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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    Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
    5 hours ago
  • How Much Paint Do You Need to Paint a Car?
    The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
    5 hours ago
  • Can You Jump a Car in the Rain? Safety Precautions and Essential Steps
    Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
    5 hours 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
    11 hours ago
  • EGU2024 – An intense week of joining sessions virtually
    Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
    13 hours 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
    14 hours ago
  • The Case for a Universal Family Benefit
    One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    15 hours 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
    17 hours 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
    18 hours ago
  • New Zealand has never been closed for business
    1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    19 hours 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
    21 hours ago
  • Melissa Lee and the media: ending the quest
    Chris Trotter writes –  MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    23 hours ago
  • The Hoon around the week to April 19
    TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    23 hours ago
  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    24 hours ago
  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    1 day ago
  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    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’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago
  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A StepbyStep Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and thirdparty applications. So, lets dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. Thats why they introduced the Recently Deleted folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Heres how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the Recents tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on Edit. Select Show Recently Deleted. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose Recover to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Heres how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose Erase All Content and Settings. Follow the onscreen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose Restore from iCloud Backup during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore ThirdParty Apps (with Caution): ...
    1 day ago
  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    2 days ago
  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    2 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    2 days ago
  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    2 days ago
  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    2 days ago
  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    2 days ago
  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    2 days ago
  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    2 days ago
  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    2 days ago
  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    2 days ago
  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    2 days ago
  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    2 days ago
  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago
  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    2 days ago
  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    2 days ago
  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    2 days ago
  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    4 days ago
  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    4 days ago
  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    4 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
    49 mins 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
    17 hours ago
  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
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  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
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