The thoughts of Matt King on climate change

Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, August 26th, 2019 - 85 comments
Categories: act, climate change, Environment, global warming, national, same old national, science, us politics - Tags: , , ,

Remember Muriel Newman, the former ACT MP who had decidedly strange views on race and science?  Since the electors showed her the door she has been involved in the New Zealand Centre for Political Research,  a right wing astroturf organisation that is that awful the Tax Payer’s Union appears to be slick and well organised in comparison.

But it seems they have one fan in Parliament, National backbench MP Matt King who has been recycling their plaigarised climate change nonsense on the basis that their scientifically inept analysis poses legitimate questions.

From Lana Andelane in Newshub:

National MP Matt King has shared the belief that climate change “is natural” after posting a rant, taken from a US far-right source, to his Facebook page on Saturday.

The National MP for Northland attributed his rant to “some words taken from NZCPR website”. The article ‘Setting New Zealand Up to Fail’ was uploaded to the New Zealand Centre for Political Research website last Sunday. It includes an adapted script taken from a 2012 video by Free Market America – but swaps out ‘America’ for New Zealand. 

“If I wanted New Zealand to fail… I’d use our schools to teach one generation of children that our factories and cars and cows are causing runaway global warming, and I’d muster a straight face so I could teach the next generation that their parents are to blame for killing the planet,” says a section from the adapted script, posted by King and NZCPR.

“And when it’s cold outside, I’d call it climate change instead.

“I would ridicule as ‘deniers’ those who question the climate scaremongering of politicians, and when they remind people about the laws of nature – that climate change is natural and mankind’s impact is minimal – I’d enlist a sympathetic media to drown them out.”

It appears that King edited the original post as the social media bush fire set off.

As the Amazon and Indonesia burn and the North Pole melts it is incredible that we still have a Member of Parliament wanting to question the science.  The last thing that New Zealand politics needs is a right wing politician willing to engage in some good old climate change denialism for political brownie points.

85 comments on “The thoughts of Matt King on climate change ”

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  1. cleangreen 1
    26 August 2019 at 8:07 am

    “As the Amazon and Indonesia burn and the North Pole melts it is incredible that we still have a Member of Parliament wanting to question the science.”

    How much I wonder does the oil industry intend to go by ruining our infrustructure and homes, before they must own up to the actual cost they are excacting on our ‘public purse’ repairs for their “natural events?

    It’s a similar story now to when the “big tobacco” CEO’s were all lined up in front of the Congressional inquiry into smoking causing cancer, – and they said “there is no proof that smoking causes cancer” Lest we forget.

    • fustercluck 1.1
      26 August 2019 at 8:27 am

      So it turns out that NASA reports:

      "As of August 16, 2019, an analysis of NASA satellite data indicated that total fire activity across the Amazon basin this year has been close to the average in comparison to the past 15 years."

      https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145464/fires-in-brazil

      So much for the hysteria.

      • Formerly Ross 1.1.1
        26 August 2019 at 8:31 am

        Yes, climate change appears to be the latest moral panic.

        https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_panic

        • Robert Guyton 1.1.1.1
          26 August 2019 at 9:42 am

          The intentional burning of the jungles of the Amazon basin is an issue of morality.

          Drawing attention to the fact that it is still happening, at a time when efforts are being made globally to protect existing forests and rapidly plant new forests as a foil to increasing greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, is an action I fully support.

        • left_forward 1.1.1.2
          28 August 2019 at 12:12 pm

          What basis do you have for defining climate change, a moral issue?

      • Sacha 1.1.2
        26 August 2019 at 8:37 am

        total fire activity across the Amazon basin this year

        When did the policy change come in?

      • mickysavage 1.1.3
        26 August 2019 at 8:43 am

        But wait there is more …

        "With the fire season in the Amazon approaching its midpoint, scientists using NASA satellites to track fire activity have confirmed an increase in the number and intensity of fires in the Brazilian Amazon in 2019, making it the most active fire year in that region since 2010.

        Fire activity in the Amazon varies considerably from year-to-year and month-to-month, driven by changes in economic conditions and climate. August 2019 stands out because it has brought a noticeable increase in large, intense, and persistent fires burning along major roads in the central Brazilian Amazon, explained Douglas Morton, chief of the Biospheric Sciences Laboratory at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. While drought has played a large role in exacerbating fires in the past, the timing and location of fire detections early in the 2019 dry season are more consistent with land clearing than with regional drought."

        https://www.earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145498/uptick-in-amazon-fire-activity-in-2019

        While you are at it can you also explain why we have nothing to worry about Greenland melting?

        And how about forest fires in Spain, Siberia, Alaska and *Greenland*?

        • Poission 1.1.3.1
          26 August 2019 at 11:14 am

          The anthropocentric issue is the land use change,ie slash and burn and burning (weed control) of already cleared agriculture land.

          This was clearly identified in the IPCC report of the problems arising from agriculture where deforestation, and not agriculture emissions was the problem.

          “Fires are not a natural phenomenon in these forests,” said Mark Cochrane, an expert on wildfire and ecology at the University of Maryland. “All of the fires in this region are caused by people.”

          Mr. Cochrane noted that while a large majority of the fires were on land that had already been cleared, many others were detected burning with particular intensity. He said these were likely deforestation fires, not just fires for clearing previously deforested land.

          “When you slash an area, pile it up, let it dry and then burn it, it burns very intensely, and that’s also what puts off a lot of that smoke,” said Mr. Cochrane.

          There has been a rise in deforestation in recent years, after a long period of decline.

          https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/24/world/americas/amazon-rain-forest-fire-maps.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur

      • mpledger 1.1.4
        26 August 2019 at 8:52 am

        The thing with averages over a wide area is that it can hide whats going on in small areas.

        Brazil's government weakened its environmental agency so people have been logging illegally and burning land for farming because they know they wont get caught. When fires are natural then the area reverts back to forest but when it's man-made fires then the land stays in a less useful state for planetary health.

      • cleangreen 1.1.5
        26 August 2019 at 12:35 pm

        Lets get this straight,

        This creep Matt King says he is quote; "spokesperson for rural communities" like F–ing hell he is not; that’s a patent lie.

        Matt King does not represent the rural community at all.

        I have been a farmer in the Gisborne rural area running a small farm for 14 yrs and he has never been here saying he represents us, he would be run out of town here if he tried.to claim that rubbish!!!!

  2. Formerly Ross 2
    26 August 2019 at 8:21 am

    There is extremism on both sides. Apparently climate change is genocide! No, it’s not and scare-mongering won’t work.

    https://i.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/115230184/climate-change-is-genocide

    What is interesting is that 150 years ago we had some truly awful weather. There weren’t many cars or Boeing 747s around then. Indeed the population was much smaller too.

    https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WI18680211.2.16

    https://teara.govt.nz/en/floods/page-2

    • Sacha 2.1
      26 August 2019 at 8:39 am

      What do you get out of climate change denialism?

      • Formerly Ross 2.1.1
        26 August 2019 at 8:49 am

        What do you get out of scaring the shit out of people?

        And why are you denying that we had truly awful weather before we had climate change?

        • Kevin 2.1.1.1
          26 August 2019 at 9:07 am

          And there is the problem right there with deniers. The inability too differentiate between weather and climate.

          • marty mars 2.1.1.1.1
            26 August 2019 at 9:15 am

            yep they are not the sharpest tools in the toolbox but they are tools nevertheless

          • Formerly Ross 2.1.1.1.2
            26 August 2019 at 10:48 am

            Kevin

            It seems to me your comments should be directed at Mickey who is discussing fires, not climate. 🙂

        • Robert Guyton 2.1.1.2
          26 August 2019 at 9:23 am

          Are people having the sh*t scared out of them?

          When news that smoking tobacco and lung cancer were intimately linked, was that "scaring the sh*t out of people" and wasn't that exactly the responsible action to take; alerting smokers to the scientifically-verified reality?

    • Robert Guyton 2.2
      26 August 2019 at 9:12 am

      "There is extremism on both sides. "

      Who'd have thought!

      "What is interesting is that 150 years ago we had some truly awful weather"

      Interesting, perhaps, but relevant?

      Not at all.

      • Sacha 2.2.1
        26 August 2019 at 9:19 am

        The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain, apparently.

      • Dukeofurl 2.2.2
        26 August 2019 at 10:59 am

        Climate is the long term average of weather. Science says it has to be at least 15-20 + years as weather is variable. Long term data does show climate is warming of course

        Last months weather isnt climate.

        Amazon Fires are another example This years burning is shocking but the longer term data says its 'about average'

        "As of August 16, 2019, an analysis of NASA satellite data indicated that total fire activity across the Amazon basin this year has been close to the average in comparison to the past 15 years. "

        https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145464/fires-in-brazil

  3. solkta 3
    26 August 2019 at 8:24 am

    Matt King Coal was a merry old soul

    And a merry old soul was he

    • marty mars 4.1
      26 August 2019 at 9:31 am

      lol "I guess Justice is now a "climate change denier""

      yep that's the one brainbox – don't guess though – remember YOU know and everyone else is wrong.

  5. Psycho Milt 5
    26 August 2019 at 8:40 am

    Interesting – that article doesn't seem to be on Stuff any more. It was there when I read it earlier this morning, can't find it now. I can understand King taking his post down, because he would have had the hard word that National's climate change denial is supposed to be clandestine, but why would Stuff help them out?

  6. Stuart Munro. 6
    26 August 2019 at 9:14 am

    There are some inconsistencies in our approach to local oil and coal, if we are prepared to import getting on for six hundred thousand tonnes of coal per annum, and one hundred and ten thousand barrels of oil per day, banning local production is less than entirely clever. It's as credible as using cheap carbon offsets instead of moving to more sustainable transport processes – offshoring our problems (and a great deal of our money). While governments rely on unhealthy industries like aerial tourism they are not developing viable alternatives. The market will not provide these alternatives, they are anathema to the short term, cost externalizing model.

  7. MickeyBoyle 7
    26 August 2019 at 9:42 am

    Criticism of Matt King is obviously warranted, but if you criticize his views for not listening to scientists, you have to hold the Greens to the same standard, in their ardent opposition to GM crops.

  8. Robert Guyton 8
    26 August 2019 at 9:57 am

    Well, we here on TS don't have to "hold the Greens to the same standard".

    We could, if we wanted to debate GM crops, ask if the Green's position is based on science.

    • MickeyBoyle 8.1
      26 August 2019 at 10:30 am

      You're right you dont have to hold them to the same standard. But you also cannot deny the hypocrisy in your position. Arguing that an MP is not listening to the science cannot be partisan, we must hold all sides to account. This goes for poverty statistics and the like also. Just because team Red is in power, doesnt mean we should be any less vigorous in holding them to account.

      • marty mars 8.1.1
        26 August 2019 at 10:43 am

        sure mb – your comments often seem full of vigour to me on 'holding them (the left) to account' – reminds me of the chairman tbh

        • MickeyBoyle 8.1.1.1
          26 August 2019 at 10:52 am

          Sorry I just refuse to be a sycophant, especially whilst team red in many instances are worse than team blue, read into that what you will. But whilst you bang on your fangirl drum set, our most vulnerable keep living in squalor, neoliberalism keeps marching on, inequality, real poverty, hardship grants, emergency accommodation and pollution continue to explode in prevalence. I prefer to hold anyone in a position of power to account, sadly I seem to be on my own a lot these days.

          • marty mars 8.1.1.1.1
            26 August 2019 at 10:57 am

            fair enough – we should hook you up with the chairman because like you he is a lone wolf fighting the dirty red team who, as you say need sorting because – "especially whilst team red in many instances are worse than team blue"

          • Incognito 8.1.1.1.2
            26 August 2019 at 12:31 pm

            Sorry I just refuse to be a sycophant, especially whilst team red in many instances are worse than team blue, read into that what you will.

            Irony?

      • Robert Guyton 8.1.2
        26 August 2019 at 10:59 am

        For the moment, MickeyBoyle, the topic is climate change and Matt King. When the GM topic and The Greens position on it comes up, then sure, let's check their adhesion to the science. Discussing an MP, Matt King in this instance, and his claims can certainly be partisan; he's the topic and discussion of his dismissal of science need not involve any other politicians at all.

        • SHG 8.1.2.1
          26 August 2019 at 2:42 pm

          The thing I find most infuriating is not that King is saying stupid shit; it's that it's not even his own stupid shit. He's just reposted some other idiot's stupid shit but has taken the time to change America to New Zealand in the text. That's a special sort of stupid.

  9. phillip ure 9
    26 August 2019 at 10:16 am

    '..chirp..!…chirp..!..'

    (the above is a live/field-recording – of the noises inside matt kings' brain…)

  10. Formerly Ross 10
    26 August 2019 at 10:52 am

    Fires in the Amazon, interesting perhaps but relevant?

  11. AB 11
    26 August 2019 at 10:55 am

    It looks like the right will try to scare its way back into power by saying that the left want to take away your cars/air travel/meat/milk/job and make you eat raw kale sitting under a single eco-friendly light-bulb. It worked for ScoMo it seems. Once in power, they will aim to keep BAU going as long as possible. When it's no longer possible, they will work to prevent a just transition, i.e. those who already benefited most from BAU will be protected, while the sacrifice will fall on everyone else.

  12. cleangreen 12
    26 August 2019 at 12:21 pm

    Climate deniers always refuse to recognise the inceasing intensity of cyclone activity and seem to grasp at straws saying cyclone activity has not increased.

    But that is misleading as it was IPCC https://www.ipcc.ch/ that said all the time it was ‘intensity of weather activity’ that will occur.

    Not the time of events.

    Anyone that had their roofs blown off can testify the real difference here,

    So do we have to wait until these climate deniers roofs are blown off in the middle of a dark nighht to realise that they were wrong?

    In 2017 NIWA predicted more intense cyclones; – and now this is coming true in 2019.

    https://www.niwa.co.nz/news/intensity-of-cyclones-predicted-to-increase

    ;Intensity of cyclones predicted to increase;

    5 October 2017 – Vagaries of variability

    • Formerly Ross 12.1
      26 August 2019 at 12:55 pm

      Cyclones aren’t climate. But it is interesting we had truly awful weather events before we had climate change. What might have caused them?

      • Alice Tectonite 12.1.1
        26 August 2019 at 2:23 pm

        Transport of surplus energy from the equatorial regions towards the poles on a spinning planet…

        Warming climate = more energy

        = "awful weather" more often

        • Formerly Ross 12.1.1.1
          26 August 2019 at 3:14 pm

          So climate change isn’t responsible for all the adverse weather events as there were such events before climate change.

          • Alice Tectonite 12.1.1.1.1
            26 August 2019 at 3:45 pm

            Warming climate means more energy in the atmosphere. That leads to increased frequency and/or severity of "adverse weather" events.

            Trying to pin all extreme weather events through out time on current climate change shows a spectacular lack of understanding.(Or alternatively, that you reside under a bridge in a fairy story…)

            • Formerly Ross 12.1.1.1.1.1
              26 August 2019 at 5:50 pm

              Hmmm you may need to read my comment again if you think I’m pinning all extreme weather events in the past on current climate change. Nowhere did I say that.

            • adam 12.1.1.1.1.2
              26 August 2019 at 7:18 pm

              Alice Tectonite, you can't argue with feelings and emotions. Logic and the scientific method just don't work with these people. It's like trying to have a rational conversation with someone from ISIS – loony far right crazies have their own emotional logic.

              • Formerly Ross …
                26 August 2019 at 9:32 pm

                Adam,

                I'll tell you what was crazy – Cyclone Tracy.

                The northern Australian city of Darwin was devastated early on Christmas morning 1974 when hit by the tropical weather depression that was given the name Cyclone Tracy. As the eye of the cyclone passed over the city between midnight and 7am on Christmas morning, torrential rain fell and the winds were officially recorded at 217 kilometres per hour prior to the Bureau of Meteorology anemometer being destroyed. Houses and other buildings disintegrated under the onslaught, accompanied by the sounds of flying debris and breaking glass. Records have identified 66 names of individuals who perished as a result of the cyclone (53 on land and 13 at sea), and many more were injured. Seventy per cent of Darwin’s homes were destroyed or suffered severe damage, and all public services – communications, power, water and sewerage – were severed.

                http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs176.aspx

      • Psycho Milt 12.1.2
        26 August 2019 at 4:05 pm

        But it is interesting we had truly awful weather events before we had climate change. What might have caused them?

        Are you embarrassingly ignorant, or just being disingenuous?

  13. cleangreen 13
    26 August 2019 at 2:07 pm

    FR Read weather change to learn how climate change causes a rise in SST (sea surface temperature) which inceases cyclones intensity.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_cyclones_and_climate_change

    Again you are misrepresenting Climate Change again. You are a true climate change denier.

    • Formerly Ross 13.1
      26 August 2019 at 5:55 pm

      Your lack of comprehension is truly something to behold. Several times I’ve referred to climate change in this thread. There I did it again!

    • New view 13.2
      26 August 2019 at 9:10 pm

      CG. Your arguments were almost plausible until you insinuated that when climate deniers had their roofs blown off they would then understand climate change. (Comment 12)

  14. Ian 14
    26 August 2019 at 7:02 pm

    Meanwhile as the climate change fanatics spread their poison the suicide rate soars.

    • adam 14.1
      26 August 2019 at 7:14 pm

      Bugger off, suicide rates are related to many issues, with economics being the primary cause in the overwhelming majority of cases.

      As for climate change fanatics, what does that even mean – people who read the science and agree with it. Or people like you who just have a feeling the scientists are wrong.

      Because at the moment, anyone who thinks we are not in some serious trouble in relation to the environment – is as loony as the other right wing fanatics ISIS.

      • Ian 14.1.1
        26 August 2019 at 8:22 pm

        Anyone who seriously beleives that killing half of our cattle will result in anything other than economic ruin and social unrest is the equivalent of a religious nut job.

        Any research out there on why more people are killing themselves under a labour Government ?

        • Robert Guyton 14.1.1.1
          26 August 2019 at 8:26 pm

          No one in their right mind believes were going to kill half our cattle, Ian.

          'cept you, it seems.

        • Anne 14.1.1.2
          26 August 2019 at 8:38 pm

          It's got nothing to do with Climate Change. It's to do with ignoramus' like you getting on to social media and spreading poison willy-nilly just for a laugh and not caring about the effects some of it can have on vulnerable young people in particular.

          But I doubt you have the cerebral wherewithal to figure that one out.

          • Ian 14.1.1.2.1
            26 August 2019 at 9:21 pm

            stop deflecting from the fact that our suicide rate is increasing under a labour Government . Preaching alarmist doctrines of future famine ,death and destruction has got to have a negative effect on the human mental condition ,particularly with our young people.

            • marty mars 14.1.1.2.1.1
              26 August 2019 at 9:31 pm

              Piss off you feckless idiot – you know nothing and display that with pride. Typical rwnj – uses misery to score points – what a zero.

        • greywarshark 14.1.1.3
          26 August 2019 at 8:46 pm

          Meanwhile the near-demented spread their malicious messages against the government, the only thinking they can manage.

    • In Vino 14.2
      26 August 2019 at 7:18 pm

      Non sequitur, Ian.

      • Drowsy M. Kram 14.2.1
        26 August 2019 at 8:46 pm

        CC is due to self-administered planetary poisons; there's no antidote in denial.

        "The suicide rates soars", by 2.55%. Meanwhile GDP 'super-soars' by 2.7% in the year to March 2019.

        Where is all this ‘sensational’ soaring taking us? Best to come down from the ‘highs’.

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  • Electorate Watch: West Coast-Tasman
    Continuing my series on interesting electorates, today it’s West Coast-Tasman.A long thin electorate running down the northern half of the west coast of the South Island. Think sand flies, beautiful landscapes, lots of rain, Pike River, alternative lifestylers, whitebaiting, and the spiritual home of the Labour Party. A brief word ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago

  • Big money brings Winston back
    National leader Christopher Luxon yesterday morning conceded it and last night’s Newshub poll confirmed it; Winston Peters and NZ First are not only back but highly likely to be part of the next government. It is a remarkable comeback for a party that was tossed out of Parliament in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago

  • 20 days until Election Day, 7 until early voting begins… but what changes will we really see here?
    As this blogger, alongside many others, has already posited in another forum: we all know the National Party’s “budget” (meaning this concept of even adding up numbers properly is doing a lot of heavy, heavy lifting right now) is utter and complete bunk (read hung, drawn and quartered and ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    2 days ago

  • A night out
    Everyone was asking, Are you nervous? and my response was various forms of God, yes.I've written more speeches than I can count; not much surprises me when the speaker gets to their feet and the room goes quiet.But a play? Never.YOU CAME! THANK YOU! Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Good news on the GDP front is accompanied by news of a $5m govt boost for Supercars (but what about ...
    Buzz from the Beehive First, we were treated to the news (from Finance Minister Grant Robertson) that the economy has turned a corner and New Zealand never was in recession.  This was triggered by statistics which showed the economy expanded 0.9 per cent in the June quarter, twice as much as ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • The Scafetta Saga
    It has taken 17 months to get a comment published pointing out the obvious errors in the Scafetta (2022) paper in GRL. Back in March 2022, Nicola Scafetta published a short paper in Geophysical Research Letters (GRL) purporting to show through ‘advanced’ means that ‘all models with ECS > ...
    Real ClimateBy Gavin
    5 days ago

  • Friday's Chorus: Penny wise and pound foolish
    TL;DR: In the middle of a climate emergency and in a city prone to earthquakes, Victoria University of Wellington announced yesterday it would stop teaching geophysics, geographic information science and physical geography to save $22 million a year and repay debt. Climate change damage in Aotearoa this year is already ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • CHRIS TROTTER: Calling the big dog’s bluff
      For nearly thirty years the pundits have been telling the minor parties that they must be good little puppies and let the big dogs decide. The parties with a plurality of the votes cast must be allowed to govern – even if that means ignoring the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • The electorate swing, Labour limbo and Luxon-Hipkins two-step
     Another poll, another 27 for Labour. It was July the last time one of the reputable TV company polls had Labour's poll percentage starting with a three, so the limbo question is now being asked: how low can you go?It seems such an unlikely question because this doesn't feel like the kind ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago

  • A Womance, and a Nomance.
    After the trench warfare of Tuesday night, when the two major parties went head to head, last night was the turn of the minor parties. Hosts Newshub termed it “the Powerbrokers' Debate”.Based on the latest polls the four parties taking part - ACT, the Greens, New Zealand First, and Te ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Doubts about Robertson’s good news day
    The trading banks yesterday concluded that though GDP figures released yesterday show the economy is not in recession, it may well soon be. Nevertheless, the fact that GDP has gone up 0.8 per cent in the latest quarter and that StatsNZ revised the previous quarter’s figure to show a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • When The Internet Rushes To Your Defense
    Hi,You can’t make this stuff up.People involved with Sound of Freedom, the QAnon-infused movie about anti-child trafficker Tim Ballard, are dropping like flies. I won’t ruin your day by describing it here, but Vice reports that footage has emerged of executive producer Paul Hutchinson being inappropriate with a 16-year-old trafficking ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago

  • The Votes That Media Dare Not Speak Its Name
    .Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work..A recent political opinion poll (20 September) on TV1 presented what could only be called bleak news for the Left Bloc:National: 37%, down two points equating to 46 seatsLabour: 27%, down one point (34 ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #38 2023
    Open access notables At our roots Skeptical Science is about cognition of the results of climate science research in the minds of the entire human population. Ideally we'd be perfectly communicating understanding of Earth's climate, and perfectly understood. We can only approximate that, but hopefully converging closer to perfection. With ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Failing To Hold Back The Flood: The Edgy Politics of the Twenty-First Century.
    Coming Over The Top: Rory Stewart's memoir, Politics On The Edge, lays bare the dangerous inadequacies of the Western World's current political model.VERY FEW NEW ZEALANDERS will have heard of Rory Stewart. Those with a keen eye for the absurdities of politics may recognise the name as that of the ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Pick this Chris, you get the Greens. Pick the other one you get Seymour.
    A bit of a narrative has been building that these two guys, your Chris and your Chris,  are not so very different.It's true to a point. The bread and butter timidity has been dispiriting to watch, if you have a progressive disposition. It does leave the two of them relatively ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • RICHARD PREBBLE: Who won the Leaders’ debate?
    Richard Prebble writes –  There was a knockout winner of the Leaders’ debate. Check for yourself. Recall how they looked. If you cannot remember or missed it, the debate is on TVNZ’s website. Turn off the sound and ask: “Which one looks like a Prime Minister?” ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Thursday's Chorus: GDP up an extra 33c per person per week
    Just like National when it was in government, Labour bought nominal GDP growth and momentum by pulling as hard as it could on the population lever. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTLDR: Stats NZ has reported better-than-expected GDP growth in the June quarter, thanks largely to record-high net migration of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Climate Change: National’s policy for failure
    We already know that the National Party are de facto climate change deniers who want to reverse virtually all climate change policy. So how do they think they'll cut emissions? According to their climate change spokesperson, polluting corporations will do it out of the goodness of their hearts: The ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • NZ’s  big dairy company reports a massive profit jump – but the lobby group Greenpeace doesn’...
    Dairy farmers, or at least  those who are also shareholders in the Fonterra dairy co-operative would have received  a second dose of good news this week, when the dairy giant reported a massive profit  jump. This followed news of  a better sale  at the Fonterra  GDT auction this week. Net ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    6 days ago

  • Big issues out of the mouths of giant babes
    A longtime New Zealand broadcaster and commentator is taking a theatrical turn in advance of the General Election to draw different kinds of attention to the issues New Zealanders will be voting on in October.In a pre-election event that invites audiences to consider New Zealand politics through a theatrical lens ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • That new hospital which Labour is promising – is it the same one which Sepuloni mentioned in May ...
    Our busy ministers – desperately busy trying to whip up voters’ support as their poll support sags, among other things – have added just one item of news to the government’s official website over the past 24 hours or so. It’s the news that the Government has accepted the Environment ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Queenstown was keeping rates low
    On Monday, we learned that Queenstown, one of the country's largest tourist destinations, suddenly had to boil its water to avoid cryptosporidium. Now, it looks like it will last for months. Why? The usual reason: they'd been keeping rates low: Queenstown could face months of having to boil water ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on chaotic coalitions, drinking water and useless debates
    This week’s ONE News-Verian poll had the National/ACT coalition teetering on the edge of being able to govern alone while – just as precariously – having its legislative agenda vulnerable to a potential veto by Winston Peters in the House. So close, but so perilous. During the run-up to election ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    6 days ago

  • An ill wind
    National Leader Christopher Luxon likes to bag the way the Resource Management Act worked. Though it has been repealed and replaced by the Labour government, Luxon plans, before Christmas, to repeal the new legislation and, for the foreseeable future, revert to the old Act that he has consistently criticised. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Further Adventures with Martin the Chess Bot
    Earlier this month, I had a bit of fun with Chess.com’s worst AI, the one and only Martin Bot: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/09/02/nine-queens-against-martin-chess-hilarity/ Well, in the past few days, I’ve achieved a trio of notable personal firsts against Martin. I thought I would record them in the morbid interests of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    7 days ago

  • The Inflation Reduction Act is reducing U.S. reliance on China
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. Over a year later, its climate provisions remain a hot topic. The law’s proponents argue that it’s created a boom in domestic manufacturing jobs within the United States while paving ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago

  • Relief  for dairy farmers – and the NZ economy – as prices rise again at latest GDT auction
    New Zealand’s dairy  farmers  will  be relieved that prices rose  for the second  time this month at the latest Fonterra GDT auction. The encouraging  feature of the sale was the activity of  Chinese buyers who drove  up prices. As a result, the GDT price index rose 4.6%, helped by a 4.6% lift ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    7 days ago

  • Democracy McNuggets
    Here is a review of last night’s Democracy McNuggets debate, delivered in the style of last night's Democracy McNuggets debate.McNugget #1This format was very advantageous for the man who speaks in lazy SLAM DUNK.To hark back a few editions: The lazy SLAM DUNK doesn’t bother to make its case. It simply offers ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • A Forced Pause.
    Unfortunately I will need to take a bit of time off from this blog. After months of misdiagnoses and a change in GPs, my precious son is in Starship Hospital about to have major surgery. He already has had one … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    7 days ago

  • Better-than-expected BoP figures give Robertson something to bray about – but revisions helped, a...
    Buzz from the Beehive Source:  ANZ The latest balance of payments statistics – providing a broad measure of what the country earns and spends internationally – gave grist to Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s publicity mill today. The current account deficit narrowed to 7.5 per cent of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • Dirty dairy corrupts our democracy
    The planning process under the RMA is meant to be one of public consultation: the council prepares a plan, and we all get to have a say on it. But it turns out that in Otago, the dirty dairying industry has been trying to rewrite the new land and water ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago

  • Calling The Big Dog’s Bluff.
    Can This Be Possible? For nearly thirty years the pundits have been telling the minor parties that they must be good little puppies and let the big dogs decide. The parties with a plurality of the votes cast must be allowed to govern – even if that means ignoring the ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago

  • Climate Change: “Offsets” aren’t
    Since we began worrying about climate change, the market fundamentalists have pushed the idea of "offsets" rather than actual emissions reductions. There's just one atmosphere after all, so in theory it doesn't matter where the reductions are made, so you can just pay someone on the other side of the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago

  • GRAHAM ADAMS: Is Ardern a liability for Labour?
    Ministers are pretending the former PM has simply vanished. Graham Adams writes – Late last week, Tova O’Brien asked Grant Robertson on her Stuff podcast if Jacinda Ardern should be “rolled out” to “galvanise the base” to help save Labour’s faltering campaign. Robertson laughed. ”I’m sure for ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 week ago

  • Te Whānau a Apanui and the Crown initial Deed of Settlement I Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me...
    Māori: Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna te Whakaaetanga Whakataunga Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna i tētahi Whakaaetanga Whakataunga hei whakamihi i ō rātou tāhuhu kerēme Tiriti o Waitangi. E tekau mā rua ngā hapū o roto mai o Te Whānau ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Plan for 3,000 more public homes by 2025 – regions set to benefit
    Regions around the country will get significant boosts of public housing in the next two years, as outlined in the latest public housing plan update, released by the Housing Minister, Dr Megan Woods. “We’re delivering the most public homes each year since the Nash government of the 1950s with one ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Immigration settings updates
    Judicial warrant process for out-of-hours compliance visits 2023/24 Recognised Seasonal Employer cap increased by 500 Additional roles for Construction and Infrastructure Sector Agreement More roles added to Green List Three-month extension for onshore Recovery Visa holders The Government has confirmed a number of updates to immigration settings as part of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Poroporoaki: Tā Patrick (Patu) Wahanga Hohepa
    Tangi ngunguru ana ngā tai ki te wahapū o Hokianga Whakapau Karakia. Tārehu ana ngā pae maunga ki Te Puna o te Ao Marama. Korihi tangi ana ngā manu, kua hinga he kauri nui ki te Wao Nui o Tāne. He Toa. He Pou. He Ahorangi. E papaki tū ana ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Renewable energy fund to support community resilience
    40 solar energy systems on community buildings in regions affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events Virtual capability-building hub to support community organisations get projects off the ground Boost for community-level renewable energy projects across the country At least 40 community buildings used to support the emergency response ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • COVID-19 funding returned to Government
    The lifting of COVID-19 isolation and mask mandates in August has resulted in a return of almost $50m in savings and recovered contingencies, Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Following the revocation of mandates and isolation, specialised COVID-19 telehealth and alternative isolation accommodation are among the operational elements ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Appointment of District Court Judge
    Susie Houghton of Auckland has been appointed as a new District Court Judge, to serve on the Family Court, Attorney-General David Parker said today.  Judge Houghton has acted as a lawyer for child for more than 20 years. She has acted on matters relating to the Hague Convention, an international ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Government invests further in Central Hawke’s Bay resilience
    The Government has today confirmed $2.5 million to fund a replace and upgrade a stopbank to protect the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant. “As a result of Cyclone Gabrielle, the original stopbank protecting the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant was destroyed. The plant was operational within 6 weeks of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Govt boost for Hawke’s Bay cyclone waste clean-up
    Another $2.1 million to boost capacity to deal with waste left in Cyclone Gabrielle’s wake. Funds for Hastings District Council, Phoenix Contracting and Hog Fuel NZ to increase local waste-processing infrastructure. The Government is beefing up Hawke’s Bay’s Cyclone Gabrielle clean-up capacity with more support dealing with the massive amount ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Taupō Supercars revs up with Government support
    The future of Supercars events in New Zealand has been secured with new Government support. The Government is getting engines started through the Major Events Fund, a special fund to support high profile events in New Zealand that provide long-term economic, social and cultural benefits. “The Repco Supercars Championship is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • There is no recession in NZ, economy grows nearly 1 percent in June quarter
    The economy has turned a corner with confirmation today New Zealand never was in recession and stronger than expected growth in the June quarter, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. “The New Zealand economy is doing better than expected,” Grant Robertson said. “It’s continuing to grow, with the latest figures showing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Highest legal protection for New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs
    The Government has accepted the Environment Court’s recommendation to give special legal protection to New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs, Te Waikoropupū Springs (also known as Pupū Springs), Environment Minister David Parker announced today.   “Te Waikoropupū Springs, near Takaka in Golden Bay, have the second clearest water in New Zealand after ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • More support for victims of migrant exploitation
    Temporary package of funding for accommodation and essential living support for victims of migrant exploitation Exploited migrant workers able to apply for a further Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa (MEPV), giving people more time to find a job Free job search assistance to get people back into work Use of 90-day ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Strong export boost as NZ economy turns corner
    An export boost is supporting New Zealand’s economy to grow, adding to signs that the economy has turned a corner and is on a stronger footing as we rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle and lock in the benefits of multiple new trade deals, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. “The economy is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Funding approved for flood resilience work in Te Karaka
    The Government has approved $15 million to raise about 200 homes at risk of future flooding. More than half of this is expected to be spent in the Tairāwhiti settlement of Te Karaka, lifting about 100 homes there. “Te Karaka was badly hit during Cyclone Gabrielle when the Waipāoa River ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Further business support for cyclone-affected regions
    The Government is helping businesses recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and attract more people back into their regions. “Cyclone Gabrielle has caused considerable damage across North Island regions with impacts continuing to be felt by businesses and communities,” Economic Development Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Building on our earlier business support, this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New maintenance facility at Burnham Military Camp underway
    Defence Minister Andrew Little has turned the first sod to start construction of a new Maintenance Support Facility (MSF) at Burnham Military Camp today. “This new state-of-art facility replaces Second World War-era buildings and will enable our Defence Force to better maintain and repair equipment,” Andrew Little said. “This Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Foreign Minister to attend United Nations General Assembly
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will represent New Zealand at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York this week, before visiting Washington DC for further Pacific focussed meetings. Nanaia Mahuta will be in New York from Wednesday 20 September, and will participate in UNGA leaders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Midwives’ pay equity offer reached
    Around 1,700 Te Whatu Ora employed midwives and maternity care assistants will soon vote on a proposed pay equity settlement agreed by Te Whatu Ora, the Midwifery Employee Representation and Advisory Service (MERAS) and New Zealand Nurses Association (NZNO), Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. “Addressing historical pay ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • New Zealand provides support to Morocco
    Aotearoa New Zealand will provide humanitarian support to those affected by last week’s earthquake in Morocco, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “We are making a contribution of $1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to help meet humanitarian needs,” Nanaia Mahuta said. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Government invests in West Coast’s roading resilience
    The Government is investing over $22 million across 18 projects to improve the resilience of roads in the West Coast that have been affected by recent extreme weather, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today.  A dedicated Transport Resilience Fund has been established for early preventative works to protect the state ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Government invests in Greymouth’s future
    The Government has today confirmed a $2 million grant towards the regeneration of Greymouth’s CBD with construction of a new two-level commercial and public facility. “It will include a visitor facility centred around a new library. Additionally, it will include retail outlets on the ground floor, and both outdoor and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Nanaia Mahuta to attend PIF Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will attend the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, in Suva, Fiji alongside New Zealand’s regional counterparts. “Aotearoa New Zealand is deeply committed to working with our pacific whanau to strengthen our cooperation, and share ways to combat the challenges facing the Blue Pacific Continent,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

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

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