They just don’t learn

Written By: - Date published: 1:38 pm, January 22nd, 2008 - 109 comments
Categories: dpf, election funding, national - Tags: , ,

mugabe-whale.jpgI see the Free Speech Coalition hasn’t learned anything from the ramshackle PR fiasco that was their launch and have posted up another billboard in Invercargill today, this time featuring Robert Mugabe and criticising the government’s ‘silencing’ of Mayor Shadbolt, who is ironically one of the least silent people in the country at the moment.

This is interesting for at least two reasons:

1) The Free Speech Coalition has still not accounted for more than $11,000 of donations despite promising to do so more than a month ago, and despite being bound to do so according to the terms of their Trust Deed. This latest effort would (according to Irish Bill’s estimates) add up to another $4,000 that needs to be declared.

2) By hitching their billboards to Shadbolt’s campaign, which is being funded by Hollow Men the Talley brothers, the Free Speech Coalition is, as many have suggested, fighting not for the right of New Zealanders to speak their mind, but for wealthy interests to abuse our electoral laws.

These billboards went down badly enough in Auckland, where former ACT MP Deborah Coddington described them as “ridiculously hyperbolic” and suggested the FSC’s antics were likely to become a liability for National in the 2008 election. This is even more true in the conservative and politically intelligent electorate of Invercargill, where I suspect it will go down like a cup of cold sick. Eric Roy is a longstanding member of the community there and has always held himself with a certain dignity and good humour. I imagine he won’t be happy with this – any association with this kind of tasteless propaganda can only do him harm.

Update 23/01/08: the free speech coalition has released its update donors list and it makes for interesting reading including a P Shirtcliffe who has donated $5000. Could this be the same P Shirtcliffe who ran a multi million dollar campaign against MMP?

109 comments on “They just don’t learn ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Robinsod 1
    22 January 2008 at 1:44 pm

    Ah yes, my old mate Whale (who now appears to be stalking me – woohoo!). I noticed the smarter half of the FSC hasn’t posted on this. Perhaps he’s figured out he’s best distancing himself from the liability that is the fat man.

  2. Insolent Prick 2
    22 January 2008 at 1:51 pm

    An appropriate disclosure statement by the Standard should read:

    “The Standard is proudly supported by the Labour Party, which subsidises the hosting of this blog. Some Standard authors are active Labour Party members. Some Standard authors are also paid employees of the EPMU. Some Standard authors are employed by Parliamentary Services and work in the Beehive.”

    Unfortunately, the Standard is too dishonest to make that statement. Despite campaigning for everybody else’s political affiliations to be outed, and championing the cause of the Electoral Finance Act, which by the Standard’s own claims, increases transparency and accountability in politics, the Standard has done everything it can to conceal its political ties.

    And by the way, I very much doubt the Trust Deed states that the donors list must be published on a daily basis. The Electoral Finance Act doesn’t require that party donations are listed until after the year they’re made. The FSC have said they will regularly publish their donors list. They’re evidently not working to the timetable demanded by the Standard’s chief stalker.

    While you’re asking questions, Tane, why don’t you answer some? Are any Standard authors employees of the Labour Party, a Labour Party affiliate union, or Parliamentary or Ministerial Services? You’re asking for some transparency here. Why don’t you be a bit more transparent yourself?

    [IrishBill]: Prick, you’ve posted this comment several times now across several threads and are becoming a troll. You’ve been given more space to make your point than you would have been given on other blogs. If you don’t refrain from this behaviour you will face a one week ban.]

  3. rjs131 3
    22 January 2008 at 2:11 pm

    Yes i am sure that it will lead to a backlash against Eric Roy in favour of the hard working, high profile, highly competent Lesley Soper

  4. Phil 4
    22 January 2008 at 2:14 pm

    “2) By hitching their billboards to Shadbolt’s campaign, which is being funded by Hollow Men the Talley brothers, the Free Speech Coalition is, as many have suggested, fighting not for the right of New Zealanders to speak their mind, but for wealthy interests to abuse our electoral laws.”

    Erm, really?

    So, if a registered kiddy-fiddler were to support Shadbolt, you’d be suggesting that FSC, also in support of Tim, were also in support of paedophilia?
    D4J and I are both Nat’s, does that mean I’m in favour of his behaviour/writings here?

    I realise they’re extreme examples, but I’m confident that you wouldn’t want to be associated with some of the nutcases that inhabit the world of the far left, who happen to vote for the same party as you.
    Is this really how you want to play it?

  5. Sam Dixon 5
    22 January 2008 at 2:15 pm

    And, the billboards are simply too obpaque.

    In a hard-to-read language in a hard-to-read colour they make a roundabout reference to the Electoral Finance Act, which is dishonest because the law wasn’t changed in reaction to Shadbolt, it was already being passed when he decided to use ratepayers’ money to campaign for his personal fiefdom.

    And, a small point. The text is menat to be a pun ‘silencing the rebel’ because Mugabe has repressed rebels. In fact, it was Mugabe who was the rebel who overthrew the racist dictatorship of Ian Smith in Rhodesia to establish Zimbabwe. Now, Mugabe himself is the dictator but he isn’t facing rebels who are breaking the law. The opposition are the ones who have had the law on their side, they have repeatedly won court cases – but, like National and Shadbolt here, Mugabe doesn’t like any result the democratic process that threatens his power and it is his regime that has repeatedly acted illegally.

  6. stan 6
    22 January 2008 at 2:26 pm

    you know the least you guys could do is make a post clarifying this matter:

    http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2008/01/the_standard_hosted_by_the_labour_party.html#comments

  7. Aj 7
    22 January 2008 at 2:36 pm

    In the Southland DT in the last few weeks:

    Not supporting Shadbolt:

    Editor, feature writers, fellow councillers, countless letters to the editor.

    Supporting Shadbolt:

    Eric Roy. All on his lonseome.

  8. the sprout 8
    22 January 2008 at 2:37 pm

    that’s odd stan, you can write but not read. a most unusual aphasia that one.

    see if you can get someone to read this to you:
    http://publicaddress.net/system/topic,917,hard_news_monster_weekend.sm?p=39614#post39614

  9. Glenn 9
    22 January 2008 at 2:45 pm

    Unlike D4J, you’re just a little too coherent to be convincingly feral!

  10. Ruth 10
    22 January 2008 at 3:20 pm

    Repeating what I said to Ranapaia – I’m getting rather tired of this ‘holocaust on a plate’.

    To thick skins it may not be offensive, but it’s utterly tasteless, and a liability to be sure, even though National have distanced themselves from these people.

  11. Tane 11
    22 January 2008 at 3:27 pm

    So, if a registered kiddy-fiddler were to support Shadbolt, you’d be suggesting that FSC, also in support of Tim, were also in support of paedophilia?

    If Tim’s campaign was against laws restricting kiddy-fiddling, and he was being funded by kiddy-fiddlers then that objection might have some merit.

    [Captcha: spending associates]

  12. Tane 12
    22 January 2008 at 3:41 pm

    Yes i am sure that it will lead to a backlash against Eric Roy in favour of the hard working, high profile, highly competent Lesley Soper

    I’m no fan of Soper either, all I’m saying is that whether he likes it or not Eric Roy’s going to be harmed by association. That’s not very smart politics on the part of the FSC.

  13. Name 13
    22 January 2008 at 3:53 pm

    hard working, high profile, highly competent Lesley Soper

    what drugs are you on? she’s hated in invervegas. and funny how all the letter writers to the paper are members of the Liarbour Party, eh?

  14. Tane 14
    22 January 2008 at 3:55 pm

    I think he was being facetious. But given your use of the term “Liabour” I’m not surprised you failed to notice.

  15. Phil 15
    22 January 2008 at 5:05 pm

    You’re avoiding my bigger question Tane…

    Simply because the FSC choose to put up a billboard in support of Shadbolt (I assume they have done this without his knowledge?) does not mean they’re supportive of the methods/means/motivations of the other backers that Shadbolt has. You’re drawing a long bow.

    P.S. I always assumed it was supposed to be spelt “Liarbore”… but it’s nowhere near as witty as “Labour – as painful as it sounds”

  16. burt 16
    22 January 2008 at 5:56 pm

    Tane (and/or IrishBill)

    Is there a reason why no post have been made on this blog about the Labour party involvement in The Standard ?

    It seems to me that IP has a valid point, people have posted comments elsewhere deflecting the issue of using an IP address registered by Labour but there are no categorical denials or statement of exactly what is going on. It seems to me the defense of “we borrowed one of their pre-registered IP addresses” is another way of saying “Labour pay for it” – is this correct ?

  17. Outofbed 17
    22 January 2008 at 6:04 pm

    This has been thrashed to death Burt

    The standard people can post what they like as it is their blog.
    If they do not post what you want them too , either set up your own blog or return to kiwiblog where you can be happy amongst the rest of the RWNJ ‘s and therefore find true happiness and enlightenment

    cheers

  18. burt 18
    22 January 2008 at 6:12 pm

    Outofbed

    So who appointed you to tell others what they can and can’t ask on this blog ? Who made you Tane and/or IrishBill’s minders – you kinow the guys I addressed the question to.

    As for thrashed to death – I think it’s only the credibility of the standard that has been thrashed to death – It might have survived the beating if the authors didn’t apply the Labour party 3-D’s principal of Deny, Delay, Denigrate when the issue first surfaced.

  19. the sprout 19
    22 January 2008 at 7:36 pm

    you wish burtie, you wish

  20. Dean 20
    22 January 2008 at 7:44 pm

    Tane, all due respect for your post because I think the points you raise are relevant, but will any of you have the guts to admit how much web traffic you use in a month and who’s footing the bill?

    Just in the interest of transparency, you understand.

    Lynne provided some good counter to the hype around the IP block, but despite myself and several other people asking the above question I’ve yet to see an answer to this question. Instead you all just seem to dodge.

    (Yes, yes, the sprout, im a fascist, let’s just take that for granted ok?)

  21. Inventory2 21
    22 January 2008 at 8:04 pm

    Burt – maybe the FSC is secretly working on a billboard to comment on the hypocricy of a certain blog not disclosing its links with a certain political party. I wonder what Tane would make of that!

  22. Santi 22
    22 January 2008 at 8:09 pm

    “Is there a reason why no post have been made on this blog about the Labour party involvement in The Standard?”

    The question is 100% pertinent and relevant.

    Here and now, can Tane and other of the stalwarts of the left state clearly who is behind the donations Lynn Prentice talked about? If not, why not?

  23. Ruth 23
    22 January 2008 at 8:12 pm

    Why you right wingers defend the FSC is beyond me.

    I support National for the most part, but the FSC guys are obviously a pack of drunks, judging by at least one of their founding members deranged blog posts. They are a disgrace.

  24. Kimble 24
    22 January 2008 at 8:12 pm

    Wow, Bill is talking about banning IP because he is asking questions Tane et all dont want to answer!

    Not only would you be a hypocrit regarding disclosure and transparency, you would be a hypocrit regarding the Crushing of Dissent on New Zealand Blogs©.

  25. Pearl 25
    22 January 2008 at 8:27 pm

    Why on earth would Tane or Irish Bill think of banning IP for asking a simple question about this blogs funding, because everybody on blogosphere knows that it is funded by the Labour government, who also pay bloggers to write on trade me opinion .

  26. the sprout 26
    22 January 2008 at 8:41 pm

    cheers Dean.

    “the Labour government, who also pay bloggers to write on trade me opinion”

    oh yeah – TradeMe Opinion is totally where it’s at for the cutting edge of opinion-leader manipulation, worth every cent of the thousands of hours spent there by Labour spin-doctors every month.
    Pearl, you should write a book, or a billboard or something.

  27. burt 27
    22 January 2008 at 8:42 pm

    If IP is banned then How is The Standard funded? will become the question that must not be asked. As such large numbers of people will be banned and this blog will be known for it’s censorship regarding accountability and transparency…. Kind of fitting really.

  28. the bean 28
    22 January 2008 at 8:50 pm

    funded? jesus burt do you think they are chowing through packets of instant and chocolate donuts that they are charging to someone? temporary server assistance from a tech guy that is a member of the party is hardly “funded”

  29. Insolent Prick 29
    22 January 2008 at 8:57 pm

    Yes, apparently I’ve been banned because in IrishBill’s view, asking questions about whether the Standard’s authors are employed by the Labour Party, or Labour Party union affiliates, or employed by Ministerial Services or Parliamentary Services, is a taboo subject. Apparently, asking these questions, which are never answered by the Standard, constitutes telling “lies”, and making “false accusations”.

    Sheesh. It really would be very easy for the Standard to just issue a disclosure statement. I wonder why they’re so hesitant to do so?

  30. the bean 30
    22 January 2008 at 9:01 pm

    because they don’t have to submit to bullying by trolls like you?

    you have been banned (although you still seem to be here) for repeating your claims as if they were fact and from refusing to talk anywhere near the post topics but instead repeating your same tedious accusations on post after post. when people debated the issue with you, you just lied. next you will be selling palm oil

  31. the sprout 31
    22 January 2008 at 9:02 pm

    “Yes, apparently I’ve been banned because…”

    umm IP, you’re going to have to stealth your lying a bit better than that. you see, because we can read what you’ve written, that tips people off that you haven’t been banned.

  32. Glenn 32
    22 January 2008 at 9:05 pm

    Why ban a man for asking a question ? Has New Zealand become a communist country like China who hate bloggers that ask the REAL questions ?

  33. burt 33
    22 January 2008 at 9:05 pm

    the bean

    That might be so, would have been easy for Tane or IrishBill (or some other anon author) to post a thread explaining that wouldn’t it?

    Like I said before, it’s the Deny, Delay, Denigrate approach by proxy on other blogs that makes people wonder WTF is going on.

    captcha: ‘Moore allied’ ( apparently not anymore !)

  34. the bean 34
    22 January 2008 at 9:12 pm

    ummm i seem to remember several comments explaining this…indeed the techie even gave the specifications for the way it is all set up in his house. but through all Ip et al’s hysteria these were ignored.

  35. Pearl 35
    22 January 2008 at 9:13 pm

    Honesty is the best policy, because the truth always has a habit of sneaking up behind you and clobbering you to the floor , hence the saying another one bites the dust.

  36. Insolent Prick 36
    22 January 2008 at 9:14 pm

    Come on, Bean, that’s not true. It is a matter of opinion whether the authors’ political connections influence how they blog. The Standard refuses to make the same kind of disclosure that they demand that DPF makes every time he appears in the media.

    It is astonishing, really, that asking questions about political affiliations, while making it clear that I didn’t care about the personal identities, results in a banning. I haven’t abused any of the Standard’s authors in asking these questions. Meanwhile Tane and IrishBill have done nothing to crank down on the defamatory comments made about me, which no less than four of the Standard’s commenters repeated on this blog.

    Tane’s duplicitous and sneaky explanations, which appear to address the question but actually don’t, have only made more people curious about why the Standard is going to such lengths to conceal the political affiliations of its authors. Drawing reference to the Standard’s Stalker-in-Chief, and his claimed intimidation following his outing, simply isn’t good enough. Tane and IrishBill don’t engage in stalking. The Stalker-in-Chief’s intimidation–if it actually happened, and there’s no reason to believe what he says is credible–was based not on the political opinions he expressed, but his constant threatening, abusive, and obnoxious behaviour.

    Tane could very comfortably state the political affiliations of the Standard’s authors–just as Kiwiblogblog has done. They choose not to.

    Makes more people wonder why they’re being so evasive, and taking the unprecedented step of banning somebody who is asking the questions politely. This, from a blog that championed itself as never banning commenters.

  37. burt 37
    22 January 2008 at 9:15 pm

    the bean

    So who paid for it? Who paying for the traffic and which anonymous members of the standard are affiliated with the Labour party and/or on the parliamentary payroll? Questions anonymous people who demand accountability from others seem unwilling to answer.

  38. Insolent Prick 38
    22 January 2008 at 9:19 pm

    No, the techie’s response was spin, bean. You have deliberately been spinning the Standard’s line, which doesn’t stack up.

    Somebody in the Labour Party, following an email from somebody at the Standard, offered resources to assist the Standard in getting back online. As much as you dislike that statement, bean, none of that statement is untrue.

    It is also absolutely true that despite the Standard’s campaign, since its beginning, to defend and apologise for even the most obnoxious elements of the Electoral Finance Act, requiring players in politics to identify themselves and their political links, the Standard refuses point-blank to disclose the political interests of its authors.

    This is why the Standard is losing all credibility.

  39. Pearl 39
    22 January 2008 at 9:20 pm

    Didn’t they ban d4j yesterday for a trivial comment that wasn’t a threat ? I saw the comment in question and it was no threat, but as usual they needed a distraction to take the heat off, so d4j coped it again, just like he did on kiwiblog when some chap called hinamanu got stuck into him personally . It seems hardly fair .

  40. the bean 40
    22 January 2008 at 9:34 pm

    god you lose all remaining credibility (and I am being generous claiming you even had any) when you defend D4j. if you want him, go chat to him on his blog

  41. Pearl 41
    22 January 2008 at 9:40 pm

    Excuse me, I know d4j personally and if you knew the work he did in the community you would think differently of him . He helps so many families without even a mention of payment and the Courts ( where I work ) have the utmost respect for him .
    Don’t bag a man until you know him.
    Kind regards

  42. the bean 42
    22 January 2008 at 9:44 pm

    well seeings I don’t know him personally, and I just know the abusive rantings he posts, I will judge how he presents- abusive, ranting and mad

  43. the sprout 43
    22 January 2008 at 9:47 pm

    Pearl you are well beyond belief.
    bye!

  44. Pascal's bookie 44
    22 January 2008 at 9:48 pm

    Pearl, did d4j teach you how to type by any chance?

    There are a number of people that type with the same style as dear old Dad so his community work perhaps extends into this area.

  45. Pearl 45
    22 January 2008 at 9:51 pm

    Whatever you think about him I can tell you are wrong and many judges whom he knows personally do not think he is mad . Name any other para legal in New Zealand that can defend clients in both Family Court and Criminal Court jurisdiction ? He has people police bailed to his home.
    Good night . I cannot change your perception of his internet activity.

  46. Pascal's bookie 46
    22 January 2008 at 9:54 pm

    G’night dad(space).
    😉

  47. the bean 47
    22 January 2008 at 9:54 pm

    goodness…you know him so well…it almost feels as if he is with

  49. Fred 49
    22 January 2008 at 10:17 pm

    Wasn’t he banned for life??

  50. burt 50
    22 January 2008 at 10:19 pm

    From all_your_base

    Happy New Year

    Cyber-Santa came a little late to The Standard this year but we’re certainly not complaining – evidently we’ve got a New Year’s present instead.

    He and the techno-elves have moved us to a brand spanking new server cluster that should give us plenty of breathing room and make those pesky traffic congestion problems we were having a thing of the past.

    Seriously though, it wasn’t really Santa. Just like James Bond apparently we have our very own M and it’s him we have to thank instead.

    So it’s registered in a Labour party block and located in a brand spanking new server cluster and it was a present…..

    Anyone still saying it was some tech overlooking the registration details of the IP?

  51. Tane 51
    22 January 2008 at 10:25 pm

    Pearl is Dad. Please ignore him. Prick, you’ve been exposed as a liar so many times it’s no longer funny. We let you dissent on here for months, even as you attacked our integrity repeatedly without any evidence. You’d have been banned on Kiwiblog months ago for that kind of behaviour.

    The thing is, we’re not going to let you jack all our threads with your lies. Most people would have a go and lay off after a while, popping up every now and then to ask a question. You seem to have made it your full time mission to spread lies on our comments threads and ruin it for everyone. We’re not going to have it.

    You’re able to post because as I understand it we don’t have the technical capacity currently to actually ban your IP or username. The idea is you take the hit voluntarily and come back in a week. You can choose to keep posting here and we’ll start deleting you, or you can see us back next Tuesday when you’ve got something new to say.

  52. the bean 52
    22 January 2008 at 10:26 pm

    um…would that not back up EVERYTHING techie elf lynn was saying? how does that change anything burt? keep grasping buddy

    captcha: celery adultery
    (oh so true…how did they know?)

  53. Fred 53
    22 January 2008 at 10:28 pm

    None of that come cheap, I’d like to see that valued at retail rates.

  54. burt 54
    22 January 2008 at 10:30 pm

    In that link I just provided MikeE asked if “M” was the tax payer and the question was never answered.

    The question has still not been answered.

  55. the sprout 55
    22 January 2008 at 10:36 pm

    fred breathe through your nose and read the preceding posts before blessing us with your pearls.

    tane – just ban the fucker on the grounds of terminal boredom. his sock-puppet friends will squeal of his righteous martyrdom but then IP has proven he’s not interested in facts and just keeps playing the same old broken record cut and paste.
    his comments drive people away from the site, his pastes are pollution. better off without him.

  56. the sprout 56
    22 January 2008 at 10:42 pm

    Tane, that vetting code needs to be a priority huh?

  57. Tane 57
    22 January 2008 at 10:45 pm

    Burt it’s been established long ago that the taxpayer is not paying for the standard. Even your mate Prick had moved on from that one. Here’s a suggestion: Go back to Kiwiblog and read Lynn Prentice’s explanation. If you’re too stupid to understand it then I suggest you stop coming here and embarrassing yourself even further.

  58. Tane 58
    22 January 2008 at 10:51 pm

    sprout, yeah I tend to agree on both counts.

  59. burt 59
    22 January 2008 at 10:54 pm

    Tane

    I agree with DPF on this one.

    The issue for me incidentally is disclosure. The Standard has attacked me on dozens of occasions for my voluntary disclosure of my links to National. To not disclose that someone in Labour was lending them server space, isn’t exactly practising what you preach

    So who pays for the bandwidth? If it’s the anonymous authors of the standard then fine, all the best… if it’s been provided via a donation from Labour then how do we value that over an election year?

  60. Rick Prick 60
    22 January 2008 at 11:11 pm

    At least they paid for it, unlike you lot who seem to be funded by the taxpayer via the Labour Party.

  61. PM 61
    22 January 2008 at 11:14 pm

    Wow, now you’re deleting the comments from those that query your ties with Labour!

    Truly amazing.

  62. Rich Prick 62
    22 January 2008 at 11:17 pm

    ” . if it’s been provided via a donation from Labour then how do we value that over an election year?”

    Can we take it from that Tane that it is Labour paying and thus, us as taxpayers? Oh, and if you need to value it, the market can help you out with that. With the traffic you tout, I’d suggest its about $500 plus GST a month. How’s that for answers.

  63. Outofbed 63
    22 January 2008 at 11:17 pm

    IP fuck off

  64. burt 64
    22 January 2008 at 11:21 pm

    Rich Prick

    The standard might be victims of their own incompetence and success.

  65. Rich Prick 65
    22 January 2008 at 11:22 pm

    A bit like their Dear Leader!

  66. milo 66
    22 January 2008 at 11:23 pm

    Look, I’m pleased to see The Standard operating. But. What about the email offering support from the Labour party? Sounds like more than the “no-association” explanation being offered. And I don’t think it is threadjacking to accuse people of hypocrisy on the very topic you are posting on.

    And. If you allow Robinsod to call someone a pig-fucker, and repeat it, despite my complaint, then ban other people for abuse, it’s hard not to think that you truly are the Double Standard.

    Aren’t you better than that? How about some consistency? Alternatively, drop the tone of moral superiority.

  67. Rich Prick 67
    22 January 2008 at 11:26 pm

    IP, I think that Outofbed’s comment is instructive. You’ve skewered them along with everyone else, they have gone to default mode. Don’t expect any rational answers/discussion here on in.

  68. Rich Prick 68
    22 January 2008 at 11:32 pm

    Hello, IP’s comments are vanishing. Hmmm, interesting.

  69. Rich Prick 69
    22 January 2008 at 11:40 pm

    As a Labour (taxpayer) funded wedsite, thanks for the demonstartion of the EFA, we pay for you all and you censor us. Nice work.

  70. PM 70
    22 January 2008 at 11:59 pm

    To the hollow men and women behind the standard:

    Can I ask, do you think it would be inappropriate or unethical if people employed by a union were to run an anonymous blog and on that blog make a post about how someone high up in that union (eg the union’s president) was standing for a political nomination, together with a glowing recommendation (eg “…I’ve got to say I was taken by his level-headedness and the way he’d think before passing comment on anything – definitely a safe pair of hands”) while passing themselves off as independent commentators – all the while refusing to disclose that they worked for that union and hence had a vested interest?

    Not saying that that’s what you’ve done, of course. Just asking whether you believe that would be inappropriate or unethical? Simple question, really. A “yes” or “no” answer would suffice.

    Having asked the question, however, your refusal to deny that staff of EPMU are behind this blog really make these sorts of posts a bit suspicious:

    http://www.thestandard.org.nz/?p=584

    Of course you could remove all suspicion by simply denying that anyone who posts on this blog is employed by said union.

    Simply, really. Yet no denial. Why wouldn’t you deny it if it wasn’t true?

    Hopefully you’re starting to see why disclosure statements are so important.

  71. Robinsod 71
    23 January 2008 at 12:32 am

    Simple question, really. A “yes” or “no” answer would suffice.

    Would a “fuck off” suffice? It’s none of your business who writes for the standard or where they work. I’d suggest you pop over to Insolent Prick’s pro-national blog and ask him who his clients are if you an him are so concerned about transparency.

    While you’re at it ask him if he’s still fucking pigs.

    http://newzblog.wordpress.com/2008/01/21/pig-fucking/

  72. milo 72
    23 January 2008 at 12:34 am

    Robinsod, can’t you ban yourself, or something?

  73. Robinsod 73
    23 January 2008 at 12:50 am

    Why Milo? Because you disagree with me? I’ve asked IP a perfectly reasonable question and he has so far failed to deny it. Therefore it must be true. Read my link and you’ll see how serious I am.

    This is the same burden of proof IP and his mates (alteregos) are using in their allegations here. I figure if it’s good enough for them it’s good enough for me. Can you explain the difference?

  74. Psycho Milt 74
    23 January 2008 at 6:43 am

    Would a “fuck off” suffice?

    Yes, it definitely would. I favoured “Fuck off, cunt,” but then I do tend to verbosity…

  75. The Prophet 75
    23 January 2008 at 7:29 am

    Its looking more and more like there is some substance to the claims made against The Standard.

    Very, very hollow guys.

    Your silence is deafening.

    Mikes continued shrill whistles of ‘pig fucker’ would tend to lend more weight to the fact that something is being hidden.

    The longer it goes on, with bland denials, the more your credibility slips away.

    Ah well, I’m sure someone will get the Electoral Commission to sort it out…….

    …….and if they don’t, you’re just begging for someone with the appropriate skills to do some more digging.

    Rock and a hard place, aye boys?

  76. Psycho Milt 76
    23 January 2008 at 7:52 am

    You may have missed this Prophet, but the EFA doesn’t cover blogs. Your “someone” will most likely find the Electoral Commission a great disappointment to them.

  77. The Prophet 77
    23 January 2008 at 8:24 am

    Nothing to do with the EFA Milt. Except that this ‘blog’ may actually be commercial. No one seems to know. Even Graham seemed a little unsure. Good early tester for the EFA, don’t you think?

    Don’t you find it a little disturbing that these guys rabbit on about ‘transparency’ and ‘hollow men’ and ‘independence’, yet appear to be denying that any of them apply to them.

    I do.

  78. Psycho Milt 78
    23 January 2008 at 9:08 am

    Any blog “may actually be commercial.” But in one sense you’re right – the moment The Standard’s authors start putting hundreds of grand into advertising campaigns, or appearing in the media with nothing to indicate their political affiliations, we’ll be in agreement.

  79. Adolf Fiinkensein 79
    23 January 2008 at 11:17 am

    Milt, where on earth do you get the idea that anyone who appears in the media should declare political affiliations? Good God, man, if you did that you’d find ninety percent of the nations journalists are affiliated with Labour or the Greens.

    I’m more interested in hearing the means by which The Standard’s apparently luxuriously expensive IT infrastructure is funded by the tax payer.

  80. Whaleoil 80
    23 January 2008 at 11:28 am

    Well someone is funding it and it isn’t the Standard, possibly it is Labour but definitely someone.

    It’d be nice if they could even once just tell the truth.

    never mind Bill English is now chasing their sorry asses.
    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0801/S00153.htm

    And it is frontpage on Scoop as well.

    hahaha captcha is parkers genius

  81. roger nome 81
    23 January 2008 at 11:47 am

    “Well someone is funding it and it isn’t the Standard, possibly it is Labour but definitely someone.”

    You do realise that this kind og set up costs no more than a couple of hundred dollars per year to host don’t you. Really, what’s the big deal? It’s not like it’s a $500,000-$1.2 million electoral rort ala exclusive brethren.

  82. g 82
    23 January 2008 at 11:58 am

    Why don’t you just pay for your own web hosting Tane and the standard? I along with others have lodged a complaint with the Electoral commission over this site’s hosting arrangements.

  83. roger nome 83
    23 January 2008 at 12:01 pm

    Tane has already told you to stop posting as other people dad. Do you want to get yourself banned again?

    Also there’s no lie in what I’ve posted above. All off it can be proven.

  84. Whaleoil 84
    23 January 2008 at 12:03 pm

    Roger Gnome lies like a flatfish. The “donated” Block of Static IP’s costs more than that per month.

    But hey keep defending anonymous donors of anonymous blogs why don’t you.

    Hollow bloggers, funded by a hollow party.

  85. The Prophet 85
    23 January 2008 at 12:50 pm

    So Milt –

    Don’t you find it a little disturbing that these guys rabbit on about ‘transparency’ and ‘hollow men’ and ‘independence’, yet appear to be denying that any of them apply to them?

    you seem to have missed the second half of my question.

  86. Robinsod 86
    23 January 2008 at 12:56 pm

    Fuck yeah – the notorious standard. Looks like these guys have really pissed the tories off! Boo hoo tories…

  87. sodribon 87
    23 January 2008 at 1:01 pm

    Queer liars

  88. roger nome 88
    23 January 2008 at 1:23 pm

    Whale blubber:

    This from the person who hosts the standard:

    lprent Says:

    January 20th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
    Whaledreck

    a. A small block of static IP’s costs very little – at least if you aren’t buying them retail.

    Try orcon – they have ‘free’ static IP’s – just part of every broadband account.

    http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2008/01/the_standard_hosted_by_the_labour_party.html

  89. Inventory2 89
    23 January 2008 at 1:31 pm

    Transparency eh – seems like it’s more a case of “you must be transparent, but we reserve the right not to be”. Ah well, seems that this story is getting some traction now, despite all of Tane’s blustering and posturing. Scoop is reporting it on the front page, it’s top of the editor’s picks, and second on the sitewise “most-read” list – and I thought Scoop.co.nz was left-leaning! Maybe some journo from Scoop will read all the allegations of bestiality, and tell the people of New Zealand just what venom the Labour party is supporting via The Standard.

  90. Adolf Fiinkensein 90
    23 January 2008 at 1:38 pm

    Inv2, it’s not venom – just puerile juvenile stupidity. The sort of stuff you’d expect from lower decile fourth formers. If The Standard is any indication of what Labour is getting for it’s twenty or thirty grand per year (remember, they tell the world they have ‘a team’ keeping the show afloat) then they’d have been better to spend the money buying pissups for voters in Otara.

  91. Insolent Prick 91
    23 January 2008 at 2:13 pm

    [Irish Bill] You’ve been banned for spamming IP/The Double Standard. That ban just got extended to two weeks]

  92. Inventory2 92
    23 January 2008 at 2:17 pm

    IP – as I’ve just noted over at Keeping Stock, “It seems that transparency is a one-way street when you’re left-of-centre.” I’ve also taken the liberty of pointing out the response that you have received to your questions!

  93. Matthew Pilott 93
    23 January 2008 at 2:19 pm

    Wow – you guys are so stupid you believe the bullshit now! Or is it just for show? But then why would you say something just for show that makes you look stupid? I guess if you were stupid and said it just for show, you wouldn’t realise it would make you look stupid.

    Perhaps that’s it.

    P.s. I don’t think scoop really leans any way, given that it mainly publishes press releases… press releases from anyone. But given you believe Labour gives The Standard funding to the tune of $20-30k a year…what the hell? Sure, the scoop is a Green Party front, you guessed it.

  94. PM 94
    23 January 2008 at 3:34 pm

    Matthew – One would argue that anyone who didn’t believe it were the “stupid” ones, considering the evidence is clear and the VDS haven’t even denied it (other than an initial few lies from Tane that were quickly changed once they figured out what their response was going to be).

    This blog is funded by Labour. That’s as plain as day, and hasn’t even been denied by them!

  95. Matthew Pilott 95
    23 January 2008 at 3:46 pm

    PM, perhaps you might want to read Robinsod’s ‘pigfucking’ post at newzblog. You see, just making an allegation doesn’t make it true. Some people, perhaps you are not one of them, are aware of the minimal costs of running a blog. Often there is no cost whatsoever.

    Hosting is not proof of any funding.

    You’ll notice IP never denied that he fucks pigs, an allegation made by robinsod in the context of the newzblog post. By your logic, if The Standard is funded by Labour, then a certain someone commits acts of bestiality. Now, an allegation without proof is just that – but no denial does not make such an allegation true. It often lends the allegation credibility, something you probably know all too well but are conveniently ignoring.

    That’s why your logic is flawed, and obviously so.

  96. PM 96
    23 January 2008 at 6:48 pm

    Is there any evidence of the bestiality?

    There IS evidence that Labour are hosting this blog. Oh, and Mike Williams has apparently confirmed it now, too.

    My, don’t you look a little silly now?

  97. burt 97
    23 January 2008 at 9:45 pm

    PM

    Naturally now IP’s ban will be lifted now that the defenders of the indefensible have been hung out to dry calling IP a liar.

    Needless to say their apologies will be sincere and they will explain why they told bold face lies themselves.

  98. burt 98
    23 January 2008 at 9:48 pm

    the sprout

    See: http://www.thestandard.org.nz/?p=976#comment-14375

    Perhaps I should buy my first ever lotto ticket this week…

  99. burt 99
    23 January 2008 at 10:12 pm

    IP

    I know you have been banned, so I don’t expect you to reply – but thanks for putting yourself on the line there. Hopefully this little incident will be the incident that delivers on Labour election promise of a new standard of openness and accountability.

    Is this where we say how great the EFB is?

  100. Concerned from Tawa 100
    23 January 2008 at 11:19 pm

    What a disgrace. TVNZ:”Mike Williams says Labour Party activists are probably behind The Standard and admits a “tidy up” of who uses the web space may be needed.” I think it is time for the Standard to apologise to IP, immediately withdraw his ban and fill in some blanks on the “about” page. Show some decency or forever be labelled the Hollow men. Shameful.

  101. Robinsod 101
    24 January 2008 at 12:13 am

    Is this where we say how great the EFB is?

    Sure is Burt. I’m glad you finally came around.

    Concerned from Tawa – IP, we all know it’s you. Don’t you have some kind of life to live? I notice on your blog you talk about “shagging hot women” but I’m pretty much certain that given you spend so much time seething over those interfering kids at the standard that’s probably as fictitious as your conspiracy theory lies…

  102. Billbob 102
    24 January 2008 at 1:21 pm

    I have spoken to a lot of people in Invercargill and they all think the billboard is brilliant. And this in H2’s home town. What will she do about it?

  103. Robinsod 103
    24 January 2008 at 1:57 pm

    No you haven’t. Nobody speaks “to a lot of people in Invercargill” unless they live there. And I don’t think you live there or you’d say so to further bolster your position.

  104. Billbob 104
    24 January 2008 at 2:51 pm

    ActuallY Robinsod I do, by choice. There is no way that a Lobour candidate will get in here next election.

  105. Robinsod 105
    24 January 2008 at 3:18 pm

    That’s not surprising Billbob. They took a caning last time because of the school review (they even shut down my old school) and because of Peck’s departure (and the fact he did no electoral work for the last year of his tenure. They still did ok in the party vote though. I’ve gotta say I’m surprised there’s support for those Billboards down there – they’ve never been folk to suffer fools down there. I haven’t heard, has the ILT come out in favour of Shadbolt’s campaign?

  106. Billbob 106
    24 January 2008 at 3:29 pm

    No the ILT has not come out in favour and they most probably won’t. However Tim does have the support of the people. The only problem he had with the local Council was how he was funding his action. ie as usual he just went ahead and did it. I would guess that the majority in council support his stand. Yes we are getting the odd (and they are odd) Labour supporter writing letters to the paper but they are the same old ones all the time. Lesley Soper has not done much for the south though.

  107. Robinsod 107
    24 January 2008 at 3:37 pm

    I agree Leslie hasn’t done much for the south but neither has Eric (though he is a much more personable polly) but for a social conservative he helped cause a lot of damaging change during the 1990’s. In my opinion Invercargill has an extremely poor choice of representatives this year.

  108. Billbob 108
    24 January 2008 at 9:48 pm

    Yes Eric intentions are in the right place. He is a bit Presbyterian at times though. Southland however is on a roll despite Wellington. For example we have the European space agency people here to track satellite shortly. They have a tracking station at Awarua.

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    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. 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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    5 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    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
    8 hours 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
    10 hours 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
    11 hours 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
    12 hours 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
    12 hours 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
    12 hours 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
    15 hours 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    2 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    3 days 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
    3 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    5 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
    5 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week ago

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