Tweets from a Donald Trump meeting

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, June 17th, 2016 - 88 comments
Categories: International, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, us politics, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags:

Donald Trump make America great again

Good twitter is an art form. Jared Yates Sexton, an American writer is one of the better exponents of the art.

He recently attended a Donald Trump meeting and tweeted the experience.

Here they are (H/t politicalscrapbook.net). Read them and be concerned.

88 comments on “Tweets from a Donald Trump meeting ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. vto 1
    17 June 2016 at 7:36 am

    holy shit

    as expected but still surprising and scary

    what to do?
    what to do?

    can’t sit and do nothing
    can’t sit and do nothing

    • Colonial Viper 1.1
      17 June 2016 at 10:10 am

      Democrats can cure Trump easy. They can put in Bernie Sanders as candidate, and Bernie will kill Trump at the polls by double digits.

      Or they can go with the establishment status quo Clinton, and give Trump every chance at the White House.

      What will it be Democrats?

  2. linda 2
    17 June 2016 at 8:16 am

    Sounds like the last bays of empire falling apart from the inside

  3. Fustercluck 3
    17 June 2016 at 8:17 am

    I used to wonder what it was like to live in Germany in the thirties as the Nazis ascended to power. Now I know.

    • Rosie 3.1
      17 June 2016 at 11:25 am

      The tweeter himself said it was Nuremberg rally level crazy, as much as he didn’t like to use the comparison.

      It really is something that does need to be compared and studied however, by sociologist’s, if it hasn’t already.

      • BM 3.1.1
        17 June 2016 at 11:29 am

        And you believe every word do you?, don’t think he may have used a bit of artistic licence to make it a bit more exciting for his targeted audience?

        • Macro 3.1.1.1
          17 June 2016 at 12:27 pm

          Have you been to the states recently?
          I went a couple of years back and from the moment I entered I couldn’t wait to leave. There is an undercurrent of hate and fear, the like of which I have never experienced anywhere else.

          • BM 3.1.1.1.1
            17 June 2016 at 12:52 pm

            Me personally, No.

            My partner though, spent a week there about a month or so back, according to her the Americans she dealt with were some of the nicest people she’s ever met.

            She did say the people in charge of security at airports and public buildings were terrifying, lots of guns and full on “you look like a terrorist to me” faces.

            Most of the Americans she met said they were rather disheartened by the political choices on offer with many saying they had no idea who to vote for, so probably wouldn’t vote.

            • weka 3.1.1.1.1.1
              17 June 2016 at 12:55 pm

              Would she vote for Trump?

            • Macro 3.1.1.1.1.2
              17 June 2016 at 2:44 pm

              That is definitely true. I met some very good people – and my daughter who was once stranded at LA airport whilst a humungous blizzard was blowing on the eastern sea board ( she was on her way to NY) was given royal treatment by some people with whom she stood in line and shared her gum. They saw that she was accommodated (8 bed mansion and private box at the ice hockey) while the she waited for a plane to cross the continent.
              I was there when the ebola scare was in full flight – one only had to turn on tv or listen to the radio to hear “OMG! we are all going to die!” on and on it went day after day.
              My cousin whom I was visiting (now American Citizen) has a son-in-law who is one of those gun carrying “you look like a terrorist” people at the LA airport and he is a very good person too. But still he runs a check of all the kids in the neighbourhood. etc. Underneath the layer of normality there is a tension. Why do police forces around the country need armed personnel carriers?
              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klgprtvi_X8
              Why do supposedly sane politicians pose for their christmas photograph toting guns?

        • Rosie 3.1.1.2
          17 June 2016 at 12:44 pm

          I’ve no reason to doubt the tweeters report BM, unbelievably shocking as it. If you didn’t know trump and his crazy supporters you’d think it was a fiction.

          This time around I’m not following the American Presidential campaign, just too tired and fed up. However what I’ve seen of Trump and his rallies just on two chanels of news and on RNZ I do believe the man is deluded and confused but has been charismatic enough to tap into a deep vein of hatred and anger in a disillusioned America, which he has used to his advantage.

          The reports of the tweeter are compatible with all other news reports in terms of the rhetoric but more personal.

          I would be feeling extremely anxious if I were living in America right now, especially if I were anything other than WASP.

          • Draco T Bastard 3.1.1.2.1
            17 June 2016 at 1:16 pm

            I would be feeling extremely anxious if I were living in America right now, especially if I were anything other than WASP.

            QFT

        • Draco T Bastard 3.1.1.3
          17 June 2016 at 1:12 pm

          No, he wasn’t using artistic license. A lot of the same deprivation applies in the US as applied in 1930s Germany that allowed Hitler to rise to power. We really are seeing the same process again.

          It’s what happens under capitalism when the rich and powerful take and take and take.

  4. Kelly-Ned 4
    17 June 2016 at 8:18 am

    Unbelievable.
    I am speechless.
    How can a large group of people be so mindless?

  5. Ad 5
    17 June 2016 at 8:19 am

    Politics is the entertainment industry for ugly people.

    When is ugly right?
    When is it on balance better to be ugly for the renewal of democracy?
    Did we want these kind of people to finally wake up?
    Is the left just jealous that they don’t have their own populist Lenin-scale demagogue?

    Or is the polis burning civility away deep into the molten core of irrational id too much for us?

    Seeing this set of texts on the same day as a British MP is shot dead tells us at least that politics is no mere exchange of arguments on a stage or tv interview set. It’s life and death.

    And the last thing we should do is to be tempted to form counter-militias, counter-demagogues, and dive swan-like backwards into that same molten core. Down that path, we may as well become ISIS.

    This is not a left-right contest anymore. This is a contest against rage.

    • weka 5.1
      17 June 2016 at 8:25 am

      These kind of people? What do you mean?

      • Ad 5.1.1
        17 June 2016 at 8:57 am

        The kind of people identified by the tweets in the Trump rally.

        • weka 5.1.1.1
          17 June 2016 at 9:14 am

          Such as? I don’t see the tweets identifying certain kind of people, I see it identifying behaviours. Making people who vote Trump ‘other’ is part of the problem I think.

          • Ad 5.1.1.1.1
            17 June 2016 at 9:39 am

            Sexton’s quotes were quite specific to specific people, and from the crowd generally, making specific comments. Which as you could see clearly was what I was referring to. And yes, those kind of people are generating a whole bunch of ‘otherness’.

            • weka 5.1.1.1.1.1
              17 June 2016 at 10:14 am

              Specific people are individuals, not ‘kinds of people’. Despite you believing that who you were referring to is clear, you still won’t say what you meant so I will assume you are referring to conservative working class people.

              Trump supporters are creating ‘otherness’. And if we other them as well, what happens next?

              • Ad …
                17 June 2016 at 11:52 am

                What I was referring to, very precisely, was what was identified in the tweets, which was what I named clearly in 5.1.1.

                You’d best direct your incomprehensible question to Jared Yates Sexton.

                • weka …
                  17 June 2016 at 12:26 pm

                  Yeah but you won’t say what you perceived was identified in the tweets. I saw a bunch of behaviours being named. You saw ‘kinds of people’ but won’t way what you mean by that.

                  If by ‘kinds of people’ you are saying you mean people who wear Trump t-shirts, I’m not sure that that has any meaning.

                  • Lanthanide …
                    17 June 2016 at 12:53 pm

                    The kinds of people who exhibit those behaviours.

                    Clearly there are two sets of people: those that exhibit the behaviours, and those that don’t.

                    Trying to boil it down to “working class people” is stupid, because the working class set of people are orthogonal to those two sets: some of them will fall into the “don’t exhibit” set, and others will fall into the “do exhibit set”.

                    So don’t try and boil it down any further than what was already said – the people who exhibit those behaviours – because it doesn’t make any sense to try to break it down further.

                    • weka …
                      17 June 2016 at 12:54 pm

                      In this case, conservative working class people then, right?

                    • Lanthanide …
                      17 June 2016 at 1:06 pm

                      @weka:
                      No.

                    • weka …
                      17 June 2016 at 1:34 pm

                      Did you edit your previous comment? It helps if you state that you have edited, because I didn’t see the bits about working class when I replied.

                      I think calling ‘those kinds of people’ the ones exhibiting certain behaviours is a cop out. It’s still an othering.

                    • Lanthanide …
                      17 June 2016 at 2:29 pm

                      Yes, it is an othering, if you are in the set of people who don’t exhibit those kinds of behaviours, and the people you are talking about are in the set of people who exhibit those kinds of behaviours.

                      Just like saying “black people” is othering if you’re a white person.

                    • weka …
                      17 June 2016 at 3:57 pm

                      that’s not what othering means Lanth.

                    • Lanthanide …
                      17 June 2016 at 4:36 pm

                      @weka,
                      Then I don’t believe this is othering, it’s simply stating a fact.

                      There exist people in the world that exhibit a certain set of behaviours, call this set A. There exist people in the world that don’t exhibit those behaviours, call that set B.

                      I don’t think it’s ‘othering’ to make a statement of fact – set A exists. If you are a member of set B, that might be ‘othering’. You’re saying it’s not.

  6. weka 6
    17 June 2016 at 8:22 am

    I’m not surprised, this is why some of us have been saying that despite Clinton being evil, Trump being president is worse. Trump could change the US in ways that would take generations to recover from. And bear in mind what he and that would be like in the coming decade of global instability, increasing extreme weather emergencies and resource depletion.

    That second to last tweet is the stand out for me. Yes, disenfranchisement is a big part of the picture, but so is the worst of humanness being actively encouraged. He’s fanning the flames of every bullying, racist, misogynist, homophobic etc sentiment he can find and then he is encouraging violence and repression. Intentionally.

    • Anne 6.1
      17 June 2016 at 11:11 am

      Spot on weka!

    • Lanthanide 6.2
      17 June 2016 at 1:01 pm

      But you can also look at it from the other angle – desperate times call for desperate measures. Hitler was popular because of Germany’s diminished presence in the world.

      I don’t think America is really in “desperate times” – yet. But if we’re right about the coming global instability, then America could be in desperate times in the mid 20’s. So Trump, or someone like him, could sweep to power then, even if he loses in 2016.

      But, if we elect Trump now in 2016, and it’s a disaster (as we suspect it would be), then that might prevent an even bigger disaster occurring in 2024 when Trump-lite runs and wins, after 2 terms of Hillary.

      Or to boil it down, a demagogue president like Trump may be an inevitability for America in the next 2 decades. It is probably better that we have such a president sooner, so Americans can “get it out of their system” and learn from their mistakes, rather than later, when the demagogue would be likely to do more damage.

      Purely fantasy conjecture of course.

      • BM 6.2.1
        17 June 2016 at 1:06 pm

        Donald Trump is currently 70, can’t see him being too much of a force in the mid 20’s.

        • Lanthanide 6.2.1.1
          17 June 2016 at 1:07 pm

          I did say “someone like Trump” or “Trump-lite”.

          The other point for a future Trumpian president, is that should Trump fail to win now, it won’t because he didn’t energise a lot of American voters – it will be because he didn’t get a majority of the votes.

          So a future candidate can look at this campaign, dissect the entrails and work out what it was that Trump did wrong, and what things he did well, and use that information to make a better run for the presidency.

          One thing fivethirtyeight has already highlighted is that Trump seems to be very disparaging of data-mining and on the ground get-out-the-vote organising. So that’s a fairly easy thing for a future candidate to understand, and correct.

        • Grant 6.2.1.2
          17 June 2016 at 1:24 pm

          How old was Reagan when he left office? How old is Mugabe?

      • weka 6.2.2
        17 June 2016 at 1:14 pm

        That’s based on Clinton not doing anything to address white working class issues in her first term right?

        I get the argument. I suppose mine would be that if Trump wins now he could do so much damage in 4 years that the idea of a democractic election (such as they have in the US) would no longer be real.

      • Psycho Milt 6.2.3
        17 June 2016 at 1:23 pm

        Hitler was popular because of Germany’s diminished presence in the world.

        I’m not someone with a third of the vote can be called “popular.” He only got in because the communists decided they’d rather have a fellow totalitarian ideologue running things than those contemptible democracy-loving “social fascists” of the Social Democratic Party. Trump isn’t going to have that kind of gift served up to him on a plate, thank Christ.

        • Foreign waka 6.2.3.1
          17 June 2016 at 9:10 pm

          Hitler was popular because after the WWI, when the Monarchy was ended (as in most Euro Nations), the Treaty of Versaills has put quite an onus on Germany and albeit the Waimarer Republic, established at the time was able to reform the system, it was the great depression and deflation policies that prepared the road for his success in the 1930 (12 years after WWI). Not that it is ever excusable what Hitler did but everything has context. The first great war,the economic strangulation of the newly established republic and in close succession the great depression, the allied forces blockade that led to around 900 000 of people starving to dead (literally) was what made people cry out for someone to change their plight – and Hitler was the man of the hour. It could have been anybody if the promise would have fit the cry for help.
          As for the Russians involvement, they certainly were – together with the allies, Britain, France and USA.
          http://www.wintersonnenwende.com/scriptorium/english/archives/articles/starvation1919.html

          There is no such situation in the USA today.

          The only similarity I can see is that each individual has the same capacity to be extremely brutal or a humanitarian – upbringing will play a role, but put someone under enough stress and it will be the inner strength that decides the outcome. Fear is a bad adviser.

    • Pat 6.3
      17 June 2016 at 1:27 pm

      “I’m not surprised, this is why some of us have been saying that despite Clinton being evil, Trump being president is worse. Trump could change the US in ways that would take generations to recover from”

      ….and when Hilary is elected all these people and their views will magically disappear?

      • weka 6.3.1
        17 June 2016 at 1:29 pm

        Of course not, why would you ask that?

        • Pat 6.3.1.1
          17 June 2016 at 1:34 pm

          why would I say that?….because Trump is Trump BECAUSE of the support not the other way round.

          Clinton is not change

          Change is what is being incoherently demanded, so Clinton or Trump the problem remains and grows.

          • weka 6.3.1.1.1
            17 June 2016 at 1:52 pm

            Yes, I’m just not sure why you are saying that in response to me or my comments. It doesn’t really appear related (and is a given anyway).

            • Pat 6.3.1.1.1.1
              17 June 2016 at 2:02 pm

              maybe because your strenuous objection to ‘othering’ of Trump supporters inferred that they were simply misled individuals who would somehow see sense if they were led by the right kind of person.

              • weka …
                17 June 2016 at 3:26 pm

                Fuck that, I don’t believe that at all. I thought the fanning the flames analogy was clear enough (you can’t fan flames that aren’t already there, therefore the bigotry already exists). Instead of making assumption about something I say why not check it out? The comments you replied to aren’t even in that subthread, they’re about something else.

  7. Pat 7
    17 June 2016 at 8:40 am

    Trump rally,Yazidi genocide and MP shot…..just another day?

    • vto 7.1
      17 June 2016 at 8:44 am

      well put pat

      clearly not just another day

      clearly signs of particular times

      ignore at peril

      • Pat 7.1.1
        17 June 2016 at 10:04 am

        this is the same world that is going to co-operate on climate change?

        • b waghorn 7.1.1.1
          17 June 2016 at 12:47 pm

          Holy shit that is exactly the conclusion I’ve come too in the the last week or so. No they can’t cooperate.

          • Pat 7.1.1.1.1
            17 June 2016 at 12:51 pm

            not a hope in hell

          • weka 7.1.1.1.2
            17 June 2016 at 3:59 pm

            Remember how the Cold War ended? The fall of the Berlin Wall? The end of apartheid in South Africa?

            Don’t give up hope yet.

            • Pat 7.1.1.1.2.1
              17 June 2016 at 9:21 pm

              you think the cold war ended?….former Yugoslavia ,Crimea and Syria

            • b waghorn 7.1.1.1.2.2
              17 June 2016 at 9:33 pm

              I’ll always hope us humans can evolve past being silly tribal apes. And I’ll keep voting for a positive government.

              • Pat …
                17 June 2016 at 9:38 pm

                evolution is a slow process….if we haven’t got there now we arnt likely to anytime soon.

  8. Greg 8
    17 June 2016 at 9:24 am

    Its a circus for sure, and this is just only the nomination race, the Presidential election is going to be crazier.
    America’s has had its share of fascism, we should’nt be surprised how polarized their politics now is, generational War on Terror, and economic instability.
    NZs political polarization is when Maori get used as a divisive political football,
    Labour and National being as guilty. Helen Clarks Trump moment was in the seabed and foreshore act, and her UN approval CV in the 2007 Tuhoe terrorist camp raids, and police actions against political dissenters and protest groups.

  9. save nz 9
    17 June 2016 at 9:38 am

    That’s 25 years of charter schools in action.

    That’s 35 years of neoliberalism in action.

    That’s 2 trillion dollars spent on the middle east war that did not get spent on ‘making American great’ i.e. domestic spending.

  10. joe90 10
    17 June 2016 at 9:56 am

    Clearing out of Greensboro. Thanks for the retweets and comments. Trump’s candidacy is a virus that needs cured.

    Obligatory.

  11. BM 11
    17 June 2016 at 10:08 am

    Reads like fiction to me.

    Known for our tabloid, muckraking style, stories broken here have featured across the print and broadcast media:

    http://politicalscrapbook.net/about/

  12. Lanthanide 12
    17 June 2016 at 10:12 am

    Only a matter of time until someone does some under cover filming of one of these rallies and it gets global airplay?

    Only a matter of time until someone is seriously injured or killed at one of these rallies?

  13. Colonial Viper 13
    17 June 2016 at 10:12 am

    Thanks to the power elite who have led America down this dead end path. Well done. Now they’re going to try and take the entire planet with them.

    • weka 13.1
      17 June 2016 at 10:35 am

      Yep, and Trump is one of them. The bigots are equally responsible.

      • Colonial Viper 13.1.1
        17 June 2016 at 1:04 pm

        Perhaps but Trump isn’t the power elite. He is the next step down – very wealthy but (previously) with few ties to the real decision makers – the investment bankers, MIC, national security state.

        The power elite are the power holders within institutions like JP Morgan and Lockheed Martin, the NSA and the CIA.

        • weka 13.1.1.1
          17 June 2016 at 1:17 pm

          but only because he didn’t play the game right, right? He’d be one of them if he could. And if he becomes president, he is one of them, he’s in the club. He might be breaking the rules, and he has his own agenda, but I don’t think there is any doubt that he is an authoritarian power monger too. Maybe he is just greedy for a different kind of power.

        • marty mars 13.1.1.2
          17 June 2016 at 1:43 pm

          I don’t see how you can think that trump is some maverick giving it to the man – he is doodoodeep in with them, he is one of them. Very few ties with investment bankers? you have got to be kidding me…

    • Foreign waka 13.2
      17 June 2016 at 9:15 pm

      Astounding that they belief that this war they spread is survivable.

  14. Byd0nz 14
    17 June 2016 at 10:15 am

    Made in America,
    Mad is America,
    Break up of America,
    All is chaos,
    The future looks bright.

  15. riffer 15
    17 June 2016 at 10:44 am

    It’s all looking a little too much like this:

  16. Bob 16
    17 June 2016 at 10:55 am

    This is what happens when a country moves too far to the right and the right wing party tries to distance itself from the opposition.
    Wholly shit, please tell me Trump is purely trying to whip up support and doesn’t actually believe half of the shit coming out of his mouth. If he does and he somehow finds a way to win, I really am concerned about where the US could be heading (as if they weren’t bad enough already).

  17. Rosie 17
    17 June 2016 at 11:23 am

    That was, akshully, very chilling to read. Very frightening in fact. If those tweets are a true account of the rally, and I’ve no reason to doubt they aren’t, then that is incredibly worrying crowd behaviour.

    Aside from the crowd reactions to trump and statements from them I was intrigued and a bit shocked that there were many intoxicated people there. It’s so out of context for a political setting (unless you’re an EDL member, but then again these attendees sound a bit like the American version of EDL) That is so off the hook.

    Out of control.

  18. joe90 18
    17 June 2016 at 11:38 am

    Nothing new under the sun.

    In the 1924 presidential election, the most hyped candidate was an egotistical and fabulously wealthy businessman who many politicians did not believe would really run.

    That man was legendary carmaker Henry Ford, and the resemblance between his political un-career and Donald Trump’s is striking.

    Ford was impulsive, hated experts of any kind, and refused to commit to a platform, specific policies, or even a political party. Instead he ran—for Senate in 1918, and (kind of) for president in 1924—on his reputation as a captain of industry and force of nature.

    “I will move my whole force down [to Washington], then they will know that I have arrived,” Ford declared as he announced his political ambitions. He lambasted incompetent politicians, and his inner circle claimed he would save the “average man” from corrupt elites.

    Summing up Ford’s appeal, a former governor endorsed him as “a builder.” His supporters called him “master of big things.”

    Henry Ford did not want to make America great again in the sense of emulating the past. He hated tradition and claimed to have invented the modern age.

    http://priceonomics.com/henry-fords-campaign-to-make-america-great-again/

  19. Kelly-Ned 19
    17 June 2016 at 11:44 am

    In light of the above tweeted comments the following NZ data result is seriously disturbing (from NZCPR.com)
    I most sincerely hope that 71% of NZers don’t think Trump will be the best President.
    That should be translated to mean that I think Clinton is the best, but maybe she will be the lesser of two evils? Perhaps?

    *In last week’s poll, 71% of readers thought Donald Trump would make the best US President, 21% supported Hilary Clinton, and 8% were unsure.

    *Last week’s feedback can be viewed on the NZCPR.com website.

  20. Bill 20
    17 June 2016 at 11:50 am

    When the deeply dishonest “rational” and “understanding” facade of those arguments as to why we can’t “reasonably” accommodate those immigrants and foreigners that we “all love”, “have nothing against”, “my best mate’s an immigrant” drop away…

    First they ‘reluctantly’ singled out the foreign temp worker.
    First they demonised the rich foreign investor (but not the domestic one).

    And it was all seemed so reasonable at the time…

  21. Rodel 21
    17 June 2016 at 12:41 pm

    I like this from one of the twitter comments.
    “Trump is dangerous he is not making America great. He is making America hate.”

    • Stuart Munro 21.1
      17 June 2016 at 1:54 pm

      It’s a brave rightwinger that awakens Blake’s tiger – or a stupid one.

  22. mary_a 22
    17 June 2016 at 3:37 pm

    A very dark, disturbing, ugly part of history repeating itself it seems, this time in the US!

    We should be concerned.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • NZ’s trans lobby is fighting a rearguard action
    Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
    Point of OrderBy gadams1000
    8 hours ago

  • Your mandate is imaginary
    This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    13 hours ago

  • 14,000 unemployed under National
    The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    15 hours ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Discontent and gloom dominate NZ’s political mood
    Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    15 hours ago

  • Taking Tea with 42 & 38.
    National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    16 hours ago

  • Beware political propaganda: statistics are pointing to Grant Robertson never protecting “Lives an...
    Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”. As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    17 hours ago

  • Winding back the hands of history’s clock
    Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    17 hours ago

  • Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
     Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    17 hours ago

  • Business confidence sliding into winter of discontent
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    19 hours ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the coalition’s awful, not good, very bad poll results
    Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    20 hours ago

  • New HOP readers for future payment options
    Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    21 hours ago

  • 2024 Reading Summary: April (+ Writing Update)
    Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 day ago

  • At a glance – Clearing up misconceptions regarding 'hide the decline'
    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
    1 day ago

  • Road photos
    Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
    The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago

  • NZDF is still hostile to oversight
    Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Winding Back The Hands Of History’s Clock.
    Holding On To The Present: The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Sweet Moderation? What Christopher Luxon Could Learn From The Germans.
    Stuck In The Middle With You: As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • A clear warning
    The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Poll results and Waitangi Tribunal report go unmentioned on the Beehive website – where racing tru...
    Buzz  from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example.  This shows National down ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Listening To The Traffic.
    It Takes A Train To Cry: Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.
    Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Ending The Quest.
    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    2 days ago

  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago

  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
    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. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago

  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago

  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    5 days ago

  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago

  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago

  • “That's how I roll”
    It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago

  • “Comity” versus the rule of law
    In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
    Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder. In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago

  • Water is at the heart of farmers’ struggle to survive in Benin
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére Sosou Market gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • At a time of media turmoil, Melissa had nothing to proclaim as Minister – and now she has been dem...
    Buzz from the Beehive   Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago

  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago

  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago

  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government saves access to medicines
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.    “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Pharmac Chair appointed
    Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
    Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says.  “Every day, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Diplomacy needed more than ever
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.    “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
    Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service.  It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
    Distinguished guests -   It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders.   Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
    Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia.   Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
    Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale.  “It is good ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
    The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-05-01T17:05:40+00:00