The Trump White House descends into chaos

Written By: - Date published: 8:29 am, May 12th, 2017 - 80 comments
Categories: Donald Trump, International, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, us politics, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags:

Watching the reign of Donald Trump as POTUS has been like watching a slow motion train wreck unfold before your eyes.

If you want to have a concise day by day blow by blow account then I recommend the website What the Fuck just happened today.

But it appears that things are getting worse.  Over the past few days:

  • Donald Trump has directly contradicted his own White House spin and said that he had already decided to terminate James Comey’s position.
  • The Russians managed to get a camera into the White House and took photos of Trump and the Russian Ambassador in the Oval Room.  I gather the security boffins are having kittens about this.
  • Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe directly contradicted Trump’s claim that Comey had lost the confidence of rank-and-file FBI agents.  This was reiterated by Thomas O’Connor, the president of the FBI Agents Association, who called Comey’s firing “a gut punch. We didn’t see it coming, and we don’t think Director Comey did anything that would lead to this”.
  • Federal prosecutors have issued grand jury subpoenas to associates of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn seeking business records, as part of the ongoing probe of Russian meddling in last year’s election.
  • And the Senate intelligence committee has subpoenaed Michael Flynn for documents regarding his interactions with Russian officials. Flynn’s attorneys had previously informed the panel they would not cooperate with the probe unless the former general was granted immunity.  You have to wonder what he is worried about.

The feeling is strong that Russian involvement in last year’s election is going to result in charges.  And the White House is in turmoil.  How Trump responds to ongoing events is going to have a deep long term effect on America’s democracy.

80 comments on “The Trump White House descends into chaos ”

  1. Ad 1

    President Trump needs to serve out his full term.
    He is a joy to behold.

    The next set of questions to measure are:

    – Will Flynn flip against Trump now that he’s been subpoena’d?

    – Who will Trump appoint to run the FBI?

    – Will the FBI and the Justice Department investigate, or capitulate?

    – Will Republicans in Congress gradually generate a majority that turn against Trump and form an independent inquiry?

    And

    – Oprah or Dwayne Johnson for Democratic Presidential nominee next time?

    • Johan 1.1

      To Ad,
      The circus continues that is American politics. “President Trump needs to serve out his full term. He is a joy to behold.” You think, or is this your attempt at sarc?
      Perhaps, if Trump gets a decent night’s sleep his decision making skills may not border about the insanity range. I doubt very much that Trump will complete a whole term in office, there are way too many skeletons in the closet.

      • Ad 1.1.1

        He is a joy to behold because he is going to take the Republican majority in the House with him. This situation is going to get uglier and uglier and uglier, and he’s the guy the Repuglies backed to the hilt.

        • Johan 1.1.1.1

          Do you enjoy your trolling Ad?

          • marty mars 1.1.1.1.1

            he is just excited because he has a nice seat to watch at the Colosseum

          • Ad 1.1.1.1.2

            You need to see this as a renewal of democracy and of the Democrats in the US.

            Step back for a moment and see the patterns evolving.

            Politics is important again. It’s not the political team I wanted, but it’s doing part of a good job despite itself.

            Trump is not managing or reforming like Obama or Clinton did. He is wrecking. Just as he promised. No one and nothing is safe. As a result the Presidential office and Congress and the Senate are front and centre of public life. Trump will probably be jailed in the process – another great result.

            As a result, the contest within a calendar year will be down to the constitutional limits of all branches:

            – the military and intelligence community
            – the Supreme Court
            – the Senate, Congress
            – and the President,

            …all against each other, and against the fourth estate.

            Now that’s the kind of renewal that Washington has been needing for quite some time. And it will do the whole world some good as well.

            • weka 1.1.1.1.2.1

              In the absence of detail or even an actual vision I’m going to assume that the renewal you talk about will be a revitalised neoliberalism. Yaay. Meanwhile, what will happen to all the people that vote Tr*mp because they’re all pissed off with the status quo? You think they will be won over by some baubles?

              • Ad

                The constitutional framework is different from the politics of the parties.

                • weka

                  What’s the relevance of that comment?

                  • McFlock

                    Well, let’s say that part of the backlash involves the dems taking both houses and nuking the electoral college, or campaign finance reform.

                    Neither will directly change the dominant policies in the US, but they will make it more genuinely democratic – which will in turn make the party positions more responsive to voter demands rather than donor demands.

                    Whether that means the end of neoliberalism in the US would be more in control of the voters, but would not be determined by the constitutional changes.

                    • weka

                      “Well, let’s say that part of the backlash involves the dems taking both houses and nuking the electoral college, or campaign finance reform.”

                      Is either of those things likely? I mean, given the huge and organised resistance within the Dems to Saunders, why would it be reasonable to think that the powers there want things to change?

                    • McFlock

                      Well, Sanders becoming a contender has shifted leverage to the progressive dems like Warren.

                      And the tea party and trump have scared a lot of “shear not skin” republicans.

                      I think the AD theory is that Trump being a cataclysm now leaves the backlash in a better shape than the creeping totalitarianism that’s been the post-WW2 US. If I’m not mirepresenting AD, I agree with them.

                      The bigger threat is a president Pence who progresses more and more Talibanesque policies under the guise of respectability.

                      I reckon it’s coming to a head, either way, in the next couple of decades, whether the US becomes more democratic or simply becomes another tinpot regime without even the pretence of free speech. They’re already arresting reporters.

                    • weka

                      That makes a fair amount of sense (and I appreciate the effort at explaining). I guess I just don’t see quite the same potential for something good to come out of this. Happy to be wrong about that.

                  • Ad

                    The Constitutional framework allowed for the economic politics as broad as Lincoln, the two Roosevelts, Johnson, and Bush 1 and 2. So you’ve made a wrong assumption.

                    • weka

                      But the actual people in the Democratic Party are unlikely to change much and will be happy to shift things to the extent that allows them the power to continue with the status quo. Unless I am missing something, in which case someone can explain.

                    • Ad

                      Stop worrying about the Democrats.
                      They’re not in power.

                    • weka

                      ok, so the Republicans will implode and a magical new political class will rise from the ashes and transform the US political science. The Dems will sit on the sidelines and twiddle their thumbs.

                  • North

                    The relevance of Ad’s comment, that constitutionalism ‘trumps’ bullshit (forgive me), sticks out like dogs’ balls Weka.
                    President Petulant Child seems to appreciate that The Constitution is there to serve President Petulant Child personally. You know that’s bullshit Weka so what’s the relevance of your query of Ad ? Your shifting of the goalposts with conjecture as to likelihoods of this or that does not assist to make relevant your initial irrelevant query of Ad.

                    • weka

                      No idea what you are on about. Ad chooses not to explain what he means, so there will be people here myself included how don’t get it /shrug.

            • Johan 1.1.1.1.2.2

              To Ad,
              “As a result the Presidential office and Congress and the Senate are front and centre of public life.”
              I hate to burst your enthusiastic bubble, but the US Senate is not separate from congress. Congress is made up of a Senate and the House of Representatives.
              I do agree that the Democrats as a party need to get rid of a number of flaws which were already visible during the Obama campaigns.
              The nature of the beast which is US politics with its checks and balances, will eventually come back to an equilibrium position.
              US presidents do not go to jail, each president gets to have a “pardon, get out of jail free card” for past wrongs. Cheers

              • Ad

                Trump is going into water even Nixon avoided. And Nixon was forced to resign.

                Forget your quibbling and read the plays. American government is going to come out after Trump shinier and cleaner than a dime in a can of Coke.

                • Andre

                  Erm, after Nixon was Carter. Then Reagan.

                  • Ad

                    Aware of both.
                    Go ahead and make a point.

                    • Andre

                      Carter’s administration was relatively clean, but hardly “shinier and cleaner than a dime in a can of coke”. And at the time, Reagan’s administration was somewhat putrid, although standards have lowered since then.

                      So living through Nixon didn’t bring about the renewal you’re expecting to follow Trump.

                    • Ad

                      Who knows what leader will arise after Trump?

                      It’s not the personalities that follow, it’s the system itself, which is going to be so profoundly tested that we won’t have seen anything like it since Lincoln. The shakeup is one almighty charismatic force against the entire constitutional framework.

              • North

                Somewhat sniffily semantic there Johan. I’d wager handsomely that Ad is singularly aware that ‘Congress’ embraces both the US House of Representatives AND the US Senate even if by usage a member of the former is referred to as “congresswoman/congressman”
                Thanks anyway for underlining what we already know. Big point.

            • D'Esterre 1.1.1.1.2.3

              Ad: “You need to see this as a renewal of democracy and of the Democrats in the US.”
              Haha, good luck with that!
              See this: https://consortiumnews.com/2017/05/11/the-scandal-hidden-behind-russia-gate/

            • D'Esterre 1.1.1.1.2.4

              Ad: “Trump is not managing or reforming like Obama or Clinton did.”
              Say what? Obama in particular achieved virtually nothing in office – the ill-fated and flawed Obamacare aside – firstly because he was shite at politics, secondly because he was white-anted by the neocons, almost as soon as he’d taken office. The same thing that’s happening to Trump, of course.
              As to the old goat Clinton, he was too busy screwing interns in the map room – then ordering the bombing of Belgrade and an inoffensive factory in Sudan, to distract public attention from said interns – to get too much done. Besides, he was absolutely in thrall to the neocon project.

            • Phil 1.1.1.1.2.5

              You need to see this as a renewal of democracy … Trump is not managing or reforming like Obama or Clinton did. He is wrecking. Just as he promised.

              Your interpretation is fundamentally flawed. Going back to at least Truman after WWII, each US president has incrementally eroded the power of the constitution and the checks and balances applied by Congress – sometimes by staring-down Congress, sometimes with the complicity of Congress.

              Examples include Obama’s enhanced use of drone strikes, Bush-2’s sweeping new powers after 9-11, and the absurdity of American involvement in Vietnam being a “Police action” rather than a war.

              Trump does not represent a departure or variation from this trend whatsoever. All he has done is taken a much larger step down the path toward absolute presidential authority, instead of the incremental or baby-steps of his predecessors.

              • Ad

                Oh I’m not pretending Trump has a conscious clue about most of it.
                Or even his team.

                But the effect of a true, hard test of the constitutional framework and the full strength of the checks and balances is coming, right to its core.

                • North

                  I wouldn’t be too concerned about the responses of self proclaimed lefty purists Ad. There is vast moral purity in selecting the greater of evils over the lesser of evils in protest at the whole greater/lesser of evils number. Such is purity chortle.

            • reason 1.1.1.1.2.6

              Your dreaming Ad …. Competing factions of oligarchs is not renewal.

              Forget about ‘reds’ influencing the Billion dollar circus they call democracy/elections …. The accusation is dodgy http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-03-07/wikileaks-exposes-cia-exploit-capable-cyber-false-flag-attack-blame-russia ..

              Apart from the rank hypocrisy ( 31 min mark, the cia coup on Gough Whitlams Labor Government ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CFLpZcY3ss

              It is actually Nazi ideals , connections and money ….. which has warped their politics and blood-thirsty foreign relations ……..

              Delusional “gods greatest” propaganda sees them above and immune from international law….. on the basis of their huge military.

              They have a long history of support for fascism ….

              “Pioneer Fund’s first president, Harry Laughlin, “wanted the lowest 10 percent of Americans sterilized to ‘eradicate in-ferior people’”. Over 75,000 Americans were sterilized against their will between 1924 and 1972. The legality of the com-pulsory sterilisations was upheld by the
              US Supreme Court in 1927. The 1927 decision has never been overturned, and is still a part of US law.”

              Many of their biggest corporations prolonged WWII .,… by feeding the German war machine … tax havens were also handy

              “Thus, when the Allied troops successfully invaded France near the end of World War II, they discovered that they had something in common with their German enemies: Ford and General Motors vehicles run-ning on gasoline provided by Standard Oil.
              2
              Ford, GM and Standard Oil weren’t the only ones, of course. All in all,
              around 200 prominent US corporations helped the Nazis before and during World War II,”

              https://dogandlemon.com/sites/default/files/cars_nazis.pdf

              https://libcom.org/library/allied-multinationals-supply-nazi-germany-world-war-2

              http://emperors-clothes.com/docs/gehlen2.htm

              http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3177385/The-second-life-Nazi-war-criminal-German-documentary-reveals-butcher-Lyon-Klaus-Barbie-fixer-drug-lords-went-run-South-America.html

              Trump ( and clinton ) are a damning indictment of a nation which feels free to kill ………… the Untermensch

              • Ad

                Are you saying the US government are Nazis?
                I’m trying to figure your comment out.

                • ropata

                  The US legal framework giving corporations human rights, and a free pass to pollute and kill poor communities, is fascist in practice. However lovely their PR and bullshit about the Constitution, the US empire exists only for the benefit of mega corporations and the ultra wealthy 0.01%

              • Stuart Munro

                Sad to agree – Dahlian polyarchy in all its dystopian splendor.

    • Wainwright 1.2

      ‘a joy to behold’ says someone who isn’t gonig to be imprisoned, extradited or left to die from preventable disease because of him. Honestly the way some of us treat this fascist thug as a bit of light entertainment before the great socailist revolution is revolting.

      • rhinocrates 1.2.1

        Or worse, as a good thing because he will supposedly accelerate it. Omelettes and eggs and all that – as long as those eggs are other people.

      • Anne 1.2.2

        …the way some of us treat this fascist thug as a bit of light entertainment before the great socailist revolution is revolting.

        We don’t Wainwright. Trump is revolting and he needs to be gone before he does any more damage. But in the meantime there is still a place for humour and light-hearted banter to sustain people and give them something to laugh about. It’s happened in bad times throughout history.

    • Tui 1.3

      yes! trump needs to be given a chance!

      ~tui

  2. joe90 2

    Michael Hayden:

    I mean I’m purely speculating here. I’m trying to avoid the conclusion that we’ve become Nicaragua.

    https://www.thecipherbrief.com/article/why-now-1093

  3. Andre 3

    How the impeachment might go down…

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-republican-plan-to-remove-trump_us_5913d4d3e4b01ad573dac120?section=us_politics

    Or why Trump will get a second term…

    https://theconversation.com/trump-will-likely-win-reelection-in-2020-77362

    Maybe all that needs to happen is for people to just be nicer to the delicate orange snowflake and it will all settle down…

    http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/05/11/maybe-comey-had-just-hurt-poor-donnie-s-feelings

  4. The projected train wreck is wrecking – meanwhile the collateral damage to real people trying to live real lives continues – don’t forget who is really losing out of all this – the targets of the mango Mussolini and his pitiful crew and supporters – the poor, the disadvantaged, the people of colour, the Hispanic peoples, women, minorities, anyone who wants healthcare, and so on and on.

    some from within their privilege will enjoy the spectacle (including me) – others will cower down trying to survive as it all fall apart around them.

    trump is scum, trump’s team are cum and his supporters are um.

  5. joe90 5

    Popcorn, lotsa popcorn…..

    If you're curious why @FBI is raiding the national GOP consulting firm Strategic Campaign Group headquarters in Annapolis, here's a hint…— Matthew Chapman (@fawfulfan) May 11, 2017

    .@FBI Dennis Whitfield, senior advisor at @scgpolitical, has ties to BKSH & Assoc. That's a Paul Manafort company. https://t.co/PfDJ4gfrQb— Matthew Chapman (@fawfulfan) May 11, 2017

    https://twitter.com/fawfulfan/status/862740680787070976

    ANNAPOLIS, Md. —

    FBI agents executed a search warrant Thursday at an office of a GOP fundraising/consulting firm in Annapolis, the 11 News I-Team has learned.

    […]

    The firm is touted for pioneering the use of technology in political campaigns, and it represents GOP candidates nationwide. The firm’s website said one of its principles was formerly associated with a firm operated by Paul Manafort, who is the former Trump campaign manager whose business dealings with Russia are under intense scrutiny.

    http://www.wbaltv.com/article/fbi-searching-annapolis-fundraiserconsulting-firm/9639787

  6. mauī 6

    Response from Russian propaganda machine and conspiracy theorist Ron Paul:
    https://youtu.be/ST2XZ97sjIk

  7. Anne 7

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201843559/acting-fbi-director-contradicts-white-house-over-james-comey

    Incredible stuff – in particular second half from Simon Marks.

    Load the fridge, we’re in for a tumultuous time.

    • D'Esterre 7.1

      Anne: “Incredible stuff – in particular second half from Simon Marks.”
      Lord! Surely you don’t take at face value anything that little hack says? Remember his prognostications prior to the US election? Heheh

  8. joe90 8

    heh

    9. What is the first word that comes to mind when you think of Donald Trump? (Numbers are not percentages. Figures show the number of times each response was given. This table reports only words that were mentioned at least five times.)

    idiot 39
    incompetent 31
    liar 30
    leader 25
    unqualified 25
    president 22
    strong 21
    businessman 18
    ignorant 16
    egotistical 15
    asshole 13
    stupid 13
    arrogant 12
    trying 12
    bully 11
    business 11
    narcissist 11
    successful 11
    disgusting 10
    great 10
    clown 9
    dishonest 9
    racist 9
    American 8
    bigot 8
    good 8
    money 8
    smart 8
    buffoon 7
    con-man 7
    crazy 7
    different 7
    disaster 7
    rich 7
    despicable 6
    dictator 6
    aggressive 5
    blowhard 5
    decisive 5
    embarrassment 5
    evil 5
    greedy 5
    inexperienced 5
    mental 5
    negotiator 5
    patriotism 5

    https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=2456

  9. joe90 9

    Comey was given the arse to bring the Russia investigation to its end.

    The White House said Thursday that removing FBI Director James Comey from his post may hasten the agency’s investigation into Russian meddling.
    “We want this to come to its conclusion, we want it to come to its conclusion with integrity,” said deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders, referring to the FBI’s probe into Moscow’s interference in last year’s election. “And we think that we’ve actually, by removing Director Comey, taken steps to make that happen.”

    http://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/11/politics/comey-fbi-investigation-russia-sarah-huckabee-sanders/

  10. Johan 10

    To Joe90,
    Joe are you entertained by all the spin and BS? Trump being the ultimate control freak would definitely want a yes-man as head of the FBI.

  11. Andre 11

    Ya gotta hand it to the Chump. Even with all the turd tornadoes buffeting all around him, he can keep a clear focus on his top priority. His Twitter feud with Rosie O’Donnell.

    http://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/11/politics/donald-trump-rosie-odonnell/index.html

  12. AmaKiwi 12

    Number 45 is ruining NZ politics because he is so entertaining. To paraphrase him, “Andrew Little or Bill English could shoot someone in the middle of Queen Street and no one would notice.”

    Thank God Number 45 is so incompetent. What a nightmare if he had the organizational skills of a real dictator like Putin!

    • dukeofurl 12.1

      new Presidents are normally pretty clumsy, Trump has moved the bar a little lower thats all.
      Will his voters come out in the mid terms is the question, even when his name isnt on the ballot.
      Obama had his face slapped by the voters at his first mid term, its one track for Trump to get his arse kicked

      • Andre 12.1.1

        Yeah, the President’s party usually loses support at the midterms. But set against that is turnout is usually low, which allegedly favours Repugs. And the Repugs actually gained in 2002, coz 9/11. I’m pretty sure that lesson has been taken on board by at least some members of Trump’s team.

      • AmaKiwi 12.1.2

        He has been brilliant in uniting the center and left voters in their hatred of him.

        “Friends may come and friends may go, but enemies accumulate.”

        I predict the Republicans will get massacred in the mid-terms. Then impeachment becomes a mathematical possibility.

        • Andre 12.1.2.1

          Impeachment by the House may become likely. But to actually remove the President requires conviction by 2/3 of the Senate, 67 votes. The Dems currently have 48 Senators.

          The Republican-held seats up for election in 2018 are: Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, Nebraska, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee. So mathematically it’s impossible for the Dems to have 2/3 of the Senate, at absolute most they can get to 56. But realistically they’ll be doing very well to even get to 50/50.

          • DeadSmurf 12.1.2.1.1

            If the rumours of multiple grand juries and impending indictments are true then I could see some repug senators moving fairly quickly to side with the dems. Especially from states in the north.

          • DeadSmurf 12.1.2.1.2

            If the rumours of multiple grand juries and impending indictments are true then I could see some repug senators moving fairly quickly to side with the dems, especially from states in the north.

            If that happens then they could get to 2/3.

  13. Bill 13

    That which passes for democratic governance in the US is in turmoil – not “Trumps” White House.

    This nonsense that Russia interfered in the election, where the bulk of the ‘proof’ for that is scheduled and aired RT programmes that engaged in such nefarious behaviour as having three way debates including Green Party presidential nominees… It leaves me speechless that otherwise seemingly intelligent people gave any credence to the pages of gossip that were released as an Intelligence Agencies report, but hey.

    Which (that and other paper thin reports) suggests there’s an argument to be had that the Intelligence Agencies have become politicised.

    There’s also an argument to be had that the bulk of msm reporters are playing the role of the stenographer and that their vacuous shit is being underscored by their employer’s editorial lines.

    Which may boil down to an argument to be had that a ‘realignment’ or an attempt at ‘realignment’ is underway within the lofty echelons of the US elite.

    But “Trumps” White House is not in turmoil. Hell, it’s not “his” White House any more than it was ever “Obama’s” White House.

    It belongs to the US elites and some of their nonsense ripples through it.

    Separate from that, sometimes they (the elites) are gifted a figurehead by the electorate who knows the game and plays along (Obama, Clinton, Bush, Bush, Reagan….) Sometimes not so much. And in those cases the figurehead is ‘enlightened’ as to the existence of the game and ‘encouraged’ to play.

    In essence, there’s a circus in town. We can traipse along with our pop-corn and give it our undivided attention, or we can give some focus to what’s going on outside the Big Top and (scary thought!) actually question why we bother with circus at all 😉

  14. joe90 14

    I guess they can’t grind those drives up fast enough.

    CNN's Jeff Zeleny reporting that Comey's office is cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape. You can't make this stuff up— Will Bunch (@Will_Bunch) May 12, 2017

  15. Philj 15

    For some reason, this reminds me of the Syria disaster. Somehow connected?

  16. xanthe 16

    this link seems relevant as context.
    pic.twitter.com/NDUk90Jp5q

    • joe90 16.1

      Link, where?.

        • Anne 16.1.1.1

          Okay, so when the results came through they were shocked and stunned. Somebody said it was the effing hack that caused it. Somebody else said… and Coney made it worse. They were furious and upset about what happened. We call it “Dirty Politics”. In this case it was “Filthy Politics”. Over the next few days they openly repeated what they were thinking. Big deal? No. It’s normal behaviour from normal human beings.

          In fact it was pretty much my reaction too. Was I involved in some deep, sinister Democrat inspired conspiracy to fool the nation? No.

          • xanthe 16.1.1.1.1

            But who was saying, “we fucked up”? who was saying “hey maby a dumb idea to promote Trump” ? who was saying “perhaps we should have offered something positive instead of just demonising Trump”? who was saying “perhaps it was not such a good idea to stack the deck against bernie”?

            Because I dont see this! all i see is “the russians didit” (bullshit !) and “Comey didit” (more bullshit !!).

            who is saying “hey maby if we had played a straight game the hack and comey would not have mattered” ?

          • Xanthe 16.1.1.1.2

            Anne there are those that fool and those who are fooled

            • Anne 16.1.1.1.2.1

              Regardless of the accuracy of the Democrat’s claims, calling a beat-up a beat-up is a common response to beat-ups. Imo, that is what that linked item is… an attempt to turn the Demo Party’s initial response into a sinister conspiracy. Piffle.

              • Xanthe

                Anne , If you cant see that “the russsians did it, Comey did it, is a beat up then you really are not in any position to call “beat up”

                i dont “support trump” in any form, I am implacably opposed to public misinformarion and misleading the public and unlike you I will oppose it whoever the target is. You ARE the problem for the left!

  17. rhinocrates 17

    New Yorker podcast, discussion with a legal scholar:

    http://www.newyorker.com/podcast/political-scene/can-trump-survive

    Can Trump Survive?
    On Tuesday, the President dismissed the F.B.I. director, James Comey, who was leading an investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Evan Osnos joins Dorothy Wickenden to discuss how Trump continues to damage his own Presidency.

    Earlier article by Evan Osnos written before Comey’s sacking and mentioned in the interview:

    http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/05/08/how-trump-could-get-fired

    HOW TRUMP COULD GET FIRED
    The Constitution offers two main paths for removing a President from office. How feasible are they?

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    Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”. As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    13 hours ago
  • Winding back the hands of history’s clock
    Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    14 hours ago
  • Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
     Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    14 hours ago
  • Business confidence sliding into winter of discontent
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    16 hours ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the coalition’s awful, not good, very bad poll results
    Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
    17 hours ago
  • New HOP readers for future payment options
    Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
    18 hours ago
  • 2024 Reading Summary: April (+ Writing Update)
    Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
    1 day ago
  • At a glance – Clearing up misconceptions regarding 'hide the decline'
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    1 day ago
  • Road photos
    Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
    The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago
  • NZDF is still hostile to oversight
    Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Winding Back The Hands Of History’s Clock.
    Holding On To The Present: The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
    1 day ago
  • Sweet Moderation? What Christopher Luxon Could Learn From The Germans.
    Stuck In The Middle With You: As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
    1 day ago
  • A clear warning
    The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Poll results and Waitangi Tribunal report go unmentioned on the Beehive website – where racing tru...
    Buzz  from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example.  This shows National down ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Listening To The Traffic.
    It Takes A Train To Cry: Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
    1 day ago
  • Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.
    Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
    1 day ago
  • Ending The Quest.
    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    1 day ago
  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    2 days ago
  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic plan, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    2 days ago
  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago
  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    3 days ago
  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    3 days ago
  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    3 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    3 days ago
  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
    4 days ago
  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago
  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    5 days ago
  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    5 days ago
  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    6 days ago
  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
    7 days ago
  • “That's how I roll”
    It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • “Comity” versus the rule of law
    In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
    Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder. In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago
  • Water is at the heart of farmers’ struggle to survive in Benin
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére Sosou Market gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
    1 week ago
  • At a time of media turmoil, Melissa had nothing to proclaim as Minister – and now she has been dem...
    Buzz from the Beehive   Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
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    2 days ago
  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
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    2 days ago
  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
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    2 days ago
  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
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    2 days ago
  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
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    3 days ago
  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
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    3 days ago
  • Government saves access to medicines
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.    “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
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    3 days ago
  • Pharmac Chair appointed
    Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
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    4 days ago
  • Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
    Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says.  “Every day, ...
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    5 days ago
  • New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
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    5 days ago
  • Diplomacy needed more than ever
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.    “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
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    5 days ago
  • Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
    Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service.  It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
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    5 days ago
  • Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
    Distinguished guests -   It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders.   Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
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    6 days ago
  • Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
    Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia.   Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
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    6 days ago
  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
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    1 week ago
  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
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    1 week ago
  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
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    1 week ago
  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
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    1 week ago
  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
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    1 week ago
  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
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    1 week ago
  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
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    1 week ago
  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
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    1 week ago
  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
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    1 week ago
  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
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    1 week ago
  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
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    1 week ago
  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
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    1 week ago
  • Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
    Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale.  “It is good ...
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    1 week ago
  • Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
    The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
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    2 weeks ago

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