of subversion
    The shared laugh is far too wicked to be passed off as wholesome family fun

    • Siobhan 6.1

      Thats funny, I actually took it as a sly F you from National, as in “who cares about Ponygate, harassing the serving wenches is just a bit of fun..”.

      Which is a joke they probably feel free to make, as their voter base seems to be unconcerned with dramatic deviations from what normal people would consider important in their politicians, like decency, honesty, fairness or even just good manners.

      • francesca 6.1.1

        Maybe
        I know if I was one of those actors getting paid in petrol vouchers I wouldn’t feel quite so obedient to a direction like that. I’d want to take the piss and show the Nats up for the creeps they are

  7. gsays 7

    As was pointed out on back benches last night: if you see someone fall over don’t you help them?

  8. mac1 8

    Why offer to pay people with petrol vouchers?

    How do you declare that on a tax form? You’re right about the black economy, ‘cashies’, ‘taxation is theft’, fiddle and evade mentality of many National supporters.

    Where’s the contract? Where’s the monetary value of the ‘gratuity’? How can that be taxed at source? Where’s the tax certificate? What obligations does an employer have legally?

    More significantly, is how do you quantify petrol vouchers and other gratuities in the returns of election expenditure which each party has to provide?

    My understanding is that any service has to be calculated at full value. So, twelve actors for three days, plus hire of filming crew etc for same time- say 15 people at $16 per hour minimum for 8 hours is $2000.

    Furthermore, the (unpaid) tax on that would be at $400 at least.

    National’s ethics badly on show here.

  9. Stephen Doyle 9

    My immediate though was, their coffers can’t be as full as we thought.

    • Ma Rohemo 9.1

      Petrol vouchers will be easier to hide in another account that does not have to be declared for electioneering totals.
      I hope National is remembering that they have to pay GST . They have been rather lax about it in the past.
      It put them over the maximum allowed for their campaign but they fluffed their way through it and let the tax slide. All other parties stayed within the limit GST included.

  10. Psych nurse 10

    Slave labour ?.

  11. AsleepWhileWalking 11

    I know someone bulk buying Amazon vouchers and selling them for less than face value (it’s a beta test where he sold $3Amzn for $1USD – some kind of sales funnel he is creating).

    Could supermarket or petrol vouchers be brought in a similar fashion here so that they might pay the eq. Of min wage but the actual cost is lower?? If so you could sort of profit on your labour.

    • Mrs Brillo 11.1

      I imagine they could, if your supporters owned supermarkets or were on eg the NZ Food & Grocery Council.
      Which might cover both types of coupon.

  12. UncookedSelachimorpha 12

    Has this letter been forwarded to the MSM / RNZ? Should be – they might ignore it, but clearly shows a nasty cynicism from the Nats.

  13. McFlock 13

    It is interesting how the 80 year old attitudes and phrasing just leak out of them at the weirdest times…

  14. savenz 14

    National have really lost the plot. National also seem to love this idea of non payment too – I’m not sure how you are supposed to survive if so many jobs are merging volunteer type roles with actual work like being an actor in a major campaign.

    • greywarshark 14.1

      The young working poor in NZ – to National, their job will always be an internship.

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    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    2 days ago
  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    2 days ago
  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    2 days ago
  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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 ...
    3 days ago
  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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 ...
    4 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
    4 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 ...
    4 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
    4 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
    5 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
    5 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 ...
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
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