True Blue Worker Hate

Written By: - Date published: 9:40 am, April 9th, 2013 - 37 comments
Categories: business, capitalism, class war, uncategorized, Unions, wages, workers' rights - Tags:

Any day now the Government will announce more changes to the Employment Relations Act.  These changes will drive down wages and undermine the conditions of all workers.  They will also remove the small amount of protection most cleaners and hospitality workers get when the business they are working for loses a contract to another contractor.

The changes will be hard to campaign around.  “Retain the Duty to Conclude” just doesn’t have a ring about it that will rally people into action.  Key will say the changes are “adjustments” and minor.  They will advertise the fact they are expanding the flexible working arrangements provisions to make it easier for people to request flexible hours (there provisions are fairly well useless for most workers).

There are lots of nasties hidden in the Governments plans.  For example they will give the employer the right to deduct wages for industrial action like refusing certain duties that fall short of actual strikes (an aged care worker for example could still work 40 hours but refuse to prepare the rosters.  The employer could deduct wages for this and say pay for only 36 hours etc).  The law changes will also require all workers to give and withdraw notice formally before taking strike action or ending it.  But the two king hit changes will take the law very close to the Employment Contracts Act (ECA) when combined with the previous changes, and is true blue worker hate.

The first major change will remove the current duty in the Act to conclude a collective agreement when a group of workers is seeking one.  Currently an employer can refuse to settle on an issue (so for example if they disagree with a wage claim), but they can’t walk away on ideological grounds from the bargaining (i.e. not wanting a collective agreement at all).  The new law will remove the obligation to conclude allowing instead for surface bargaining by employers who have no intention to settle.  The law change in our view is likely to have a process to determine that that the bargaining has concluded (e.g. application to the Employment Court) even though settlement has not been reached – this is where the ghost of the ECA comes to life.

If bargaining is deemed concluded without a settlement, strikes in pursuit of a collective become unlawful (workers can only strike as long as the bargaining continues).  Collective Agreements in NZ currently continue for one year after expiry to allow time for negotiating a renewal but only as long as the bargaining continues.  This change will also allow the collective to end in an untimely way leaving workers without coverage and probably will allow the employer to promote “take it or else” individual agreements.  The second nasty little piece of the jigsaw in the new law will remove the protection for new workers to be offered the collective agreement (where one exists) for the first 30 days of employment – instead allowing them to be offered inferior conditions – isolating them from the union and putting at risk those on the collective as the numbers covered by it diminish.

So how does all this fit together?   Firstly securing a collective agreement will become much more difficult.  Employers will use the provisions releasing them from the duty to conclude to seek concessions including over who is covered by the agreement.  They will seek to exclude new workers altogether now they are not compelled to offer them the agreement.  They won’t want new workers being able to bypass the new changes by simply joining the union to gain collective coverage.

Workers will be in an impossible bind:

  • They can strike for a collective renewal – already high risk and difficult with low wage workers in particular, and face all the new difficulties.
  • They can settle collectives that exclude new workers and watch the conditions of the collective and union membership whittle away as the workforce     splits in two.
  • They can campaign and hold out, risking a determination that the bargaining is concluded which will remove the right to strike all together and cancel the remaining term of the expired collective.

During all this time all types of undermining behaviour can be undertaken by the employer as new coverage options become available to them.    Far from promoting collective bargaining as New Zealand’s international obligations require them to do, these law changes will again see workers effectively forced on to individual unilaterally determined by the employer.

The Employment Contracts Act allowed all these things to happen – limited coverage in contracts, individual agreement offers to new workers and union members when contracts expired, severe restrictions on the right to strike, opportunities for new workers to be exploited and de-unionised.   It will be hard to explain to the public that this is in fact what the law changes mean – but workers will see exactly that when the rubber hits the road.

The law, if these changes go ahead, will still include good faith provisions and in that regard remains slightly superior to the ECA but without any outcome obligations this is a marginal benefit and these obligations will be effectively removed for all new employees who may also be on a 90 day trial period.  You can imagine how companies like Talleys and the Ports of Auckland might use these new provisions.

The other massive change will be to Part 6A which offers protection to cleaners and hospitality workers when for example a building owner or sports facility choses to change contractors.   The Government plans to remove these protections for workers who are employed by smaller companies.   I will write more about this later but it is dire for these workers in regards to their employment security and wages and conditions.

We will campaign on these changes – we want your ideas as well and need your support.  Get in touch!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

37 comments on “True Blue Worker Hate ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. karol 1
    9 April 2013 at 9:54 am

    Thanks for the clear explanation of this proposed change, Helen.

    It does indeed amount to worker hatred on the part of Key’s elites.

    It is part of the way Key’s government operates – seemingly small changes, that are part of a raft of inter-related changes. They add up to radical change that will make the lives of the less well-off harder, and that further undermines democracy and social justice.

  2. Dave 2
    9 April 2013 at 10:24 am

    The hate campaign continues against workers advocates. Thatcher was of the same mind as Key,enough of the meddling unions improving on behalf of the lower class.Let’s legislate them into oblivion thereby creating the third world status we have worked so hard to achieve.How dare they work to live,bring back workshops that force them to live to work.

  3. Tom Gould 3
    9 April 2013 at 11:45 am

    And as with all such things, Helen, when the government holds all the cards, and the loudest megaphone, the issue quickly becomes how you and your colleagues react. Will they ‘preach to the converted’ by spewing out 1960s slogans and 1950s ‘worker’ rhetoric and further marginalise their cause, or will they be smart and connect with the lives and hopes of the ‘unconverted’? My money’s on the former.

    • ghostrider888 3.1
      9 April 2013 at 1:19 pm

      that is an Excellent point Tom Gould

    • Olwyn 3.2
      9 April 2013 at 1:26 pm

      @Tom: the big question is how that is to be done. You may be right in saying that 60s and 70s rhetoric no longer works, but conceding what little ground you have as an alternative puts you even further behind the eight ball. People see straight through nothing dressed up as something when they are on the sharp end of things. I am not saying that this is what you are advocating, I am saying that the question as to what we can now do in the hope of being genuinely effective should be the question on all of our minds.

      • Colonial Viper 3.2.1
        9 April 2013 at 1:29 pm

        I am saying that the question as to what we can now do in the hope of being genuinely effective should be the question on all of our minds.

        Well, it’s not going to be through any major political party or through Parliament.

        • Tom Gould 3.2.1.1
          10 April 2013 at 8:18 am

          I don’t hold out much hope, primarily because those devising the strategy have locked themselves into a sort-of ideological straight-jacket, rendering their tactics entirely predictable. The trade union movement, and moreover its leadership, has failed to adapt to the prevailing orthodoxy which has been around for nearly 30 years. Meanwhile, just about everyone else has moved on and life for most people is unrecognisable from that in the ‘union bubble’. No wonder it is so easy for Key and his cronies to make their ‘minor changes’. In the minds of the vast bulk of people, that’s exactly what they are. Once was a time when the trade union movement was embraced by this very same cohort as a force for progress, for making their lives better, taping into the inherent aspirations of people for a better future for themselves and their families. Through indolence and indulgence, the unions are now seen as a force for making things worse, and life harder for people. QED.

  4. Lanthanide 4
    9 April 2013 at 12:32 pm

    More than anything else, it is these sort of changes that I hate National for. They come in, fuck everything up for several years and Labour has to come back and fix it, which coincides with increased economic growth. Then National come back in and fuck everything up again while saying the changes are required to improve economic growth which seems to be forever out of their grasp.

  5. xtasy 5
    9 April 2013 at 1:02 pm

    Quote:
    “If bargaining is deemed concluded without a settlement, strikes in pursuit of a collective become unlawful (workers can only strike as long as the bargaining continues). Collective Agreements in NZ currently continue for one year after expiry to allow time for negotiating a renewal but only as long as the bargaining continues. This change will also allow the collective to end in an untimely way leaving workers without coverage and probably will allow the employer to promote “take it or else” individual agreements.”

    This and the other changes that appear to be introduced, are in essence the Employment Contracts Act revisited and reinstated, in slightly moderate form.

    So here we have it, workers’ rights removed once again by stealth, by gradual piece by piece law changes, done in a manner, and under the pretence of it all being “minor changes”, so that the mainstream media may not even bother looking at it, that the wider public hear nothing about it, and that the already decimated unions will have to run more campaigns, do networking and lobbying, which will drain their resources.

    It is disgusting, and it is a damned time that workers out there realise once and for all: You are ALL in this together, this is not just affecting a few people here or there, one day this will bite virtually every worker.

    The huge problem is people are so individually minded now, and there is such an atmosphere of disconnectedness and distrust, it will be a hell of an effort to organise and to even create awareness.

    Thank you, Helen Kelly for writing this, I had NO IDEA about these planned changes by the government to this moment!

    • Darien Fenton 5.1
      9 April 2013 at 1:48 pm

      xtasy : http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/6914849/Secret-changes-to-labour-rules The government added the part 6A provisions to their plans late last year before Kate Wilkinson was sacked. The only good news is that the government has been so slow to implement these changes when they were signed off by cabinet mid last year.

      • xtasy 5.1.1
        9 April 2013 at 4:55 pm

        Darien, perhaps you and fellow MPs may front up to some of these media clowns out there a bit more often and more firmly, so they also get the message, that you said something about it, and that they better do some more reporting, as we get all kinds of drivel all the time, but nothing that really matters to most working and not working NZers.

        But thank you so much for pointing out that this has been in the making for some time.

        • Darien Fenton 5.1.1.1
          9 April 2013 at 6:04 pm

          Xtasy : we work hard to try to get the media interested believe me and I always front up. This particular piece and accompanying other media work took weeks of effort, starting with getting the cabinet papers in the first place, questions in the house, written questions etc. I also broke the story about the changes to part 6A. What’s frustrating is knowing that it’s hardly hitting the conscienceness of working people about the horrific stuff coming our way.

          • ghostrider888 5.1.1.1.1
            9 April 2013 at 6:36 pm

            you are a trooper Darien, despite what the factional analysts say; imho, the proof is in the putting (out).

            Edit: in fact, We are all in this together, (and if you follow The Standard, the future is NOT looking bright, though we might need shades).

            Yours Sincerely, not Eddie.

          • xtasy 5.1.1.1.2
            9 April 2013 at 10:07 pm

            Thanks for letting us know, Darien, keep it up, sadly many working people, like also beneficiaries, are not informed, as the media has generally dropped in standards across the board and is largely in Nat friendly hands.

            Now the Na(t)zis have managed to pass this horrendous Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill through the 3rd Reading, it will late this year and in coming years be all “shock and horror” for many naive, ill informed beneficiaries, who have NO idea about what will be in store for them.

            SHOCKING state of affairs, really!

  6. xtasy 6
    9 April 2013 at 1:09 pm

    I can say with some certainty, that beneficiaries will have the same kind of “awakening” as workers will have facing such changed labour laws, once the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill will be law and implemented. There is so much lack of awareness and information around about all this out there, it is shocking!

  7. ghostrider888 7
    9 April 2013 at 1:24 pm

    from my “breeze-block” tower-cell Helen; perception of a need to re-educate “working people” regarding expectations; expectations are enslaving folk; to re-quote Uturn, cut back, and “cut off the blood supply to the parasites”.

    Watched your every nuance on Q+A, fetching in grey, however, you are destined for great things, remain composed..

  8. Lionel 8
    9 April 2013 at 3:31 pm

    where,s the Maori Party in all of this maori would be a disadvantagedalong with every other worker
    i agree with Lanthanide

  9. big bruv 9
    9 April 2013 at 7:11 pm

    Seems like a great bit of legislation to me. Sensible policy and long overdue.

    Of course nobody should take a word that Kelly says at face value.

    [lprent: Please remember that Helen is an author here. That means you have severe limits on how far you can attack her on this site. Attack what she says. Do not attack her.

    BTW: Reminds me – did you ever pay up? Or are you still welching?
    Based on your previous performance I think that we’d have to treat your words with a wee bit of caution. ]

    • Colonial Viper 9.1
      9 April 2013 at 7:22 pm

      Slavery is sensible, as is child labour. And getting rid of environmental responsibilities. In comparison, this legislation is soft assed pansy kneed shit.

      • rosy 9.1.1
        9 April 2013 at 8:31 pm

        Slavery is not sensible. It costs the owner more than disposable labour, who they don’t have to house and feed. Child labour on the other hand, might be.

    • xtasy 9.2
      9 April 2013 at 10:09 pm

      Helen Kelly has heaps more credentials than the dodgy bugger that is running this government and country into the ground at present! But I suppose you choose to differ, which would make clear, what we can think of your credentials.

    • Murray Olsen 9.3
      9 April 2013 at 11:52 pm

      Funnily enough, big bruv sounds exactly like my older brother. Not an engineer by any chance, are you?

  10. Jenny 10
    9 April 2013 at 9:11 pm

    Under the ECA strikes were only\ illegal during the term of a contract.

    This new law makes it illegal to strike even if you are out of contract.

    Except for some very narrow circumstances which are subject to the Employer, being willing to talk to you….

    ….All strikes will now be illegal.

    I wonder how the major unions will respond?

    I wonder how the Unite Union will respond? The Unite Union will be particularly vulnerable to this new law, as they have used the strike weapon as a major recruiting tool, many thousands of young workers joined them on the backs of a myriad of small but successful strikes organised in fast food restaurants.

    And last of all, I wonder how the CTU will respond?

    My guess is, not at all. Because that would mean breaking the anti strike laws that already exist.

    On the other side of the coin since all future strikes, from now on will be illegal, The CTU might as well get started now.

    If I was Helen Kelly I would call an immediate all up CTU affiliates meeting to see if there is stomach for such a strike.

    • xtasy 10.1
      9 April 2013 at 10:11 pm

      “This new law makes it illegal to strike even if you are out of contract.”

      Maybe this raises human rights issues, or breaches international conventions NZ may have signed, I wonder!?

  11. Graeme Trask 11
    9 April 2013 at 10:07 pm

    Thank you Helen. The current government is doing all it can and while it can to exploit workers rights and conditions. The sooner this government is rid of the better and Helen Kelly to be the next prime minister of NZ

  12. Murray Olsen 12
    9 April 2013 at 11:58 pm

    We had the chance of a general strike in 1984, which would have put this neoliberal nonsense back a few years. Ken Douglas and Bill Andersen were dead against it, on the basis that at least we could talk to Labour. Not even necessarily that they’d listen, but we could talk to them.
    Now, in 2013, I still don’t see any other real answer. The problem is that the numbers in unions have gone right down and neoliberalism is the reigning delusion. I’m afraid I can’t see any other answers except for a long, slow, and difficult rebuilding of the working class movement. We have some natural allies in beneficiaries, Mana, the Greens, some of the Labour members, and maybe even some Winston First supporters. It won’t be easy, but not much that is worthwhile ever is.

    • Colonial Viper 12.1
      10 April 2013 at 12:25 am

      You need capital
      You need economic levers
      You need media levers
      You need leaders
      You need political operators

      Where are they all

      • xtasy 12.1.1
        10 April 2013 at 8:52 am

        Too many are too busy covering their own backsides, cushioning their seats, pretending to be doing something of relevance, keeping the lid on the disgruntled former supporters, paying us off with “well meaning” expressions of solidarity (words) and otherwise preparing for their secure retirement, while feathering their own nests.

        As for members of unions, and common workers, they are also too scared to rock the boat, they are themselves often divided, and the latter are often choosing to “protect” themselves by greasing up to bosses, hoping that will secure employment and their pay, so they can maintain their little slave lives while paying off the mortgages, paying the rent, putting a few morsels aside for Kiwi Saver.

        The RIGHT has sadly succeeded, with all their strategies and tricks, to DIVIDE and ensure their RULE!

    • xtasy 12.2
      10 April 2013 at 8:57 am

      Murray, in all honesty, do WORKERS expect SOLIDARITY from BENEFICIARIES, while too many (even the working poor) have fallen for DIVISION and truly SHAT ON BENEFICIARIES, when they struggled for maintaining meagre rights and protection???

      Where were the workers that supported the protests, or even us here on the Standard and in other places and forums, when beneficiaries were getting hammered?

      Where was the sympathy from the “middle class”?

      Where is the support and sympathy from any of those working NOW?

      Too late, the most hideous piece of legislation was passed in the House last night, supported by lackeys like Dunne. I know of people who wrote to the guy, to present the critical issues in question, to reconsider and withhold his vote to just ensure some corrections to protect the weakest. NO, he cast his vote in favour, and the voters of Ohariu have not to my knowledge lobbied him to show sympathy and consideration.

      NZ is DIVIDED, PEOPLE ARE AT EACH OTHER’S THROATS, RATHER THAN STAND TOGETHER!

  13. Kahukowhai 13
    10 April 2013 at 2:55 pm

    The putting in of compulsory collective agreements was an ideological move in 2005. Remember:
    This was the policy of Labour in 2000 but they backed down in the face of opposition in the submissions. In 2005 they simply ignored the submissions outright to push it through regardless. You can’t deny it was a controversial move. I have never signed a union collective agreement and I never will. Myself and my friends would regard this as a push towards compulsory union membership and some of my friends who were forced to belong to unions would have strong views about their rights to freedom of association, which isn’t just what you define it as, the right to belong to a union, but also the right not to be forced to join a union.

    • Colonial Viper 13.1
      12 April 2013 at 10:45 am

      In politics, ideology is everything.

      You may want to be a lone agent negotiating for yourself but you are one of the few.

      My suggestion since you are such a heroic worker – just find a work place or an employer which doesn’t use collective contracts. Maybe working as a collective team is not for you? It seems like life as an independent contractor beckons to you. Go for it. Don’t let the losers hold you back mate, you can o it all better by yourself.

      It’s your choice where you work after all, and you have freedom not to associate with work places you don’t want to associate with.

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    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    19 hours ago

  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    22 hours ago

  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    22 hours ago

  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    22 hours ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    24 hours ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 day ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    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
    1 day 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    5 days ago

  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago

  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: “What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Sad tales from the left
    Michael Bassett writes –  Have you noticed the odd way in which the media are handling the government’s crackdown on surplus employees in the Public Service? Very few reporters mention the crazy way in which State Service numbers rocketed ahead by more than 16,000 during Labour’s six years, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • In Whose Best Interests?
    On The Spot: The question Q+A host, Jack Tame, put to the Workplace & Safety Minister, Act’s Brooke van Velden, was disarmingly simple: “Are income tax cuts right now in the best interests of lowering inflation?”JACK TAME has tested another MP on his Sunday morning current affairs show, Q+A. Minister for Workplace ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Don’t Question, Don’t Complain.
    It has to start somewhereIt has to start sometimeWhat better place than here?What better time than now?So it turns out that I owe you all an apology.It seems that all of the terrible things this government is doing, impacting the lives of many, aren’t necessarily ‘bad’ per se. Those things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

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

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

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day 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
    2 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
    2 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    7 days ago

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

  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
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  • Navigating an unstable global environment
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