The sincerest form of flattery

Written By: - Date published: 12:14 pm, September 7th, 2008 - 78 comments
Categories: humour, national - Tags:

The Greens billboards have shown how it’s done – striking and simple without being dishonest or simplistic. Maybe National could imitate them:

Maybe not.

78 comments on “The sincerest form of flattery ”

  1. It really needs a fat CEO. Or a polluting farmer. Or Roger Douglas.

  2. ah, roger douglas would be good.. but i just love the expression on his face.

  3. Has their ever been a more racist party than the Green party???
    Can you imagine if National had a billboard of a overweight unemployed Maori from south Auckland who beats up his wife, and they had the headline “Vote for Me” Party Vote Labour”

    The hypocritical nature of the left is repulsive.

    Still Labour supporters will lap it up.

  4. coge 4

    What HAVE they been smoking this time? Doubtless a bad batch of dak. My advice is to stay off the hydroponic.

  5. Its unbelievable how one party can hate one race so much, as I said in my previous post, if national had of done this using a blanet sterotype of a Maori, there would be outrage.

    So what the Greens are suggesting is that your average National supporter is a rich old white man and I’m guessing they are suggesting that this is a bad thing.

    Why you guys are trying to get votes by using hate, I would never know.

  6. Jimbo 6

    Brett I can’t tell if you’re being serious but you do know that this image has been mocked up as a joke, right? It’s not a real advertisement.

  7. Yep, its been mocked up as a joke, and the Greens will blast it out on their web page, saying “Its only a joke, its not a ad”

    Kind of like what Faux News does, all the time, when they want to blast the democrats, they tell ya something is a joke, but they keep playing it and playing it.

    When satire is good its great, like the brilliant Jon Stewart, but when its bad its more cringe worthy than working for David Brent.

  8. weka 8

    Here’s the Green billboards

    http://www.greens.org.nz/election08

    Can you please tell me which one you think is racist??

    Some of us are sick of the rich old white men thinking they own the place. That’s not hate.

  9. Lord Hyperbole 9

    How did you get my photograph you unsavoury sods? The last green thing we had on the estate hung from a tree.

  10. weka 10

    *Yep, its been mocked up as a joke, and the Greens will blast it out on their web page, saying “Its only a joke, its not a ad’*

    But it has nothing to do with the Greens. This blog is The Standard, which although well leftie isn’t part of any political party.

  11. Quoth the Raven 11

    How about a picture of Mr. Burns.

  12. You may be sick of some old white man thinking they own the place? Which is strange since we have a high percentage of woman in power?

    Some of us are sick of politicians on the left telling us how to think, what to eat and drink, and what to say, and are also sick of the blame game.

  13. Sarah 13

    I agree with Brett. The left should try running a campaign that doesn’t involve smear and scare tactics. At least kiwiblog doesn’t resort to these sorts of blatant hate posts.

    This blog is a joke. The bloggers here actually think they’re going to convince everyone with their left national-hating spin. But anyone with any sort of intelligence can see through it.

    The posters on the standard are just further ostracising themselves from any mainstream or common-held individuals by blogging posts such as the one above. But in a way, I should actually give the standard the thanks it deserves. Because of these hate posts and the constant complaining, indidviduals are put off the left much faster than Helen and Winston could ever do themselves.

    I’m left wing in many ways. But The Standard honestly gives the left a bad name by running these vile and one-sided acttacks on anyone who does not agree with them and blocking anyone who dares to disagree with the comments they made.

    Thank god for free speech.

  14. I like to know who donates to this blog?

    The greens billboards are very manipulative.

    Any party or company that uses children in their advertising (that isnt directly related to a child’s product) I would be very wary of.

    [please don’t comment when you’re stoned. a) we use question marks to end questions ‘i would like to know’ is a statement of your desires, not a question b) no-one donates any money to this blog, no-one gets any money for writing on it. SP]

  15. weka 15

    *You may be sick of some old white man thinking they own the place? Which is strange since we have a high percentage of woman in power?*

    Sure we have some women in some key positions. But they’ve never had the kind of power as the old white boys. Of course women have always had their own kind of power, which is probably the one you are most afraid of.

    *Some of us are sick of politicians on the left telling us how to think, what to eat and drink, and what to say, and are also sick of the blame game.*

    That’s fine. Get political and get out there and do something about what you want changed then. Although I can’t recall the legislation that makes me eat or think in certain ways.

    If you really want to get upset about billboards go here:

    http://national.h.ac.nz/

  16. Lord Hyperbole 16

    Is it green social policy to feature happy children on their billboards when they form a government that is responsible for the massive increase in child abuse and infanticide statistics? Bloody airy fairy sods are nothing more than useless hypocrites!

  17. Sarah 17

    The Labour Party would be my first and only guess Brett.

    Explains the large percentage of Union and Labour staff positing day to day on here. Try some transparency and openess posters of the standard (which you readily attack National over not having) and actually show your own agenda. Or your real names might be nice. Congratulations to those who are open enough to freely admit their own personal name and stand up for their own views without having to hide behind some log-in name.

  18. It seems that site, has been hijacked by Labour supporters, or I’m guessing its a Labour site.

  19. brett. what the hell are you talking about?

    clearly my picture is a humourous (not hateful) play on the stereotypical old conservative base of National – it’s his class, not his race.

  20. Sarah 20

    It’s still offensive Steve to those individuals who fit under that particular stereotype. What would happen if a right-winger were to do the exact same parody with a low class maori beer-drinking worker in the picture and a title that said ‘party vote labour’.

    I’m sure everyone would be up in arms screaming foul about how offensive that individual was being. It’s all a matter of perception.

  21. That picture had nothing to do about the guy’s class, you picked an old WHITE rich guy.

    It was stereotypical.

    Leave the humor to people who are funny.

  22. weka 22

    Satire offends all sorts of people, that’s part of its job. It’s not like it’s an actual billboard. Remember this:

    http://www.national.org.nz/PreviewEcard.aspx?ECard=IwiKiwi

    *same parody with a low class maori beer-drinking worker in the picture and a title that said ‘party vote labour’*

    And what would be the point of that billboard parody?

  23. outofbed 23

    The Green camapign looks awesome this time 10% of the vote is looking achievable
    I was on a Greeen party stall yesterday and had unbelievably good feedback and visitors.
    Only two people mentioned section 59 as a concern which was a surprise.
    Labour who were next door had moderate interest and visitors whilst the National guy packed up and went home about ten o clock through lack of interest.

  24. Uhm, I’m not stoned, and heres is a question, if anyone donated money to this blog would you except it?

    [how could they donate money to the blog? it has no legal personality, no bank account. SP]

    [lprent: Just at present the only person who donates money to the site is me (and I’m the only person or entity that ever has). That is likely to be the way that it stays. We don’t even have advertising. If the financial demands get too high, then I’d consider it. But I think we’d be more likely to just move to cheaper servers. It means that we can do things unencumbered by the need to consult anyone – including other writers on the site. ]

  25. bill brown 25

    Now, none of you elitists are allowed to point that out.

  26. Quoth the Raven 26

    Brett – I think that’s supposed to be accept. You’re in a delerium seek medical attention. Now.

  27. forgetaboutthelastone 27

    elitest here – but how are we supposed to know what he means?

  28. of course it is stereotypical, brett, that’s how satire works. But it’s clearly overblown – it mocks National voters as not ordinary Kiwis but part of a rich elite… but at the same time we all know that actual national voters don’t usually look like Rowley Birken QC (he’s a character on the fast show – the character is an over the top and hilarious play on the old drunk upper class toff)… it’s the fact that any sane person knows i’m not really saying all national voters are old drunks that makes it funny.. it wouldn’t be funny if it were hateful but it’s clearly not.. if you don’t think it’s funny you’re more than welcome to fuck off and make your own funny billboards on your site, maybe someone will see them some day.

    sarah, it’s generally not funny when the person does the mocking is in a more powerful social position – so rich, mostly pakeha national saying ‘all labour voters are poor drunk maori’ isn’t funny, it’s just the powerful kicking those at the bottom again.

  29. Typical response I would expect from someone from the left.

  30. Steve: Who are you to say whats funny and whats your not? Thats a bit pretentious isnt it?

    [you’re saying what’s funny and what’s not too – your view is just opposite to mine.. but i assume it’s only me that’s being pretentious. SP]

  31. Felix 31

    Typical or stereotypical, Brett?

    edit: What are you doing here Brett apart from saying what’s funny and what’s not?

  32. higherstandard 32

    “sarah, it’s not funny when the person (who) does the mocking is in a more powerful social position – so rich, mostly pakeha national saying ‘all labour voters are poor drunk maori’ isn’t funny, it’s just the powerful kicking those at the bottom again.”

    No double standards on this site ……. more along quietly now – and after such a reasonable first paragraph too.

  33. It would be quite easy to donate money to this blog, just go up to Steve, slip a 50 Dollar note in his Karl Marx book, tell him to keep up the good work and to keep bashing big bad John Key who has the audacity to have nice house, which I’m sure he didn’t earn himself through hard work.

    It will be quite easy.

    I don’t think Steve has figured out, if ya going write something on a blog on the internet, your going to get people who disagree with you.

    [brett, pretty used to people disagreeing with me by now, thanks, many of them in a more sophisticated manner than this. Obviously, someone giving me money is different from giving The Standard money. But I would not seek any such money and if someone did want to donate to The Standard I would suggest they give the money to a different Leftwing political cause instead – I have more than enough money for my needs, The Standard doesn’t need any money, apart from price of the server space, which Lynn pays out of his own unimpoverished pocket. SP]

    [lprent: Oh it isn’t that unimproverished. I have a lawsuit and building site to fund. Some dickhead in the previous national government thought it’d be a good idea to deregulate the building industry.

    Some idiots in the C&R (aka local National party in drag) did so without getting good building checks done on buildings like mine. Consequently the Auckland City Council (currently C&R dominated)has been spending considerable time in the high court. Our case come up in March. For the last two years I’ve been forking out money in massive interest payments. Fortunately this happens to be the cheapest entertainment around – all I had to do was give up smoking to pay for it. ]

  34. Felix:

    Im taking the south park point of view, not the lefist point of view, my main complaint is you cant say, you cant make fun of one sector and say you cant make fun of another, that is bigoted and that is what this site is doing.

  35. Felix 35

    And if you spend all day drinking and typing inane things on other people’s blogs?

  36. forgetaboutthelastone 36

    Brett Dale:

    I lol’d. You are doing an excellent job at satire there yourself. You are a hilarious parody of your stereotypical RWNJ.

  37. Felix 37

    Brett please put those thoughts into a sentence so they may be addressed.

  38. Pascal's bookie 38

    Brett, do you consider the Monty Python skit “upper class twit of the year” racist and sexist?

    Is The Simpsons racist and sexist because Monty Burns is a white male?

    Were the IWI/KIWI billboards racist?

    How about the Mcain campaign calling Obama ‘presumptuous’?

    What if it was ‘uppity’ instead, would that be racist?

    How about Dykeocracy? Is that sexist? Or nanny state? Does that offend you?

    I’m only asking because you seem to take this stuff seriously, and those examples after the Monty Burns aren’t satire so I’m genuinely interested in your thoughts.

  39. weka 39

    It’s not so much that people disagree with you Brett, it’s that no-one can follow what you are on about.

  40. Felix 40

    weka: it’s about getting on the piss and letting it all out as far as I can follow.

  41. weka 41

    *How about Dykeocracy? Is that sexist? *

    That’d be homophobic or heterosexist 😉

  42. Pascal's bookie 42

    Weka, true enough, if the targets of that jibe were always lesbian eh.

  43. Excellent!!!!

    Surly your not comparing the great Monty Burns of the simpsons to thestandard?

    The Simpsons is funny because it has a go at everybody, at all sterotypes, not just one.

  44. weka 44

    PB, ae some people seem to think that calling a het woman a dyke is the worst thing you can say. Still seems pretty homophobic to me.

  45. Tim Ellis 45

    Hey Brett, give it a rest man. The picture here wasn’t from the Green Party. It was a mock up by SP. You didn’t think it was funny, fair enough. You make a good point that SP wouldn’t dare use a picture of an obese Maori voter as typical of labour-voting, because that would be considered racist. You could have also made the point that the picture above could well have been party vote labour, with a picture of crusty old George Hawkins, Harry Duynhoven, Michael Cullen, Mark Burton, etc etc.

    When it comes to crusty old white guys, there are far more in Labour’s caucus than there are in any other political party. Equally, SP knows that when it comes to diversity National has a lot more to choose from, with candidates who are actually going to make it into Parliament, than what Labour’s got. In reality the real National Party vote billboard would have young and talented people like Nikki Kaye, Melissa Lee, Sam Lotu-Iiga, Simon Bridges, Hekia Parata, etc etc. Even John Key is a generation younger than Helen Clark.

    I think the Standard is entitled to post anonymously. Call them out individually when their authors are being partisan, sure. It works much more effectively than trying to rail against the whole machine. There’s plenty of argument you can come up with on such a poor effort as this from SP. This was an attempt at humour. Some people found it funny. You didn’t. That’s life. But if you’re going to argue against it, use the arguments rather than attacking the whole site.

    The captcha is “so Aldershot”. Maybe I’ve been hanging around this place too long, but this is the second time I’ve seen the word “Aldershot” in a Standard captcha. It is still only the second time I’ve ever seen the word “aldershot”. Anybody know, without resorting to a dictionary or google, what an Aldershot is?

  46. outofbed 46

    Aldershot is town in UK with an large British Army camp

  47. Quoth the Raven 47

    Brett is a member of the PC police.

  48. Bill 48

    Maybe a post-lobotomy patient should have used in the piss take instead? Not very sensitive, but much nearer the mark given the unbearable dribble emanating from those of a right wing bent in the comments above.

    On the matter of the Green billboards, pretty good. Could easily have slipped into mash potato smaltz, but haven’t.

  49. Pascal's bookie 49

    weka, sorry for being unclear. Im certainly not saying that it’s not homophobic, it most certainly is. It’s also sexist though yeah?

    I sort of understood the term to be based around the idea that political, or any other sort of power, is inherently masculine.

    Therefore where any women have any power they must be ‘faux women’;therefore ‘Lesbians’; therefore ‘Dykeocracy’. So both homophobic on it’s face, and sexist at heart. It’s a twofer!

    Brett.
    Nope, I’m comparing the stereotype in this post to Monty Burns, because it’s the same stereotype.

    How about those IWI/KIWI billboards?

  50. How about a picture of Mr. Burns.

    Now that’s a good idea – but better for last election, not this one.

    Looking at National’s energy, environment, and climate change policies, what about the Huntly power station, or a giant open-cast coal mine?

    (Captcha = abrogated bases. They belonged to us, but we’re giving them away…)

  51. Personally I thought those billboards were not that amusing, I guess some people who like low brow humor thought they were funny.

    I thought the reaction to them was the funniest thing about them.

  52. Tim Ellis 52

    Well done oob, I’ve learned something new without having to google it. That’s pretty rare nowadays.

  53. Pascal's bookie 53

    I didn’t think they were funny either. It honestly hadn’t occurred to me that they were meant to be . I do think they were effective though.

  54. jaymam 54

    There’s got to be a worser way:
    http://i36.tinypic.com/ngoapg.jpg

    (the bad grammar intentional, in line with other right-wing billboards)

  55. Pascal's bookie 55

    ” you cant make fun of one sector and say you cant make fun of another”

    This is the heart of it, and the coronary comes when you are talking about power relationships.

    Godwin alert!

    It’s one thing to make Nazi jokes along the lines of Harry Enfield’s ‘Not too Camp’ jibes, or sing songs about the number of gonads various reich officials could claim possession of.

    Joking about how many Jews can fit in a VW? Not so funny.

  56. bill brown 56

    Hey, PB, just watched upper class twit of the year – thanks for that, I like a laugh of a Sunday afternoon.

  57. Lord Hyperbole 57

    “How about a picture of Mr. Burns.”

    I take a better photo than Brendon does and I own a nuclear power plant.

  58. Christopher Nimmo 58

    Last election the local nats billboard actually DID have a picture of Mr Burns plastered over it.

    Happen anywhere else?

  59. Lord Hyperbole 59

    Chris – was it Peter, Brendon or Monty Burns?

  60. toad 60

    Steve Pierson said: The Greens billboards have shown how it’s done – striking and simple without being dishonest or simplistic. Maybe National could imitate them:

    Nope, they won’t get it together Steve, Thay can’t even get the grammar correct.

    I’d say maximise the Party vote for the Greens. That’s the best way to give the big finger to those with a far-right agenda who back National and their hidden agenda.

    Given the policies, the Nats would have to be swallowing dead rats for the next 3 years to get Green support!

  61. r0b 61

    When it comes to crusty old white guys, there are far more in Labour’s caucus than there are in any other political party.

    Ahh, wrong.

    Equally, SP knows that when it comes to diversity National has a lot more to choose from, with candidates who are actually going to make it into Parliament, than what Labour’s got.

    Wrong again. You’re usually more accurate than this Tim.

  62. Rob 62

    Steve money was donated to your blog by Labour who paid for your server hosting am I not correct!!

    [lprent: Wrong (as usual).

    The Labour party has never paid for anything to do with this blog. A kind organization donated some server space to the NZLP. Needless to say the NZLP had absolutely no idea what to do with this. So they gave control of it to some activists to provide facilities for other left activists. When the standard was falling over due to lack of bandwidth, access to the servers was offered and accepted.

    So the NZLP has never paid anything to maintain this site. The server space you’re referring to was paid for by the donor. Of course that idiot Whale is incapable of understanding subtleties like that, just as I suspect you are.

    Rather than let the NZLP put up with undeserved flak from the bottom feeders around the blogs, after 3 weeks, I moved the site to my home server. Shortly thereafter put it in the linux server that it now resides in, and steadily increased my payments to keep the resource levels up.

    Now I take great pleasure in terminating idiots like you who even mention the topic here. I consider that it shows a considerable level of stupidity bearing in mind the number of times I’ve explained this. I’m tired of it so I *love* making examples of people who mention it in my presence – I like helping people achieve martyrdom.

    Banned for ummm 2 months to contemplate . E-mail me after the election to get removed from the blacklist. I’m putting you there because you do not ban yourself, and put too many messages into the moderation queue.]

  63. Christopher Nimmo 63

    Monty burns. Definitely.

    I think I have a photo somewhere.

  64. Lord Hyperbole 64

    It wasn’t an airbrushed photo of him trying to look twenty years younger? Just like Miss Clark does every election.
    [lprent: You’re looking to me like a troll. Lift your Standard or leave. So far I haven’t seen anything useful in any of your comments. ]

  65. Anita 65

    Rob,

    Even I know you’re not correct.

    This has been canvassed (and recanvassed) so many times that the facts have passed into our collective mind (except, apparently, yours).

  66. Short Shriveled and Slightly to the Left 66

    “At least kiwiblog doesn?t resort to these sorts of blatant hate posts.”
    Bahahahahahahahaha

  67. Rob. Before I joined the collective, the Standard was hosted on server space that Labour had been donated and passed on to us for a total of 7 days.

    The Standard had outgrown our previous server, the Labour offer was accepted, perhaps unwisely, but they decided The Standard needed bigger space to grow into than Labour had given anyway and moved on to our current server, which Lynn pays for. There was no money from Labour for the cost of the server at any point.

    Yup, there was 7 days on a server, server space worth approximately bugger all a year (what’s 7/365ths of bugger all?)

    [lprent: The NZLP didn’t even pay for that space for 21 days. It was a donation to them. So as usual he is dead wrong – and now banned.]

  68. Felix 68

    Christopher Nimmo:

    I remember one between Hamilton and Raglan with Burns pasted over Brash. The resemblance was striking.

  69. toad 69

    Thought The Standard’s readers might also like this one.

  70. Pretty weak, actually, I thought the Greens were above gutter politics.

    Does anyone here really think that is going to happen under a centre right Government?

  71. Lew 71

    Brett Dale: Are you getting the sense that you protest too much, yet?

    L

  72. outofbed 72

    Does anyone here really think that is going to happen under a centre right Government?

    Surely it should read
    Does anyone here really think that there is going to be a centre right Government?

  73. vto 73

    Just seen this – disgusting and hypocritical. You just love to take the piss out of white middle class older men don’t you.

    No doubt somebody above has already suggested doing the fat-arsed lazy dole-bludger, probably maori or islander in south auckland, who has a cuzzy in the courts or jail. Stereotypes ay SP? gotta love ’em. And my god how you seem to love stereotypes – well only certain ones. of course. otherwise it is racist. isn’t it.

    the biggest letdown of the current state of the left

  74. I love that old guy from the fast show…fantastic. His entire response to life was that ‘…I was drunk at the time.’ Gosh if the tories were half as appealing, Id be half inclined to vote for them!

  75. vto 75

    oh alexandra, just a joke was it?. ha ha ha. sounds familiar.

  76. Lets not forget the IWI – KIWI billboards. The above is hardly aimed at creating the same social division that the Nats attempted to do in 2005. Whether something is racist surely depends on who is telling the story. Most of the members of the Greens and indeed on this site, have old white men as fathers, grandfathers and so on. Too me it depicts the same tired men, (with the exception of key) with the same tired agenda.

  77. vto 77

    you have a point in the first couple of sentences. and that is precisely what I was getting at – it gets applied in reverse and the blinkers go on. its just that the abuse aimed at men, white men, white middle class men today grates heavily. call me a new-age menimist.

    anyway, you said above “Most of the members of the Greens and indeed on this site, have old white men as fathers, grandfathers and so on. Too me it depicts the same tired men, (with the exception of key) with the same tired agenda.”

    If you think then, alexandra, that NZ today is that bad then you may have a point in calling them tired and impliedly useless. But if, like me, you consider NZ society to be a society that is almost certainly one of the fairest and wealthiest that has ever existed, one of the easiest ever in which to get a roof over your head and food in you belly, one of the easiest in which to break out of your ‘caste’, one of the easiest to get educated, get a job, do nothing, do whatever your heart desires, then you had better start thanking those “tired men” because according to so much of the left today those “tired men” have been responsible for creating the society we have today.

    Sure there is always room for improvement. But they are responsible, as even you seem to acknowledge in your own post, and so should not only be critically evaluated for their shortcomings but also thanked for the great things this society has achieved.

    (and of course the NZ women and things the labour movt has wrought, but this is specifically about the so-called “tired men”. they actually aint that bad, and look at what they have achieved.)

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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

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