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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    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    14 hours ago

  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    17 hours ago

  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    17 hours ago

  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    17 hours ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    18 hours ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    19 hours ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    19 hours ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    20 hours ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    20 hours ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    21 hours ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    24 hours ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    4 days ago

  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago

  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: “What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Sad tales from the left
    Michael Bassett writes –  Have you noticed the odd way in which the media are handling the government’s crackdown on surplus employees in the Public Service? Very few reporters mention the crazy way in which State Service numbers rocketed ahead by more than 16,000 during Labour’s six years, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • In Whose Best Interests?
    On The Spot: The question Q+A host, Jack Tame, put to the Workplace & Safety Minister, Act’s Brooke van Velden, was disarmingly simple: “Are income tax cuts right now in the best interests of lowering inflation?”JACK TAME has tested another MP on his Sunday morning current affairs show, Q+A. Minister for Workplace ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Don’t Question, Don’t Complain.
    It has to start somewhereIt has to start sometimeWhat better place than here?What better time than now?So it turns out that I owe you all an apology.It seems that all of the terrible things this government is doing, impacting the lives of many, aren’t necessarily ‘bad’ per se. Those things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Auckland faces 25% water inflation shock
    Three Waters became a focus of anti-Government protests under Labour, but its dumping by the new Government hasn’t solved councils’ funding problems and will eventually hit the back pockets of everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 8:06 am today are:The Government ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Small accomplishments and large ironies
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • The Song of Saqua: Volume VII
    In order to catch up to the actual progress of the D&D campaign, I present you with another couple of sessions. These were actually held back to back, on a Monday and Tuesday evening. Session XV Alas, Goatslayer had another lycanthropic transformation… though this time, he ran off into the ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago

  • Accelerating the Growth Rate?
    There is a constant theme from the economic commentariat that New Zealand needs to lift its economic growth rate, coupled with policies which they are certain will attain that objective. Their prescriptions are usually characterised by two features. First, they tend to be in their advocate’s self-interest. Second, they are ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    6 days ago

  • The only thing we have to fear is tenants themselves
    1. Which of these acronyms describes the experience of travelling on a Cook Strait ferry?a. ROROb. FOMOc. RAROd. FMLAramoana, first boat ever boarded by More Than A Feilding, four weeks after the Wahine disaster2. What is the acronym for the experience of watching the government risking a $200 million break ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • Peters talks of NZ “renewing its connections with the world” – but who knew we had been discon...
    Buzz from the Beehive The thrust of the country’s foreign affairs policy and its relationship with the United States have been addressed in four statements from the Beehive over the past 24 hours. Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters somewhat curiously spoke of New Zealand “renewing its connections with a world ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
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