The phantom phantom hospital waiting lists

Written By: - Date published: 12:46 pm, July 25th, 2016 - 28 comments
Categories: Annette King, health, national, same old national, spin, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags:

Anyone who has had to tolerate the sight of Health Minister Jonathan Coleman standing up in Parliament and parroting the twin lines that things are much better in the Health Sector now and besides it is all Labour’s fault must be getting tired of the continuous parroting of official “statistics” to show that all is well.  And as time goes by his statements appear more and more to be spin and less and less reality based.

From Radio New Zealand:

District Health Boards struggling to meet the government’s goal of a four month waiting time for treatment are being accused of hiding patients on “phantom” waiting lists.

But the government said there were no “virtual” waiting lists in the health system.

The claim comes as latest DHB figures show 45,000 patients sent to a hospital specialist were turned away in 2015 – 3000 more than the previous 12 months.

The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists said the figures did not account for those on “phantom” waiting lists – patients who meet the clinical threshold but have little hope of seeing a specialist within the official timeframe.

The official numbers also ignored those who did not visit a GP, or who did but were not referred for a specialist appointment even though they needed treatment, the association said.

Its executive director Ian Powell said under the current system DHBs were penalised financially if patients waited more than four months to see a specialist after being referred by a GP and that meant some hospitals were fudging the numbers.

“Because we haven’t got the workforce capacity to actually deliver on that in our public hospitals, there’s quite a bit of – I’ll use this term loosely – rorting going on, where some patients are actually put on what they call a virtual list or a suspended list. It’s like picking up a number of patient files and just putting them on a shelf somewhere,” he said.

Mr Powell could not say how many DHBs had phantom lists – but he said often patients were none the wiser.

“The patient knows nothing. The patient may well then appear on the list for the following four months. The patient will be unaware this is happening.”

How many are on this phantom list?  TNS prepared an analysis earlier this year that suggested the figure was 174,000.  From Stuff:

Thousands of people are being left off surgery waiting lists across the country, and Canterbury may have the highest level of unmet need.

About 174,000 New Zealanders are in need of publicy-funded surgery, but have not been placed on a waiting list, new research from global research company TNS shows.

Patients are commonly being turned away as their pain is not considered to be severe enough, or GPs are “waiting to see” how their condition progresses.

Labour’s Annette King summarised the situation in this way:

People write to me, they say their GP said they needed to be seeing a specialist, that they had an issue, they had pain, they had disability, they go in for their assessment and they’re told ‘sorry, you don’t meet the criteria’, and the criteria is overwhelmingly a financial criteria.”

And Coleman’s response?  More statistics.  Again from Radio New Zealand:

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman said the advice he had received was that there were no such phantom lists.

Mr Coleman said the government had dramatically cut waiting lists, and more and more people were getting appointments and operations.

“The key thing is we are doing more appointments every year.”

He said there were 110,000 more appointments each year and 50,000 more operations.

Mr Coleman told Morning Report that historically there had always been a proportion of people who had not been seen for treatment.

“Official figures show that only 5 percent are not getting that appointment, 87 percent are, 8 percent are being asked for further information.

“There is absolutely no phantom waiting lists in the system.’

“It’s a figment of Ian Powell’s imagination I’m afraid.”

Something does not add up.  If there are 45,000 people on a waiting list that were turned away it does not feel like 5% of total figures.  That would suggest that just under a million kiwis are waiting for surgery.  And if the total figure is 230,000 then this is completely irreconcilable with what Coleman is saying.

 

28 comments on “The phantom phantom hospital waiting lists ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. TC 1
    25 July 2016 at 1:02 pm

    A back specialist at a major hospital told me I required a life threatening condition to be taken any further in the public system and I was not allowed on any lists.

    The appointment itself took months of hassling by my GP and to paraphrase the surgeon the entire system is creaking at the seams but you arent dying so see ya around.

    • Pasupial 1.1
      25 July 2016 at 2:10 pm

      It recently took over two years for me to get an operation finally preformed and that was with the frequent chasing-up queries from my GP. To be fair, this was during the period when; the SDHB orthopaedics section lost accreditation, the SDHBoard was sacked and replaced with a commissioner, and Coleman took over from Ryall as the Health minister. However, it doesn’t really matter who was the minister at the time, this was due to the National Party’s focus on cost-cutting above health outcomes.

      I thought I was done with them at last, but just this past month I’ve had another different health issue which has seen me; kicked from the ED to a specialist department who refused a place on their waiting list (not that that told me that, it took a phone call to get that information out of them, and I still haven’t got anything in writing). So now I’m headed back to my GP (which is itself a barrier in terms of time and money) to have them chased up from his end.

      As for Coleman’s lack of commitment to health outcomes, does anyone still recall this from last decade? (as an example; I could link to his more recent deceptions in dismantling democracy at the SDHB, but I did that yesterday):

      Smokefree Coalition Director Mark Peck is calling National Party associate health spokesperson Jonathan Coleman’s presence in British American Tobacco’s (BAT’s) corporate box an unbelievable lapse in judgement…

      Mark Peck says when he met with Dr Coleman earlier this year the MP was very clear on his understanding about the harm caused by tobacco and the need for tobacco control.

      “Dr Coleman was also at a recent function at Parliament that highlighted the harms caused by using misleading descriptors such as ‘light’ and ‘mild’ on tobacco packets. I am surprised and disappointed, therefore, to find him accepting hospitality from BAT. I’m also amazed a GP who has seen the ravages of tobacco-related illnesses would smoke and subject others to his second-hand smoke.

      http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0612/S00013/health-spokesperson-in-bat-box-ill-judged.htm

      • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1
        25 July 2016 at 2:42 pm

        So now I’m headed back to my GP (which is itself a barrier in terms of time and money) to have them chased up from his end.

        Time and money being a barrier is exactly what the market system is about. The whole point of the market system is to reduce demand for limited resources. Once you realise that then you realise that the health system simply cannot be done effectively through the market. People need their health seen to NOW and not when some flunky (government or private sector) deems it meets some arbitrary threshold. That means that the health system needs to be large enough across the entire country to meet average demand at all times.

        All that means that the entire health system, from GP through to hospitals need to be state run and with good state run education in the health fields to meet the demand for nurses and doctors.

        • Pasupial 1.1.1.1
          25 July 2016 at 3:13 pm

          People need their health seen to NOW and not when some flunky (government or private sector) deems it meets some arbitrary threshold.

          But even if you disregard the human suffering caused by having patients languishing in the limbo of waiting listlessness, this entire model is flawed. Spontaneous healing does occur, however in the longterm over a large population, you will save money by intervening in health issues earlier rather than later.

          This isn’t just market economics. A company that provides a life-threatening product will end up out of business. Key’s National government seem to be running a slash and burn strategy for short term gain over long term sustainability. Creating the illusion of prosperity by burning the resources of the past, and the future. Rats secure in the knowledge that when the ship finally down, that they already have their boltholes well lined.

        • Wayne 1.1.1.2
          25 July 2016 at 3:51 pm

          Draco,

          Just so we actually set out what happens, rather than using labels (market) for political purposes.

          We don’t have a market system in public heath, which would imply if you have the money you get treatment. That is what happens in the private system, which is only about 10% of the NZ system. If you have the money (i.e. have private insurance) you get the treatment in a private hospital, essentially for elective surgery.

          In the public system, which is 90% of the NZ system, you have an allocation of public money, and a needs based allocation of patients to the extent of the money allocated. The higher the medical need, the higher on any waiting list. Of course more public money allocated would mean more operations done, but it would still be purely based on need.

          In short, in the NZ public health system there is not a market allocation of treatment, there is a needs based allocation of treatment.

          Your final paragraph implies you would ban any private health insurance, and any private hospitals, and presumably any private specialists. I don’t see any political party picking up that idea.

          • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.2.1
            25 July 2016 at 5:03 pm

            That is what happens in the private system, which is only about 10% of the NZ system.

            The GPs have been set up as gate keepers to the public system. The GPs are private and people have to pay to see them – time and time again.

            If you have the money (i.e. have private insurance) you get the treatment in a private hospital, essentially for elective surgery.

            Or we could have an adequate public health system that got people the treatment that they need as soon as they need it. As Pasupial points out, early treatment costs less than treatment delayed.

            And insurance is a scam as we found out with Christchurch. People had insurance but the insurance companies didn’t have the money to pay out and so they worked out not to pay out at all. And yes, that applied to the EQC as well.

            In short, in the NZ public health system there is not a market allocation of treatment, there is a needs based allocation of treatment.

            But that’s an illusion because you have to go to the GP first and have them put in place an application to get you submitted to the public system. An application that can be turned down requiring you to go back to the GP. Going to the GP costs money thus we have a market system.

            Your final paragraph implies you would ban any private health insurance, and any private hospitals, and presumably any private specialists.

            Why would I ban it? An adequate public health system would make it uncompetitive and it’d die a natural death.

        • Pat 1.1.1.3
          25 July 2016 at 7:09 pm

          “Time and money being a barrier is exactly what the market system is about. The whole point of the market system is to reduce demand for limited resources. ”

          exactly….but then I thought we had a publicly funded health system.

          • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.3.1
            25 July 2016 at 7:55 pm

            We do – but you have to go through your GP to get to it and you pay to see your GP.

            • Pat 1.1.1.3.1.1
              25 July 2016 at 7:59 pm

              and the specialist referred to…..was being facetious

              • Wayne …
                25 July 2016 at 8:28 pm

                Draco,

                A good point about GP’s as gatekeepers for the waiting list. However, it is hard to imagine any other way to deal with referrals to specialists. There is way fewer specialists than GP’s. Thus there needs to be some professional way to “control” access to specialists, who otherwise could be swamped.

                I note you acknowledge that the GP role represents a medical assessment and is not a financial (market) assessment. Although I accept numerous visits to the GP has its own financial implications. I was under the impression there were some reductions in case of high GP use, in the same way as the high use pharmaceutical card – which I think is not actually means tested.

                • Pat …
                  25 July 2016 at 8:43 pm

                  “I note you acknowledge that the GP role represents a medical assessment and is not a financial (market) assessment”

                  It is a de facto financial assessment in that the service is rationed due to the limited funding of the resource.

  2. Lanthanide 2
    25 July 2016 at 1:08 pm

    Pretty much anyone who works in this area of the health system will know what the government is doing.

    They ‘solved’ the long waiting lists by saying that everyone on a waiting list had to be seen within 6 months. DHBs are allowed to have a small number of people on that list not be seen within 6 months, eg they roll over to the next 6 month period.

    So in order to keep that rollover figure very small, DHBs simply don’t put people on the waiting list. They try to be fair about it by prioritising those with the most need first, but since this is never a truly objective measure, and more people arise with ‘high needs’ (or because they’re untreated, they go from moderate to high need, when it costs more to fix), it means those people with low to moderate needs will possibly never receive their treatment.

    To be honest, I’m not sure if it’s much worse than the old system, where you could be added to the end of a waiting list with 27 months projected until your operation date, and then 27 months later you’d still need to wait for another 15 months because of all of the higher priority people that got added ahead of you in the queue anyway.

    The only solution is more funding for health. National have taken the short-cut approach of changing the official data that is gathered, so that no-one can prove with data that there is more unmet need than ever. Everything is merely anecdote or commissioned by 3rd parties that the government can just write-off as having incorrect data or making it up (since the source data – purposefully – doesn’t exist).

    In the long run this approach is not sustainable, because as more and more of the population have friends and family who are punished by this scheme, they will become weary and distrustful of the government. Once people lose trust in you for one area, they’re less likely to trust you in all areas, and are more likely to vote for the opposition in the hopes that the situation might improve for them if someone else in charge.

    • Macro 2.1
      25 July 2016 at 8:32 pm

      And then people will say – “The Public Health system does not work” Let’s get rid of it and save our taxes and then have Private insurance.
      This is what National want to do in the end. They and their mates would love it. More money in their pockets but for those at the bottom of the economic system a travesty.

  3. adam 3
    25 July 2016 at 2:02 pm

    Good work MickeySavage

    Having been put through this mill whilst waiting for surgery, under this national government. I can categorically state that Coleman is lying. I’d also like to say that there are also another list before the wait list for surgery, making the times Lanthanide is talking about in his comment, comparable in the current system.

    Quite frankly, if I had not had the knowledge of the medical system that I do, it could have been much worse. I at least know what and how to fight for my rights. Who to write letters to, and what people I can ask to intercede on my behalf.

  4. Siobhan 4
    25 July 2016 at 2:07 pm

    Well, maybe National voters have private Health insurance. Certainly I expect Coleman does. He should be called out, don’t be in charge of a system you wouldn’t be caught dead using.
    Pun intended.

    • Pasupial 4.1
      25 July 2016 at 2:19 pm

      Siobhan says; ” don’t be in charge of a system you [, or your family,] wouldn’t be caught dead using.”
      Given the number of MPs with privately schooled children, that goes for public education as well!

  5. NZJester 5
    25 July 2016 at 2:38 pm

    The National government has become very skilled at making official figures look like their policies are working and ignoring all the other information from non-governmental organisations that shows their figures are a lie.

  6. mosa 6
    25 July 2016 at 2:49 pm

    Key and Coleman and National fiddle as NZ burns.
    Its the mushroom strategy, keep them in the dark and feed them faeces .

  7. Repateet 7
    25 July 2016 at 4:22 pm

    Simple logic: Coleman is a liar. Is that too hard to believe?

  8. Psych nurse 8
    25 July 2016 at 4:26 pm

    How about the other scam, you have an accident, you need surgery, you linger in a DHB bed for a few days, the DHB transfers you onto the elective surgery list, ACC pays for the surgery, your happy. The elective surgery figures now look even better but you have occupied an acute bed for days at x $.

  9. Keith 9
    25 July 2016 at 5:35 pm

    This from a dishonest government who has made a relaxed art form out of rigging stats. The same government that recently made several thousand unemployed simply vanish because those Unemployed dared do something crazy 21st century like look for jobs on the internet!

    Anyway who would you believe, a minster of the Key National government or a medical professional? Actually I’d believe Bernie Madoff and Charles Ponzi combined over a minister in the Key National government!

  10. righty right 10
    25 July 2016 at 7:13 pm

    this is economic vandalism anyone who undermines the government is a traitor . the john key government is trying to hold new Zealand together and all you lefties want to do is destroy the countries perception of having a rock star economy national lies because it has to. freedom of speech has limits

  11. peterlepaysan 11
    25 July 2016 at 10:41 pm

    There are no waiting lists. There have not been waiting lists for decades includung Labour governance.

    The figures have been fudged for decades.

    Patients are triaged. There is no waiting list. “clients” are prioritised on relative urgency and recovery rate. It is a movable feast.

    If one is not damaged enough, or recoverable enough forget about treatment. Bill English has not got any money for you. Bugger what the medics think.

    What would they know?

    It is statistics that matter, bugger the patients and electorate.

    What would the electorate know that politicians, economists, bankers, bureaucrats do not.

    Let the electorate eat cake!

  12. AmaKiwi 12
    25 July 2016 at 11:34 pm

    Gossman, where are you when I need you to tell me there is no problem?

  13. Erik Bloodaxe 13
    26 July 2016 at 7:20 am

    I was turned away without even a specialist consult as I did not meet the ‘criteria’. I was using morphine to manage pain and work and the dose was getting to the point where my work was compromised and driving was becoming hazardous. I developed depression subsequent to ongoing extreme pain and yet failed to meet some criteria (that was never explained). Eventually I was forced to go private. I am lucky that I was working fulltime and could afford private health insurance, but the reality for me was that something had to be done. I have since had a full knee replacement and shoulder reconstruction – not through the public system as I was turned away more than once for not meeting their ‘criteria’. I am now functioning really well and my wellbeing is better than ever – but this is no thanks to National

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    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 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
    3 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 ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 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
    3 days ago

  • Old habits
    Media awareness about global warming and climate change has grown fairly steadily since 2004. My impression is that journalists today tend to possess a higher climate literacy than before. This increasing awareness and improved knowledge is encouraging, but there are also some common interpretations which could be more nuanced. ...
    Real ClimateBy rasmus
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 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 ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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 ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 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
    4 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. ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    5 days 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
    5 days ago

  • A pallid shade of Green III
    Clearly Labour's focus groups are telling it that it needs to pay more attention to climate change - because hot on the heels of their weaksauce energy efficiency pilot programme and not-great-but-better-than-nothing solar grants, they've released a full climate manifesto. Unfortunately, the core policies in it - a second Emissions ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • A coalition of racism, cruelty, and chaos
    Today's big political news is that after months of wibbling, National's Chris Luxon has finally confirmed that he is willing to work with Winston Peters to become Prime Minister. Which is expected, but I guess it tells us something about which way the polls are going. Which raises the question: ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • More migrant workers should help generate the tax income needed to provide benefits for job seekers
    Buzz from the Beehive Under something described as a “rebalance” of its immigration rules, the Government has adopted four of five recommendations made in an independent review released in July, The fifth, which called on the government to specify criteria for out-of-hours compliance visits similar to those used during ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • Letter To Luxon.
    Some of you might know Gerard Otto (G), and his G News platform. This morning he wrote a letter to Christopher Luxon which I particularly enjoyed, and with his agreement I’m sharing it with you in this guest newsletter.If you’d like to make a contribution to support Gerard’s work you ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • LINDSAY MITCHELL: Alarming trend in benefit numbers
    Lindsay Mitchell writes –  While there will not be another quarterly release of benefit numbers prior to the election, limited weekly reporting continues and is showing an alarming trend. Because there is a seasonal component to benefit number fluctuations it is crucial to compare like with like. In ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • BRIAN EASTON: Has there been external structural change?
    A close analysis of the Treasury assessment of the Medium Term in its PREFU 2023 suggests the economy may be entering a new phase.   Brian Easton writes –  Last week I explained that the forecasts in the just published Treasury Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU 2023) was ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • CRL Progress – Sep-23
    It’s been a while since we looked at the latest with the City Rail Link and there’s been some fantastic milestones recently. To start with, and most recently, CRL have released an awesome video showing a full fly-through of one of the tunnels. Come fly with us! You asked for ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    5 days ago

  • Monday’s Chorus: Not building nearly enough
    We are heading into another period of fast population growth without matching increased home building or infrastructure investment.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Labour and National detailed their house building and migration approaches over the weekend, with both pledging fast population growth policies without enough house building or infrastructure investment ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • Game on; Hipkins comes out punching
    Labour leader Chris Hipkins yesterday took the gloves off and laid into National and its leader Christopher Luxon. For many in Labour – and particularly for some at the top of the caucus and the party — it would not have been a moment too soon. POLITIK is aware ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • Tax Cut Austerity Blues.
    The leaders have had their go, they’ve told us the “what?” and the “why?” of their promises. Now it’s the turn of the would be Finance Ministers to tell us the “how?”, the “how much?”, and the “when?”A chance for those competing for the second most powerful job in the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • MIKE GRIMSHAW:  It’s the economy – and the spirit – Stupid…
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Over the past 30-odd years it’s become almost an orthodoxy to blame or invoke neoliberalism for the failures of New Zealand society. On the left the usual response goes something like, neoliberalism is the cause of everything that’s gone wrong and the answer ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #38
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Sep 17, 2023 thru Sat, Sep 23, 2023. Story of the Week  Opinion: Let’s free ourselves from the story of economic growth A relentless focus on economic growth has ushered in ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • The End Of The World.
    Have you been looking out of your window for signs of the apocalypse? Don’t worry, you haven’t been door knocked by a representative of the Brian Tamaki party. They’re probably a bit busy this morning spruiking salvation, or getting ready to march on our parliament, which is closed. No, I’ve ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • Climate Town: The Brainwashing Of America's Children
    Climate Town is the YouTube channel of Rollie Williams and a ragtag team of climate communicators, creatives and comedians. They examine climate change in a way that doesn’t make you want to eat a cyanide pill. Get informed about the climate crisis before the weather does it for you. The latest ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Has There Been External Structural Change?
    A close analysis of the Treasury assessment of the Medium Term in its PREFU 2023 suggests the economy may be entering a new phase. Last week I explained that the forecasts in the just published Treasury Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU 2023) was similar to the May Budget BEFU, ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago

  • Another Labour bully
    Back in June, we learned that Kiri Allan was a Parliamentary bully. And now there's another one: Labour MP Shanan Halbert: The Labour Party was alerted to concerns about [Halbert's] alleged behaviour a year ago but because staffers wanted to remain anonymous, no formal process was undertaken [...] The ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Climate Change: Ignoring our biggest problem
    Its that time in the election season where the status quo parties are busy accusing each other of having fiscal holes in a desperate effort to appear more "responsible" (but not, you understand, by promising to tax wealth or land to give the government the revenue it needs to do ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • JERRY COYNE: A good summary of the mess that is science education in New Zealand
    JERRY COYNE writes –  If you want to see what the government of New Zealand is up to with respect to science education, you can’t do better than listening to this video/slideshow by two exponents of the “we-need-two-knowledge-systems” view. I’ve gotten a lot of scary stuff from Kiwi ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 week 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
    2 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
    2 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
    3 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
    4 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
    6 days 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 weeks ago

  • PREFU shows no recession, growing economy, more jobs and wages ahead of inflation
    Economy to grow 2.6 percent on average over forecast period Treasury not forecasting a recession Inflation to return to the 1-3 percent target band next year Wages set to grow 4.8 percent a year over forecast period Unemployment to peak below the long-term average Fiscal Rules met - Net debt ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

  • New cancer centre opens in Christchurch
    Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall proudly opened the Canterbury Cancer Centre in Christchurch today. The new facility is the first of its kind and was built with $6.5 million of funding from the Government’s Infrastructure Reference Group scheme for shovel-ready projects allocated in 2020. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

  • Government invests in top of the south’s roading resilience
    $12 million to improve the resilience of roads in the Nelson, Marlborough and Tasman regions Hope Bypass earmarked in draft Government Policy Statement on land transport $127 million invested in the top of the south’s roads since flooding in 2021 and 2022 The Government is investing over $12 million to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

  • New Zealanders continue to support the revitalisation of te reo as we celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Mā...
    Ko tēnei te wiki e whakanui ana i tō tātou reo rangatira. Ko te wā tuku reo Māori, e whakanuia tahitia ai te reo ahakoa kei hea ake tēnā me tēnā o tātou, ka tū ā te Rātū te 14 o Mahuru, ā te 12 o ngā hāora i te ahiahi. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

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