This is not an image of a Low Flying Penguin.

Written By: - Date published: 1:40 pm, July 16th, 2017 - 62 comments
Categories: class, class war, Ethics, greens, Metiria Turei, poverty, welfare - Tags: ,

So Metiria Turei told porkies to WINZ when she was a solo parent. Big fucking whoops. I’m guessing a whole pile of people without a fucking clue will attempt to jump all over her for that.

And they’ll make as though they’ve never fiddled their work related expenses; never ‘liberated’ a piece of equipment or product from their workplace; never accepted cash without declaring it to IRD; never taken advantage of a mis-priced item, never used a work account improperly to get discount on personal purchases, or walked out of somewhere without telling a cashier they’d made a mistake in their change.

Step forward – all you people who ‘butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth’, and who have never experienced the endless daily grind of poverty.

Let’s be hearing you.

 

62 comments on “This is not an image of a Low Flying Penguin. ”

  • Comments are now closed

  2. Macro 2
    16 July 2017 at 2:02 pm

    I think you miss the point that Metira was making bill. The point was not about her – but about the fact that the current system of inquisition for any benefit forces almost all applicants into the “sin” of omission – ie withholding information that would deny them the help that they are otherwise entitled to.
    Furthermore why she had to “lie” was because no matter how she tried to manage her finances the money she received was insufficient to provide for herself and her child. That is the reason why the Greens propose a 20% increase in the standard rate.

    • alwyn 2.1
      16 July 2017 at 3:36 pm

      Of course we should raise the benefits if they are too low.
      However did she say when she repaid the money? Taking it when you are desperate is one thing. Not repaying a technically illegal payment when you are in vastly better financial circumstances is surely another.
      Did she say in the speech when she repaid the money during her last 15 years on about 4 times the average wage? That would seem to have been a good thing to add to the story and removed any grounds for calling her a fraudster I would have thought.
      I didn’t hear the speech so if she did tell us when she returned the money good on her. If not perhaps she should come out and tell us when that happened.

  3. rhinocrates 3
    16 July 2017 at 2:11 pm

    I’d love to hear what Billshit, Barclay and Bennett have to say about this, being such exemplars of honesty when it comes to benefits.

  4. Bill 4
    16 July 2017 at 2:12 pm

    Andrea Vance (TVNZ). Butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.

    Isaac Davidson (Herald). Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth.

    No doubt more will come crawling and slithering through the hypocritical slime that marks their way.

    • weka 4.1
      16 July 2017 at 2:23 pm

      tbh not sure what you are on about. Isaac Davison is simply reporting on the speech and policy announcement. There’s nothing judgemental there. I’m sure there will be judgements and there will be smeary politics too, but that’s not in that link.

      • Bill 4.1.1
        16 July 2017 at 2:28 pm

        Headlines set peoples’ perspectives.

        Both of the linked headlines are about Metiria Turei having lied to WINZ.

        • fender 4.1.1.1
          16 July 2017 at 2:35 pm

          If Metiria had said “I wasn’t entirely truthful” and the headlines became “Metiria lied” you may have a point.

          • Bill 4.1.1.1.1
            16 July 2017 at 3:15 pm

            A statement of fact that demonstrates the reality facing people who claim inadequate entitlements ought not to be controversial at a personal level – ie, in terms of questioning the integrity of the person who has stated the fact.

            Attempts to question Metiria’s integrity are just shit arsed attempts to deflect from the real issue that entitlement levels are punitively low – so low that people rightfully claiming them are pushed into a position where they knowingly break the law in order that they can merely continue to get by.

        • Carolyn_nth 4.1.1.2
          16 July 2017 at 2:51 pm

          Meanwhile, on RNZ, Mei Heron reports:

          headline: “Greens’ Turei reveals struggles at family policy launch”

          From the article – it begins:

          Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei has revealed she lied to receive more benefits while struggling to raise her daughter on her own.

          Later in the article:

          It would aim to increase all core benefits by 20 percent. This would include Jobseeker Support, Sole Parent Support, Supported Living and the Student Allowance.

          “I was one of those women who you hear people complaining about in talkback radio,” she said.

          She never told Work and Income how many flatmates were living with her, she said.

          “They could have charged me with fraud and made me a criminal as well. I got through it, of course, as you can see. Not everyone does.”

          The co-leader said her own personal story, as well as the tales of others, were the inspiration to create the package, which would be “the most significant changes to our welfare system in a generation”.

          • Bill 4.1.1.2.1
            16 July 2017 at 3:04 pm

            And that’s the side I’d like to see the narrative fall to.

            I’ve a sneaky suspicion the time’s about right for that to be a possibility – thanks to the impact of overseas stuff like Sanders and Corbyn et al.

        • Matthew Whitehead 4.1.1.3
          16 July 2017 at 5:18 pm

          It is timely to remind people that authors very rarely get to choose their own headlines, even online.

          You should be judging authors on content and editors on headlines.

          • weka 4.1.1.3.1
            16 July 2017 at 5:22 pm

            Except people who are writing about low flying penguins 😆

            (yes, I take your point about journos, just couldn’t resist because Bill does some good headlines sometimes).

            • Matthew Whitehead 4.1.1.3.1.1
              16 July 2017 at 10:19 pm

              Right, blogs are obviously different, and those of us who write for them usually are responsible for headlines, which, frankly, is why they’re normally better.

          • Bill 4.1.1.3.2
            17 July 2017 at 12:50 pm

            Yes, you’re right Matthew and I’m well aware of that fact. Given I was judging the headlines and the “tone” they’d be setting in readers, it would probably have been more appropriate for me to ask –

            “are we to assume that butter wouldn’t melt in the mouth of…”

            And then where the content belied the headline, people could have answered that question for themselves accordingly.

            • Matthew Whitehead 4.1.1.3.2.1
              17 July 2017 at 3:09 pm

              Yeah, I figured you were aware of it but that you just hadn’t bothered to make the distinction, however the discussion was absolutely taking a turn for blaming article authors in mainstream press for headlines they didn’t choose.

  5. Ovid 5
    16 July 2017 at 2:32 pm

    I think the question is whether Turei’s candour helps or hinders the Greens. I honestly don’t know. A lot of NZers would be sympathetic and understanding, but on the other hand there is a vindictive streak that doesn’t like people breaking rules.

    • Andre 5.1
      16 July 2017 at 2:45 pm

      I suspect there’s a near perfect correlation between whether the confession improves or worsens attitudes towards the Greens and a person’s pre-existing attitude to the Greens.

    • Draco T Bastard 5.2
      16 July 2017 at 2:46 pm

      That vindictive streak is usually in people who break the rules all the time. It’s ok for them you see as they’re special. Other people, especially the poor, are actually to be held to the rules.

    • weka 5.3
      16 July 2017 at 3:07 pm

      Honestly, I don’t think it matters. Turei said it might hurt them. But it’s still the right thing to do. If NZ can’t handle politicians being truthful, then we have far worse problems than whether this hurts the Greens in this election.

      • Loop 5.3.1
        18 July 2017 at 3:21 pm

        I have a lot of respect for Metiria for admitting to her potential law breaking. I can’t say I hold surjon, judith, bill, paula, toddy etc. in the same regard. I also don’t think it vindictive to see an independent investigation take place to see if their was any law broken (by all the above-mention) and if so face the same justice I’d be expected to face in her/ their situation if I admitted to wrongdoing. I haven’t been on a benefit for over 2 decades but still remember the disparaging treatment from these so-called “social” agencies as I do from the unbalanced IRD when it came to liable parent contributions when my marriage broke (my fault, not my choice) .
        As far as whether it helps the person/ party opinion will be divided for any amount of reasons. My 2 cents worth, if I was an undecided, voter I’d be voting greens for the retrospective integrity. Certainly not dishonest to the death natz

    • Matthew Whitehead 5.4
      16 July 2017 at 5:32 pm

      Well, it certainly helps in terms of giving her story credibility. You don’t confess to benefit fraud unless you really want to make it clear you honestly couldn’t afford to live.

      It’s much harder for opponents of reasonable social welfare to argue that they’re paying enough when even someone who everyone can agree did everything else right like Turei had to lie by omission in order to have enough to live on and take care of her daughter.

      As for whether it helps or hurts, it’s certainly re-energised a lot of wavering Green supporters, even though it’s made them a bunch of enemies, a lot of them will be people who would never have even considered voting Green anyway.

      The real question is just how much it hurts the more moderate environmental centrists who are reluctant about the Greens’ emphasis on social policy and left-wing economics. I expect the answer is: not as much as it helps with left-wing voters.

      edit: And, to be honest, the RW trolls are having real difficulty arguing against the point that “if benefits are so low you have to commit fraud to survive, why should we view benefit fraud as wrong?” Their mean tactic seems to be repeating “but it’s still fraud!”

      • weka 5.4.1
        16 July 2017 at 5:41 pm

        Do you think the Greens will be pushing on the non-vote?

        • Macro 5.4.1.1
          16 July 2017 at 6:12 pm

          I can see that it will increase the incentive for those who have given up or see no policy for them to actually get up the courage to vote. Those who don’t because of enrollment issues (eg giving away an address) will still stay at home and hope.

          • weka 5.4.1.1.1
            16 July 2017 at 6:14 pm

            I hope that is true, and that what the GP are doing reaches those people.

            • Macro 5.4.1.1.1.1
              16 July 2017 at 6:49 pm

              Me too.
              My greatest hope is that we will see a Lab/Green govt in the near future where this policy to eradicate poverty for 100,000s of thousands of NZers will be enacted .

          • Matthew Whitehead 5.4.1.1.2
            16 July 2017 at 10:21 pm

            Enrollment issues are a different story though, as the numbers we have on non-voters are for enrolled non-voters.

        • Matthew Whitehead 5.4.1.2
          16 July 2017 at 10:20 pm

          I honestly don’t know. I expect at least some of non-voters are on benefits, but I just don’t understand enough about them to venture a guess.

        • Xanthe 5.4.1.3
          17 July 2017 at 9:01 am

          Yes i think this could well reach some “non voters” and if so its a huge win for the greens. Could turn out to be a very good move.

  6. Ovid 6
    16 July 2017 at 2:35 pm

    And in the spirit of that candour I must confess that I wasn’t buying a new computer every year with my course-related costs student loan claim.

  7. marty mars 7
    16 July 2017 at 2:57 pm

    I think saying this was a mistake. Calling nzwinnie racist also a mistake.

    The Greens need to realise less is more and you don’t pick fights when you aren’t a fighter.

    • Matthew Whitehead 7.1
      16 July 2017 at 5:37 pm

      But they are fighters, Marty. It just never got media coverage before.

      Both moves seem to have played well with sympathetic voters. We’ll want to see how it impacts polling over the next couple of months, but there’s no suggestion so far that either have been the risky disasters that press are trying to play them off as.

      • marty mars 7.1.1
        16 July 2017 at 5:51 pm

        well that was my opinion not based on press reports. Great that sympathetic voters think it played well – hardly a surprise and really a waste of time unless a gee up in confidence is needed for them.

        Picking a premeditated fight with winnie? Is that where you see votes coming from? Why do it – the greens aren’t nzf and this is known. Flexing muscle for another party to notice perhaps?

        I hope there is a strategy because doing it the way it’s been done for years – is not going to work imo.

        • weka 7.1.1.1
          16 July 2017 at 5:59 pm

          This is new though. This is values-based politics, and it’s what the left has been pushing for for a long time. It’s not BAU. Anti-racism, anti-poverty, pro-environment, social justice. What Turei did today was stand up and tell a whole strata of NZ that she’s on their side and she is one of them. That is massive. I don’t even care if that doesn’t translate into votes (like Matthew I think it won’t cost them and will probably be a net gain). The important thing here is that they’re shifting the narrative. It’s ok for NZers to care.

    • Macro 7.2
      16 July 2017 at 9:44 pm

      As usual the “Metiria is a fraudster” argument from the right is nothing more than personal attack, because quite frankly they can’t mount a reasoned argument against the new policy from humanitarian grounds, so the tactic is to attack the messenger.

      • mpledger 7.2.1
        17 July 2017 at 9:05 am

        With Barclay not doing his job as an MP, can we expect him to repay his salary? It sounds pretty fraudulent to me and on a much bigger scale then MT.

      • Norfolk Traveller 7.2.2
        17 July 2017 at 12:59 pm

        Macro…it isn’t just the right. I have been looking on this site for an appropriate place to debate the actual policy and I can’t find one. All the narrative is about Metiria’s admission she lied to WINZ.

          • Norfolk Traveller 7.2.2.1.1
            17 July 2017 at 1:34 pm

            https://thestandard.org.nz/lefties-on-fire/
            Thanks – hadn’t seen this one.

            https://thestandard.org.nz/the-greens-new-welfare-policy/
            Was written before the policy was announced.

            https://thestandard.org.nz/the-greens-rock-their-agm/
            Was a post about Climate Change and Campaign Strategy.

            So just one. Your emphasis on debating Miteria’s behaviour over actually discussing the policy is weird.

            • weka 7.2.2.1.1.1
              17 July 2017 at 2:20 pm

              None of those posts had an emphasis on MT’s actions. Two didn’t refer to it and the third barely mentions it. .

              “https://thestandard.org.nz/the-greens-new-welfare-policy/
              Was written before the policy was announced.”

              About an hour before, which covered the policy intention, and then updated during and after the announcement, which gave detail of the policy and links to analysis. Most of the comments were made after.

              “Your emphasis on debating Miteria’s behaviour over actually discussing the policy is weird.”

              And yet here you are discussing it. Not sure what you want tbh. There’s two clear posts to discuss the policy, and I wouldn’t object if you also commented about it in the AGM post. Have at it.

              • Norfolk Traveller …
                17 July 2017 at 3:07 pm

                Two of the posts you cited were written either before the announcement (it doesn’t matter how long before) or were on entirely different subjects. Both acted as a soak hole for comments about MT’s admission of fraud.
                You’ve only posted one piece on the actual policy, and the majority of comments on that thread are about MT.
                What I found particularly silly was this post https://thestandard.org.nz/metiria-turei-and-paula-bennett-on-benefit-fraud/ which was nothing more than a deflection.
                All I’m saying is that the policy itself is worth debating, but you’re forum seems to have been more interested in offering a defence of MT.

                • weka …
                  17 July 2017 at 4:09 pm

                  The policy post got put up ahead of time specifically so that people would have a place to discuss the policy when it was announced. If you don’t want to use that that’s up to you.

                  What I’m getting is that you would rather have a moan about what other people are commenting on than talk policy. Again, up to you.

    • Xanthe 7.3
      17 July 2017 at 9:02 am

      Caling people “racist” is always a mistake i really wish they would stop that.

  8. James 8
    16 July 2017 at 3:20 pm

    I’m sure if Paula Bennett made the same admission should would be treated the same by standard commenters.

    • Incognito 8.1
      16 July 2017 at 3:26 pm

      I’d love to find out.

    • fender 8.2
      16 July 2017 at 3:26 pm

      I’m sure if Paula Bennett displayed the same level of truthfulness most TS commenters would instantly drop dead from shock!

    • weka 8.3
      16 July 2017 at 3:29 pm

      No. The reason that people might be pissed off at Bennett is not because of possible benefit fraud, but because she pulled the ladder up behind her and then shat on beneficiaries from above. She’s a massive hypocrite and has caused untold misery on people. Watch Turei’s speech. People have died. No comparison at all between National’s hatred of the poor and Turei’s compassion.

    • Matthew Whitehead 8.4
      16 July 2017 at 5:38 pm

      If Paula Bennet made the same admission and called for the same changes, I’d say leave her be.

      In fact, the worst I’d accuse her of is hypocrisy in her current policies, which she already gets plenty of. I wouldn’t want her jailed for trying to live.

    • adam 8.5
      16 July 2017 at 5:55 pm

      That’s not trolling??!?

  9. Craig H 9
    16 July 2017 at 3:31 pm

    Minor point on receiving cash without declaring it to IRD – you don’t have to if the total received in a tax year is $200 or less (another figure which hasn’t been updated in a very long time).

  10. adam 10
    16 July 2017 at 5:54 pm

    I see they ragged out the tax payers union to talk crap about this.

    I see the scum is rising to the top again in NZ politics.

  11. reason 11
    16 July 2017 at 7:39 pm

    Tax payers union …. dirty politics in situ

  12. gsays 12
    17 July 2017 at 8:30 am

    Add to the list, self employed types that use the business assets for private use, car truck for example and have the business pay for the furl.
    Insidious and common.

  13. UncookedSelachimorpha 13
    17 July 2017 at 8:55 am

    Metiria makes an excellent point. While the RWNJs will claim one law for all, despite the legal and financial system completely favouring those with wealth.

    I don’t see a beneficiary gaining a few extra “dishonest” dollars causes any harm (and in fact socially and economically it is likely to be a good thing) compared to people with billions standing by while others go without, and billionaires contributing far less proportionally in tax than others who are far poorer.

    In its majestic equality, the law forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, beg in the streets and steal loaves of bread.

    Anatole France

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    The centre-right’s enthusiasm for forcing people off the benefit and into paid work is matched only by the enthusiasm (shared by Treasury and the Reserve Bank) for throwing people out of paid work to curb inflation, and achieve the optimal balance of workers to job seekers deemed to be desirable ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Wednesday’s Chorus: Arthur Grimes on why building many, many more social houses is so critical
    New research shows that tenants in social housing - such as these Wellington apartments - are just as happy as home owners and much happier than private tenants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The election campaign took an ugly turn yesterday, and in completely the wrong direction. All three ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Old habits
    Media awareness about global warming and climate change has grown fairly steadily since 2004. My impression is that journalists today tend to possess a higher climate literacy than before. This increasing awareness and improved knowledge is encouraging, but there are also some common interpretations which could be more nuanced. ...
    Real ClimateBy rasmus
    3 days ago

  • Bennie Bashing.
    If there’s one thing the mob loves more than keeping Māori in their place, more than getting tough on the gangs, maybe even more than tax cuts. It’s a good old round of beneficiary bashing.Are those meanies in the ACT party stealing your votes because they think David Seymour is ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • The kindest cuts
    Labour kicks off the fiscal credibility battle today with the release of its fiscal plan. National is expected to follow, possibly as soon as Thursday, with its own plan, which may (or may not) address the large hole that the problems with its foreign buyers’ ban might open up. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Green right turn in Britain? Well, a start
    While it may be unlikely to register in New Zealand’s general election, Britain’s PM Rishi Sunak has done something which might just be important in the long run. He’s announced a far-reaching change in his Conservative government’s approach to environmental, and particularly net zero, policy. The starting point – ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – How do human CO2 emissions compare to natural CO2 emissions?
    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

  • How could this happen?
    Canada is in uproar after the exposure that its parliament on September 22 provided a standing ovation to a Nazi veteran who had been invited into the chamber to participate in the parliamentary welcome to Ukrainian President Zelensky. Yaroslav Hunka, 98, a Ukrainian man who volunteered for service in ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    4 days ago

  • Always Be Campaigning
    The big screen is a great place to lay out the ways of the salesman. He comes ready-made for Panto, ripe for lampooning.This is not to disparage that life. I have known many good people of that kind. But there is a type, brazen as all get out. The camera ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • STEPHEN FRANKS: Press seek to publicly shame doctor – we must push back
    The following is a message sent yesterday from lawyer Stephen Franks on behalf of the Free Speech Union. I don’t like to interrupt first thing Monday morning, but we’ve just become aware of a case where we think immediate and overwhelming attention could help turn the tide. It involves someone ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Competing on cruelty
    The right-wing message calendar is clearly reading "cruelty" today, because both National and NZ First have released beneficiary-bashing policies. National is promising a "traffic light" system to police and kick beneficiaries, which will no doubt be accompanied by arbitrary internal targets to classify people as "orange" or "red" to keep ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • Further funding for Pharmac (forgotten in the Budget?) looks like a $1bn appeal from a PM in need of...
    Buzz from the Beehive One Labour plan  – for 3000 more public homes by 2025 – is the most recent to be posted on the government’s official website. Another – a prime ministerial promise of more funding for Pharmac – has been released as a Labour Party press statement. Who ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: The Vested interests shaping National Party policies
    As the National Party gets closer to government, lobbyists and business interests will be lining up for influence and to get policies adopted. It’s therefore in the public interest to have much more scrutiny and transparency about potential conflicts of interests that might arise. One of the key individuals of ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago

  • Labour may be on way out of power and NZ First back in – but will Peters go into coalition with Na...
    Voters  are deserting Labour in droves, despite Chris  Hipkins’  valiant  rearguard  action.  So  where  are they  heading?  Clearly  not all of them are going to vote National, which concedes that  the  outcome  will be “close”. To the Right of National, the ACT party just a  few weeks  ago  was ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    4 days ago

  • GRAHAM ADAMS: Will the racists please stand up?
    Accusations of racism by journalists and MPs are being called out. Graham Adams writes –    With the election less than three weeks away, what co-governance means in practice — including in water management, education, planning law and local government — remains largely obscure. Which is hardly ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on whether Winston Peters can be a moderating influence
    As the centre-right has (finally!) been subjected to media interrogation, the polls are indicating that some voters may be starting to have second thoughts about the wisdom of giving National and ACT the power to govern alone. That’s why yesterday’s Newshub/Reid Research poll had the National/ACT combo dropping to 60 ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Tuesday’s Chorus: RBNZ set to rain on National's victory parade
    ANZ has increased its forecast for house inflation later this year on signs of growing momentum in the market ahead of the election. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: National has campaigned against the Labour Government’s record on inflation and mortgage rates, but there’s now a growing chance the Reserve ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • After a Pittsburgh coal processing plant closed, ER visits plummeted
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Katie Myers. This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Pittsburgh, in its founding, was blessed and cursed with two abundant natural resources: free-flowing rivers and a nearby coal seam. ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • September-23 AT Board Meeting
    Today the AT board meet again and once again I’ve taken a look at what’s on the agenda to find the most interesting items. Closed Agenda Interestingly when I first looked at the agendas this paper was there but at the time of writing this post it had been ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • New community-level energy projects to support more than 800 Māori households
    Seven more innovative community-scale energy projects will receive government funding through the Māori and Public Housing Renewable Energy Fund to bring more affordable, locally generated clean energy to more than 800 Māori households, Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods says. “We’ve already funded 42 small-scale clean energy projects that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Huge boost to Te Tai Tokerau flood resilience
    The Government has approved new funding that will boost resilience and greatly reduce the risk of major flood damage across Te Tai Tokerau. Significant weather events this year caused severe flooding and damage across the region. The $8.9m will be used to provide some of the smaller communities and maraes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Napier’s largest public housing development comes with solar
    The largest public housing development in Napier for many years has been recently completed and has the added benefit of innovative solar technology, thanks to Government programmes, says Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods. The 24 warm, dry homes are in Seddon Crescent, Marewa and Megan Woods says the whanau living ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Government invests in top of the south’s roading resilience
    $12 million to improve the resilience of roads in the Nelson, Marlborough and Tasman regions Hope Bypass earmarked in draft Government Policy Statement on land transport $127 million invested in the top of the south’s roads since flooding in 2021 and 2022 The Government is investing over $12 million to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

  • New Zealanders continue to support the revitalisation of te reo as we celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Mā...
    Ko tēnei te wiki e whakanui ana i tō tātou reo rangatira. Ko te wā tuku reo Māori, e whakanuia tahitia ai te reo ahakoa kei hea ake tēnā me tēnā o tātou, ka tū ā te Rātū te 14 o Mahuru, ā te 12 o ngā hāora i te ahiahi. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

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