The Pike River deal of the century

Written By: - Date published: 10:08 am, December 13th, 2013 - 57 comments
Categories: david cunliffe, john key, Mining, uncategorized - Tags:

There is increasing disquiet about the decision to withdraw all charges against Peter Whittall over the deaths of the Pike River miners and the role of the Government in what has happened is going to be put under intense scrutiny.  Because the whole thing has the stench of merchant banking deal making rather than the sober and proper prosecution of someone for serious offences involving the needless deaths of 29 workers.

There has already been one full hearing into the disaster.  The Government appointed Royal Commission concluded after hearing considerable evidence that “even though the company was operating in a known high-hazard industry, the board of directors did not ensure that health and safety was being properly managed and the executive managers did not properly assess the health and safety risks that the workers were facing. In the drive towards coal production the directors and executive managers paid insufficient attention to health and safety and exposed the company’s workers to unacceptable risks. Mining should have stopped until the risks could be properly managed.”

In the prosecution of Pike River Ltd under the HSIE Act Judge Farrish slammed the company for a “total lack of remorse” because of claims that it could not afford to pay reparation to the families.  She is quoted as saying “It is not often a company steps back and holds its hands up and says ‘I have nothing’. Even a company in a fragile state usually comes forward and offers reparation, but here nothing has been forthcoming.  I am satisfied the company has the means to pay either by existing shareholders or a combination of the shareholders and directors. I note that the directors have significant insurance.”  Despite the claims of poverty Judge Farrish ordered payment of reparation of $110,000 to each of the deceased’s families and to the two survivors.  The total of these payments is $3.41 million.

The compensation was not paid.  David Cunliffe took up the cause and asked in Parliament why the Government did not contribute to these payments, after all it had indirectly received as shareholders of the companies involved an insurance payout.  His questioning of John Key was the first time that I have seen Key completely and utterly embarrassed in the house.

This was increasingly becoming an issue of deep embarrassment to the Government.

Yesterday’s bombshell announcement that charges were being withdrawn and that the insurance company was going to pay $3.41 million compensation has caused increasing disquiet.  Helen Kelly and the CTU are thinking about seeking a judicial review of the case.  Bernie Monk on behalf of the families has called the payment “blood money”.  I presume the payment is to satisfy the order of compensation originally made by Judge Farrish.

I am sure that Judge Farrish has acted with the best of intentions.  She is obviously deeply concerned for the families and wants to do the best for them.  But the coupling of the payment with the withdrawal of the charges creates the unfortunate impression that payment of money in this case may have avoided a prosecution.  And besides it was money that should have been paid anyway.

This neatly solves a political problem for the Government.  Instead of being open to criticism for not paying its share of the $3.41 million one of its departments agrees not to prosecute and magically the payment is made and a particular political wound is cauterised.

For the sake of the sanctity of our justice system this needs to be investigate fully.  The decision making process and political input into the decision to withdraw the charges should be examined carefully.  Simon Bridges’ claim that legal privilege applied even before has a ring of misplaced bravado about it.  Before we even know what documents are being talked about he is claiming legal privilege and you have to wonder if there is something that National wants to hide.

We have not heard the last of this issue.  And down on the West Coast there are 29 families still wanting to see justice done so that they can have closure.

57 comments on “The Pike River deal of the century ”

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  1. Bill 1
    13 December 2013 at 10:29 am

    This neatly solves a political problem for the Government.

    Indeed it does. No Pike river trial dominating headlines during an election period being negatively associated with the National Party.

    And if I can paste a further quote from your post – and of course, heaven forbid any chorus starts up to the effect something untoward is being suggested by my juxtapositioning this with the first, totally unrelated first part of my comment…

    the whole thing has the stench of merchant banking deal making

    • Paul 1.1
      13 December 2013 at 10:32 am

      “A Date Which Will Live in Infamy”

    • mickysavage 1.2
      13 December 2013 at 10:41 am

      No Pike river trial dominating headlines during an election period being negatively associated with the National Party.

      Good point Bill and I had not though about that.

      The timing of the announcement just before Christmas and the day after Parliament finishes is also quite exquisite for the Government.

      • Paul 1.2.1
        13 December 2013 at 10:52 am

        Just read the book by Rebecca Macfie.
        Pike River happened because of criminal negligence and a desire for short term profit to pay off the loans provide by investors.
        The profits of powerful investors ( the sort Key worked for atMerrill Lynch) are now clearly more important than lives of 29 mine workers.
        It’s happening in forestry as well.
        NZ has become a paradise for billionaires and a hellhole for the rest of us.
        There are not words to describe who wrong this is.
        Oh..and NZ isn’t corrupt, is it?

        • Arfamo 1.2.1.1
          13 December 2013 at 10:57 am

          Oh..and NZ isn’t corrupt, is it?

          Well, yeah, maybe it is really, but it’s just reached a level of sophistication and pervasiveness that maybe isn’t matched anywhere else in the world and so hasn’t been twigged to yet by most. Perhaps we’re leading the world again in how to do things.

          • blue leopard (Get Lost GCSB Bill) 1.2.1.1.1
            13 December 2013 at 11:08 am

            Nah, the recent report wasn’t stating that NZ ‘isn’t corrupt’ it was stating that it is least corrupt.

            When you look at the state of, for example, both Britain and America and the way they are captured by big money- then saying it is “less than that” isn’t saying much.

            I wouldn’t flatter the corrupt ones in NZ as being ‘more sophisticated’ than crims elsewhere- quite the converse – they simply haven’t managed to reach the levels of influence that they have in other countries- although I do believe they are closing that difference fast since this government has been in.

            • Draco T Bastard 1.2.1.1.1.1
              13 December 2013 at 1:39 pm

              Nah, the recent report wasn’t stating that NZ ‘isn’t corrupt’ it was stating that it is least corrupt.

              Wasn’t even stating that. It was stating that NZ is percieved as the least corrupt. Perception and reality can be, and usually are, two different things.

              • blue leopard (Get Lost GCSB Bill) …
                13 December 2013 at 1:52 pm

                You are completely correct Draco, and I agree – I had forgotten the bit about perceived– my mistake.

          • Rogue Trooper 1.2.1.1.2
            13 December 2013 at 10:10 pm

            still following North America and the Home Counties (so young, so impressionable).

        • Draco T Bastard 1.2.1.2
          13 December 2013 at 1:35 pm

          The profits of powerful investors ( the sort Key worked for atMerrill Lynch) are now clearly more important than lives of 29 mine workers.

          And when has that not been true as far as the investors and the government are concerned?

          Yes, NZ is corrupt – very corrupt.

      • Arfamo 1.2.2
        13 December 2013 at 10:54 am

        McCready’s on the job:

        The man who successfully brought a private prosecution against ACT leader John Banks has vowed to take the former Pike River Coal boss to court.

        Former accountant, Graham McCready said he will file 29 counts of manslaughter against Peter Whittall.

        It comes a day after all 12 charges against him in relation to the 2010 mine disaster were dropped by the Crown.

        Mr McCready said he will file the charges in Wellington District Court, as it is closest to where Mr Whittall lives and will help keep costs down.

        http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11171948

        • karol 1.2.2.1
          13 December 2013 at 11:13 am

          Something wrong with that NZ Herald link. It’s the Herald’s problem. The link to the story from the Herald’s website mainpage, is broken too. Are they having second thoughts about the article?

          • Arfamo 1.2.2.1.1
            13 December 2013 at 11:24 am

            I dunno what’s up with it, Karol. The article’s still headlined. The link from that didn’t work for me either. Then I clicked on the “quick read” link, which did work. Then I clicked on the “Read Full Article” button in the “quick read” version, which worked. I just did the same again and it worked still. Try that.

            • karol 1.2.2.1.1.1
              13 December 2013 at 11:33 am

              OK. thanks, Arfamo. The quick read link worked for me.
              And the article ends with this:

              However, he said there are two matters which need to be addressed before he proceeds with lodging a private prosecution – a $1000 filing fee for which he is seeking public donations; and making contact with the families of the 29 men who lost their lives in the mine explosion to discuss what they want to do.

          • Arfamo 1.2.2.1.2
            13 December 2013 at 11:33 am

            That’s odd. When I click on the link I posted above it takes me straight to the full article. Maybe they’ve fixed it.

            Edit: Update. Yep, they have. Just went to the Herald and clicked on the headline and the link works now.

        • Paul 1.2.2.2
          13 December 2013 at 11:30 am

          Pity our legal system now relies on crusades like him because the basic system is stuffed.

        • Bill 1.2.2.3
          13 December 2013 at 11:40 am

          Going to be interested to see if the offer of 3.4 comes with strings attached – full and final settlement that closes the door on any future legal avenues of redress.

  2. blue leopard (Get Lost GCSB Bill) 2
    13 December 2013 at 10:59 am

    …so we have a very convenient-for-the-government outcome to this court-case and another court-case slamming a blogger-cum-propaganda tool, who a few weeks earlier highly embarrassed the National party.

    I’m getting very concerned over the influence this National government appears to have over the judiciary.

    This crowd already appear to have severely degenerated the media since they’ve been in government.

    This type of influence may have always been around, yet it seems particularly strong with this government.

    What is going on??

    …and what can we do about it??

    • aerobubble 2.1
      13 December 2013 at 3:59 pm

      Look, the moment they get into the mine, is the moment the evidence builds for the case to be reopened. Maybe the prosecution would rather have a slam dunk later, and seize on the opportunity to get the victims compensated. Only misgiving I have is that some how the payment is tied to the victims foregoing further legal action, then it would be ‘blood money’ its hard to tell given the poor meda coverage, but I doubt any prosecutor worth his or her name would be so immoral. No, seriously this is good for everyone at this time, since victims get compensation. And why would they not take it, it seriously erodes the former managers of the mine ability to pay for their defense.

  3. Merrial 3
    13 December 2013 at 11:07 am

    Cave Creek: nobody held accountable/brought to trial over that case, either. National government then, too.

    • Paul 3.1
      13 December 2013 at 11:20 am

      CTV building collapse
      Leaky homes
      Forestry deaths

      All down to deregulations of the neo liberals.

      However, the 4th Labour government were key players in this attack on Savage’s NZ and until the Labour Party denounces Douglas’s cabal, removes the dinosaurs like Goff who still are believers in the neoliberal nightmare, and says “sorry”then people won’t trust them either.

      • amirite 3.1.1
        13 December 2013 at 11:54 am

        +100

        Unfortunately, there’s still a lot of dead wood in the party that should have been chopped off.

      • aerobubble 3.1.2
        13 December 2013 at 4:05 pm

        The free market will eventually provide a remedy for wrongs. Pollution will be remediation. Justice will be afforded by the free market. And yes there will be light and joy across the Earth. Even the free market can cause a collapse of the human species, just let it run and run.

        As if we ever wanted the free market to solve problems on its terms entirely.

  4. captain hook 4
    13 December 2013 at 12:07 pm

    the tories think that because they get away with having an internal ventilation system then that is how the world works.no deal. They tried to pay the electorate off with a bill of goods and it came back and bit them on the bum.

  5. rich the other 5
    13 December 2013 at 1:17 pm

    Two points,
    The prosecutor said a conviction was very unlikely so why would the prosecution proceed and (2) don’t forget the role conservationist played in the design of the mine. I think it was mallard caved into their demands and in an attempt to appease them it was consented as an under ground operation , there were other options.

    • blue leopard (Get Lost GCSB Bill) 5.1
      13 December 2013 at 1:21 pm

      I just had this argument presented to me today. ‘It was conservationists fault’ – they stopped something from being built. This doesn’t address the problem. The company was not forced to continue.

      If the design was faulty – why did they proceed?

      • aerobubble 5.1.1
        13 December 2013 at 5:27 pm

        Why indeed. Lucky National came to power and all but cut any second guessing.

        As for the notion that mining is pure profit, that’s an Australian story not a Kiwi one, when there’s near empty desert, allowing open cast mines. Its fool hardy for a government to them demand their means to growth is mining, had the National shonkey sloganizers lived in NZ they’d know how chronically fractured the geology.

    • dv 5.2
      13 December 2013 at 1:31 pm

      The conservationist DID NOT prevent the construction of an appropriate ventilation system.

      • Bill 5.2.1
        13 December 2013 at 2:07 pm

        Neither did they prevent a separate entry and exit being tunneled…as, I believe, is legally required and without which (only throwing this in because NZ was a UK colony and its industry was initially run by people from the UK while its laws still largely mirror UK law) no mine in the UK can operate since as far back as 1835 or some such date.

        Also didn’t prevent adequate methane detectors being installed or proper systems and procedures from being developed.

    • Bearded Git 5.3
      13 December 2013 at 1:43 pm

      Rich, are you saying it is not possible to build a safe underground mine? What about the 100’s, probably 1000’s, of safe underground mines around the world. Try to keep up.

    • Draco T Bastard 5.4
      13 December 2013 at 1:43 pm

      Typical right-wing lies.

      The conservationists didn’t stop the mine being built – we know this because it was built. Everything after that was the responsibility of Pike River Mine. If it didn’t have enough ventilation then they should have shut it down or built the proper ventilation.

      • aerobubble 5.4.1
        14 December 2013 at 10:11 am

        And the argument conservation stopped them building a prohibitively expensive road into the ranges to put in a second exit because the damn snails, or whatever, were so rare, is just dumb. Everything about the mine was cheap, nasty, and money oriented. The idea that they wanted more costs of a second exit in the ranges and no amount of money would be spare is ridiculous.

  6. Clifford Pain 6
    13 December 2013 at 2:27 pm

    Watch this…. all the cast are there, the corporate boss demanding profits, the Dept of Labour, the workers with few options…….

    WESTRAY MINING DISASTER

    http://www.nfb.ca/film/westray:

    “Meet some of the working men, who felt they had no option but to stay on at Westray. And wives, who heard the rumors, saw their men sometimes bloodied from accidents and stood by them, hoping it would all turn out all right. This is a film about working people everywhere whose lives are often entrusted to companies that violate the most fundamental rules of safety and decency in the name of profit”

    Quote: “WHOSE JOB WAS IT TO CHECK THIS STUFF… ULTIMATELY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THIS FAILURE RESTS WITH THE PEOPLE AT THE TOP”

    Mark Twain was right; history does not repeat it rhymes.

    I apologise for this (to dwell on the negative is a dangerous place to stay) but I sat aghast listening last night to even the defense lawyer effectively saying let’s roll over and accept this (as he takes home a nice pay check). National move into election mode (posted by someone else)…… everything is connected. One question you have to ask, who appointed the person that did the failed investigation……

  7. Philj 7
    13 December 2013 at 3:46 pm

    Xox
    And Ministerial Responsibility? Where does the buck stop? A new low has been plumbed. An utterly disgraceful episode in NZ’s history. We have become a tragic joke, on our watch! Heads should roll! Justice has left the country and our system is totally stuffed. But we are the least corrupt country on Earth! Hahaha.

  8. tc 8
    13 December 2013 at 3:47 pm

    potential 2014 slogans for the nats:

    The brighter future…..for our mates.
    Say goodbye to your loved ones….in forestry, mining, or just leaving NZ
    Catching up with Australia …..and their 18th century work practices
    Tough on crime…..we will be the judge of what one looks like and let them know.
    Kleptocracy….we’re relaxed about it.

  9. Arfamo 9
    13 December 2013 at 4:12 pm

    John Key: The Herald

    “I think that they will be hurting as a result of that decision, but there’s really fundamentally nothing that I can do. It’s quite inappropriate for me to try and jump into something the prosecution, a judge and independent regulator have decided wouldn’t be successful.”

    Mr Key said a judicial review of the decision would be unlikely.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11172154

    That last sentence bothers me. Why is he so apparently certain of that?

  10. Tracey 10
    13 December 2013 at 4:26 pm

    Arfamo

    because the way the law is currently framed may make it almost impossible to prove the charges. If nothing else a private prosecution might focus some minds to change the law.

    the fact that 2 former colleagues at pike river wont respond to subpoenas reflects badly on them and the so called closeness of nz and aussie that they cant be compelled. All happy to take the big bucks but accountability? Yea right!

    • Arfamo 10.1
      13 December 2013 at 4:29 pm

      Frankly I’d love the election to be based on Pike River. It’s the end result of the neo-liberal approach to governance.

      • aerobubble 10.1.1
        13 December 2013 at 5:31 pm

        Unions should call for a strike, that’s what they used to when their safety went ignored. Given the high numbers of dead in work places, forests, etc, and the undercurrent of profits first and foremost, we can’t afford not to take risks mentality, is it any wonder more will die.

      • tc 10.1.2
        13 December 2013 at 5:35 pm

        And the rest:
        Pike River, Warner Brothers, Rio Tinto, Chorus, Meridian/Genesis/Air NZ/MRP, SCF, Fiscally negative tax cuts, SkyCity (especially the cost they picked up TVNZ land for), Higher standards for MP’s (Gilmore, Long, Wong, Blinglish, Bennett and her leaks etc), GCSB, Soiled Energy, national standards etc etc

        The party of business has destroyed alot of value, cut needed services and sent many years of experience down the road.

        Tried calling IRD lately, they can’t even put you on hold anymore just tell you they’re too busy.

      • BM 10.1.3
        13 December 2013 at 6:16 pm

        So would I.
        Guaranteed electoral success for National.

  11. yeshe 11
    13 December 2013 at 5:14 pm

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11171620

    Author Rebecca Macfie, whose book Tragedy at Pike River Mine looked at why the West Coast disaster happened, said she was shocked by yesterday’s court decision.

    It sent a message that New Zealand was a place where a company without experience or sufficient capital could set up in a highly hazardous industry, lurch from mistake to mistake, defy basic health and safety laws and kill workers without consequence, Macfie said.

    New Zealand should be “hanging its head in shame”.

    “Frankly, it’s an embarrassment. This makes New Zealand a laughing stock; the fact that nobody is accountable at the end of the day.

    “The only point of accountability in this whole bloody sad saga is a meaningless prosecution of a company that does not even exist any more in reality, because it’s broke.

    “No individuals who were the driving forces of this operation – and made pivotal decisions, and were in positions of responsibility to make decisions that could have averted this outcome – have been held to account.”

    Macfie said prosecutors had made an error in going after only chief executive Peter Whittall, and should have also gone after mine manager Doug White.

    • Colonial Viper 11.1
      13 December 2013 at 5:49 pm

      Macfie said prosecutors had made an error in going after only chief executive Peter Whittall, and should have also gone after mine manager Doug White.

      This point is worth expanding on.

      Just heard Graham McCready talk on NAT RAD. “Whitall just got himself a $3.4M diversion programme. It’s not good enough.”

      Fucking legend.

      • yeshe 11.1.1
        13 December 2013 at 10:33 pm

        100% — he should be Attorney General at this rate. How can we send him some support funds –anyone know ? And I thought Mcfie’s comments were also deserving of legend.

  12. Tigger 12
    13 December 2013 at 5:39 pm

    There are bodies to be recovered in 2014. I hope National is buried by them.

    • aerobubble 12.1
      14 December 2013 at 10:20 am

      Where those bodies are found may show how inept the safety was, huge evidence to bring a case, and so it would be wise to take the money (unless it requires giving up further legal recourse).

      That’s the problem has the prosecutor promised not to re-litigate if the company pays out compensation, and if true, is this contempt of the order on the company to pay compensation (no strings).

      It is completely unfathomable that a court would agree to drop charges if compensation is paid, that must breach human rights, the right to due process of victims.

      And where is the sensible sentencing trust on this abuse of power, silent except when speak for the dead.

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    However much I'm falling downNever enoughHowever much I'm falling outNever, never enough!Whatever smile I smile the mostNever enoughHowever I smile I smile the mostSongwriters: Robert James Smith / Simon Gallup / Boris Williams / Porl ThompsonToday in Nick’s Kōrero:A death in the Emergency Department at Rotorua Hospital.A sad homecoming and ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Question Two of The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50)

    Kia ora.Last month I proposed restarting The Kākā Project work done before the 2023 election as The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50), aiming to be up and running before the 2025 Local Government elections, and then in a finalised form by the 2026 General Elections.A couple of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Why is God Obsessed with Spanking?

    Hi,If you’ve read Webworm for a while, you’ll be aware that I’ve spent a lot of time writing about horrific, corrupt megachurches and the shitty men who lead them.And in all of this writing, I think some people have this idea that I hate Christians or Christianity. As I explain ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Inside the public service

    In 2023, there were 63,117 full-time public servants earning, on average, $97,200 a year each. All up, that is a cost to the Government of $6.1 billion a year. It’s little wonder, then, that the public service has become a political whipping boy castigated by the Prime Minister and members ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • New Models Show Stronger Atlantic Hurricanes, and More of Them

    This is a re-post from This is Not Cool Here’s an example of some of the best kind of climate reporting, especially in that it relates to impacts that will directly affect the audience. WFLA in Tampa conducted a study in collaboration with the Department of Energy, analyzing trends in ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Where ever do they find these people?

    A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, is how Winston Churchill described the Soviet Union in 1939.  How might the great man have described the 2024 government of New Zealand, do we think? I can't imagine he would have thought them all that mysterious or enigmatic. I think ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Motorway madness

    How mad is National's obsession with roads? One of their pet projects - a truck highway to Whangārei - is going to eat 10% of our total infrastructure budget for the next 25 years: Official advice from the Infrastructure Commission shows the government could be set to spend 10 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Our transport planning system is fundamentally broken

    Ever since Wayne Brown became mayor (nearly two years ago now) he’s been wanting to progress an “integrated transport plan” with the government – which sounded a lot like the previous Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP) with just a different name. It seems like a fair bit of work progressed ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago
  • Thou Shalt Not Steal

    And they taught usWhoa-oh, black woman, thou shalt not stealI said, hey, yeah, black man, thou shalt not stealWe're gonna civilise your black barbaric livesAnd we teach you how to kneelBut your history couldn't hide the genocideThe hypocrisy to us was realFor your Jesus said you're supposed to giveThe oppressed ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • How mismanagement, not wind and solar energy, causes blackouts

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections In February 2021, several severe storms swept across the United States, culminating with one that the Weather Channel unofficially named Winter Storm Uri. In Texas, Uri knocked out power to over 4.5 million homes and 10 million people. Hundreds of Texans died as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • The ‘Infra Boys’ Highway to Budget Hell

    Chris Bishop has enthusiastically dubbed himself and Simeon Brown “the Infra Boys”, but they need to take note of the sums around their roading dreams. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Media Link: “AVFA” on the politics of desperation.

    In this podcast Selwyn Manning and I talk about what appears to be a particular type of end-game in the long transition to systemic realignment in international affairs, in which the move to a new multipolar order with different characteristics … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • The cost of flying blind

    Just over two years ago, when worries about immediate mass-death from covid had waned, and people started to talk about covid becoming "endemic", I asked various government agencies what work they'd done on the costs of that - and particularly, on the cost of Long Covid. The answer was that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Seymour vs The Clergy

    For paid subscribers“Aotearoa is not as malleable as they think,” Lynette wrote last week on Homage to Simeon Brown:In my heart/mind, that phrase ricocheted over the next days, translating out to “We are not so malleable.”It gave me comfort. I always felt that we were given an advantage in New ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Unstoppable Minister McKee

    All smiles, I know what it takes to fool this townI'll do it 'til the sun goes downAnd all through the nighttimeOh, yeahOh, yeah, I'll tell you what you wanna hearLeave my sunglasses on while I shed a tearIt's never the right timeYeah, yeahSong by SiaLast night there was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Could outdoor dining revitalise Queen Street?

    This is a guest post by Ben van Bruggen of The Urban Room,.An earlier version of this post appeared on LinkedIn. All images are by Ben. Have you noticed that there’s almost nowhere on Queen Street that invites you to stop, sit outside and enjoy a coffee, let alone ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    4 days ago
  • Hipkins challenges long-held Labour view Government must stay below 30% of GDP

    Hipkins says when considering tax settings and the size of government, the big question mark is over what happens with the balance between the size of the working-age population and the growing number of Kiwis over the age of 65. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Your invite to Webworm Chat (a bit like Reddit)

    Hi,One of the things I love the most about Webworm is, well, you. The community that’s gathered around this lil’ newsletter isn’t something I ever expected when I started writing it four years ago — now the comments section is one of my favourite places on the internet. The comments ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago
  • Seymour’s Treaty bill making Nats nervous

    A delay in reappointing a top civil servant may indicate a growing nervousness within the National Party about the potential consequences of David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill. Dave Samuels is waiting for reappointment as the Chief Executive of Te Puni Kokiri, but POLITIK understands that what should have been a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #36

    A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 1, 2024 thru Sat, September 7, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is about how peopele are not born stupid but can be fooled ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago
  • Time for a Change

    You act as thoughYou are a blind manWho's crying, crying 'boutAll the virgins that are dyingIn your habitual dreams, you knowSeems you need more sleepBut like a parrot in a flaming treeI know it's pretty hard to seeI'm beginning to wonderIf it's time for a changeSong: Phil JuddThe next line ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Six.

    The “double shocks” in post Cold War international affairs. The end of the Cold War fundamentally altered the global geostrategic context. In particular, the end of the nuclear “balance of terror” between the USA and USSR, coupled with the relaxation … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Buried deep

    Here's a bike on Manchester St, Feilding. I took this photo on Friday night after a very nice dinner at the very nice Vietnamese restaurant, Saigon, on Manchester Street.I thought to myself, Manchester Street? Bicycle? This could be the very spot.To recap from an earlier edition: on a February night ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies, Excerpt Five.

    Military politics as a distinct “partial regime.” Notwithstanding their peripheral status, national defense offers the raison d’être of the combat function, which their relative vulnerability makes apparent, so military forces in small peripheral democracies must be very conscious of events … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • Leadership for Dummies

    If you’re going somewhere, do you maybe take a bit of an interest in the place? Read up a bit on the history, current events, places to see - that sort of thing? Presumably, if you’re taking a trip somewhere, it’s for a reason. But what if you’re going somewhere ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Home again

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Dead even tie for hottest August ever

    Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The month of August was 1.49˚C warmer than pre-industrial levels, tying with 2023 for the warmest August ever, according ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 7

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the debate about how to responde to climate disinformation; and special guest ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Have We an Infrastructure Deficit?

    An Infrastructure New Zealand report says we are keeping up with infrastructure better than we might have thought from the grumbling. But the challenge of providing for the future remains.I was astonished to learn that the quantity of our infrastructure has been keeping up with economic growth. Your paper almost ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    7 days ago
  • Councils reject racism

    Last month, National passed a racist law requiring local councils to remove their Māori wards, or hold a referendum on them at the 2025 local body election. The final councils voted today, and the verdict is in: an overwhelming rejection. Only two councils out of 45 supported National's racist agenda ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago
  • Homage to Simeon Brown

    Open to all - happy weekend ahead, friends.Today I just want to be petty. It’s the way I imagine this chap is -Not only as a political persona. But his real-deal inner personality, in all its glory - appears to be pure pettiness & populist driven.Sometimes I wonder if Simeon ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    7 days ago
  • Government of deceit

    When National cut health spending and imposed a commissioner on Te Whatu Ora, they claimed that it was necessary because the organisation was bloated and inefficient, with "14 layers of management between the CEO and the patient". But it turns out they were simply lying: Health Minister Shane Reti’s ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago
  • The professionals actually think and act like our Government has no fiscal crisis at all

    Treasury staff at work: The demand for a new 12-year Government bond was so strong, Treasury decided to double the amount of bonds it sold. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 6-September-2024

    Welcome to another Friday and another roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. As always, this and every post is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew. If you like our work and you’d like to see more of it, we invite you to join our regular ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies; Excerpt Four.

    Internal versus external security. Regardless of who rules, large countries can afford to separate external and internal security functions (even if internal control functions predominate under authoritarian regimes). In fact, given the logic of power concentration and institutional centralization of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • A Hole In The River

    There's a hole in the river where her memory liesFrom the land of the living to the air and skyShe was coming to see him, but something changed her mindDrove her down to the riverThere is no returnSongwriters: Neil Finn/Eddie RaynerThe king is dead; long live the queen!Yesterday was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bright Blue His Jacket Ain’t But I Love This Fellow: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power E...

    My conclusion last week was that The Rings of Power season two represented a major improvement in the series. The writing’s just so much better, and honestly, its major problems are less the result of the current episodes and more creatures arising from season one plot-holes. I found episode three ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Who should we thank for the defeat of the Nazis

    As a child in the 1950s, I thought the British had won the Second World War because that’s what all our comics said. Later on, the films and comics told me that the Americans won the war. In my late teens, I found out that the Soviet Union ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36 2024

    Open access notables Diurnal Temperature Range Trends Differ Below and Above the Melting Point, Pithan & Schatt, Geophysical Research Letters: The globally averaged diurnal temperature range (DTR) has shrunk since the mid-20th century, and climate models project further shrinking. Observations indicate a slowdown or reversal of this trend in recent decades. ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live at 5pm

    Photo by Jenny Bess on UnsplashCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with special guests:5.00 pm - 5.10 pm - Bernard and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Media Link: Discussing the NZSIS Security Threat Report.

    I was interviewed by Mike Hosking at NewstalkZB and a few other media outlets about the NZSIS Security Threat Report released recently. I have long advocated for more transparency, accountability and oversight of the NZ Intelligence Community, and although the … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • How do I make this better for people who drive Ford Rangers?

    Home, home again to a long warm embrace. Plenty of reasons to be glad to be back.But also, reasons for dejection.You, yes you, Simeon Brown, you odious little oik, you bible thumping petrol-pandering ratfucker weasel. You would be Reason Number One. Well, maybe first among equals with Seymour and Of-Seymour ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • A missed opportunity

    The government introduced a pretty big piece of constitutional legislation today: the Parliament Bill. But rather than the contentious constitutional change (four year terms) pushed by Labour, this merely consolidates the existing legislation covering Parliament - currently scattered across four different Acts - into one piece of legislation. While I ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Nicola Willis Seeks New Sidekick To Help Fix NZ’s Economy

    Synopsis:Nicola Willis is seeking a new Treasury Boss after Dr Caralee McLiesh’s tenure ends this month. She didn’t listen to McLiesh. Will she listen to the new one?And why is Atlas Network’s Taxpayers Union chiming in?Please consider subscribing or supporting my work. Thanks, Tui.About CaraleeAt the beginning of July, Newsroom ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Inflation alive and kicking in our land of the long white monopolies

    The golden days of profit continue for the the Foodstuffs (Pak’n’Save and New World) and Woolworths supermarket duopoly. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 5:The Groceries Commissioner has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The thermodynamics of electric vs. internal combustion cars

    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler I love thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is like your mom: it may not tell you what you can do, but it damn well tells you what you can’t do. I’ve written a few previous posts that include thermodynamics, like one on air capture of ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Three.

    The notion of geopolitical  “periphery.” The concept of periphery used here refers strictly to what can be called the geopolitical periphery. Being on the geopolitical periphery is an analytic virtue because it makes for more visible policy reform in response … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Venus Hum

    Fill me up with soundThe world sings with me a million smiles an hourI can see me dancing on my radioI can hear you singing in the blades of grassYellow dandelions on my way to schoolBig Beautiful Sky!Song: Venus Hum.Good morning, all you lovely people, and welcome to the 700th ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • I Went to a Creed Concert

    Note: The audio attached to this Webworm compliments today’s newsletter. I collected it as I met people attending a Creed concert. Their opinions may differ to mine. Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • Government migration policy backfires; thousands of unemployed nurses

    The country has imported literally thousands of nurses over the past few months yet whether they are being employed as nurses is another matter. Just what is going on with HealthNZ and it nurses is, at best, opaque, in that it will not release anything but broad general statistics and ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago
  • A Time For Unity.

    Emotional Response: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addresses mourners at the tangi of King Tuheitia on Turangawaewae Marae on Saturday, 31 August 2024.THE DEATH OF KING TUHEITIA could hardly have come at a worse time for Maoridom. The power of the Kingitanga to unify te iwi Māori was demonstrated powerfully at January’s ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: Failed again

    National's tax cut policies relied on stealing revenue from the ETS (previously used to fund emissions reduction) to fund tax cuts to landlords. So how's that going? Badly. Today's auction failed again, with zero units (of a possible 7.6 million) sold. Which means they have a $456 million hole in ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Two.

    A question of size. Small size generally means large vulnerability. The perception of threat is broader and often more immediate for small countries. The feeling of comparative weakness, of exposure to risk, and of potential intimidation by larger powers often … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago

  • New Bill to crack down on youth vaping

    The coalition Government has introduced legislation to tackle youth vaping, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No 2) is aimed at preventing youth vaping.  “While vaping has contributed to a significant fall in our smoking rates, the rise in youth vaping ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Interest in agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review welcomed

    Regulation Minister David Seymour, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, and Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard have welcomed interest in the agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review. The review by the Ministry for Regulation is looking at how to speed up the process to get farmers and growers access to the safe, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Bill to allow online charity lotteries passes first reading

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government is moving at pace to ensure lotteries for charitable purposes are allowed to operate online permanently. Charities fundraising online, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust and local hospices will continue to do ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Tax exempt threshold changes to benefit startups

    Technology companies are among the startups which will benefit from increases to current thresholds of exempt employee share schemes, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Revenue Minister Simon Watts say. Tax exempt thresholds for the schemes are increasing as part of the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2024-25, Emergency ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Getting the healthcare you need, when you need it

    The path to faster cancer treatment, an increase in immunisation rates, shorter stays in emergency departments and quick assessment and treatments when you are sick has been laid out today. Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has revealed details of how the ambitious health targets the Government has set will be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Targeted supports to accelerate reading

    The coalition Government is delivering targeted and structured literacy supports to accelerate learning for struggling readers. From Term 1 2025, $33 million of funding for Reading Recovery and Early Literacy Support will be reprioritised to interventions which align with structured approaches to teaching. “Structured literacy will change the way children ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Survivors invited to Abuse in Care national apology

    With two months until the national apology to survivors of abuse in care, expressions of interest have opened for survivors wanting to attend. “The Prime Minister will deliver a national apology on Tuesday 12 November in Parliament. It will be a very significant day for survivors, their families, whānau and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Rangatahi inspire at Ngā Manu Kōrero final

    Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini kē - My success is not mine alone but is the from the strength of the many. Aotearoa New Zealand’s top young speakers are an inspiration for all New Zealanders to learn more about the depth and beauty conveyed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Driving structured literacy in schools

    The coalition Government is driving confidence in reading and writing in the first years of schooling. “From the first time children step into the classroom, we’re equipping them and teachers with the tools they need to be brilliant in literacy. “From 1 October, schools and kura with Years 0-3 will receive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Labour’s misleading information is disappointing

    Labour’s misinformation about firearms law is dangerous and disappointing, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says.   “Labour and Ginny Andersen have repeatedly said over the past few days that the previous Labour Government completely banned semi-automatic firearms in 2019 and that the Coalition Government is planning to ‘reintroduce’ them.   ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Govt takes action on mpox response, widens access to vaccine

    The Government is taking immediate action on a number of steps around New Zealand’s response to mpox, including improving access to vaccine availability so people who need it can do so more easily, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. “Mpox is obviously a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Next steps agreed for Treaty Principles Bill

    Associate Justice Minister David Seymour says Cabinet has agreed to the next steps for the Treaty Principles Bill. “The Treaty Principles Bill provides an opportunity for Parliament, rather than the courts, to define the principles of the Treaty, including establishing that every person is equal before the law,” says Mr Seymour. “Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government unlocking potential of AI

    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced a programme to drive Artificial Intelligence (AI) uptake among New Zealand businesses. “The AI Activator will unlock the potential of AI for New Zealand businesses through a range of support, including access to AI research experts, technical assistance, AI tools and resources, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government releases Wairoa flood review findings

    The independent rapid review into the Wairoa flooding event on 26 June 2024 has been released, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced today. “We welcome the review’s findings and recommendations to strengthen Wairoa's resilience against future events,” Ms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Promoting faster payment times for government

    The Government is sending a clear message to central government agencies that they must prioritise paying invoices in a timely manner, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Andrew Bayly says. Data released today promotes transparency by publishing the payment times of each central government agency. This data will be published quarterly ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Acknowledgement to Kīngi Tuheitia speech

    E te māngai o te Whare Pāremata, kua riro māku te whakaputa i te waka ki waho moana. E te Pirimia tēnā koe.Mr Speaker, it is my privilege to take this adjournment kōrero forward.  Prime Minister – thank you for your leadership. Taupiri te maunga Waikato te awa Te Wherowhero ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Interim fix to GST adjustment rules to support businesses

    Inland Revenue can begin processing GST returns for businesses affected by a historic legislative drafting error, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says. “Inland Revenue has become aware of a legislative drafting error in the GST adjustment rules after changes were made in 2023 which were meant to simplify the process. This ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Strong uptake for cervical screening self-test

    More than 80 per cent of New Zealand women being tested have opted for a world-leading self-test for cervical screening since it became available a year ago. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti and Associate Minister Casey Costello, in her responsibility for Women’s Health, say it’s fantastic to have such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document sets ambitious direction

    Regulation Minister David Seymour welcomes the Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document, which sets out how the Ministry will carry out its work and deliver on its purpose. “I have set up the Ministry for Regulation with three tasks. One, to cut existing red tape with sector reviews. Two, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Māori Education Advisory Group established

    The Education Minister has established a Māori Education Ministerial Advisory Group made up of experienced practitioners to help improve outcomes for Māori learners. “This group will provide independent advice on all matters related to Māori education in both English medium and Māori medium settings. It will focus on the most impactful ways we can lift ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government welcomes findings of NZ Superannuation Fund review

    The Government has welcomed the findings of the recent statutory review into the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation and the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, Minister of Finance Nicola Willis says. The 5-yearly review, conducted on behalf of Treasury and tabled in Parliament today, found the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • First of five new Hercules aircraft takes flight

    Defence Minister Judith Collins today welcomed the first of five new C-130J-30 Hercules to arrive in New Zealand at a ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base Auckland, Whenuapai. “This is an historic day for our New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and our nation. The new Hercules fleet ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Have your say on suicide prevention

    Today, September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, a time to reflect on New Zealand’s confronting suicide statistics, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “Every death by suicide is a tragedy – a tragedy that affects far too many of our families and communities in New Zealand. We must do ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Action to grow the rural health workforce

    Scholarships awarded to 27 health care students is another positive step forward to boost the future rural health workforce, Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “All New Zealanders deserve timely access to quality health care and this Government is committed to improving health outcomes, particularly for the one in five ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Pharmac delivering more for Kiwis following major funding boost

    Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed the increased availability of medicines for Kiwis resulting from the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our Government assumed office, New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sport Minister congratulates NZ’s Paralympians

    Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop has congratulated New Zealand's Paralympic Team at the conclusion of the Paralympic Games in Paris.  “The NZ Paralympic Team's success in Paris included fantastic performances, personal best times, New Zealand records and Oceania records all being smashed - and of course, many Kiwis on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations

    A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report.  “It will have the mandate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...
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