The UK is now the world’s Covid cot case

Written By: - Date published: 9:09 am, January 6th, 2021 - 25 comments
Categories: boris johnson, covid-19, Donald Trump, health, uk politics, uncategorized, us politics - Tags:

This is a pretty intense competition.  Which first world country dominated by science denying narcissistic personality disordered leadership is making the biggest botch up of Covid?

For a long time the good old US of A that held this position.  But no more.  It seems that enough of the States are taking sufficiently stringent action so that its infection rate has plateaued although a recent further surge must be worrying.

Meanwhile the United Kingdom has become a basket case.  Hospitals in London are approaching capacity and a leaked email confirms that the Royal London Hospital is operating in disaster medicine mode and is unable to provide high standard critical care.

Things are that bad Boris Johnson has announced the strongest lockdown the UK has had since last March.

This must hurt.  He had been playing politics with the issue for so long, measuring up the potential political damage to his administration caused by listening to the scientists as compared to the threat of an unabated pandemic being set loose.  He should have locked the country down well before Christmas when news of the new more easily spreadable strain of the virus emerged.  Waiting these three weeks have seen numbers of new infections surge to well over 50,000 cases per day and per head of population England and Northern Ireland are now far worse than in America.

If you want the starkest contrast the daily rate of infection per head of population in Northern Ireland is twice that of the rest of Ireland despite both nations being part of the same island.

Johnson has finally relented and shut all schools down.  But you get the feeling the decision was forced.

From Jessica Elgot and Peter Martin at the Guardian:

England will enter its toughest nationwide lockdown since March, with schools closed until mid-February, as Boris Johnson warned that the weeks ahead “will be the hardest yet”.

As new figures put the UK on course to exceed 100,000 Covid-related deaths before the end of the month without urgent action, the prime minister said once again that people must stay at home, with exercise limited to once a day. All non-essential shops were told to close from Monday night.

The lockdown will last for at least seven weeks, with measures to be reviewed during half-term week. Any relaxation would not come into effect before 22 February.

Just a day after urging millions of pupils to return to the classroom, Johnson announced all schools would switch to remote learning until the February half-term, and GCSE and A-level exams were unlikely to go ahead as planned.

The prime minister said parents would “reasonably ask why we did not make this decision sooner”, adding: “I completely understand the inconvenience and distress this late change will cause millions of parents and pupils up and down the country.”

This speaks volumes about Tory selfishness.  Personal disruption to them and their ilk s more concerning than the deaths of 100,000 fellow britons.

The restrictions appear to be similar to New Zealand’s but with some strange anomalies.  From the BBC:

People in England will have to stay at home and only go out for essential reasons. Primary and secondary schools will move to online learning for all pupils apart from vulnerable and keyworker children.

  • Work or volunteering where it is “unreasonable” to work from home. This includes work in someone else’s home, such as that carried out by social workers, nannies, cleaners and tradespeople
  • Education, training, childcare and medical appointments and emergencies
  • Exercise outdoors (limited to once a day). This includes meeting one other person from another household in an open public space to exercise
  • Shopping for essentials such as food and medicine
  • Communal religious worship
  • Meeting your support or childcare bubble. Children can also move between separated parents
  • Activities related to moving house

New Zealand’s lockdown rules were quite clear for business.  Unless you were a vital industry you had to close, no ifs no buts.  Imagine having a requirement that it has to be “unreasonable” to work from home.  This leaves things far too open.

And why have the opportunity to meet one person from outside your bubble for exercise?  A bubble should be a bubble.

And why permit communal religious worship?  Crowding lots of people in crowded rooms and having lots of singing and the sharing of food and wine surely has downside.  Have they not heard about our Mt Roskill Church bubble?  Is Boris thinking that some divine intervention will occur and prevent the virus from spreading?  Of note Nicola Sturgeon has closed churches even though Scotland’s rate of infection is much lower than England’s.

And why is getting into England so easy?  People travelling to England from many locations only have to self isolate for 10 days but if they get a negative test from a hand picked group of providers after day 5 of their return then this period can be shortened.  By contrast Scotland only allows people with an essential purpose to enter the country and this even applies to Donald Trump.

The contrast and the timing to New Zealand’s response is startling.  Kiwi resident in the UK Todd Atticus has said this:

When Johnson dithered over whether to keep schools open, Britain felt gloomier than ever. With a third lockdown ordered, we’re scarcely better off now than we were in March. And winter has made things even harder. It feels especially galling queuing outside a supermarket in sub-zero temperatures, or going for a run in the rain because gyms have been closed yet again. At this stage, I’d give anything to have a healthy slice of Wellington normality, good day or no.

It is clear to me that these alternate realities aren’t just dumb luck or geographical good fortune. They are the result of different political choices. The virus arrived on Kiwi shores in the exact same way it did around the world. And it continues to do so on a regular basis with returning New Zealanders, who head straight into isolation. Already six cases of the new highly infectious variants have been apprehended in managed isolation facilities on arrival from the UK and South Africa.

The crucial difference is that, unlike in Britain, nothing is left to chance. Ardern drew a red line. Her government was resolute. In “going hard, going early”, the lives of New Zealanders were paramount.

Everyone in the world has been reminded of the power the state has to reshape our lives. For us Brits that power has been the regional tier system, shutting shops and pubs, paying or not paying wages in the furlough scheme, deciding whether or not you can get a haircut. But in New Zealand, political power used well has created a whole alternative reality – the old normal that we in Britain so long for. The lesson is not that New Zealand is a lucky country, but that with good governance nations make their own luck.

Johnson’s measures are too weak and too late.  He should have pressed the panic button when the new strain was discovered in September last year.  SEPTEMBER!  Or when a quarter of new cases in London were from the new strain in November last year he should have then taken urgent measures.

But no, he dithered.  He let his decision making get clouded by politics, and when you are on the right this is an extremely dangerous thing to do.

As an adjunct to this post the Government has decided that instead of receiving two anti viral shots within three weeks as recommended by the manufacturer they will spread the shots out.  More people will get a single shot this way but the efficacy of the treatment is untested.  This really feels like a bean counter/politician response to an inability to deliver on the promised number of vaccines and again runs the risk that the overall effects of the response will be too weak and too late.

The next few weeks will tell but right now England’s future looks bleak.

25 comments on “The UK is now the world’s Covid cot case ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Andre 1
    6 January 2021 at 10:56 am

    I can't believe I'm doing this.

    To be fair to BoJo the Clown and other RWNJ tosspots, California is doing every bit as badly at the moment.

    • Red 1.1
      6 January 2021 at 11:15 am

      And Israel is leading in respect of rate of Covid vaccine roll out Dam I hate facts over political bias and points scoring

      • Incognito 1.1.1
        6 January 2021 at 11:29 am

        Israel’s covid stats have not been impressive. Of course, the pending Election on 23 March is a major factor in the all-out effort to vaccinate. Reading headlines only is a mugs game.

        https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/middle-east/300198477/israels-covid19-vaccination-campaign-leads-the-world

        • Red 1.1.1.1
          6 January 2021 at 12:43 pm

          Agree hence only raised vaccine roll out point They started ok but lost it a bit in the second hit of the virus My key point is each country has its unique challenges and cost benefit approach to Covid, Nz from a challenge point of view re elimination and controlling the virus probably the least in comparison, small population, isolated by sea etc, In this regard some nz commentators can all be a bit smug in our success/ luck. Politicising makes it even worse. For every anti right wing correlation drawn on covid you don’t have to go far to find a left wing counter example ( ie Andre above Israel, New York)suggesting left/ right is not necessary a causation to an appropriate response. The right response I suggest will be in hindsight and a few years away yet re a determination ;

      • SorgenHobel 1.1.2
        8 January 2021 at 7:51 am

        Israel is leading, as long as you’re not in Gaza or a Palestinian on the West bank.

    • woodart 1.2
      6 January 2021 at 3:26 pm

      I cant beleive you are doing this either. whataboutism is the worst form of debate and you should be ashamed. the issue is NOT california or israel, the title of this article quite clearly is about the u.k……can people on this board not stay on topic?

      • alwyn 1.2.1
        6 January 2021 at 3:42 pm

        I would suggest that the article is not just about the UK. The title alone implies that it is a comparison between countries It says "The UK is now the world’s Covid cot case".

        Well if you say one country is the worst, at anything, surely people are quite entitled to say something like "No it is not. XXX is worse"?

        The post indeed starts with, in para 2, "For a long time the good old US of A that held this position.". If this is not a comparison of 2 countries, rather than only talking about the UK I don't know what is.

        I inclined to agree with the Author's premise, although I do wonder whether it is really any worse than Brazil. Whoops! A comparison, which you seem to be saying should not be done.

    • Treetop 1.3
      7 January 2021 at 12:13 pm

      For me it comes down to which strains of Covid are active.

      California is not doing well at all. If the B.1.1.7 or the South African strain is not the dominant strain in the US the situation will change for the worse just like in the UK.

    • Bearded Git 1.4
      7 January 2021 at 12:27 pm

      Andre: bollocks.

      Britain is an island-it could have locked-down in exactly the same way NZ did but as usual Bojo has failed miserably…….but then NZ doesn't have a libertarian finance minister yelling in the PM's ear that there should be no lock-down.

      Why did Bojo listen to Rishi and not the scientists?

  2. Poission 2
    6 January 2021 at 1:15 pm

    If you want the starkest contrast the daily rate of infection per head of population in Northern Ireland is twice that of the rest of Ireland despite both nations being part of the same island

    Ireland is catching up fast,the rate of growth is now equivalent to the UK.Arguments tend to decay fast under exponential dynamics.

    https://twitter.com/yaneerbaryam/status/1346266034882441216

    • mickysavage 2.1
      6 January 2021 at 1:20 pm

      I agree it is spiking. See the FT graph in the post. It was offered by way of comparison to Northern Ireland which has twice the infection rate for some strange reason.

      • Andre 2.1.1
        6 January 2021 at 1:44 pm

        With exponential growth, even if the event that started the spikes happened at exactly the same time, that Ireland started at half the rate of infections that Northern Ireland had is enough to account for the difference in infection rates now. Or the spiking event happening a couple of days later would also do it. So I'd be really wary of reading much into it.

      • Poission 2.1.2
        8 January 2021 at 11:43 am

        Ireland now has a doubling rate of 5.5 days in hospital admissions ( and infections 21% increase per day) the inflection point with NI around next monday.

        https://twitter.com/johnmcclean_ie/status/1347133659254501386

      • Poission 2.1.3
        14 January 2021 at 12:59 pm

        Now the inflection point has passed and the geometry is reversed,it seems Ireland has twice the infection rate of NI.( 128.8 /100k vs 64.7/100k on the 11/1) questions need to be asked of the Taoiseach.

        eg Should he have made more bikepaths ? or rounded the chooks up faster?

  3. Craig H 3
    6 January 2021 at 2:22 pm

    Based on the current figure of 2.65 million UK cases, and that NZ's lockdown resulted in the R value for Covid being 0.2, it would take 4 incubation cycles to get below 10,000 cases (if that's their goal), which would be 8 weeks. That's a long time to maintain compliance, but NZ managed it, so maybe they'll get there.

    • tc 3.1
      6 January 2021 at 3:46 pm

      When you can't get highly paid professional footballers and pollies to comply and set an example then the roads going to be a long one.

      40 EPL players/staff tested positive in 2,295 tests from 28/12 – 3/1. Games postponed and that's just a single week.

  4. thebiggestfish7 4
    8 January 2021 at 12:37 pm

    Speaking as a kiwi living in the U.K. this is just pure political dribble from you Micky. Scoring political points when people are losing lives here is just disgusting . No different to the failures of our governments. Yes the U.K. are doing terribly, but it’s a symptom of Europe as whole. The whole continent is dealing with the same issues to varying degrees. You are just being totally blind in your bias towards the U.K. government and I for one am totally sick of people like you and politicians like Borris playing silly political games.

    • Muttonbird 4.1
      8 January 2021 at 12:40 pm

      What's untrue? The UK is a disaster because of the Boris Johnson governments response. People coming from there are threatening the lives of New Zealanders. Should be a complete ban on travel from the UK.

      • RedLogix 4.1.1
        8 January 2021 at 1:16 pm

        Go to https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

        Scroll down and order the big table by 'Deaths per 1M pop' (use the little pull down arrow in that column header).

        You will see that by this measure the UK is only the 10th worst in the world. (Sweden that hell hole of non-lockdown failure is currently only the 25th worst.) Looking at the table from this perspective, no clear pattern emerges in terms of how countries have responded. The things that do seem to matter are demographics (older populations simply mean more vulnerable people), long dark winter (Vitamin D or something closely associated) and integrated health systems that can mount a fast coordinated response. And probably a bunch more things we'll understand better in years to come.

        Politics should really be left out of it.

        • Drowsy M. Kram 4.1.1.1
          8 January 2021 at 1:59 pm

          You will see that by this measure the UK is only the 10th worst in the world. (Sweden that hell hole of non-lockdown failure is currently only the 25th worst.)

          RL, is there anything NZ (only the 186th worst in the world) could have adopted from the UK (only 10th worst) or Swedish (only 25th worst) pandemic responses to drop us further down that table? Or Australia (131st position) for that matter?

          Lockdowns (national and local) restrict personal freedom – such restrictions are acceptible under the circumstances, IMHO. I still wonder if it might be something as simple as objecting to being told what to do; and poor leadership, of course.

          https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-05/swedes-slam-pm-in-poll-after-he-ignores-his-own-covid-guidelines

          Now the Swedish model has failed, it's time to ask who was pushing it

          Sweden crisis worsens after its anti-lockdown stance proven a failure

          Dr Nick Talley, editor-in-chief of the Medical Journal of Australia, said the Swedish model had been a failure.

          "In my view, the Swedish model has not been a success, at least to date," he told news.com.au.

          "One clear goal at least early on was [to] reach herd immunity – but this was not achieved, not even close, and this was arguably predictable.

          "There were restrictions put in place but the philosophy was voluntary rather than compulsory. There is evidence there was a major impact of this voluntary lockdown on behaviour as reflected in, for example, reduced mobility and spending. However the spread of Covid-19 and the death rate was substantially higher in Sweden compared with its neighbours who mandated lockdowns.

          "A major contributor to the failure of the voluntary approach was spread of infection into homes for the elderly. Young people also appear to have been the least likely to alter their behaviour which may have contributed to community spread."

          • RedLogix 4.1.1.1.1
            8 January 2021 at 2:14 pm

            There is only one measure of this epidemic beyond all statistical doubt; excess mortality:

            https://www.euromomo.eu/graphs-and-maps/

            There is never any doubt as to whether someone is dead or not, so this data cannot be quibbled. What this shows is very interesting, COVID is a serious but not catastrophic illness, and that the various political responses don't seem to have much correlation.

            Hah … and just for my sins Brisbane is going into a 3 day lockdown this weekend.

  5. Poission 5
    8 January 2021 at 2:56 pm

    There is never any doubt as to whether someone is dead or not, so this data cannot be quibbled

    Zamyatin (On Literature, Revolution, Entropy, and Other Matters 1923) suggested otherwise.

    Organic chemistry has already obliterated the line between living and dead matter. It is an error to divide people into the living and the dead: there are people who are dead-alive, and people who are alive-alive. The dead-alive also write, walk, speak, act. But they make no mistakes; only machines make no mistakes, and they produce only dead things. The alive-alive are constantly in error, in search, in questions, in torment.

    The same is true of what we write: it walks and it talks, but it can be dead-alive or alive-alive. What is truly alive stops before nothing and ceaselessly seeks answers to absurd, ‘childish’ questions. Let the answers be wrong, let the philosophy be mistaken- errors are more valuable than truths: truth is of the machine, error is alive; truth reassures, error disturbs. And if answers be impossible of attainment, all the better! Dealing with answered questions is the privilege of brain’s constructed like a cow’s stomach, which, as we know, is built to digest cud

    • RedLogix 5.1
      8 January 2021 at 5:50 pm

      Not breathing? No pulse? No pupil reaction to light? Cold to the touch? Been this way for a while now?

      Probably dead.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Government redress for Te Korowai o Wainuiārua
    The Government is continuing the bipartisan effort to restore its relationship with iwi as the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Bill passed its first reading in Parliament today, says Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith. “Historical grievances of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua relate to 19th century warfare, land purchased or taken ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Focus on outstanding minerals permit applications
    New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals is working to resolve almost 150 outstanding minerals permit applications by the end of the financial year, enabling valuable mining activity and signalling to the sector that New Zealand is open for business, Resources Minister Shane Jones says.  “While there are no set timeframes for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Applications open for NZ-Ireland Research Call
    The New Zealand and Irish governments have today announced that applications for the 2024 New Zealand-Ireland Joint Research Call on Agriculture and Climate Change are now open. This is the third research call in the three-year Joint Research Initiative pilot launched in 2022 by the Ministry for Primary Industries and Ireland’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Tenancy rules changes to improve rental market
    The coalition Government has today announced changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to encourage landlords back to the rental property market, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “The previous Government waged a war on landlords. Many landlords told us this caused them to exit the rental market altogether. It caused worse ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Boosting NZ’s trade and agricultural relationship with China
    Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay will visit China next week, to strengthen relationships, support Kiwi exporters and promote New Zealand businesses on the world stage. “China is one of New Zealand’s most significant trade and economic relationships and remains an important destination for New Zealand’s products, accounting for nearly 22 per cent of our good and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Freshwater farm plan systems to be improved
    The coalition Government intends to improve freshwater farm plans so that they are more cost-effective and practical for farmers, Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay have announced. “A fit-for-purpose freshwater farm plan system will enable farmers and growers to find the right solutions for their farm ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • New Fast Track Projects advisory group named
    The coalition Government has today announced the expert advisory group who will provide independent recommendations to Ministers on projects to be included in the Fast Track Approvals Bill, say RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones. “Our Fast Track Approval process will make it easier and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Pacific and Gaza focus of UN talks
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters says his official talks with the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York today focused on a shared commitment to partnering with the Pacific Islands region and a common concern about the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.    “Small states in the Pacific rely on collective ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Government honours Taranaki Maunga deal
    The Government is honouring commitments made to Taranaki iwi with the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its first reading Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the commitment the Crown made to the eight iwi of Taranaki to negotiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Enhanced partnership to reduce agricultural emissions
    The Government and four further companies are together committing an additional $18 million towards AgriZeroNZ to boost New Zealand’s efforts to reduce agricultural emissions. Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says the strength of the New Zealand economy relies on us getting effective and affordable emission reduction solutions for New Zealand. “The ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • 110km/h limit proposed for Kāpiti Expressway
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) will begin consultation this month on raising speed limits for the Kāpiti Expressway to 110km/h. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and this proposal supports that outcome ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand Biosecurity Awards – Winners announced
    Two New Zealanders who’ve used their unique skills to help fight the exotic caulerpa seaweed are this year’s Biosecurity Awards Supreme Winners, says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard. “Strong biosecurity is vital and underpins the whole New Zealand economy and our native flora and fauna. These awards celebrate all those in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Attendance action plan to lift student attendance rates
    The Government is taking action to address the truancy crisis and raise attendance by delivering the attendance action plan, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced today.   New Zealand attendance rates are low by national and international standards. Regular attendance, defined as being in school over 90 per cent of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • World must act to halt Gaza catastrophe – Peters
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has told the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York today that an immediate ceasefire is needed in Gaza to halt the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe.    “Palestinian civilians continue to bear the brunt of Israel’s military actions,” Mr Peters said in his speech to a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Speech to United Nations General Assembly: 66th plenary meeting, 78th session
    Mr President,   The situation in Gaza is an utter catastrophe.   New Zealand condemns Hamas for its heinous terrorist attacks on 7 October and since, including its barbaric violations of women and children. All of us here must demand that Hamas release all remaining hostages immediately.   At the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government woolshed roadshow kicks off
    Today the Government Agriculture Ministers started their national woolshed roadshow, kicking off in the Wairarapa. Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said it has been a tough time for farmers over the past few years. The sector has faced high domestic inflation rates, high interest rates, adverse weather events, and increasing farm ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • PM heads to Singapore, Thailand, and Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will travel to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines this week (April 14-20), along with a senior business delegation, signalling the Government’s commitment to deepen New Zealand’s international engagement, especially our relationships in South East Asia. “South East Asia is a region that is more crucial than ever to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Prime Minister launches Government Targets
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced further steps to get New Zealand back on track, launching nine ambitious Government Targets to help improve the lives of New Zealanders. “Our Government has a plan that is focused on three key promises we made to New Zealanders – to rebuild the economy, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Natural hydrogen resource should be free of Treaty claims entanglement
    Natural hydrogen could be a game-changing new source of energy for New Zealand but it is essential it is treated as a critical development that benefits all New Zealanders, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones is seeking to give regulatory certainty for those keen to develop natural, or geological, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government responds to unsustainable net migration
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand on stage at global Space Symposium
    Space Minister Judith Collins will speak at the Space Symposium in the United States next week, promoting New Zealand’s rapidly growing place in the sector as we work to rebuild the economy. “As one of the largest global space events, attended by more than 10,000 business and government representatives from ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-16T09:07:34+00:00