There is no housing crisis in New Zealand *

Written By: - Date published: 8:55 am, June 10th, 2016 - 52 comments
Categories: Andrew Little, housing, Media, national, newspapers, paula bennett, same old national, spin, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags: , , ,

housing poll 2016

The Crosby Textor rule book has so far worked well for National.

The elements are now clear.  Poll and focus group as much as possible. Decide what lines will work on the middle part of the electorate to retain their attention and support. Roll out John Key, the ultimate confidence politician and schmoozer, to reassure middle New Zealand that he thinks like them and can be trusted.  And attack and blame Labour at every chance.

There are a couple of scenarios where the rule book does not work. Fast moving issues make the Government look flat footed because they do not know where to pitch their rhetoric. And occasionally their policies are that bad that they are not able to polish the proverbial turd so that it glistens.

The housing crisis ticks both boxes. The story is so fast moving with an avalanche of tales of despair that National has not been able to work out lines that will appeal to middle New Zealand.  Every time they come up with a solution another heart breaking story of the hardship being caused appears.  And National’s policies of selling off state housing while “investing” in NGOs and waiting for the market to flourish is that nonsensical and that stupid in a time of crisis that everyone is starting to notice.

Yesterday was a particularly messy day for National. As the simple touching interview of TA by John Campbell reverberated its way around New Zealand the government went into panic mode.

Andrew Little then hit National with a column in the Herald that was posted at 2 pm. Read it and weep.  Particularly this passage:

National’s has failed New Zealanders on housing. Budget 2016 delivered nothing to give young families a chance to buy their own home. It slashed funding for home insulation by two-thirds. It continued John Key’s cruel policy of taking a $118m a year profit out of Housing New Zealand at the same time families are living in cars because there aren’t enough state houses.

No wonder 76 per cent of Kiwis say there is a housing crisis, and this Government has failed to fix it. Just one in four adults under 40 own their own place today. House prices are rising at 30 times the rate of inflation. 16,000 houses are year are being bought by foreign speculators. Record numbers are living in cars and garages.

The truth, as revealed by a new study from Otago University, is that 42,000 Kiwis are suffering ‘severe housing deprivation’ – homelessness, in other words.

That was up by 25 per cent in just seven years. We are a country that rightly used to pride ourselves on looking after all our people. We used to look in horror at wealthy countries that had people living on the streets. Under National, we have become one of those countries.

As a sign of how panicked National was by this it responded with this Herald column posted at 7:42 pm by Nick Smith AND Paula Bennett. I wonder who did the typing.

The column is disingenuous to put it mildly. It says that Little had made many “incorrect claims” and that in the interest of “balance” they needed to respond.

The column started off by lauding the special housing area regime and then proceeded to trot out an array of statistics to show that everything is rosy.  There is no problem, let alone a crisis, at least according to Smith and Bennett.

Little’s column highlighted the difficulty of reconciling what John Key has recently said with the truth.  Key originally said that MSD and Salvation Army workers had gone around, knocked on homeless family’s car doors, offered them help but this was refused. After a week of backtracks it transpired that Salvation Army workers had not been involved, nor had MSD workers and they had not knocked on homeless family’s doors. Given this it is difficult to understand how the Government could still claim that people had refused help from non existent offers and non existent knocks on doors.

Smith’s and Bennett’s response to this particular allegation was contained in these paragraphs:

Mr Little also says the Prime Minister was making up information about homeless people refusing assistance.

The Labour leader is quite simply wrong. The Ministry of Social Development has been working closely with non-government organisations, and those non-government organisations have told us that some of the homeless they have been speaking to do not want our help. That is their right, but it is important they know that there is assistance available should they chose to take it up.

I had a real temptation to type this in caps.  According to Bennett and Smith Little is wrong and Key is right even though what Key said was wrong because:

  1. Salvation Army did not knock on any car doors while being accompanied by officers from  the MSD.
  2. MSD did not knock on any car doors.
  3. It is difficult to understand how Key could then report that the doors of eight homeless peoples’ cars had been knocked on given that the Salvation Army and MSD officers had not knocked on doors in the way he had described.

Bennett and Smith spend a lot of time in the column talking about special housing areas.  How many people are currently getting shelter from a special housing area?  The answer is bugger all if any.

There is the cut and thrust of political debate. But there is a stage where one side’s positioning is not reality based and we are clearly there now.

The second piece of bad news for National as covered by Rob was the announcement by Westpac and ANZ that they would no longer lend to foreign individuals without a permit of some sort and a local income money to buy local houses.  A similar announcement was made in Australia about a week ago.

Bankers are not stupid.  Clearly they see signs of a housing bubble and an impending correction and if the Government does not do anything about it they have to.  So they can protect their interests.  Which they are clearly doing.

And to complete a day of utter pathos news that Maori and Pacifica rates of housing are because, according to Nick Smith, they are poorly educated.  And the Government may have announced a $10,000 donation to Te Puea Marae twice.  And 72% of kiwis think that the Government needs to start building homes.

To finish a few tweets capturing various aspects of the story and showing why the Crosby Textor rule book is no longer working.

https://twitter.com/oreos_storieos/status/740855170645430272

https://twitter.com/grantrobertson1/status/740772018187079680

https://twitter.com/RFStew/status/740759611804950528

52 comments on “There is no housing crisis in New Zealand * ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. DH 1
    10 June 2016 at 9:18 am

    It’s all about perspectives IMO. National look after the people making money out of property and of course they are not in crisis. Their crisis would be falling house prices.

    I posted this earlier, it’s worth repeating to illustrate how contemptuous National are of low income earners in NZ.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/manukau-courier/80318339/Manukau-apartments-to-be-built-under-Crown-land-scheme

    Read at least to this bit…..

    “A portion must be sold for an “affordable” price – about $600,000.”

    If the $600k isn’t a typo then that should tell us all we really need to know about the National Party.

    • b waghorn 1.1
      10 June 2016 at 11:16 am

      “A portion must be sold for an “affordable” price – about $600,000.”

      If you had a 20% deposit on a $600 k house your repayment is roughly $550 a week . that’s not including rates and insurance. Hardly entry level.

      • Pat 1.1.1
        10 June 2016 at 11:26 am

        assuming of course you had the $120,000 saved for that twenty % deposit….or even 60k for the 10%…..not likely given the “average” kiwi has from memory around $1400 as available savings.

        • DH 1.1.1.1
          10 June 2016 at 11:45 am

          exactly Pat. There’s also the point that apartments have extra costs, such as body corporate fees, so the real outgoings are higher than $550 weekly. Odds are the ‘affordable’ apartments won’t have any parking either, that costs more.

          $600k for the cheapest apartment in a high density block listed as being subject to aircraft noise and high land transport noise is just outrageous. The cheapest apartment should be closer to $60k which is why I thought the $600k may be a typo but coming from National it probably isn’t.

      • Glenis 1.1.2
        10 June 2016 at 1:00 pm

        That’s on 4% mortgage interest. Wait till it goes back up to 7% or the 11% it was 8 years ago.

    • save nz 1.2
      10 June 2016 at 12:06 pm

      @DH – $600,000 – just shows how out of touch the National government is, to think this is ‘affordable’.

      Before last election they were talking $400,000 as being affordable.

      It keeps going up but sadly wages are static, so not sure how they are getting the figures about affordability.

      It needs to be $250,000 to be affordable. And a few years ago you used to be able to buy an apartment or unit for that in Auckland. You would now be hard pressed to find that now.

      A few years ago you could get a 3 bedroom house in west Auckland for $350,000 now it is $600,000.

      That is National creating ‘affordable’ housing – NOT!

      • DH 1.2.1
        10 June 2016 at 2:54 pm

        There’s still apartments in Auck for less than $150k, they just largely come with high ground rents and/or bodycorp fees

        This is a new freehold apartment being sold off the plans, in a higher land-cost area than the Manukau one.

        http://www.trademe.co.nz/property/residential-property-for-sale/auction-1091652176.htm

        $212k for 27m2. It’s way overpriced & too small but there’d be huge margins on that for all the middlemen so it should show it’s still possible to build affordable housing if the profit element is taken out and economies of scale applied.

        The first question I’d ask on that apartment build I linked to is whether National are planning to build $600k luxury apartments or whether they’re going to be asking $600k for apartments that cost a lot less to build and raking in huge profits. Either way they’re just blatantly sneering at low income people who haven’t a hope in hell of saving the deposit let alone servicing a mortgage & outgoings that size.

  2. weka 2
    10 June 2016 at 9:40 am

    “listening to Bennett and King on TV3+ 1 talking about housing. Henry asked why over 700 houses are empty, Paula then says some need an oven”

    “@MariaSherwood2 Henry, unusually,had a go. An oven, bloody hell. I’d rather live in a hose with no oven than a car with no oven”

    https://twitter.com/mariasherwood2/status/741005042971332608

    Gross incompetence. This govt can’t even get some ovens installed in houses ffs.

    • Pat 2.1
      10 June 2016 at 9:49 am

      Gross deliberate incompetence……

      Run down public services, create a distrust and disgust with public provision, privatize by sale or contract, reap the profits of captured market.

      National don’t want public provision and as DH points out they are simply looking after their own and have nothing but disdain for lower socio-economic cohorts who are only there to be milked. As far as they are concerned its all going according to plan.

      Rentiers

      National…governing for (the top 10% of) New Zealanders since forever

    • Ch-ch Chiquita 2.2
      10 June 2016 at 4:20 pm

      ‘Some need an oven’ – is this the new ‘some people turn houses down because of birds chirping’? Paula Bennett is terrible at lying and comes across as either stupid or incompetent, or worse, both.

      • weka 2.2.1
        10 June 2016 at 4:44 pm

        I didn’t see it, but I agree it’s probably a lie. By ‘some’ she probably means two, and thus she avoids answering the real question which is why the state houses aren’t up to scratch or available.

  3. save nz 3
    10 June 2016 at 11:40 am

    What a great response by Andrew Little.

    Can totally see the slogan

    Andrew Little for Honest Government!

    • leftie 3.1
      10 June 2016 at 12:20 pm

      YES !!!! Nowhere in Bennett’s and Smith’s litany of lies and deceit did I read how National’s so called “supporting New Zealanders with accommodation costs” is forcing people into enormous debt that they will never be able to pay back.

      “Most New Zealanders don’t expect the State to simply hand them a house – they want to be independent and work and save for their own future”

      Sure, but didn’t Paula Bennett access a government scheme that allowed her to buy a house while she was on a DPB and was receiving free education and all the government support she needed?

      Isn’t it just peachy how National ministers pulled the ladder up so no one else could have the state support that they had had?

      • Richardrawshark 3.1.1
        10 June 2016 at 12:45 pm

        Evil is as evil does, they are racking it up(debt), I suspect Labour will wipe it after the Nats lose! That will leave labour one terming struggling to repair the damage. We are royally..

        Nats are setting up the next government for a major fall, hoping to get the rebound.. tell me it’s not one of their Crosby Textor strategies if it looks like an election loss.

  4. Richardrawshark 4
    10 June 2016 at 12:39 pm

    Bennetts also running scared, I’d dare say she’s getting death threats by the dozen hence they moved the meeting this morning, that’s three times now, reading between the lines it says a lot, moving the meeting to central Auckland was for protection not because of any media circus I hope.

    I hope, in the fact she needs to sweat it up for a bit, as I never seen anyone in NZ so mean and nasty, get into power as that ..thing. Remember how nasty she looks on the attack, like when she refused to apologize over divulging private benificiery details.

    What goes round comes around Paula, is there a few people that want your guts for garters eh?. Boo fkn hoo.

    Dear GCSB, we know your listening, it’s true we all went down to the Tennis Court and talked it up like “Yeah”

    • Pat 4.1
      10 June 2016 at 12:44 pm

      “I hope, in the fact she needs to sweat it up for a bit, as I never seen anyone in NZ so mean and nasty, get into power as that”

      you obviously don’t remember Ruth Richardson nor Jenny shipley

      • Richardrawshark 4.1.1
        10 June 2016 at 12:50 pm

        I never found Shipley outright nasty, you know the attack face, getting angry emotionally.

        I left NZ in 89 came back 98 from the UK, so I think I missed that thankfully, tho the UK at that time was no better but we didn’t go through the big Muldoon repair era.

        From what I read and doco’s I’ve watched, I think i’m glad I went abroad then.

        • Pat 4.1.1.1
          10 June 2016 at 1:02 pm

          “In her role as Minister of Social Welfare, Shipley presided over sharp cutbacks to state benefits. Later, when she became Minister of Health in 1993, she caused further controversy by attempting to reform the public health service, introducing an internal market. When National gained re-election in 1996, Shipley left the Women’s Affairs portfolio and took on several others, including responsibility for state-owned enterprises and transport.”
          wiki

          Opposition Labour welfare spokesman Michael Cullen said of her: “She has become the most hated minister in the history of this country.”

          http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/24/059.html

          yes, you must have been a very long way away not to know her reputation

          • Richardrawshark 4.1.1.1.1
            10 June 2016 at 1:16 pm

            I hate Paula more, can’t help it. I loathe someone who thinks so arrogantly that rules do not apply to her.

            Plus she through her winz changes directly affected my recovery from serious disease. Pushing me back out into work well before I had gained muscle mass or got over the effects of chemotherapy for Hep c. Where I had my immune system killed off, then fed tablet wise large doses of antivirals and lived in a state of suicide for 6 months.

            Then the day my test came back virus undetectable on the last day of my weekly injection of immune system chemo drugs, I was told i was fit to start working. Manipulated by sending me to their prefered Dr who actually passed me fit to work.

            I am also Bi-polar, the meds are and were extremely dangerous for me as they cause depression.

            My specialist at Waikato hospital was shocked.

            So you can imagine what I think of the nasty bitch.

            It’s still going on, but now even the Winz ladies who know what I’ve been through give me a break. If Paula knew she’d have kittens.

            At least if you drop the attitude and they at winz know your genuine they help out and do the right thing. At least here they seem too be lately

          • leftie 4.1.1.1.2
            10 June 2016 at 1:29 pm

            And Jenny Shipley STILL has her snout very much in the trough. She is one of John key’s string pullers.

            I would say Paula Bennett now holds that of title of being “thee most hated minister in the history of this country.”

            Paula Bennett, and not forgetting the other overpaid Paula, “the destroyer of our public services” Paula Rebstock, that John key awarded a dameship to for a wrecking job well done, John key and his National government have blood on their hands. And they don’t give a shit, not one little bit.

            • Duncan 4.1.1.1.2.1
              10 June 2016 at 2:43 pm

              Shipley (along with John Slater) were the (visible) people responsible for recruiting Mr Key.

        • M. Gray 4.1.1.2
          10 June 2016 at 2:34 pm

          Maybe you didn’t have to eat her beneficiary soup. Remember it was her that lowered the drinking age to 18 and she got a quick and free angina operation in a public hospital

          • leftie 4.1.1.2.1
            10 June 2016 at 4:32 pm

            And didn’t Shipley also have her stomach stapled at the expense of the tax payer? Did Ann Tolley pay for hers, or did struggling NZers pay for that too?

  5. save nz 5
    10 June 2016 at 12:56 pm

    There is no housing crisis in New Zealand – in fact there is a surplus as big as Bill English’s budget and as large as John Key’s heart!

    So many State houses, the National Government is knocking them down!

    “Preparations made to start demolition of Housing New Zealand homes”

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/80857062/preparations-made-to-start-demolition-of-housing-new-zealand-homes

    • leftie 5.1
      10 June 2016 at 1:38 pm

      National demolished good state homes that families were living in, on the “perception of being earthquake prone”

      Upper Hutt residents mobilise to fight State House sell-off

      “Ms Homan represents the St Joseph Parish Justice, Peace, and Development Group. She said that the vacant land they were standing on had recently been filled with State housing that were homes to several families. She said some of families may have been relocated to other State houses further away in Timberlea, or private rentals elsewhere, up-rooting children from their local schools and disrupting their established education and local connections to the community.”

      “Ms Homan said the buildings had been torn down, ostensibly because they were “earthquake prone”. She added that that bulldozers and other wrecking machinary had had difficulty in tearing down the structures.”

      “The land was now for sale to private developers. There is no guarantee that social housing will be built on the site. Ms Homan said she was fearful that Housing NZ would be moving fast to sell the land. She said”

      <a href="http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/06/05/upper-hutt-residents-mobilise-to-fight-state-house-sell-off/

      <a href="https://fmacskasy.wordpress.com/2015/11/06/state-houses-wrong-place-wrong-size/

      • M. Gray 5.1.1
        10 June 2016 at 2:39 pm

        They are ripping us of selling our assets to there rich mates why should social housing and the land that we own go to these greedy parasites who then start making money from the assets they brought for example accommodation supplement they win twice greedy greedy greedy

        • leftie 5.1.1.1
          10 June 2016 at 4:34 pm

          +1 M.Gray, well said.

        • save nz 5.1.1.2
          10 June 2016 at 4:35 pm

          @M Gray, yep , no surprises why ‘zoning’ needs to be changed to make their crony mates fortunes.

          After 8 years and people in cars and tents through, I think even the MSM are realising it is not credible position.

          Only thing missing seems to be the houses! And the affordability!

      • beatie 5.1.2
        10 June 2016 at 8:13 pm

        These flats near me in Greymouth have been empty for 3+ years. They were fully tenanted until they were deemed an earthquake risk and the tenants were moved out. They are now up for tender but so far a tender has been received for only one of the blocks. I doubt whether HC has made them earthquake proof, so they are ‘For Sale, As Is’
        Housing corp will argue that they are ‘not needed’, but like everywhere, Greymouth has a lack of affordable, warm,insulated rental accommodation for families.

        http://harcourts.co.nz/Property/766272/GM6677/16-20-Wickes-Street-Cobden

  6. Richardrawshark 6
    10 June 2016 at 12:56 pm

    Thatcher and Bennett and Key are similar you know. All came from humble beginnings and attacked the very people and communities they were raised in.

    I went to Sunderland in 89 the mass strikes had just finished and the place was decimated for jobs.

    Crime took off, drugs took off. Thanks Maggie your so kind.

  7. Richardrawshark 7
    10 June 2016 at 1:00 pm

    Mum just returned from the UK, there is no state housing anymore.

    I lived in a state house there, people lived in them for life, then they sold them to the people for a knock down price, during the housing boom. Whatever way they did it, they managed to kill state housing there completely.

    The agenda was a success there, it’s done guys, and their is no way to stop it here.

    or is there?.

    Just checked with mum their is a few council house area’s left they are just not building anymore and selling them to the tenants if they can. Sorry.

    • leftie 7.1
      10 June 2016 at 1:41 pm

      It all sounds very familiar doesn’t it? That’s the neolib blueprint. John key has done here, what Thatcher did there.

  8. AmaKiwi 8
    10 June 2016 at 1:05 pm

    As builders, developers, and the Salvation Army have said, this crisis has been 10 years in the making. It will take 10 years to solve it.

    Labour/Greens, you have 16 months to enjoy the ride to election day.

    What will I do when I don’t have Key to kick around any more?

    • Richardrawshark 8.1
      10 June 2016 at 1:21 pm

      Party, rejoice, because he is shit, and wrecking the country, or are you a Key fan AmaKiwi?

      Plus unlike Key when the opposition get in power I don’t know whether they will spend 8 years blaming the last government at every opportunity, and whilst doing that so much, they forget to run the country.

      I suspect the new government is going to be, to busy trying to fix things to give a crap about Key.

    • Colonial Viper 8.2
      11 June 2016 at 1:49 pm

      As builders, developers, and the Salvation Army have said, this crisis has been 10 years in the making. It will take 10 years to solve it.

      That dates back to 2005/2006.

      Who was in charge then…

  9. WILD KATIPO 9
    10 June 2016 at 1:43 pm

    Analogy time… back in 1849,… with no regulations in the Californian gold rushes… a shovel could cost a miner a months earnings,.. a slab of bacon a weeks earnings… and so on and so forth …

    In other words… without regulations and adequate policing , and due to scarcity and difficulty of transport … hawkers could capitalize on even the most basic of goods. And essentially , – these are the conditions faced today in NZ’s housing crisis … a lack of regulations controlling lending from banks and a negligent govt endorsing those bankers practices because of the huge profits to be made .

    What we have now is a quintessential gold rush mentality in operation in both banks and this govt.

    People died during that gold rush – not least from starvation and exposure to conditions. We have had people die from cold damp housing and lack of funding for medical needs. Now we have people – whole family’s living in cars and the like during winter.

    We have people who cannot afford to buy that first house ( the shovel ) , we have people who cannot afford even the rent ( the slab of bacon ).

    This is what the total ‘free market ‘ and unregulated neo liberal ideology does.

    It is anti society , anti democratic , anti family , and anti children – and only views fellow citizens as chattels to be used to further ones personal self interests.

  10. SPC 10
    10 June 2016 at 2:49 pm

    The RB needs to require 50% equity for investors (currently they can leverage gains – 30% off one or 15% off 2 past investments to gather the 30% deposit for the next one). At least give those few first home buyers capable of saving a 20% deposit the chance of buying a house. And that is 50% equity over their entire portfolio if they want to add another property.

    The government needs to review its bright line test, it is resulting in more properties not being rented out but instead being renovated and flicked on – doer uppers exempt from the CGT. Unoccupied homes exacerbate the “shortage of housing”.

    All properties bought and sold within 2 years need to be included – capturing the doer uppers (these limit the amount of lower cost housing available, not a good thing so should not be encouraged by tax policy).

  11. SPC 11
    10 June 2016 at 3:27 pm

    The Nat plan is to run down state housing levels outside Auckland.

    Raise the threshold for getting a state house and then say there is a surplus, then demolish properties and sell off land.

    However when those in paid work paying private rents retire they will not be able to afford these rents when on super, so will have to either continue to work until they die or seek a place in the diminished amounts of local state/social housing.

    This is all foreseeable, but National is operating like a private equity firm looking for short term profit before leaving future governments with an even bigger crisis.

  12. Gangnam Style 12
    10 June 2016 at 3:30 pm

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/306069/kids-living-in-vans-i'm-mad-as-hell

    “The John Key approach to our burgeoning homelessness problem has been to apply sticking plasters to the issues as the media exposes them. And not even fresh, clean sticking plasters – no, he prefers the kind you find under your shoe, already used.”

    • Paul 12.1
      10 June 2016 at 5:02 pm

      From the same article

      ‘This is a crisis. A crisis that disproportionally affects those already in need.

      And families like T.A’s are just the tip of the iceberg – her mother has a job and yet they still can’t afford to live in a house. That’s not even getting on to our rough-sleeping homeless population, an accurate number of which we still can’t grasp. Why? Because if the government started collecting data on homelessness they would then have to define it as a distinct social issue – and allocate budget and services accordingly. You know, like most other developed nations.

      In other words, if you put your hands over your ears and say “la la la” loud enough, the problem doesn’t exist.’

  14. Paul 14
    10 June 2016 at 5:21 pm

    South Auckland cancer sufferer forced to live in van with family

    ‘A cancer sufferer and her family were forced to live in a van for a month because they had nowhere else to stay.
    The 45-year-old South Auckland woman wants to be identified only as Trey.
    She slept in the vehicle with her partner and five children aged 10-25 until they found a private rental in Manurewa.
    Trey’s family planned to stay with a relative until they got settled, but that arrangement fell through. So they borrowed a vehicle from an aunty and moved into it.
    “We slept in the car and parked in family members’ driveways or on the kerb. We’d go to public toilets or a McDonald’s and have a wash.”
    The family would occasionally park up at Mountfort Park in Manurewa so they were close to the children’s schools.
    “There were street kids walking past at night and it was scary,” Trey says.
    They eventually moved into a house but the $540 weekly rent consumed most of her benefit.
    “All I had left over each week was $4. We were living off food parcels from the Salvation Army and little things I could sell. My partner and I didn’t eat much. We drank a lot of water.”
    A Salvation Army social worker referred the family to the Monte Cecilia Housing Trust in Mangere.
    Trey is now staying at the trust with her partner and three of their children while their application for a state house is assessed.’

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/80810066/south-auckland-cancer-sufferer-forced-to-live-in-van-with-family

  15. Paul 15
    10 June 2016 at 5:25 pm

    John Campbell on Checkpoint at Te Puea Marae.
    Compulsory viewing.

  16. Smilin 16
    10 June 2016 at 5:45 pm

    There is no depression in NZ ,There is no houses for the poor

  17. Craig H 17
    10 June 2016 at 8:16 pm

    http://www.newshub.co.nz/opinion/opinion-diddly-squat—govt-incompetent-on-housing-2016061011#axzz4BA4hlkOz

    Paddy Gower’s take is not kind to the government. Might have been nice if instead of moaning about Labour as well, Kiwibuild had got a mention…

  18. Robert Atack 18
    11 June 2016 at 7:51 am

    Stefan Molyneux: The Truth About Brexit – UK’s EU Referendum. – and why houses are going up in price?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hebQ10NddmE

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Trade relationship with China remains strong
    “China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.   Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-24T21:20:15+00:00