The “Others”.

Written By: - Date published: 12:07 pm, April 25th, 2020 - 20 comments
Categories: class war, debt / deficit, Economy, economy, equality, history, human rights, infrastructure, poverty, quality of life, Social issues, socialism, unemployment - Tags:

Auckland housing: 'We've lost the plot' | RNZ News
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/303946/auckland-housing-%27we%27ve-lost-the-plot%27

“Othering” has long been a prop, of Governments that want to remain in power for the benefit of an Oligarchy, an “Elite”, a small ruling class, or the ones with, “the money”.

Deflecting blame for economic and social issues on,  an ethnicity, a class, the elderly, the poor, the young, the unemployed, young solo mothers, the disabled, immigrants,  or any other convenient group that can be demonised.

“Othering” works, often horrifically well, as history shows.

It has proven to be an excellent way of deflecting attention, while a few run away, with the resources, the wealth, and the power.

National, “dogwhistling” about “solo mums, breeding”, “lazy unemployed youth” or “generational welfare dependency” , is a recurrent staple whenever they flag in the polls, or need a distraction from dishonesty, arrogance or incompetence.

Labour, to their discredit, largely went along with it. Welfare has been deliberately set below the cost of a minimal living, since Richardsons, “mother of all budgets”, to force people into underpaid jobs.

The underlying memes, behind much of the “othering” in New Zealand are “useless mouths”, “deserving and undeserving poor”, “the meritocracy” (that money you are paid, reflects your value to society), “productive and unproductive people” , “welfare bludgers”.

Few who use these self serving justifications, for their own greed and privilege, are stupid enough to use those exact words. The supporting train of thought, however, is obvious.

Already we see businesses, the formerly comfortable, and the tax dodging speculators, now losing money, as well as the newspapers that endlessly exposed “welfare cheats”, with their hands out, for, welfare!

The irony, and hypocrisy of so many who complained about “people on the “State teat” now surviving on Government handouts. The tax dodgers, exploitative employers, and others, who joined in excoriating “Bludging bene’s, who are now asking for more, is blindingly apparent.

“Bene’s” are “the others”.

They are “not us” so keeping them homeless, poor, hungry and without much hope of change, so we can pay a few dollars a week, less tax,  is fine.

Very soon  more of us may become the “others” we didn’t care about.

Already many  more of us are now the beneficiaries, we despised.

In the 1930’s depression, a large number of people who were formerly middle class, and even wealthy, suddenly found out, that prosperity very often depends on luck.

The first Labour Governments social welfare, housing, industrial and education policies were welcomed by a people that had painfully recent experience of deprivation and war. But also recent experience, of the power of working together for common goals.

Post WW2, continued high Government debt, increasing unemployment, with all the returning troops needing work, economic decline… looked inevitable.

The Government embarked on a program of reconstruction and development and increasing everyone’s wellbeing, paid for, with QE and high marginal tax rates, not increased debt. Within a few short years, Government debt was reduced, we had full employment, an excellent education system and adequate housing and healthcare for all.

Many are now finding out about the “poverty traps” introduced by later Governments in their “bene bashing” punitive, social welfare.

You are now one of the “others” so “we will punish you”.

The humiliation, routinely inflicted by WINZ case managers on unemployed youngsters, the prying into your sex life to see if you are eligible, losing unemployment benefit if your partner has a job, having to use your savings, your final pays, or sell assets built up over your lifetime, before you can access welfare, the courses on how to fill out a CV, taught by instructors who cannot even spell, the having to apply weekly for dozens of dead end, underpaid jobs, without any opportunity for meaningful training for a better one, all to end up with payments that barely cover your rent.

This is a day to remember the returning troops, sailors and airman, and the better world they wanted for their children, and grandchildren.

It won’t be long, after experiencing the miserliness of our welfare system, that we inflicted on “the others” that we will soon be demanding, better. Just as we did after WW2.

20 comments on “The “Others”. ”

  1. mac1 1

    Along with the 'othering' which I agree with you has been a ploy of demagogues is the notion of 'us-ness". Who are we if they are 'they'?.

    It's nationalism. jingoism.

    In NZ we hear 'hard-working New Zealanders' as us. John Key used the 'hard-working' meme recently. Bridges often uses it. It goes with 'mum and dad' investors as an identifier but by association derogates beneficiaries.

    Watch out superannuitants. The attack has started with recent comments from Goldsmith. We will be the next to be othered as leeches on the state.

    National last election had a policy to extend the age of super entitlement out to 67, remember. We continue to get 'a wage' according to Goldsmith.

    He could have added "while hardworking mum and dad Kiwi businesses founder." But that is what othering does. Even the use of the word Kiwi can be 'othering' in context.

    How much different is Ardern's statement, "They are us." That's why I respect her so much.

  2. Carolyn_Nth 2

    Very good post. It has been jaw dropping to see the likes of the Tax Payers Union, Richard Branson, holding out their hands for state handouts.

    And the overdue recognition of essential workers as in supermarkets, to be only withdrawn as soon as the supermarket duopoly foresaw they no longer were to benefit from the stand down of other food providers

    I do hope we see a return to the recognition of the fact that we are all interdependent, and all a misfortune away from being in the unemployment queue. And with it, a return to a more equitable distribution of income and wealth.

  3. Kay 3

    KJT, I was about to write up a guest post on this topic but you pretty much covered most of my talking points, so snap!

    While I like to think I'm a pretty empathetic person this sudden spike of people discovering the joys of our cushy lifestyle has me conflicted. While I have all the sympathy on Earth for any children/dependents caught up in someone's job loss, having spent a good 30 years now on the receiving end of the bashing I just can't have any sympathy for those who joined in the bashing, happily voted for their precious tax cuts, fell for the propaganda that somehow because they had a job they were ' superior' to us and chose to ignore our plight and the growing inequality even as they walked around the homeless on the streets. Or just being so sure nothing bad would ever happen to them. I've already seen a couple of mentions of "how can I be expected to survive on this much?" I don't think subsistence benefit rates even crossed their minds till now. Isn't karma a bitch sometimes.

    • KJT 3.1

      Sorry for the steal.

      I still think you should put up a guest post.

      You obviously have another angle of your own experience. Me, not so much.

      If we cannot get traction for people who are not so lucky, now!

  4. Craig H 4

    I think there's a real opportunity to explain that the old social contract is not workable in NZ, and forge a new one. To explain, our current social contract is one of low taxes, low regulation, low benefits/welfare for unemployed on the (often unstated) basis that people should self-insure using the extra money from the low taxes and low regulation. This self-insurance may be actual insurance (medical, income protection, loan/mortgage etc) or savings equivalent to 6 months of expenses (or a combination).

    However, in the shaky isles and the ever-present risk of pandemic, that seems like a poor model because everyone ends up relying on the State anyway in large events, so our next model should be higher taxes and more social insurance e.g. higher benefits, lower abatement rates, and agreed model for State payments if there is an event which triggers them.

    For now, I'd do some helicopter money in the form of increased Family Tax Credit and Independent Earner Tax Credit (increase threshold to $70,000) for the 2019-20 tax year just ended. Using these as a mechanism to deliver money will get it out in tax refunds due soon, and with abatement rates built in so that the well-off don't get as much or any.

    $1,500 to IETC, $4,000 for the first child and $1000 for each additional child for FTC (on the idea that couples are getting $1,500 each – solo parents can have $3,000 because why not).

    For people not entitled to the above due to receiving state assistance (benefits other than DPB/SPP, super, student allowance, and no WFF/FTC), MSD can pay the same amounts as a lump sum, perhaps with an application process for superannuitants so they don't get it if they have a high-paying job as well (it could be done through IRD with some tweaking as their system knows if someone is receiving NZ Super, but probably easier to set up the MSD system).

    LPrent will no doubt be along to tell me that's hard and should just be an MSD application process :).

    • Nic 181 4.1

      Very well said!!!!!!!!

    • KJT 4.2

      Yes. Privatisation of social welfare.

      Unfortunately for most low income people, the cost of private insurance is prohibitive, and they do not earn enough to have, savings.

      If they have anything left, after paying for privatised services, such as power and housing.

    • lprent 4.3

      Good to see that I do make an impact (eventually).

      You haven't specified a timescale so it is hard to assess how hard it would be apart from "For now..". But because what you have suggested all appears to use current rather than new systems this may be able to be achieved over a period of a few months and maybe even weeks – rather than years.

      There would be gaps in coverage of course. But that looks more targeted towards the purpose of need and economic stimulus, and it uses existing systems.

      If you remove the application process for superannuants would be better. Kind of pointless anyway because higher income superannuants aren’t that common and a large chunk would be would wind as being taxed out anyway. Putting the extra process in would probably be more expensive and time wasting than not doing it at all and suffering a minor wastage. There is a reason why the simple superanniant process has by far the lowest implementation cost of any government benefit programme.

      It also means that any change to systems can be planned and implemented on a more reasonable development cycle including looking for unpleasant side-effects before finding them out the hard way.

      I'm always surprised at just how hard it is for people to understanding how hard it is ti implement large new systems or to change older systems reliably.

      • Craig H 4.3.1

        Picking existing schemes seemed a lot more achievable than anything else. In terms of implementation time frames, IRD would have a month or two. Agree about Super, or it could just be rolled into the IETC/FTC plan.

        • lprent 4.3.1.1

          Picking existing schemes seemed a lot more achievable than anything else.

          It almost always is. Up until the point where the spaghetti code/systems get so convoluted that you have to take the plunge and rewrite and rebuild. That is horrendously expensive.

          From a systems point of view, the best way for that not to happen is to not make systems too complex on any one string of logic. That just makes them rigid and hard to change and adapt.

          So when adding things, if you add in the ‘cost’ of cleaning up the mess later on, it provides you a pretty good guide about what not to do. Adding a process to try to qualify the super is a good example.

          I had to untangle some horrendous complicated code systems that were built with the best of intentions and were just complex pits of stupidity by the time the project was ‘finished’. You can usually tell the style by the maintenance – the code updates made to them after the initial build are hesitant, small, and often unfinished.

  5. georgecom 5

    there are idle shiftless buggers in this country for whom work is a swear word. there are useless parents for whom kids are a source on income rather than a cherished child. there are old moaners who think the world owes them a living. there are rip off bstds who rort ACC. there are people who bludge and sponge off hard working tax payers.

    there are also greedy bstds who go to the ends of the earth to minimise and dodge paying their fair share of taxes. there are people who howl and moan about the idea of a capital gains tax being applied to their un-taxed wealth. there are miserable prcks who consistently state that the key to wage increases is higher productivity, whilst neglecting to state that wage increases have lagged behind productivity gains the past 30 years.

    the shiftless idle bludgers need a kick in the arse to be reminded society doesn't owe them a living and might be better off without them. the greedy money grubbing bludgers likewise need a kick in the arse and that society might be better off with their wealth being distributed.

  6. KJT 6

    Interesting, and rather frightening take on the USA's attitude to, Others.

    https://eand.co/everyones-dying-and-no-one-cares-d05d97f2b43f

    About the US attitude to society.

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    The mediocrity who stands to be a Prime Minister has a litany.He uses it a bit like a Koru Lounge card. He will brandish it to say: these people are eligible. And more than that, too: These people are deserving. They have earned this policy.They have a right to this policy. What ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • More “partnerships” (by the look of it) and redress of over $30 million in Treaty settlement wit...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point of Order has waited until now – 3.45pm – for today’s officially posted government announcements.  There have been none. The only addition to the news on the Beehive’s website was posted later yesterday, after we had published our September 26 Buzz report. It came from ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • ALEX HOLLAND: Labour’s spending
    Alex Holland writes –  In 2017 when Labour came to power, crown spending was $76 billion per year. Now in 2023 it is $139 billion per year, which equates to a $63 billion annual increase (over $1 billion extra spend every week!) In 2017, New Zealand’s government debt ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • If not now, then when?
    Labour released its fiscal plan today, promising the same old, same old: "responsibility", balanced books, and of course no new taxes: "Labour will maintain income tax settings to provide consistency and certainty in these volatile times. Now is not the time for additional taxes or to promise billions of ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • THE FACTS:  77% of Kiwis believe NZ is becoming more divided
    The Facts has posted –        KEY INSIGHTSOf New Zealander’s polled: Social unity/division 77%believe NZ is becoming more divided (42% ‘much more’ + 35% ‘a little more’) 3%believe NZ is becoming less divided (1% ‘much less’ + 2% ‘a little less’) ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the cynical brutality of the centre-right’s welfare policies
    The centre-right’s enthusiasm for forcing people off the benefit and into paid work is matched only by the enthusiasm (shared by Treasury and the Reserve Bank) for throwing people out of paid work to curb inflation, and achieve the optimal balance of workers to job seekers deemed to be desirable ...
    5 days ago
  • Wednesday’s Chorus: Arthur Grimes on why building many, many more social houses is so critical
    New research shows that tenants in social housing - such as these Wellington apartments - are just as happy as home owners and much happier than private tenants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The election campaign took an ugly turn yesterday, and in completely the wrong direction. All three ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Bennie Bashing.
    If there’s one thing the mob loves more than keeping Māori in their place, more than getting tough on the gangs, maybe even more than tax cuts. It’s a good old round of beneficiary bashing.Are those meanies in the ACT party stealing your votes because they think David Seymour is ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • The kindest cuts
    Labour kicks off the fiscal credibility battle today with the release of its fiscal plan. National is expected to follow, possibly as soon as Thursday, with its own plan, which may (or may not) address the large hole that the problems with its foreign buyers’ ban might open up. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • Green right turn in Britain? Well, a start
    While it may be unlikely to register in New Zealand’s general election, Britain’s PM Rishi Sunak has done something which might just be important in the long run. He’s announced a far-reaching change in his Conservative government’s approach to environmental, and particularly net zero, policy. The starting point – ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago
  • At a glance – How do human CO2 emissions compare to natural CO2 emissions?
    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 ...
    6 days ago
  • How could this happen?
    Canada is in uproar after the exposure that its parliament on September 22 provided a standing ovation to a Nazi veteran who had been invited into the chamber to participate in the parliamentary welcome to Ukrainian President Zelensky. Yaroslav Hunka, 98, a Ukrainian man who volunteered for service in ...
    6 days ago
  • Always Be Campaigning
    The big screen is a great place to lay out the ways of the salesman. He comes ready-made for Panto, ripe for lampooning.This is not to disparage that life. I have known many good people of that kind. But there is a type, brazen as all get out. The camera ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • STEPHEN FRANKS: Press seek to publicly shame doctor – we must push back
    The following is a message sent yesterday from lawyer Stephen Franks on behalf of the Free Speech Union. I don’t like to interrupt first thing Monday morning, but we’ve just become aware of a case where we think immediate and overwhelming attention could help turn the tide. It involves someone ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Competing on cruelty
    The right-wing message calendar is clearly reading "cruelty" today, because both National and NZ First have released beneficiary-bashing policies. National is promising a "traffic light" system to police and kick beneficiaries, which will no doubt be accompanied by arbitrary internal targets to classify people as "orange" or "red" to keep ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Further funding for Pharmac (forgotten in the Budget?) looks like a $1bn appeal from a PM in need of...
    Buzz from the Beehive One Labour plan  – for 3000 more public homes by 2025 – is the most recent to be posted on the government’s official website. Another – a prime ministerial promise of more funding for Pharmac – has been released as a Labour Party press statement. Who ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: The Vested interests shaping National Party policies
    As the National Party gets closer to government, lobbyists and business interests will be lining up for influence and to get policies adopted. It’s therefore in the public interest to have much more scrutiny and transparency about potential conflicts of interests that might arise. One of the key individuals of ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    6 days ago
  • Labour may be on way out of power and NZ First back in – but will Peters go into coalition with Na...
    Voters  are deserting Labour in droves, despite Chris  Hipkins’  valiant  rearguard  action.  So  where  are they  heading?  Clearly  not all of them are going to vote National, which concedes that  the  outcome  will be “close”. To the Right of National, the ACT party just a  few weeks  ago  was ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    6 days ago
  • GRAHAM ADAMS: Will the racists please stand up?
    Accusations of racism by journalists and MPs are being called out. Graham Adams writes –    With the election less than three weeks away, what co-governance means in practice — including in water management, education, planning law and local government — remains largely obscure. Which is hardly ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on whether Winston Peters can be a moderating influence
    As the centre-right has (finally!) been subjected to media interrogation, the polls are indicating that some voters may be starting to have second thoughts about the wisdom of giving National and ACT the power to govern alone. That’s why yesterday’s Newshub/Reid Research poll had the National/ACT combo dropping to 60 ...
    6 days ago
  • Tuesday’s Chorus: RBNZ set to rain on National's victory parade
    ANZ has increased its forecast for house inflation later this year on signs of growing momentum in the market ahead of the election. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: National has campaigned against the Labour Government’s record on inflation and mortgage rates, but there’s now a growing chance the Reserve ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • After a Pittsburgh coal processing plant closed, ER visits plummeted
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Katie Myers. This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Pittsburgh, in its founding, was blessed and cursed with two abundant natural resources: free-flowing rivers and a nearby coal seam. ...
    6 days ago
  • September-23 AT Board Meeting
    Today the AT board meet again and once again I’ve taken a look at what’s on the agenda to find the most interesting items. Closed Agenda Interestingly when I first looked at the agendas this paper was there but at the time of writing this post it had been ...
    7 days ago
  • Electorate Watch: West Coast-Tasman
    Continuing my series on interesting electorates, today it’s West Coast-Tasman.A long thin electorate running down the northern half of the west coast of the South Island. Think sand flies, beautiful landscapes, lots of rain, Pike River, alternative lifestylers, whitebaiting, and the spiritual home of the Labour Party. A brief word ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • Big money brings Winston back
    National leader Christopher Luxon yesterday morning conceded it and last night’s Newshub poll confirmed it; Winston Peters and NZ First are not only back but highly likely to be part of the next government. It is a remarkable comeback for a party that was tossed out of Parliament in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    7 days ago
  • 20 days until Election Day, 7 until early voting begins… but what changes will we really see here?
    As this blogger, alongside many others, has already posited in another forum: we all know the National Party’s “budget” (meaning this concept of even adding up numbers properly is doing a lot of heavy, heavy lifting right now) is utter and complete bunk (read hung, drawn and quartered and ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago
  • A night out
    Everyone was asking, Are you nervous? and my response was various forms of God, yes.I've written more speeches than I can count; not much surprises me when the speaker gets to their feet and the room goes quiet.But a play? Never.YOU CAME! THANK YOU! Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand resumes peacekeeping force leadership
    New Zealand will again contribute to the leadership of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, with a senior New Zealand Defence Force officer returning as Interim Force Commander. Defence Minister Andrew Little and Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta have announced the deployment of New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago
  • New national direction provides clarity for development and the environment
    The Government has taken an important step in implementing the new resource management system, by issuing a draft National Planning Framework (NPF) document under the new legislation, Environment Minister David Parker said today. “The NPF consolidates existing national direction, bringing together around 20 existing instruments including policy statements, standards, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Government shows further commitment to pay equity for healthcare workers
    The Government welcomes the proposed pay equity settlement that will see significant pay increases for around 18,000 Te Whatu Ora Allied, Scientific, and Technical employees, if accepted said Health Minister Ayesha Verrall. The proposal reached between Te Whatu Ora, the New Zealand Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • 100 new public EV chargers to be added to national network
    The public EV charging network has received a significant boost with government co-funding announced today for over 100 EV chargers – with over 200 charging ports altogether – across New Zealand, and many planned to be up and running on key holiday routes by Christmas this year. Minister of Energy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Safeguarding Tuvalu language and identity
    Tuvalu is in the spotlight this week as communities across New Zealand celebrate Vaiaso o te Gagana Tuvalu – Tuvalu Language Week. “The Government has a proven record of supporting Pacific communities and ensuring more of our languages are spoken, heard and celebrated,” Pacific Peoples Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Many ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • New community-level energy projects to support more than 800 Māori households
    Seven more innovative community-scale energy projects will receive government funding through the Māori and Public Housing Renewable Energy Fund to bring more affordable, locally generated clean energy to more than 800 Māori households, Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods says. “We’ve already funded 42 small-scale clean energy projects that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Huge boost to Te Tai Tokerau flood resilience
    The Government has approved new funding that will boost resilience and greatly reduce the risk of major flood damage across Te Tai Tokerau. Significant weather events this year caused severe flooding and damage across the region. The $8.9m will be used to provide some of the smaller communities and maraes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Napier’s largest public housing development comes with solar
    The largest public housing development in Napier for many years has been recently completed and has the added benefit of innovative solar technology, thanks to Government programmes, says Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods. The 24 warm, dry homes are in Seddon Crescent, Marewa and Megan Woods says the whanau living ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Te Whānau a Apanui and the Crown initial Deed of Settlement I Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me...
    Māori: Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna te Whakaaetanga Whakataunga Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna i tētahi Whakaaetanga Whakataunga hei whakamihi i ō rātou tāhuhu kerēme Tiriti o Waitangi. E tekau mā rua ngā hapū o roto mai o Te Whānau ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Plan for 3,000 more public homes by 2025 – regions set to benefit
    Regions around the country will get significant boosts of public housing in the next two years, as outlined in the latest public housing plan update, released by the Housing Minister, Dr Megan Woods. “We’re delivering the most public homes each year since the Nash government of the 1950s with one ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Immigration settings updates
    Judicial warrant process for out-of-hours compliance visits 2023/24 Recognised Seasonal Employer cap increased by 500 Additional roles for Construction and Infrastructure Sector Agreement More roles added to Green List Three-month extension for onshore Recovery Visa holders The Government has confirmed a number of updates to immigration settings as part of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Poroporoaki: Tā Patrick (Patu) Wahanga Hohepa
    Tangi ngunguru ana ngā tai ki te wahapū o Hokianga Whakapau Karakia. Tārehu ana ngā pae maunga ki Te Puna o te Ao Marama. Korihi tangi ana ngā manu, kua hinga he kauri nui ki te Wao Nui o Tāne. He Toa. He Pou. He Ahorangi. E papaki tū ana ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Renewable energy fund to support community resilience
    40 solar energy systems on community buildings in regions affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events Virtual capability-building hub to support community organisations get projects off the ground Boost for community-level renewable energy projects across the country At least 40 community buildings used to support the emergency response ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • COVID-19 funding returned to Government
    The lifting of COVID-19 isolation and mask mandates in August has resulted in a return of almost $50m in savings and recovered contingencies, Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Following the revocation of mandates and isolation, specialised COVID-19 telehealth and alternative isolation accommodation are among the operational elements ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Appointment of District Court Judge
    Susie Houghton of Auckland has been appointed as a new District Court Judge, to serve on the Family Court, Attorney-General David Parker said today.  Judge Houghton has acted as a lawyer for child for more than 20 years. She has acted on matters relating to the Hague Convention, an international ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government invests further in Central Hawke’s Bay resilience
    The Government has today confirmed $2.5 million to fund a replace and upgrade a stopbank to protect the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant. “As a result of Cyclone Gabrielle, the original stopbank protecting the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant was destroyed. The plant was operational within 6 weeks of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Govt boost for Hawke’s Bay cyclone waste clean-up
    Another $2.1 million to boost capacity to deal with waste left in Cyclone Gabrielle’s wake. Funds for Hastings District Council, Phoenix Contracting and Hog Fuel NZ to increase local waste-processing infrastructure. The Government is beefing up Hawke’s Bay’s Cyclone Gabrielle clean-up capacity with more support dealing with the massive amount ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Taupō Supercars revs up with Government support
    The future of Supercars events in New Zealand has been secured with new Government support. The Government is getting engines started through the Major Events Fund, a special fund to support high profile events in New Zealand that provide long-term economic, social and cultural benefits. “The Repco Supercars Championship is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • There is no recession in NZ, economy grows nearly 1 percent in June quarter
    The economy has turned a corner with confirmation today New Zealand never was in recession and stronger than expected growth in the June quarter, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. “The New Zealand economy is doing better than expected,” Grant Robertson said. “It’s continuing to grow, with the latest figures showing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Highest legal protection for New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs
    The Government has accepted the Environment Court’s recommendation to give special legal protection to New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs, Te Waikoropupū Springs (also known as Pupū Springs), Environment Minister David Parker announced today.   “Te Waikoropupū Springs, near Takaka in Golden Bay, have the second clearest water in New Zealand after ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • More support for victims of migrant exploitation
    Temporary package of funding for accommodation and essential living support for victims of migrant exploitation Exploited migrant workers able to apply for a further Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa (MEPV), giving people more time to find a job Free job search assistance to get people back into work Use of 90-day ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Strong export boost as NZ economy turns corner
    An export boost is supporting New Zealand’s economy to grow, adding to signs that the economy has turned a corner and is on a stronger footing as we rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle and lock in the benefits of multiple new trade deals, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. “The economy is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Funding approved for flood resilience work in Te Karaka
    The Government has approved $15 million to raise about 200 homes at risk of future flooding. More than half of this is expected to be spent in the Tairāwhiti settlement of Te Karaka, lifting about 100 homes there. “Te Karaka was badly hit during Cyclone Gabrielle when the Waipāoa River ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Further business support for cyclone-affected regions
    The Government is helping businesses recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and attract more people back into their regions. “Cyclone Gabrielle has caused considerable damage across North Island regions with impacts continuing to be felt by businesses and communities,” Economic Development Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Building on our earlier business support, this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • New maintenance facility at Burnham Military Camp underway
    Defence Minister Andrew Little has turned the first sod to start construction of a new Maintenance Support Facility (MSF) at Burnham Military Camp today. “This new state-of-art facility replaces Second World War-era buildings and will enable our Defence Force to better maintain and repair equipment,” Andrew Little said. “This Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Foreign Minister to attend United Nations General Assembly
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will represent New Zealand at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York this week, before visiting Washington DC for further Pacific focussed meetings. Nanaia Mahuta will be in New York from Wednesday 20 September, and will participate in UNGA leaders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Midwives’ pay equity offer reached
    Around 1,700 Te Whatu Ora employed midwives and maternity care assistants will soon vote on a proposed pay equity settlement agreed by Te Whatu Ora, the Midwifery Employee Representation and Advisory Service (MERAS) and New Zealand Nurses Association (NZNO), Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. “Addressing historical pay ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • New Zealand provides support to Morocco
    Aotearoa New Zealand will provide humanitarian support to those affected by last week’s earthquake in Morocco, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “We are making a contribution of $1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to help meet humanitarian needs,” Nanaia Mahuta said. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago
  • Government invests in West Coast’s roading resilience
    The Government is investing over $22 million across 18 projects to improve the resilience of roads in the West Coast that have been affected by recent extreme weather, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today.  A dedicated Transport Resilience Fund has been established for early preventative works to protect the state ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago
  • Government invests in Greymouth’s future
    The Government has today confirmed a $2 million grant towards the regeneration of Greymouth’s CBD with construction of a new two-level commercial and public facility. “It will include a visitor facility centred around a new library. Additionally, it will include retail outlets on the ground floor, and both outdoor and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago
  • Nanaia Mahuta to attend PIF Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will attend the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, in Suva, Fiji alongside New Zealand’s regional counterparts. “Aotearoa New Zealand is deeply committed to working with our pacific whanau to strengthen our cooperation, and share ways to combat the challenges facing the Blue Pacific Continent,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

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