Watkin on the Nats’ housing blame game

Written By: - Date published: 9:35 am, May 30th, 2016 - 57 comments
Categories: accountability, housing, national, spin - Tags: , , ,

Excellent piece on Saturday from Tim Watkin at Pundit:

Housing game-changer: Spreading the blame

Housing remains the government’s biggest weakness and so National is redoubling its efforts. No, not to build houses, but to contain the political damage

I can’t give you a precise day or hour, but some time in the past fortnight, National has admitted defeat over Auckland’s housing crisis. You can see it in the calculated attacks on Auckland Council and the lack of action in the Budget; the government’s moved into ‘managing failure’ territory.

What’s become clear is that Auckland’s problem is no longer a land supply problem, it’s a house supply problem. The Special Housing Areas have opened up over 50,000 sections according to the government, but only 1000 houses have been built. Even Auckland Council estimates six and a half years worth of land is ready to build on. What’s missing is a will (or requirement) to build, tradie capacity and, arguably, a government commitment to a mass building programme.

Instead, what we’ve got from National seems to be an admission any fix on Auckland house prices is years away and what matters to them now is spreading the blame.

What’s clear is that National, as is their well worn tactic, will do its best to ensure the blame gets shared around. Bugger the relationship between Auckland and Wellington, they will blame the Auckland Council at every opportunity so that any voter anger directed at the government becomes ‘a plague on all their houses’.

Ultimately, National may have to accept the inevitability of a government building scheme, swallow that dead rat and promise that themselves.

But for now, National’s focus is on buying time and that means spreading the blame.

As usual the Nats are all about personal responsibility, as long as the person is someone else. Go read the full piece at Pundit for plenty more.

57 comments on “Watkin on the Nats’ housing blame game ”

  1. shorts 1

    “Ultimately, National may have to accept the inevitability of a government building scheme, swallow that dead rat and promise that themselves.”

    This – I can’t see why they aren’t being proactive and announcing something along the lines of the state building some houses, even if they have no actual intention of building them… sure its a “defeat” but to not do so is strategically dumb and they continue to be on the wrong side of the media right now

    I still await Labour to really capitalise and re-announce the parties commitment to kiwi build and some more policies & promises that will be targeted at those (tens of) thousands really struggling – fuck the middle classes, stop pandering only to them

    • Colonial Viper 1.1

      National are saving it for election year, just you wait. They’ll take the guts of Labour’s Kiwi Build programme and double it.

      • Sacha 1.1.1

        Surely halving it would be more their style? And probably as a PPP with Fletchers.

      • leftie 1.1.2

        8 years and all National have shown is that they are liars
        Colonial Viper, everyone knows that. Northland, by shunning National’s obvious lies and bribes, set the example to follow.

  2. Janice 2

    The Auckland housing under supply will never be fixed so long as for every house built there is probably about three more purchased by investors and speculators and left empty.

    • aerobubble 2.1

      So, Key introduces a new class of millionarie dotcom residents stoking demand, he installs the new super city bureaucracy keeping change from happening, i.e limits on debt, control over new quangos, etc etc, he wont spend to provide for those new investors dotcoms, and he also puts the boot into those who spend their income imediately by raising gst. Its laughable that any but Key could be held accountable.

      Investors should be required to build not buy like they do in Oz. Key should then now need to pump money into new builds as investor would be, in fact, its the poorest who Key is now forcing to pay for housing infrastructure, by have to move to poorer housing, or garages,or sleeping in cars, or on couz floor. Its simple physics, increase the no of people into NZ and being over nice to them because they are rich, a fatal flaw in Key – well thats when he can get someone else to pay, the poorest.

      Keys inept govt, give to the rich, the market will pickup the slack, is just more crazy neoliberalism.

    • Keith 2.2

      Damned right there Janice!

    • Psych nurse 2.3

      So, we need squatters rights,just move into an empty foreign owned home and sit tight.

  3. Enviro Gal 3

    How good would it be for New Zealand to have a government seek to have some apartments well designed then built in Auckland City, as It is clear to thinking people that there is a house /apartment supply problem.
    How is Auckland Council to cope with 68 thousand new arrivals in NewZealand
    in the last year, with the majority coming to Auckland: the immigration problem
    is a government responsibility.
    It is also clear that a more compact city with highrise building creates a better city economically, the cost of continuing sprawl for infrastructure and transport
    simply does not make sense.

    • shorts 3.1

      well designed and well built!!!! For families and aimed to become affordable rentals or affordable to purchase – enough of the teeny tiny boxes or lavish slightly bigger boxes

      Most of the world manages to build apartment buildings that don’t leak and are comfortable to live in – not cheap builds developers to on-sell to speculators (mom and dad investors) thinking they’ll cash in on renting the places out

      • aerobubble 3.1.1

        Auckland is an isthmus on a volcanic field. Sure s.auckland is prime horocultural land. That means hilly land south of the growing areas would be the ideal place to build, with fast public transit to industrail s. auckland or north hamilton, etc. Hey why not turn huntly into the new business hub. Its called planning and nobody in auckland does that, the buteaucrats live in wellington, there isn’t the land, nobody put in proper rails, people think twice as a volcano might start up, the elites all like the high prices which they cant force higher so no incentives.
        Auckland is jus one big pile of housing pooh.

    • Colonial Viper 3.2

      Everyone seems fine squashing 1/3 of NZ’s population into the 0.3% of NZ’s land area that Auckland represents, and then squeezing in another 60K newbies a year moving into the city.

      Why there is any problem with accommodation in Auckland, I’ll never understand.

      Meanwhile the provinces have been depleting for years as small town NZ has emptied out.

      But whatever, Auckland Auckland Auckland, ra ra ra.

      • Sacha 3.2.1

        It’s a worldwide trend that people are moving to larger cities. Nothing personal, Dunedin.

        • Colonial Viper 3.2.1.1

          It’s also a world wide trend to smash trade unions and move jobs to Bangladesh. So we just go with it?

      • Sabine 3.2.2

        its only Auckland, rah rah rha?

        really?

        You know what, if that is / was your attitude to people and the life they live and are trying to live, i am thanking the voters for not having voted for you.
        I’d rather deal with a wanna be Tory like the double dipper then a faux lefty that can barely contain his contempt for about 1/3 of the population.

        • greywarshark 3.2.2.1

          Sabine
          I don’t think you understand sarcasm. If your comment at 3.2.2 is about CVs at 3.2 then I suggest you have misunderstood the point completely and need to restrain yourself from attacking lefties on this site in such an impulsive way. It increases the confusion about policies and just feeds into the fractious approach that too often occurs here.

          CV I would bet is very concerned about Auckland and the people affected by the lack of available affordable housing there. He is not a a faux lefty that can barely contain his contempt for about 1/3 of the population..

          He is taking the mickey out of the RW when he mimics their ignorant views in:
          Why there is any problem with accommodation in Auckland, I’ll never understand.
          Meanwhile the provinces have been depleting for years as small town NZ has emptied out.
          But whatever, Auckland Auckland Auckland, ra ra ra.

          First he refers to the government practice of pushing Auckland’s interests over other areas especially regions. (This has resulted in Auckland’s local governments being decimated, combined into a huge entity more like a faceless corporate.)

          Then on top of that there are thousands of new people being fed into the area:
          squeezing in another 60K newbies a year moving into the city.,
          which result in exponential growth in prices with demand exceeding supply and ratcheting up the market which we are supposed to live by.
          “Teach your children well, their parents’ hell will slowly go by,
          And feed them on your dreams,
          The ones they pick will be the ones you’ll know by” ….etc.

          We are supposed to have an avowed economic aim, an alert Treasury full of lerts, banks, with one in Reserve, which have had serious tertiary training along with planners, and other officials. Still we have this housing debacle that is being actively encouraged we hear, destroying our urban village in order to save the housing market, trading in which is one of our main activities, just a bit up on taking in each other’s washing. It seems the idea is to provide a sort of housing stock exchange thought up by economic mercenaries.

          Most of us know all that and despise the politicians and screwed-up people who like this happening and chirp on about Auckland, what they are going to do to make it an enjoyable city, a great destination in the world blah blah. Everything they say about Auckland has a hidden background of abandonment of the majority of citizens, in favour of the ashpirational who are willing to place poorer citizens on a pyre of their hopes, dreams and lives.

          All that can be expressed in a few words of sarcasm. So can you and others keep from attacking other lefties trying to keep these issues alive, in our faces and those of the politicians? We need to pull together in the left, not nitpick at each other’s comments. Try wondering what point they are trying to make before you dump on them.

          • Sabine 3.2.2.1.1

            we are currently trying to re-home two young women, two young guys and a bloke in his middle age, two dogs and three cats.

            I have run out of storage space to give to people that have lost their homes, and are afraid of loosing now all of their belongings.
            I have lost the house we rented for the young ones as it is sold. in the last two years of thirty people have lived in this house for a week to several month. Just enough time to get back up and going.
            I am taking in the cat of someone tomorrow who does not want to euthanize his cat and who is afraid that if she goes to the SPCA she will not live to tell the tale, he is moving into his van.
            I have run out of patience with sarcasm from people that don’t care.

            Auckland for all its faults and warts is home to 1/3 of the country. WE pay taxes, we have family elsewhere in NZ, we are New Zealand.

            And for what its worse this shit is happening all over the country.
            So frankly, and with all due respect, maybe its time to cut the sarcasm.

            • greywarshark 3.2.2.1.1.1

              My main point was with all due respect, to have some respect for other left commenters here Sabine. I believe that you are doing much, you have indicated that you are very extended in other posts.

              Just dont direct your scorn at others working for change please. People who have been airing problems, describing what is happening, trying to arouse public concern and political action for years arent helped when others newer to the scene, start biting them on the ankles. For best results for change direct your disappointment with the system to the appropriate people.

              • Jenny Kirk

                query to greywarshark : is CV working for change ?

                It doesn’t show in his comments, and personally I think you’re out of line to chastise Sabine for querying him as well.

                • greywarshark

                  Jenny Kirk
                  I didn’t think that comment was a helpful one.on the matter. and I am surprised at yours. I presume you have read mine completely and I explained my reasoning there. If you don’t agree that the left should stop nit-picking at each other then …

                  As for CV. He is working for change, a bit like a mosquito which bites and you slap it. But that is his object. To wake up the comfortable on the left, away in a little dream.

                  • Colonial Viper

                    Hi GWS, It seems to me that people have lost all sense of physical reality, which is what I am pointing to here. 1/3 of the country’s population in 0.3% of the land area, with thousands more coming in every month.

                    There is no building programme possible which will keep up with that growth, let alone remediate the current shortage of tens of thousands of houses.

                • Colonial Viper

                  query to greywarshark : is CV working for change ?

                  Well, the Thorndon Bubble crowd get paid six figures to not work for change whereas I am a giving volunteer not working for change.

                  • greywarshark

                    Colonial Viper
                    What do you mean you are ‘not working for change’. I do not understand. Please elucidate further. Explain yourself, because your message is not getting through to me or the cognoscenti.

                    • Colonial Viper

                      It means that the Labour Thorndon Bubble crowd want to keep the current system, but they want to be the managers.

                      It means that I am applying pressure as I can where I can, but the massive inertia of the system in motion may not budge a single millimetre in time.

                    • greywarshark

                      Okay what I thought Colonial Viper. But your way of expressing yourself and your goals can confuse those who don’t know your track record.

                      Especially for those who don’t actually read through a comment, as you have stated yourself FTTT, TLDR. But we all want to put forward ideas freely considering it a right, without subjecting them to objective self scrutiny.

                      It ends up that we live in a cargo culture where someone else is going to do the hard work nutting out the way forward, hard-headedly looking at the barriers and recalcitrant opposition, rolling up their sleeves and making it happen. But no, the right way is to have the right thoughts of groupthink, by sitting in a circle and finding consensus. It’s working together in the glow of group righteousness that’s important and if the project doesn’t work then it is nobody’s fault, or a scapegoat is looked for.

                      Another approach is to be Red Hen followers, a few turn up when the ground is being prepared, start watching from the sidelines and discussing methods while the seed is being sown, the majority are busy elsewhere at the times to weed and water, but find time to help and make a joyful ritual at the harvest, which they expect for free because it is a community project isn’t it.

                      Good tool for handling ideas and projects for groups converting ideas to something solid.
                      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWOT_analysis

  4. Keith 4

    It’s beyond National to do mass house building. After all this is the Party who are furiously trying to off load state houses to whoever will take them. This bunch of self centred, me, me, me rich pricks are incapable of formulating an effective house building response for the masses, its just not in their DNA.

    As lprent said elsewhere, there is so many building resources tied up rectifying leaky homes, the result of Nationals brain dead building deregulation in the 90’s that they are even more unlikely to achieve anything of any significance. Blame away National, you are fucked!

  5. ianmac 5

    Guyon interviewed Key on the Government V Auckland Council this morning. I could not figure out just what the state of the play is from the Key duck and dive. This is in spite of the Key rhetoric recently which threatened hell for Council if they misbehaved.
    Is it just my inability to comprehend?
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201802550

  6. It worries me a lot that state schools are facing a teacher shortage because teachers can’t afford to live in Auckland anymore – another symptom of a broken system which was until quite recently being celebrated by Keys as a triumph for homeowning aucklanders. Not quite so clever when the schools near the homes you own lack teachers.

    • Colonial Viper 6.1

      The Ministry used to regularly supply housing to school teachers. Part of the employment contract.

      • dv 6.1.1

        Country service only CV I thought?

        • Colonial Viper 6.1.1.1

          Yes that was generally the case – but any area where it was difficult to attract the required teaching staff would be included.

      • Westiechick 6.1.2

        I think that was rural. The point is that the people a city needs ie teachers, police, firepeople etc can no longer afford to be in the city. What hapens next?

        • Colonial Viper 6.1.2.1

          They travel in from an hour outside the city to work, Takanini, etc.

          • Kiwiri 6.1.2.1.1

            Eventually, some will move to Australia and get better pay and lifestyle. I say this because quite of few of my friends and relatives have left in recent years.

            • Colonial Viper 6.1.2.1.1.1

              2/3 of our key public sector has long left and for the larger part only the inexperienced, easily influenced, recent imports and right wing remain.

          • greywarshark 6.1.2.1.2

            Getting to work in Auckland! Can confirm that many have to travel from Takanini etc. Only it is beginning to take more than an hour to get to work, over roads that without gridlocked traffic would be travelled in half the time. It’s very inefficient fuel and time use. When the road lovin’ Nats wheel out their excuses for not having rail, they don’t mention this waste of precious fuel and the additon to greenhouse warming from a mass of fuming cars and drivers.

            Traffic is becoming near stationary sometimes, but especially when there is an accident, which is to be expected with such mass traffic flows, at intersections. In this country’s driving guidelines there is little emphasis on being a courteous driver and on how to make way for others to allow others to enter the main flow, to just think about others on the road, signal early when turning etc.
            edited

        • dv 6.1.2.2

          Sort of a bit like the shortage of tradies.

    • Lloyd 6.2

      Don’t worry, some entrepreneur will start a charter school!
      With the subsidy they get they will be able to house their teachers in new model Audis.

  7. aerobubble 7

    Hamilton to Auckland bus takes 2hrs, getting on and off, negotiating to get to bus stops. In any other major city globally there would be a rail line and a fast train, where people could commute in under an hour. The problem with Auckland its never considered itslef seriously.

  8. esoteric pineapples 9

    buying – add two lls and you have “bullying”

  9. Once Was Tim 10

    “what’s clear is [to paraphrase] the blame gets shared around” – Aided and abetted of course by a compliant and comfortable media.
    Housing of course is the crisis de jour, and it just frustrates me that the opposition still doesn’t seem to grasp the many other issues that cudda shudda wudda provide them an opportunity to make progress:
    – Electricity reticulation – prime fucking example! One of the most well endoured? endowered? countries for sustainable and cheap generation with unbelievable high electricity costs.
    There’s two ideologically derived words that describe that frikken fiasco: one is Max, the other is Bradford. I’d venture to suggest that we’d still have a functioning system had it remained in state and public hands with tiknollgee that existed 30 years ago (ripple controlling, state ownership whereby there was an adequate, non-partisan reinvestment in infrastructure without a profit driven imperative, whereby a ‘consumer’ (ugly word) could expect compensation AT THE SAME RATE for returning their excesses to the public grid ….. (a simple ‘fishint n fektiv’ answer to the ability to control and balance load)
    – Health …… so many fucking examples its hard to know where to begin – whether is skin or bowel cancer (screening); or that fucking little imp Simon Upton whose legacy of Hepatisus C infections seems to have gone un-noticed;
    or
    Ed Ya Kayshun (going forward)

    Never mind!. The natives are getting restless.

    Bloody shame though that Labour (at least), can’t see the writing on the wall or see the signs. Maybe it’s because they shudda cudda wudda gone to Spec Savers because the various members of their focus groups are at odds with each other.
    It’s really only a shame though because if they don’t get their shit together very soon, they’ll merely become an historical entry on Te Ara, and nothing will have been learnt from history (i.e. there will have been ‘no learnings going forward’).

    Christ! – which reminds me ….. the state of the Public Service – now there’s another tunetee! Whether its an incompetent MPI, a bugger’s muddle of a MoBIE, a CYFS, a WINZ, a Housing Corp…… let alone a TPK or an SSC!
    (ALL with highly – and obviously OVERpaid CEO’s running their little fiefdoms whilst putting their shit on the coal-face more junior public servants who work – usually IN SPITE of the, rather than because of their supposed immaculate corporate leadership qualities).

    • Once Was Tim 10.1

      Then there’s Christchurch ….. one of the Insurance (and Gummint Munster responsible) industry’s sleeziest, dishonest, utterly incompetent, bullshit risk-managed/managerial class scams ever inflicted on Chch citizens and a NZ Public!
      Fuck me!, and they actually put then back in power at the time!

      WHAT a total fuckup and a treasure for monopolistic building (trens Tesmun) suppliers; consultants of varying competency; ex NSW coppers looking for an earn in their retirement as assessors – the list goes on.

      It’s ekshully a bit funny but for the fek its also a bit seard and that there have been, AND still are so many casualties.

      If ever there was a tunetee for an opposition …. there’s another

      Can I ask a question though – if anyone knows:

      Did Nafe Goi get his warrant purely on the basis of learning his lines (getting learnings going forward), and his reward as Munster in charge MPI on the basis of pottering around on a farm – or was there ekshully some other, more formal measure of his competence.
      Jesus!!! Even Paul Henry recognises his total incompetence. I reckon it must have been all that not inhaling and finding himself a tailor that told him pin stripes on blue would see him through – because sure as shit there’s an explanation that’d be a little harder to believe. Oh – maybe it was a theme at someone’s 21st he struck up an idea or two from

  10. Treetop 11

    This is the way I see the housing crisis in Auckland and the ruining of HNZ.

    1. Too much housing supply and this will trigger the bursting of the housing bubble. (Middle income know to buy a Auckland home now could be risky). An increase in interest rates or in inflation will make the Aussie banks nervous. As well put pressure on those paying a mortgage.

    1.1 I believe there is already a farming land/loan bubble which is about to burst.

    2. 46% of Auckland home buyers are investors.

    3. The average section price in Auckland is $460,000. Building materials, tradie wages, GST and building consent costs all add up.

    4. Immigrants settling in Auckland should be required to build and not purchase an existing home, unless in the country for 10 years.

    5. Training more apprenticeship tradies, short term tradies from overseas to fast track building/alterations on every vacant HNZ home in Auckland and else where. There is a housing shortage for tradies in Auckland.

    6. State housing stock has not increased since 1991. Current stock is per capita as in 1949.

    7. More state houses would force private landlords to compete for tenants and no private landlord wants an empty rental.

    8. The government could provide tax relief and the council a rebate to anyone building a new home.

    9. Infrastructure costs need to be shared between the government and the council, in the end the council gets rates from a new build.

    10. Social housing needs to be dumped, this is a big distraction. I would have a specialist section at HNZ to look after anyone with high or special needs.

    When I hear what the disruption to a childs education and health is, due to living in a car, garage, a crowded home or due to having to leave a dwelling because the rent can no longer be afforded I am left wondering why Auckland housing is not the priority of every politician in NZ.

    The government need to find $150,000,000 today and trim this off other spends in last weeks MISSED IT on housing for those who are doing it tuff in the 2016 budget. I would halve what the spooks got for a start.

    Already Tollies innovative changes in Child, Youth and Family will be undermined and sabotaged due to the housing crisis.

    • BM 11.1

      Who’s going to train these apprentices?

      • Descendant Of Sssmith 11.1.1

        Very good question.

        Mike Moore was told in no uncertain terms that each year the public service didn’t train apprentices (most apprenticeships were in the public service) that 30-35 years down the road there would be a massive gap.

        After 5 years of not training apprentices the staff and support systems used to train them would also be gone.

        He didn’t want to hear that and proceeded, along with the rest of the traitorous Labour Party, to dismantle the blue collar jobs in the public service.

        We’re now reaping what was sowed.

        Was asked, was told, chose to ignore.

        Labour Party continues to ask, continues to be told, continues to ignore.

        • Colonial Viper 11.1.1.1

          You smear the reputation of the great Labour Party and you prove that you’re a John Key right winger at heart

          PS thanks for the historical context

        • BM 11.1.1.2

          I agree, the private sector doesn’t have the interest, the time or the resources to train apprentices.

          That was one thing the government did do well and that’s train trades people.

          • Pat 11.1.1.2.1

            any business or industry that “doesn’t have the interest,the time or the resources to train” is non viable.

            • Descendant Of Sssmith 11.1.1.2.1.1

              Nah don’t agree at all.

              Law firms don’t train lawyers for instance.

              I have no problem at all having the state train up people on building and maintaining state assets such as housing and schools and rail and roads and having some of those people later move into the private sector.

              Seems perfectly sensible to me.

              I do have a problem destroying those jobs in the public sector, having the private sector do the work on a contract basis and then sell off the assets as it’s too costly to pay the private sector to do the job.

              Many, many people got their start in the public sector.

              • Pat

                “I have no problem at all having the state train up people on building and maintaining state assets such as housing and schools and rail and roads and having some of those people later move into the private sector.”

                and

                “Law firms don’t train lawyers for instance.”

                Lawyers don’t just suddenly appear fully competent and nor do tradesmen.
                they are trained (in your examples,by the state)…the question then becomes who pays or provides….if businesses wish the state to provide the training then they should foot the bill…..curiously as we reduced taxes for business we also reduced the level of state provided training….and look how well the private sector have handled that.

                the choice is simple…public assisted training and higher tax(or direct industry funding) or minimal tax and industry training.

                there are many ways industries can try to avoid the costs of training but none that retain a viable industry…..as a number have found to their(and our) cost.

                Youse gets what youse pay for

  11. Craig H 12

    Borrow money at 2.5%, build stacks of apartments, rent them at 25% of income. Sell them for 3 x annual income, with right of repurchase for 10 years.

    Do the same for houses for families.

    Build a high speed rail between Hamilton and Auckland and build more houses in and around Hamilton, same deal.

    Do the same in regional NZ, and move government services around to create decent jobs to underpin the programme.

    • Colonial Viper 12.1

      Government can issue the NZD to do this work, and do it at 0%. It does not need to borrow these NZD.

      • Treetop 12.1.1

        There are a couple of carpenters/builders in my family, they trained in the early 1970s. What worked then needs to happen now. They are still tradies.

        If there is a tradie out there who trained in the early 1970s please tell me how apprentices were trained then?

        All I know is that the pay was low and some attendance was required at a polytechnic and a builder/carpenter mentored a person. As well people trained on high rise building sites.

        There seems to be a lot of contracting out work now and a quick profit is the goal. Tax incentives could be offered to counteract the high cost in training tradies.

        I do not know what private and public sector training actually is and who pays the wages?

      • Treetop 12.1.2

        As long as NZD stay away from building bridges, recall the bee keeper who died on the dodgy bridge. Coming to think of it this sparked some changes in who is responsible for worker saftey on private property.

    • You_Fool 12.2

      High sped rail to Tauranga and Whangerei as well – expand prt services at both those places and use trains to move cargo from those ports to a inland port at Wiri before re-distributing through Auckland (difference in travel distance from port to final destination offset by trucks not being stuck in central Auckland traffic) and then we also have more land to build on – either more retail, open space or apartments (or a combination of all those) – or just a big Passenger Ship terminal + retail mall – possibly with apartments above that

    • Lloyd 12.3

      And nationalise companies and move the HQ’s from Auckland to Wellington.

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    Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General, John Ryan, has joined the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    13 hours ago
  • India makes a big bet on electric buses
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah Spengeman People wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
    15 hours ago
  • Bernard’s pick ‘n’ mix of the news links at 6:36am on Tuesday, April 23
    TL;DR: These six news links stood out in the last 24 hours to 6:36am on Tuesday, April 22:Scoop & Deep Dive: How Sir Peter Jackson got to have his billion-dollar exit cake and eat Hollywood too NZ Herald-$$$ Matt NippertFast Track Approval Bill: Watchdogs seek substantial curbs on ministers' powers ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    17 hours ago
  • What is really holding up infrastructure
    The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    18 hours ago
  • “Pure Unadulterated Charge”
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    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    18 hours ago
  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks for Monday, April 22
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: writes via his substack that’s he’s sceptical about the IPSOS poll last week suggesting a slide into authoritarianism here, writing: Kiwis seem to want their cake and eat it too Tal Aster writes for about How Israel turned homeowners into YIMBYs. writes via his ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The media were given a little list and hastened to pick out Fast Track prospects – but the Treaty ...
     Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Just trying to stay upright
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    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • “Unprecedented”
    Today, former Port of Auckland CEO Tony Gibson went on trial on health and safety charges for the death of one of his workers. The Herald calls the trial "unprecedented". Firstly, it's only "unprecedented" because WorkSafe struck a corrupt and unlawful deal to drop charges against Peter Whittall over Pike ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Time for “Fast-Track Watch”
    Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on fast track powers, media woes and the Tiktok ban
    Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
    1 day ago
  • The Government’s new fast-track invitation to corruption
    Bryce Edwards writes-  The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
    Point of OrderBy gadams1000
    1 day ago
  • Maori push for parallel government structures
    Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • An announcement about an announcement
    Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • All the Green Tech in China.
    Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Western Express Success
    In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
    2 days ago
  • Bernard’s pick ‘n’ mix of the news links at 7:16am on Monday, April 22
    TL;DR: These six news links stood out in the last 24 hours to 7:16am on Monday, April 22:Labour says Kiwis at greater risk from loan sharks as Govt plans to remove borrowing regulations NZ Herald Jenee TibshraenyHow did the cost of moving two schools blow out to more than $400m?A ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to April 29 and beyond
    TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #16
    A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
    2 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: The Government’s new fast-track invitation to corruption
    The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago
  • Thank you
    This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Determining the Engine Type in Your Car
    Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
    3 days ago
  • How to Become a Race Car Driver: A Comprehensive Guide
    Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
    3 days ago
  • How Many Cars Are There in the World in 2023? An Exploration of Global Automotive Statistics
    Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
    3 days ago
  • How Long Does It Take for Car Inspection?
    Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
    3 days ago
  • Who Makes Mazda Cars?
    Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
    3 days ago
  • How Often to Replace Your Car Battery A Comprehensive Guide
    Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
    3 days ago
  • Can You Register a Car Without a License?
    In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the Rule If you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
    3 days ago
  • Mazda: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Reliability, Value, and Performance
    Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
    3 days ago
  • What Are Struts on a Car?
    Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
    3 days ago
  • What Does Car Registration Look Like: A Comprehensive Guide
    Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
    3 days ago
  • How to Share Computer Audio on Zoom
    Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
    3 days ago
  • How Long Does It Take to Build a Computer?
    Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
    3 days ago
  • How to Put Your Computer to Sleep
    Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
    3 days ago
  • What is Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT)?
    Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
    3 days ago
  • iPad vs. Tablet Computers A Comprehensive Guide to Differences
    In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
    3 days ago
  • How Are Computers Made?
    A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
    3 days ago
  • How to Add Voice Memos from iPhone to Computer
    Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
    3 days ago
  • Why My Laptop Screen Has Lines on It: A Comprehensive Guide
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    3 days ago
  • How to Right-Click on a Laptop
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    3 days ago
  • Where is the Power Button on an ASUS Laptop?
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    3 days ago
  • How to Start a Dell Laptop: A Comprehensive Guide
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    3 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Serious populist discontent is bubbling up in New Zealand
    Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • How to Take a Screenshot on an Asus Laptop A Comprehensive Guide with Detailed Instructions and Illu...
    In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
    3 days ago
  • How to Factory Reset Gateway Laptop A Comprehensive Guide
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    3 days ago
  • The Folly Of Impermanence.
    You talking about me?  The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
    3 days ago
  • A crisis of ambition
    Roger Partridge  writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Have 308 people in the Education Ministry’s Curriculum Development Team spent over $100m on a 60-p...
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • 'This bill is dangerous for the environment and our democracy'
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • The Bank of our Tamariki and Mokopuna.
    Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The worth of it all
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, 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?Full story Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • What is the Hardest Sport in the World?
    Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
    4 days ago
  • What is the Most Expensive Sport?
    The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
    4 days ago
  • Pickleball On the Cusp of Olympic Glory
    Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
    4 days ago
  • The Origin and Evolution of Soccer Unveiling the Genius Behind the World’s Most Popular Sport
    Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
    4 days ago
  • How Much to Tint Car Windows A Comprehensive Guide
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    4 days ago
  • Why Does My Car Smell Like Gas? A Comprehensive Guide to Diagnosing and Fixing the Issue
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    4 days ago
  • How to Remove Tree Sap from Car A Comprehensive Guide
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    4 days ago
  • How Much Paint Do You Need to Paint a Car?
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    4 days ago
  • Can You Jump a Car in the Rain? Safety Precautions and Essential Steps
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    4 days ago
  • Can taxpayers be confident PIJF cash was spent wisely?
    Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
    Point of OrderBy gadams1000
    4 days ago
  • EGU2024 – An intense week of joining sessions virtually
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    4 days ago
  • Submission on “Fast Track Approvals Bill”
    The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    4 days ago
  • The Case for a Universal Family Benefit
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    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • A who’s who of New Zealand’s dodgiest companies
    Submissions on National's corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law are due today (have you submitted?), and just hours before they close, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop has been forced to release the list of companies he invited to apply. I've spent the last hour going through it in an epic thread of bleats, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • On Lee’s watch, Economic Development seems to be stuck on scoring points from promoting sporting e...
    Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • New Zealand has never been closed for business
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    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days 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
    6 hours 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
    13 hours 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
    13 hours 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
    14 hours 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 day 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 day 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 day 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 day 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 day 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 day 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 days ago
  • Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
    The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Trade relationship with China remains strong
    “China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.   Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
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    4 days ago
  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
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    4 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
    5 days ago
  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
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    6 days ago
  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 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
    6 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
    6 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
    7 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
    7 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
    1 week ago
  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 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
    1 week 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
    1 week ago

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