The Medicinal Marijuana Bill

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, December 21st, 2017 - 40 comments
Categories: Deep stuff, drugs, greens, labour, nz first - Tags: , ,

Volunteer Gregory Lyons, 63, of Oakland, makes calls at Oaksterdam University in support of Prop 19, a marijuana legalization initiative, in Oakland Tuesday morning November 2 2010. Lyons is a chocolate chef. (Photo by Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

The Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill introduced into Parliament is intended to:

– Introduce a medicinal cannabis scheme to enable access to quality products
– Introduce a statutory defence for terminally ill people to possess and use illicit cannabis
– Remove cannabidiol from the schedule of controlled drugs

Here’s the bill as introduced.

Let’s say the surgeon wants to prescribe medical marijuana, once it becomes legal. If I’m in a hospital having major epileptic fits, or recovering from chemotherapy, how confident can I be that this medicine is safe when the doctor prescribes it for me?

So far, there’s limited scientific evidence for it.

We need to make a distinction between medicinal marijuana and medicinal cannibinoids. It’s important that those who need alternative pain relief get it. But if a doctor is to be sure it will cause good not harm as a medicine, it needs to be regulated like a medicine. That means, as the New Zealand Medical Association stated in November 2017, that “The framework for the approach to medicinal cannabis should be consistent with that for medicines”.

Maybe it’s best described as a therapy rather than a medicine.

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians, representing 25,000 specialists who would be in charge of administering this kind of medicine, have raised a whole bunch of alarms about the weak evidential base for prescribing it at all.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia is just beginning to develop clinical guidelines for medicinal marijuana. New Zealand’s own Medsafe processes have not yet begun in this area

We also need to ask: what are the precise problems that we are trying to solve through this legalisation? The American Psychiatric Association notes that there is no current scientific evidence that marijuana is in any way beneficial for the treatment of any psychiatric disorder. The American Society of Addiction Medicine also wants medicinal cannabis to jump through the same evidential hops as everyone else, asserting that “Cannabis, cannabis-based products and cannabis delivery devices should be subject to the same standards that are applicable to other prescription medicines and medical devices, and that these products should not be distributed or otherwise provided to patients unless and until such products or devices have received marketing approval from the Food and Drug Administration.”

Even if approved, should it be restricted to certain ages? Certainly the American Academy of Pediatrics believes so, who oppose its use due to no evidence that it works on children at all. The American Medical Association, in calling for more research, says this “should not be viewed as an endorsement of state-based medical cannabis programmes, the legalisation of marijuana, or that scientific evidence on the therapeutic use of cannabis meets the current standards for a prescription drug product.”

The World Health Organisation states that “more research is needed on the basic neuropharmacology of THC and other cannabinoids so that better therapeutic agents can be found.”

The 2016 paper “Cannabis: The Evidence for Medical Use” by Barnes and Barnes starts to set out what the data holes look like, and they conclude the same as the above: “Clearly there needs to be much further work with regard to the formulation of cannabis and the best THC:CBD ratio for different conditions and better and further studies are needed on both short and, more particularly, longer term effects.” They emphasise the need for strictly controlled trials and a quality-controlled product and a secure supply chain.

So even if this law is passed, before the doctor gets to prescribe medicinal marijuana as a thing for your sick auntie, or your baby, or your elderly granddad, or even if the vet wants to give it to your cat, ask them: where is the evidence that this is safe for me, let alone effective?

40 comments on “The Medicinal Marijuana Bill ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. tracey 1
    21 December 2017 at 8:25 am

    We need to stop being chumps. On the one hand we deem ourselves enlightened enough to debate and possibly legislate for end of life and on the other have to be dragged kicking and screaming to a medicinal marajuana debate. It would be funny if not so sad.

    Criminalise alcohol or legalise marajuana then the debate has some sanity.

    It is kinda funny watching some who usually scream ” Nanny State” opposing End of Life ( the ultimate autonomous choice) and legalising cannabis ( no I am not confused about medical use but consider the medical use is the cop out stance of those too scared of part of the electorate to at least decriminalise dope).

    • Ad 1.1
      21 December 2017 at 8:44 am

      To make that argument work you would need to start with a much harder and stronger regulatory regime over alcohol, tobacco, and, marijuana, so you could start making a case for a common regulatory framework for such substances based upon harm, cumulative damage to society, cumulative cost, and cumulative benefits.

      This government doesn’t have the mental capacity to do that.

      • JanM 1.1.1
        21 December 2017 at 10:01 am

        And the last one did??

        • red-blooded 1.1.1.1
          21 December 2017 at 10:41 am

          Did anyone say that? And is it relevant?

          I think it’s a bit unfair to use the “this government” label – after all, a lot of this regulatory work is done by officials rather than elected politicians, but I certainly don’t see Ad endorsing the last government in his comment.

      • Draco T Bastard 1.1.2
        21 December 2017 at 10:45 am

        To make that argument work you would need to start with a much harder and stronger regulatory regime over alcohol, tobacco, and, marijuana, so you could start making a case for a common regulatory framework for such substances based upon harm, cumulative damage to society, cumulative cost, and cumulative benefits.

        No we don’t need a much harder regulatory regime to work with.
        If we did base the regulations upon harm then it would be marijuana that would be easy to get and alcohol hard.

        This government doesn’t have the mental capacity to do that.

        It probably does but they’re scared about possible political ramifications. Rather silly really when the majority of people are in favour of recreational legalisation of marijuana. Simply putting it into the present alcohol regulations would work.

      • JustPassingThrough 1.1.3
        21 December 2017 at 3:29 pm

        We already have that. It’s called the Misuse of Drugs Act. It just doesn’t include alcohol and nicotine for some weird reason.

  2. Rosemary McDonald 2
    21 December 2017 at 9:00 am

    If there was ever an example of the truly bizarre influence of the ‘conventional’ pharmaceutical industry its this…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8VGKQLcvXY

    Screened during the Super Bowl….

    • The Fairy Godmother 2.1
      21 December 2017 at 11:02 am

      Thanks so much Rosemary. I am going to go round and see my mother and play it to her. I will also try and find some prune juice. This is a really helpful piece of info for people with opoid induced constipation

      • red-blooded 2.1.1
        21 December 2017 at 11:13 am

        Kiwifruit and kiwifruit juice (including ice blocks) can also be really helpful. Plus, sometimes it takes time for the body to find a new balance. I nearly gave up on a medication that helps control my epilepsy because it gave me dreadful constipation but it settled down after a few months and kiwifruit was a big part of gaining back some balance.

        Best wishes to your mother.

      • Rosemary McDonald 2.1.2
        21 December 2017 at 12:46 pm

        TFG…apart from the usual oral laxatives…(and there are many, of varying effectiveness ) there are OTC suppositories and enemas that can really help if used occasionally. My favourite trick for bowels that simply refuse to ‘peristalt’ is to gently massage, in a downward direction, the sacral area. The use of a lotion or balm can make this gentler if skin integrity is compromised. This hint was shared by someone who had provided over fifty years of care to someone whose disability resulted in severe constipation. It worked.

        I once cared for a youngish lady who had MND. She was handling the loss of physical function like a stoic…but it was the awful, awful constipation from the routinely prescribed codeine pain relief that destroyed her usual sense of humour.

        Best of luck.

  4. DoublePlusGood 4
    21 December 2017 at 10:00 am

    Just legalise drugs and be done with the whole ridiculous system we have at the moment.

  5. Rosemary McDonald 5
    21 December 2017 at 10:06 am

    Two things Bill…the Bill you’ve linked to is not the Clark Bill (which doesn’t seem to actually exist yet in Bill form) but the Swarbrick (formerly Genter) Bill that will be put to the house early next year, and I suspect it will form part of the construction of the Clark Bill in a ‘run it up the flagpole and see how it flutters’ way.

    Secondly…I hadn’t taken you for a Yankyphile, so what’s with the references to ‘research’ from the US?

    I’d take with a largish grain of salt research that denigrates a cheap and accessible medicine when the researchers are most likely conflicted by relationships to insurance and pharmaceutical companies.

    As we know…ALL drugs approved by the FDA are well tested in robust clinical trials and have few if any adverse effects.

    And advertisements don’t mislead…or christ forbid…lie. 🙂

    • Draco T Bastard 5.1
      21 December 2017 at 10:41 am

      Two things Bill…

      Ad?

      I hadn’t taken you for a Yankyphile, so what’s with the references to ‘research’ from the US?

      Ad is highly conservative and generally blocks change wherever.
      And what’s a Yankyphile?

      I’d take with a largish grain of salt research that denigrates a cheap and accessible medicine when the researchers are most likely conflicted by relationships to insurance and pharmaceutical companies.

      Medical uses really do need to be researched but we already know that simply smoking natural marijuana reduces pain and that it’s not particularly dangerous. This is why I think that recreational legalisation should be done first. It makes it available for those that need it for pain while also opening the door for specific medical research.

      • red-blooded 5.1.1
        21 December 2017 at 10:57 am

        Presumably Yankyphile = Yankeephile (someone who hates Yankees) – and presumably, you too managed to work this out.

        And where’s the reference to ‘research’ from the US? I don’t see Ad using quote marks like this, to imply doubt in the validity of the research. Indeed, he seems to put a lot of trust in the findings of the various bodies he quotes.

        I actually think the government is behaving reasonably on this issue. Yes, we should move on pain relief, but yes, we should go with an evidence-based approach. There are frustrations with the slowness of the process, and the fact that it’s only the terminally ill who’ve been approved to use cannabis without prosecution in the meantime, but if we want cannabis products to be prescribed (and hopefully funded by Pharmac) then they need to pass the same standards as any other medication.

        • Siobhan 5.1.1.1
          21 December 2017 at 11:29 am

          Not that it really matters, but for future reference, Yankophile…American-loving..back to the pedants corner with me….

          • red-blooded 5.1.1.1.1
            21 December 2017 at 11:36 am

            Ah! That makes more sense… Thanks, Soibhan. I was distracted by the phonics.

            Having said that (and going back to Rosemary M’s comment), I don’t see that one would have to love Americans in order to take the research findings of significant medical bodies seriously. Should one be Yankee(or Yanko)phobic and dismiss all research that comes out of the US of A?

            • Rosemary McDonald 5.1.1.1.1.1
              21 December 2017 at 12:56 pm

              “Should one be Yankee(or Yanko)phobic and dismiss all research that comes out of the US of A?”

              Possibly, probably…

              see https://thestandard.org.nz/the-medicinal-marijuana-bill/#comment-1428885

              • red-blooded …
                21 December 2017 at 1:09 pm

                Sorry, Rosemary, but that’s just ridiculous. Cannabis is no different than plenty of other plants that provide ingredients or are the sources for medications that are researched, refined and produced already by the industry and overseen by the various professional bodies. The AMA is calling for more research – that’s not shutting the door, it’s just being scientific.

                Most of the research into new medications is done in the US. Are you seriously suggesting that we should ignore all that research, or is that suggestion limited to this one source ingredient?

                • Rosemary McDonald …
                  21 December 2017 at 2:48 pm

                  “Most of the research into new medications is done in the US.”

                  I don’t have time to verify that…but you could well be right.

                  However…and again I’m taking a punt here…I’m guessing that the bulk of the research performed in the US on any medicines is funded, in some way, by the massively influential pharmaceutical industry.

                  Who will never, ever allow any research which gives any credence to claims of the benefits of cannabis.

                  Because they don’t own the patent.

                  Having said that…I vaguely recall reading somewhere that one of the Big Pharma companies was or had patented one of the compounds in cannabis.

                  When I have the time I’ll look it up.

                  Not what I was looking for…but interesting nonetheless…

                  https://www.statista.com/chart/10149/top-ten-in-big-pharma/

                • Stunned mullet …
                  22 December 2017 at 9:34 am

                  Two of the better manufacturers of medicinal cannabinoids/devices are the two below

                  http://www.syqemedical.com
                  https://www.tilray.ca

      • Rosemary McDonald 5.1.2
        21 December 2017 at 11:16 am

        Ad?

        My bad…and makes perfect sense now… 😉

        “Medical uses really do need to be researched …”

        That would be great, especially if those already using cannabis products are allowed to participate without fear of prosecution.

        • Draco T Bastard 5.1.2.1
          21 December 2017 at 11:21 am

          Which is why I said we should be making recreational use legal first.

          • Blair Anderson 5.1.2.1.1
            3 January 2018 at 2:54 pm

            I am not sure ‘recreational’ is the right terminology… I don’t recreate on a dram. I don’t recreate on watching a movie either… I might enjoy one (or the other) because of who I am with (experience in common etc) but, for clarity, I might enjoy a cannabis experience better than an alcohol experience, just as I might enjoy playing tennis more than cricket. What irks me is the ongoing notion that it is an either-or choice. We can have one OR the other based on nothing more than ‘gravely vile’ mischievous legislation that is ageist, sexist, classist and racist in application. That does my head in…

            • Draco T Bastard 5.1.2.1.1.1
              3 January 2018 at 3:42 pm

              I don’t recreate on a dram. I don’t recreate on watching a movie either… I might enjoy one

              So, that would be the exact definition of recreation:

              Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be “fun”.

              So, yep, watching a movie and/or having a Dram is recreation. Having a joint is also recreation.

  6. One Two 6
    21 December 2017 at 11:30 am

    The pharmaceutical industry would nod in approval at this article..

    Each and every one of the ‘agencies’ refered to are beholden to the chemical pharmaceutical industry ,and as such are gatekeepers and protectors of revenue streams for those companies..nothing more

    ‘More research’

    Yes, into the toxic poisons and unethical methods used to enable the continued peddling of said toxic chemicals

    Hundreds of thousands of deaths per year globally at a minumum and more research os required into a plant as a priority…

  7. Andre 7
    21 December 2017 at 11:40 am

    When considering the lack of studies around benefits of cannabis and cannabis-derived products, it’s worth remembering that getting approval and materials to perform those studies has been extremely difficult in the US since 1970.

    https://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-04/why-its-so-hard-scientists-study-pot

  8. alwyn 8
    21 December 2017 at 11:53 am

    Guyon Espiner doesn’t seem to be capable of simple logic.
    Today on Morning Report he quizzed Health Minister Clark on whether Ardern had promised to make Cannabis legal during a pre-election Leaders’ Debate.
    According to Espiner, and I assume he was quoting correctly, the two leaders were asked “Would you consider legalising Cannabis for medical purposes”. He then quoted Ardern as replying “The answer is absolutely yes”.
    Somehow Guyon now claims that Labour hasn’t delivered on a promise to legalise its use.

    It is certainly true that Labour aren’t legalising cannabis for medical purpose. However Ardern never promised to. She only promised to consider it. Well she, or the Coalition have considered it, and decided no way. She did exactly what she promised to do. She CONSIDERED it.

    Espiner’s pin-pricking is exactly what “Blip” used to do with John Key’s statements. He claimed that Key was lying when what was actually happening was that Blip was claiming that John Key’s remarks were in answer to some other question, one that was never asked.

    Ardern was doing exactly the same thing. She was answering a specific question in such a way that people heard what they wanted to hear. She never ever promised to make its use legal. She just made you think she had.
    I confess I never thought she had the political smarts to be able to do that. I thought that that was a skill that only Helen Clark and John Key possessed among our recent leaders.

    • Draco T Bastard 8.1
      21 December 2017 at 7:00 pm

      Espiner’s pin-pricking is exactly what “Blip” used to do with John Key’s statements. He claimed that Key was lying when what was actually happening was that Blip was claiming that John Key’s remarks were in answer to some other question, one that was never asked.

      Bollocks.

      BLiP’s list is accurate and John Key really did say what he is reported as saying to the questions asked.

      • alwyn 8.1.1
        22 December 2017 at 9:18 am

        If Blip’s list is so “accurate” perhaps you can tell me, picking one at random (number 39) what diplomatic post Don Brash received?
        The link to that rat-bag weekend paper has, of course, a headline that has nothing to do with the story.
        I had a look at this on several occasions and always found that the stories were never more than one interpretation of the real story.
        For a lot of them the only link is to a press statement by someone like Michael Cullen.
        Did you really rely on him for your justifications?

        • Stunned mullet 8.1.1.1
          22 December 2017 at 9:26 am

          😆 Dear old BLiP, goodness knows what he spends his time doing these days now that he hasn’t got key around anymore to froth over.

        • Draco T Bastard 8.1.1.2
          22 December 2017 at 11:57 am

          You seem to misunderstand – probably on purpose.

          Key offered Brash a job if he stepped down without a fight. Afterwards the story changed.

          All documented in the link.

          • alwyn 8.1.1.2.1
            22 December 2017 at 1:58 pm

            Well I re-read the whole article and I don’t see any evidence that John Key had offered Don Brash a diplomatic appointment if he stood down quietly.
            What does this article say.?
            It starts with a hiss and a roar. “JOHN KEY plans to appoint”. Then it fades to “sources have told”. Un-named sources of course.
            Then we get “this has firmed into Key planning” but fades down to Key saying “we’re not saying it’s not possible that he could be used in some capacity”
            Then we get the ‘Evidence”.
            “One newspaper published a rumour of the Brash job offer” and “could be forgiven for thinking Key owed him something in return”

            Finally, late in the piece we get “So, there was no `here you go, buddy, you have this one and you leave’? It was a genuine step down?” Key replied: ‘”It was a genuine step down.” Finally we get from Brash “But no promises had been made.”
            So, like all of Blip’s stories there is no evidence at all. Just some conjecture from journalists and consistent denials by the only people who could know.

            I tried something similar. I had a chat with a reporter. We met on the footpath directly in front of Fraser House. This gave him his lead
            “A source very close to Labour Party headquarters told me”.
            I then told him that I had heard that Ardern had given Peters a total veto over any Government Bills.
            He published that verbatim.
            He then asked Winston whether the story was true. Winston replied “Listen Sunshine, I have more to do than talk to you about rumours”
            This became “Peters refused to confirm or deny the story”.
            So he asked Ardern. She said “I have no knowledge of any such agreement with anyone”
            This became “Ardern denies the story which I have been assured happened and which Peters refused to discuss”.

            Blip of course would turn this into “Ardern LIes”
            Easy isn’t it?

    • the pigman 8.2
      21 December 2017 at 9:15 pm

      “Well she, or the Coalition have considered it, and decided no way. She did exactly what she promised to do. She CONSIDERED it.

      Yes dear, and the American invaders are committing suicide at the gates of Baghdad.

      I always wondered what happened to the Iraqi (Dis)Information Minister who provided those caricatured Fox News soundbites in the televised invasion of Iraq.

      I’m glad to know he’s not only still alive, but part of the wider Standard community.

      Anyone interested in facts can actually read the Bill, and should keep up with the ongoing commentary on the issue from Russell Brown and Ross Bell. Rather too much disinformation being pedalled by idiots at the moment.

      • alwyn 8.2.1
        22 December 2017 at 9:24 am

        I prefer to listen to the comments about the bill by the current Health Minister Clark.
        Have a listen to him on Morning Report (the interview is at about 7.14am on 21st from memory.
        He quite clearly said that the drug was not being legalised, but that he trusted the police wouldn’t enforce it.

  9. Cinny 9
    21 December 2017 at 4:44 pm

    Made in NZ please, 90 day plant cycle, if they are going to supply it on perscription, commonsense would be not to import raw product.

  10. R.P. Mcmurphy 10
    26 December 2017 at 9:20 pm

    It is obvious that people are raping and looting and murdering and dancing with negroes now so if cannabis is legalised then what will happen next?

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    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • The Hoon around the week to Dec 8
    Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro arrives for the State Opening of Parliament (Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)TL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:New Finance Minister Nicola Willis set herself a ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • New Zealand’s Witchcraft Laws: 1840/1858-1961/1962
    Sometimes one gets morbidly curious about the oddities of one’s own legal system. Sometimes one writes entire essays on New Zealand’s experience with Blasphemous Libel: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2017/05/09/blasphemous-libel-new-zealand-politics/ And sometimes one follows up the exact historical status of witchcraft law in New Zealand. As one does, of course. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • No surprises
    Don’t expect any fiscal shocks or surprises when the books are opened on December 20 with the unveiling of the Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU). That was the message yesterday from Westpac in an economic commentary. But the bank’s analysis did not include any changes to capital ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #49 2023
    113 articles in 48 journals by 674 contributing authors Physical science of climate change, effects Diversity of Lagged Relationships in Global Means of Surface Temperatures and Radiative Budgets for CMIP6 piControl Simulations, Tsuchida et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-23-0045.1 Do abrupt cryosphere events in High Mountain Asia indicate earlier tipping ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Phone calls at Kia Kaha primary
    It is quiet reading time in Room 13! It is so quiet you can hear the Tui outside. It is so quiet you can hear the Fulton Hogan crew.It is so quiet you can hear old Mr Grant and old Mr Bradbury standing by the roadworks and counting the conesand going on ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • A question of confidence is raised by the Minister of Police, but he had to be questioned by RNZ to ...
    It looks like the new ministerial press secretaries have quickly learned the art of camouflaging exactly what their ministers are saying – or, at least, of keeping the hard news  out of the headlines and/or the opening sentences of the statements they post on the home page of the governments ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Xmas  good  cheer  for the dairy industry  as Fonterra lifts its forecast
    The big dairy co-op Fonterra  had  some Christmas  cheer to offer  its farmers this week, increasing its forecast farmgate milk price and earnings guidance for  the year after what it calls a strong start to the year. The forecast  midpoint for the 2023/24 season is up 25cs to $7.50 per ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • MICHAEL BASSETT: Modern Maori myths
    Michael Bassett writes – Many of the comments about the Coalition’s determination to wind back the dramatic Maorification of New Zealand of the last three years would have you believe the new government is engaged in a full-scale attack on Maori. In reality, all that is happening ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Dreams of eternal sunshine at a spotless COP28
    Mary Robinson asked Al Jaber a series of very simple, direct and highly pertinent questions and he responded with a high-octane public meltdown. Photos: Getty Images / montage: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR The hygiene effects of direct sunshine are making some inroads, perhaps for the very first time, on the normalised ‘deficit ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • LINDSAY MITCHELL: Oh, the irony
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Appointed by new Labour PM Jacinda Ardern in 2018, Cindy Kiro headed the Welfare Expert Advisory Group (WEAG) tasked with reviewing and recommending reforms to the welfare system. Kiro had been Children’s Commissioner during Helen Clark’s Labour government but returned to academia subsequently. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Transport Agencies don’t want Harbour Tunnels
    It seems even our transport agencies don’t want Labour’s harbour crossing plans. In August the previous government and Waka Kotahi announced their absurd preferred option the new harbour crossing that at the time was estimated to cost $35-45 billion. It included both road tunnels and a wiggly light rail tunnel ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • Webworm Presents: Jurassic Park on 35mm
    Hi,Paying Webworm members such as yourself keep this thing running, so as 2023 draws to close, I wanted to do two things to say a giant, loud “THANKS”. Firstly — I’m giving away 10 Mister Organ blu-rays in New Zealand, and another 10 in America. More details down below.Secondly — ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago

  • The Prime Minister's Dream.
    Yesterday saw the State Opening of Parliament, the Speech from the Throne, and then Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s dream for Aotearoa in his first address. But first the pomp and ceremony, the arrival of the Governor General.Dame Cindy Kiro arrived on the forecourt outside of parliament to a Māori welcome. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • National’s new MP; the proud part-Maori boy raised in a state house
    Probably not since 1975 have we seen a government take office up against such a wall of protest and complaint. That was highlighted yesterday, the day that the new Parliament was sworn in, with news that King Tuheitia has called a national hui for late January to develop a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • Climate Adam: Battlefield Earth – How War Fuels Climate Catastrophe
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). War, conflict and climate change are tearing apart lives across the world. But these aren't separate harms - they're intricately connected. ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • They do not speak for us, and they do not speak for the future
    These dire woeful and intolerant people have been so determinedly going about their small and petulant business, it’s hard to keep up. At the end of the new government’s first woeful week, Audrey Young took the time to count off its various acts of denigration of Te Ao Māori:Review the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Another attack on te reo
    The new white supremacist government made attacking te reo a key part of its platform, promising to rename government agencies and force them to "communicate primarily in English" (which they already do). But today they've gone further, by trying to cut the pay of public servants who speak te reo: ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • For the record, the Beehive buzz can now be regarded as “official”
    Buzz from the Beehive The biggest buzz we bring you from the Beehive today is that the government’s official website is up and going after being out of action for more than a week. The latest press statement came  from  Education Minister  Eric Stanford, who seized on the 2022 PISA ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • Climate Change: Failed again
    There was another ETS auction this morning. and like all the other ones this year, it failed to clear - meaning that 23 million tons of carbon (15 million ordinary units plus 8 million in the cost containment reserve) went up in smoke. Or rather, they didn't. Being unsold at ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On The Government’s Assault On Maori
    This isn’t news, but the National-led coalition is mounting a sustained assault on Treaty rights and obligations. Even so, Christopher Luxon has described yesterday’s nationwide protests by Maori as “pretty unfair.” Poor thing. In the NZ Herald, Audrey Young has compiled a useful list of the many, many ways that ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    5 days ago

  • Rising costs hit farmers hard, but  there’s more  positive news  for  them this  week 
    New Zealand’s dairy industry, the mainstay of the country’s export trade, has  been under  pressure  from rising  costs. Down on the  farm, this  has  been  hitting  hard. But there  was more positive news this week,  first   from the latest Fonterra GDT auction where  prices  rose,  and  then from  a  report ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    5 days ago

  • ROB MacCULLOCH:  Newshub and NZ Herald report misleading garbage about ACT’s van Veldon not follo...
    Rob MacCulloch writes –  In their rush to discredit the new government (which our MainStream Media regard as illegitimate and having no right to enact the democratic will of voters) the NZ Herald and Newshub are arguing ACT’s Deputy Leader Brooke van Veldon is not following Treasury advice ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Top 10 for Wednesday, December 6
    Even many young people who smoke support smokefree policies, fitting in with previous research showing the large majority of people who smoke regret starting and most want to quit. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere on the morning of Wednesday, December ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • Eleven years of work.
    Well it didn’t take six months, but the leaks have begun. Yes the good ship Coalition has inadvertently released a confidential cabinet paper into the public domain, discussing their axing of Fair Pay Agreements (FPAs).Oops.Just when you were admiring how smoothly things were going for the new government, they’ve had ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Why we're missing out on sharply lower inflation
    A wave of new and higher fees, rates and charges will ripple out over the economy in the next 18 months as mayors, councillors, heads of department and price-setters for utilities such as gas, electricity, water and parking ramp up charges. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Just when most ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • How Did We Get Here?
    Hi,Kiwis — keep the evening of December 22nd free. I have a meetup planned, and will send out an invite over the next day or so. This sounds sort of crazy to write, but today will be Tony Stamp’s final Totally Normal column of 2023. Somehow we’ve made it to ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago

  • At a glance – Has the greenhouse effect been falsified?
    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
    6 days ago

  • New Zealaders  have  high expectations of  new  government:  now let’s see if it can deliver?
    The electorate has high expectations of the  new  government.  The question is: can  it  deliver?    Some  might  say  the  signs are not  promising. Protestors   are  already marching in the streets. The  new  Prime Minister has had  little experience of managing  very diverse politicians  in coalition. The economy he  ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    6 days ago

  • You won't believe some of the numbers you have to pull when you're a Finance Minister
    Nicola of Marsden:Yo, normies! We will fix your cost of living worries by giving you a tax cut of 150 dollars. 150! Cash money! Vote National.Various people who can read and count:Actually that's 150 over a fortnight. Not a week, which is how you usually express these things.And actually, it looks ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • Pushback
    When this government came to power, it did so on an explicitly white supremacist platform. Undermining the Waitangi Tribunal, removing Māori representation in local government, over-riding the courts which had tried to make their foreshore and seabed legislation work, eradicating te reo from public life, and ultimately trying to repudiate ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • Defence ministerial meeting meant Collins missed the Maori Party’s mischief-making capers in Parli...
    Buzz from the Beehive Maybe this is not the best time for our Minister of Defence to have gone overseas. Not when the Maori Party is inviting (or should that be inciting?) its followers to join a revolution in a post which promoted its protest plans with a picture of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Threats of war have been followed by an invitation to join the revolution – now let’s see how th...
     A Maori Party post on Instagram invited party followers to ….  Tangata Whenua, Tangata Tiriti, Join the REVOLUTION! & make a stand!  Nationwide Action Day, All details in tiles swipe to see locations.  • This is our 1st hit out and tomorrow Tuesday the 5th is the opening ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Top 10 for Tuesday, December 4
    The RBNZ governor is citing high net migration and profit-led inflation as factors in the bank’s hawkish stance. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere on the morning of Tuesday, December 5, including:Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr says high net migration and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Nicola Willis' 'show me the money' moment
    Willis has accused labour of “economic vandalism’, while Robertson described her comments as a “desperate diversion from somebody who can't make their tax package add up”. There will now be an intense focus on December 20 to see whether her hyperbole is backed up by true surprises. Photo montage: Lynn ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • CRL costs money but also provides huge benefits
    The City Rail Link has been in the headlines a bit recently so I thought I’d look at some of them. First up, yesterday the NZ Herald ran this piece about the ongoing costs of the CRL. Auckland ratepayers will be saddled with an estimated bill of $220 million each ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    6 days ago

  • And I don't want the world to see us.
    Is this the most shambolic government in the history of New Zealand? Given that parliament hasn’t even opened they’ve managed quite a list of achievements to date.The Smokefree debacle trading lives for tax cuts, the Trumpian claims of bribery in the Media, an International award for indifference, and today the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Cooking the books
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis late yesterday stopped only slightly short of accusing her predecessor Grant Robertson of cooking the books. She complained that the Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU), due to be made public on December 20, would show “fiscal cliffs” that would amount to “billions of ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Most people don’t realize how much progress we’ve made on climate change
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The year was 2015. ‘Uptown Funk’ with Bruno Mars was at the top of the music charts. Jurassic World was the most popular new movie in theaters. And decades of futility in international climate negotiations was about to come to an end in ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago

  • Of Parliamentary Oaths and Clive Boonham
    As a heads-up, I am not one of those people who stay awake at night thinking about weird Culture War nonsense. At least so far as the current Maori/Constitutional arrangements go. In fact, I actually consider it the least important issue facing the day to day lives of New ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    7 days ago

  • Bearing True Allegiance?
    Strong Words: “We do not consent, we do not surrender, we do not cede, we do not submit; we, the indigenous, are rising. We do not buy into the colonial fictions this House is built upon. Te Pāti Māori pledges allegiance to our mokopuna, our whenua, and Te Tiriti o ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago

  • You cannot be serious
    Some days it feels like the only thing to say is: Seriously? No, really. Seriously?OneSomeone has used their health department access to share data about vaccinations and patients, and inform the world that New Zealanders have been dying in their hundreds of thousands from the evil vaccine. This of course is pure ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • A promise kept: govt pulls the plug on Lake Onslow scheme – but this saving of $16bn is denounced...
    Buzz from the Beehive After $21.8 million was spent on investigations, the plug has been pulled on the Lake Onslow pumped-hydro electricity scheme, The scheme –  that technically could have solved New Zealand’s looming energy shortage, according to its champions – was a key part of the defeated Labour government’s ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • CHRIS TROTTER: The Maori Party and Oath of Allegiance
    If those elected to the Māori Seats refuse to take them, then what possible reason could the country have for retaining them?   Chris Trotter writes – Christmas is fast approaching, which, as it does every year, means gearing up for an abstruse general knowledge question. “Who was ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • BRIAN EASTON:  Forward to 2017
    The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies. Brian Easton writes – The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 week ago

  • Climate Change: Fossils
    When the new government promised to allow new offshore oil and gas exploration, they were warned that there would be international criticism and reputational damage. Naturally, they arrogantly denied any possibility that that would happen. And then they finally turned up at COP, to criticism from Palau, and a "fossil ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • GEOFFREY MILLER:  NZ’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    Geoffrey Miller writes – New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 week ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the government’s smokefree laws debacle
    The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around – incompetently, as it turns out – for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 week ago

  • Top 10 links at 10 am for Monday, December 4
    As Deb Te Kawa writes in an op-ed, the new Government seems to have immediately bought itself fights with just about everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Monday December 4, including:Palau’s President ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Be Honest.
    Let’s begin today by thinking about job interviews.During my career in Software Development I must have interviewed hundreds of people, hired at least a hundred, but few stick in the memory.I remember one guy who was so laid back he was practically horizontal, leaning back in his chair until his ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he left off. Peters sought to align ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    1 week ago

  • Auckland rail tunnel the world’s most expensive
    Auckland’s city rail link is the most expensive rail project in the world per km, and the CRL boss has described the cost of infrastructure construction in Aotearoa as a crisis. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The 3.5 km City Rail Link (CRL) tunnel under Auckland’s CBD has cost ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • First big test coming
    The first big test of the new Government’s approach to Treaty matters is likely to be seen in the return of the Resource Management Act. RMA Minister Chris Bishop has confirmed that he intends to introduce legislation to repeal Labour’s recently passed Natural and Built Environments Act and its ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago

  • Ministers visit Hawke’s Bay to grasp recovery needs
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Cyclone Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell and Transport and Local Government Minister Simeon Brown, to meet leaders of cyclone and flood-affected regions in the Hawke’s Bay. The visit reinforced the coalition Government’s commitment to support the region and better understand its ongoing requirements, Mr Mitchell says.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns malicious cyber activity
    New Zealand has joined the UK and other partners in condemning malicious cyber activity conducted by the Russian Government, Minister Responsible for the Government Communications Security Bureau Judith Collins says. The statement follows the UK’s attribution today of malicious cyber activity impacting its domestic democratic institutions and processes, as well ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Disestablishment of Te Pūkenga begins
    The Government has begun the process of disestablishing Te Pūkenga as part of its 100-day plan, Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills Penny Simmonds says.  “I have started putting that plan into action and have met with the chair and chief Executive of Te Pūkenga to advise them of my ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Climate Change Minister to attend COP28 in Dubai
    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will be leaving for Dubai today to attend COP28, the 28th annual UN climate summit, this week. Simon Watts says he will push for accelerated action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement, deliver New Zealand’s national statement and connect with partner countries, private sector leaders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand to host 2024 Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins yesterday announced New Zealand will host next year’s South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM). “Having just returned from this year’s meeting in Nouméa, I witnessed first-hand the value of meeting with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security and defence matters. I welcome the opportunity to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Study shows need to remove distractions in class
    The Government is committed to lifting school achievement in the basics and that starts with removing distractions so young people can focus on their learning, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.   The 2022 PISA results released this week found that Kiwi kids ranked 5th in the world for being distracted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Minister sets expectations of Commissioner
    Today I met with Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to set out my expectations, which he has agreed to, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. Under section 16(1) of the Policing Act 2008, the Minister can expect the Police Commissioner to deliver on the Government’s direction and priorities, as now outlined in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New Zealand needs a strong and stable ETS
    New Zealand needs a strong and stable Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) that is well placed for the future, after emission units failed to sell for the fourth and final auction of the year, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  At today’s auction, 15 million New Zealand units (NZUs) – each ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • PISA results show urgent need to teach the basics
    With 2022 PISA results showing a decline in achievement, Education Minister Erica Stanford is confident that the Coalition Government’s 100-day plan for education will improve outcomes for Kiwi kids.  The 2022 PISA results show a significant decline in the performance of 15-year-old students in maths compared to 2018 and confirms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Collins leaves for Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins today departed for New Caledonia to attend the 8th annual South Pacific Defence Ministers’ meeting (SPDMM). “This meeting is an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security matters and to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the Pacific,” Judith Collins says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Working for Families gets cost of living boost
    Putting more money in the pockets of hard-working families is a priority of this Coalition Government, starting with an increase to Working for Families, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “We are starting our 100-day plan with a laser focus on bringing down the cost of living, because that is what ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Post-Cabinet press conference
    Most weeks, following Cabinet, the Prime Minister holds a press conference for members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery. This page contains the transcripts from those press conferences, which are supplied by Hansard to the Office of the Prime Minister. It is important to note that the transcripts have not been edited ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme scrapped
    The Government has axed the $16 billion Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme championed by the previous government, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says. “This hugely wasteful project was pouring money down the drain at a time when we need to be reining in spending and focussing on rebuilding the economy and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ welcomes further pause in fighting in Gaza
    New Zealand welcomes the further one-day extension of the pause in fighting, which will allow the delivery of more urgently-needed humanitarian aid into Gaza and the release of more hostages, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said. “The human cost of the conflict is horrific, and New Zealand wants to see the violence ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Condolences on passing of Henry Kissinger
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters today expressed on behalf of the New Zealand Government his condolences to the family of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who has passed away at the age of 100 at his home in Connecticut. “While opinions on his legacy are varied, Secretary Kissinger was ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Backing our kids to learn the basics
    Every child deserves a world-leading education, and the Coalition Government is making that a priority as part of its 100-day plan. Education Minister Erica Stanford says that will start with banning cellphone use at school and ensuring all primary students spend one hour on reading, writing, and maths each day. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • US Business Summit Speech – Regional stability through trade
    I would like to begin by echoing the Prime Minister’s thanks to the organisers of this Summit, Fran O’Sullivan and the Auckland Business Chamber.  I want to also acknowledge the many leading exporters, sector representatives, diplomats, and other leaders we have joining us in the room. In particular, I would like ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Keynote Address to the United States Business Summit, Auckland
    Good morning. Thank you, Rosemary, for your warm introduction, and to Fran and Simon for this opportunity to make some brief comments about New Zealand’s relationship with the United States.  This is also a chance to acknowledge my colleague, Minister for Trade Todd McClay, Ambassador Tom Udall, Secretary of Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • India New Zealand Business Council Speech, India as a Strategic Priority
    Good morning, tēnā koutou and namaskar. Many thanks, Michael, for your warm welcome. I would like to acknowledge the work of the India New Zealand Business Council in facilitating today’s event and for the Council’s broader work in supporting a coordinated approach for lifting New Zealand-India relations. I want to also ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Coalition Government unveils 100-day plan
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has laid out the Coalition Government’s plan for its first 100 days from today. “The last few years have been incredibly tough for so many New Zealanders. People have put their trust in National, ACT and NZ First to steer them towards a better, more prosperous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • New Zealand welcomes European Parliament vote on the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement
    A significant milestone in ratifying the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was reached last night, with 524 of the 705 member European Parliament voting in favour to approve the agreement. “I’m delighted to hear of the successful vote to approve the NZ-EU FTA in the European Parliament overnight. This is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

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