We must resist US pressure on China that could lead to war

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, February 20th, 2021 - 41 comments
Categories: australian politics, China, defence, International, jacinda ardern, leadership, Media, Propaganda, Russia, uk politics, us politics, war - Tags:

In February 2002 I was at a union-NDP conference in Ottawa watching US television in my hotel room. Back home I reported on the conference to the Labour Party caucus and stated as an aside that the US was going to war with Iraq. Helen Clark stood up straightaway and said “we won’t be going with them.” Jacinda Ardern needs to do the same now.

The US tv coverage I watched in 2002 was wall-to-wall anti-Iraq. Saddam had nuclear weapons, was murdering his people wholesale, and also had other chemical “weapons of mass destruction”. In early 2003 George W Bush did take the US to war with Iraq, in order to “restore democracy.” 17 years later the country is wrecked, the oil is looted, the Iraqis want the Americans out but they won’t go.

And it was all shown subsequently to be based on lies – most notably Colin Powell’s testimony to the UN Security Council. Also the infamous 45 minutes to mass destruction by chemical weapons relied on by Tony Blair. But they were lies with a purpose; to prepare the US and the UK people to be willing to condone the already-decided upon war, with all its subsequent horrors.

This has been the pattern through the history of the last one hundred and fifty years, from the filthy Hun to the vicious Nips to the subhuman Gooks. Now its the Russian thugs and the good old Chinese “yellow Peril.” The “War on Terror” that spawned the everlasting invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq has been replaced by the war against states – China, Russia, Iran and North Korea – all explicitly named in recent strategic documents.

The reason for this shift from the failed war on terror is because the failing states – the US and the UK – have become aware they are being out-thought and out-stripped by the rising Eurasian linkage between China and Russia, and points between, with all its attendant institutions – BRI, SCO, AIIB, RCEP to name just a few. New Zealand is involved in three of them.

The motivation for US and UK hostility is the same as it was in the nineteenth century with the Opium Wars – a refusal to surrender hegemony – total factor domination – coupled with a demand that the massive Chinese consumer market and the massive Russian resource base be opened up to Western finance capital for plunder.

The Russians and the Chinese have seen this coming, and they are determined that the 21st century outcome is not going to be the same as in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries with the Opium Wars and the Cold War. They do not wish war, but are not going to be run over again. They wish to be treated with respect.

The problem is that this war, if it were to happen, would not be like the war on Iraq, destructive for  many millions of innocent people as that was. It would not be by invasion of Russia or China; as Michael Hudson points out in this excellent essay America no longer has the capacity to wage a ground war, so any such war would rapidly turn nuclear. As an example, the US Marine Corps, the naval expeditionary or invasion force, has turned its strategy from infantry attack to missile attack, planning to ring China with yet more short-range strategic missiles.

Assuming rationality, as always with all those weapons roiling around our region the main danger is mistake, the sort of problem Daniel Ellsberg warned against when he worked for the Rand Corporation and released the Pentagon papers in 1986, and emphasised again in his recent excellent book The Doomsday Machine in 2019. The Doomsday Clock run by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists is at 100 seconds, the closest point to midnight it has ever been.

I do not think Jacinda Ardern was right when she said that “climate change is the nuclear issue of the 21st century,” as though the nuclear issue has been settled. It has not been. Both issues are in critical balance, and the nuclear danger is the more proximate.

That danger is very real. The Biden administration has carried on the ramping up of rhetoric and planning from the Trump administration with very little change. A Task Force has been set up in the Defense Department headed by the hawkish Ely Ratner to come up wit a new strategy in the next few months. The US political parties, the Washington foreign policy elite, and the vast range of think tanks are convergent on the need to bring China to heel. The US media is in full rage mode with the anti-China narrative. Billions have been poured into further development of nuclear weapons.

The main difference from the Trump administration is that Biden has announced that the US will now be relying on its allies to support its “extreme competition” with China. This means they will certainly be knocking on New Zealand’s door, reinforced by the Australians. While no doubt some in our foreign policy and defence establishments will enjoy being welcomed back to the cocktail parties and insider meetings, now more than ever we need to maintain our independent stance.

Our interests do not lie in extreme competition with China, as we continue to benefit so much from co-operation with them. We must resist being pulled into support for the US position against China, while supporting its efforts to deal with climate change in co-operation with them.

The underlying issue will be framed as the democratic US-led West against the authoritarian Eurasians. This is facile in the extreme. The United States is much more accurately described as a gerontocratic oligopolistic plutocracy. The Chinese governance system is consensual and meritocratic.

The other key difference is in priorities. The Chinese system prioritises communal welfare, so it has raised millions out of poverty. Corporate finance is state-c0ntrolled, and seeks massive investment in infrastructure for the common good. In the US infrastructure is decaying, evidenced most notably by the recent collapse of the energy system in Texas; and the private Federal Reserve has funneled four-fifths of the post-Covid stimulus to the private corporate sector.

There are very few Asian voices in our media, so Kiwis don’t have a good idea about what Asia thinks. One voice I do like is Kishore Mahbubani, a Singaporean academic, diplomat, and author. He is knowledgeable and balanced, and widely consulted and available on YouTube. In his recent book, “Has China Won?” he provides a penetrating analysis of the different perspectives of China and the US, and argues for co-operation rather than competition. He concludes:

At the end of the day this is what the six billion people of the rest of the world expect America and China to do: to focus on saving the planet and improving the living conditions of humanity, including those of their own peoples. The final question will therefore not be whether America or China has won. It will be whether humanity has won.

Humanity demands that we are kept safe from nuclear war. That should also be Aotearoa/New Zealand’s demand.

 

41 comments on “We must resist US pressure on China that could lead to war ”

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  1. Stuart Munro 1
    20 February 2021 at 9:03 pm

    Our best strategy with respect to China, or the US for that matter, is to set a good example. Our country has much to do, with rampant growth in inequality, and crisies in housing and sustainability, never mind the Covid crisis. If we mind our country well, our voice will carry more weight than if we offer criticism white-anted by our own poor responses to challenges.

    But it should not be assumed that either China or Russia are immune to the operations of interest that have corrupted America. None of these self-styled superpowers are to be trusted entirely. NZ's foreign policy needs to serve NZ for a change, and not be sacrificed every time some larger country drops hints about a trade deal.

  2. Subliminal 2
    20 February 2021 at 9:43 pm

    Great post Mike. The likelihood of cooperation between the USA and China seems to be very low. Biden is already letting the chance for mending the JCPOA with Iran slip away. Continuing the confrontational approach of Trump with as you rightly point out the new twist of enlisting the support of friendly nations seems to be the way forward. To be successful, there will need to be further ramping of the anti China rhetoric. As you point out, demonising the targeted enemy is a necessary first step. It's incredible that we are subjected to this so frequently but seem to retain no memory of it. On WMD:

    Alan Foley, the head of the CIA's Weapons Intelligence Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Center (WINPAC). WINPAC led the CIA's analysis of Iraq's purported WMD…

    Goodman thanked Foley for addressing the students and asked him what weapons of mass destruction he believed would be found after the invasion. "Not much, if anything," Goodman recalled that Foley responded….

    One day in December 2002, Foley called his senior production managers to his office. He had a clear message for the men and women who controlled the output of the center's analysts: "If the president wants to go to war, our job is to find the intelligence to allow him to do so."

    It is to be hoped that even if it is not possible for us to understand the nature of manufacturing consent for war and are led by the nose to the feeding trough of anti China rhetoric, then at least we do realise the catastrophic results for such a war and say firmly that we do not want to be involved. I for one, forgive Helen Clarke for absolutely everything for the one truly great thing that required a lot of strength, to say no to the war on Iraq

  3. Castro 3
    20 February 2021 at 9:43 pm

    The PRC is the new Nazi Germany; the best thing No Zealand can do in relation to the Plague Kingdom is to have absolutely nothing to do with it. Some wanted to appease Hitler, I recall. Perhaps there are those like Mr Smith who are primarily concerned about maintaining their property values or are receiving money from the Chinese dictatorship in one form or another? https://www.britannica.com/topic/appeasement-foreign-policy Ethnocide and genocide and lebensraum-seeking for the “volk” are evils.

    [don’t attack authors on this site. You have a history of this, my suggestion is you up your game or you will get banned – weka]

  4. RedLogix 4
    20 February 2021 at 9:52 pm

    Mike.

    Simple question – if the PRC do invade Taiwan as they seem intent on doing – what would be your position?

    Cheer it on? Or try and pretend it wasn't happening?

  5. Sanctuary 5
    20 February 2021 at 9:54 pm

    The frontline in the defense of our democracy runs through the Formosa strait. An attack on Taiwan – a free, democratic country – should be seen as an attack on us. And no amount of Quisling prevarication should obscure that.

  6. Andrew Miller 6
    20 February 2021 at 10:04 pm

    No, we don’t want war with China but nor to we want grotesque apologia for its appalling human rights abuses.
    I think it’s safe to say virtually no one wants nuclear war, but given your postings when you say ‘humanity’ you appear happy to exclude the Taiwanese, Uighur and the numerous other victims of the CCP.

    The Standard should be ashamed of itself.

    [read the Policy. The Standard is a machine, not an editorial board. The politics are fair game, but I’ve got short patience for people having a go at authors. If you don’t like what Mike is saying, then critique that – weka]

    • weka 6.1
      20 February 2021 at 10:49 pm

      mod note for you.

    • Mike Smith 6.2
      20 February 2021 at 10:49 pm

      As I said in the post Red we should assume rationality and the most likely cause for concern is a mistake. The whole point of the post was to warn against the danger, but it is the US that is encircling China not the other way around.

      • RedLogix 6.2.1
        20 February 2021 at 11:16 pm

        Last I looked at the map, China is encircled by 17 neighbouring countries – virtually all of whom have good reason to be concerned at it's expansionary ambitions.

        The US won't invade China, it doesn't have to. All it has to do is withdraw it's Navy from providing Freedom of Navigation for any merchant vessels sailing to or from any Chinese port. And the PRC's fraction of GDP involved in imports/exports is one of the highest on earth – the impact would be massive across virtually all sectors of it's economy.

        Personally I don't think it's at all rational for the PRC to invade Taiwan – but the fact that they keep saying – and acting as if they will – shouldn't be ignored totally.

        • Mike Smith 6.2.1.1
          21 February 2021 at 8:54 am

          China's expansionary ambitions are about trade, as exemplified by the Belt and Road Initiative. They are well aware of the maritime threat from the US and soon to be the UK which is why the Belt land-based part is important to them.

          • Populuxe1 6.2.1.1.1
            22 February 2021 at 1:28 pm

            The Belt and Road are about trade. That is a completely different issue to Tibet, Taiwan and the Nine Dash Line which China has always maintained is about their interpretation of traditional territorial integrity. Then there is the issue of SAE defense agreements with the US, which ironically, since Vietnam, the US has been reluctant to act on.

      • Populuxe1 6.2.2
        22 February 2021 at 1:34 pm

        I suspect that would come as a surprise to the four other nuclear powers sharing a border with China.

    • Muttonbird 6.3
      21 February 2021 at 9:43 am

      Yet you've been happy for the last 30 years to buy goods made in China.

  7. Ad 7
    20 February 2021 at 10:43 pm

    Our government offered to broker between Australia and China just last month. We've just pulled our last soldier out of Afghanistan last week. So Ardern understands diplomacy in this area just fine.

    • Mike Smith 7.1
      20 February 2021 at 11:04 pm

      The real pressure hasn't started yet. It will come on after the US has completed its review. The government will need a great deal of support from all of us to retain an independent stance. We also need to be much more aware of other voices in Asia than we appear to be at the moment.

      • Populuxe1 7.1.1
        22 February 2021 at 4:18 pm

        We also need to be much more aware of other voices in Asia than we appear to be at the moment.

        Like Taiwan perhaps? Hong Kong? Vietnam? The Philippines (if Duterte ever works out whose side he's on)? India (currently in a military standoff with China)? The US might have its own interests to push, but they're singing to the choir.

  8. Incognito 8
    21 February 2021 at 12:54 am

    My admittedly naive view is that Biden has inherited (and contributed to) a divided nation and will do whatever to repair the widening schism within. A robust jingoist story with associated rhetoric to divert attention away from internal issues might just do the trick. Expect some military chest-beating and prowess to stimulate national pride.

    I know even less about China but they seem to be playing a psychological game of poker with Taiwan. The ruling Party has it owns internal issues to deal with.

    As another commenter was saying, this feels like a number of coinciding exercises in manufacturing consent on a global scale. It’ll be interesting to see if NZ buys into it, literally, and dives deeper into the rabbit hole. Personally, I don’t think Aotearoa-New Zealand should demand anything but work on strengthening relationships between peoples because that’s what humanity is all about, isn’t it?

  9. Simbit 9
    21 February 2021 at 3:39 am

    "The Chinese system prioritises communal welfare, so it has raised millions out of poverty." Not sure if you mean the Chinese Communist Party or some sort of traditional Chinese society. The CCP plunged China into famine which it took many years to dig itself out of. They now look like any other kleptocracy, exemplified by the US, which should mean no war as they are more alike than different…

  10. DukeEll 10
    21 February 2021 at 9:16 am

    The filthy hun and devious nip both went on to invade numerous neighbours and commit terrible atrocities and genocide to those neighbours. China under the CCCP has form with taking over its neighbours. Namely Tibet and Mongolia.

    So fears of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan are not without merit.

  11. Byd0nz 11
    21 February 2021 at 9:36 am

    The US is a military regime with the Comander in Chief being the President of this multi party one system military state, a state that has an economy based on producing and selling military hardware with salesmen spouting about evil enemies, enemies who's military budgets combined together dont come anywhere near the US. The world must be getting sick of this sick US State, even the NATO countries people dont agree with this redundant organization using their money to fund American paranoia and hegemony. I note that US propaganda still resonates with some on this site. Fuck money systems, time for a United world, a world without money and the corruption that money is.

  12. Obtrectator 12
    22 February 2021 at 8:39 am

    "The Chinese governance system is consensual and meritocratic."

    Try telling that to the Uighurs and Tibetans!

    (Would have had this up earlier, but the site seemed to be down for much of yesterday (Sunday).)

  13. Tiger Mountain 13
    22 February 2021 at 1:47 pm

    Intelligent post Mike Smith.

    Nuclear weapons have to be opposed now as they were in the 80s. New Zealanders, street by street, Council District by Council District, marched, rallied and attended vigils to achieve a Nuke Free NZ.

    The UN Treaty to Ban Nuclear Weapons has come into effect, having been ratified by 50 countries as of 22 January this year. This country was among them, not on the roll of dishonour–9 Nuclear capable nations, and all the NATO ones plus Australia! and others.

    Demonising China in support of US Imperialism because of 5 Eyes is not the way forward in 2021. New Zealand, particularly in the COVID, Climate Disaster era, should practice the most independent, non aligned political and trade position possible.

  14. Dal Tarrent 14
    22 February 2021 at 3:56 pm

    "The Chinese governance system is consensual and meritocratic"

    That seems to be a very interesting take on it ? Please explain ?

  15. Corey Humm 15
    22 February 2021 at 6:42 pm

    "The Chinese governance system is consensual and meritocratic."

    Excuse me? Consensual? Consensual is democracy, USA is not a democracy it's a federal republic but it's a lost closer to a democracy than the CCP, whose human rights attrocities make the us look like rank amateurs. You think chinese people like the CCP seriously? A country where they disappear you if you disagree with the govt , where celebrities overseas have to tow the party line or their families are disappeared back home. Where slavery is rampant , you go work in one of those suicide net factories for $2 a day and then tell us all how great china is, I haven't even gotten on to Hong Kong where they arrest and disappear protesters and major political parties for wanting democracy. One of the great shames of this country who was once so ready to condemn major powers in the past won't condemn china's treatment of Hong Kong , muslims or basic human rights, but we'll crap all over the west though cos we don't sell the west milk.

    Look closer to the pacific and the debt trap china's getting our neighbors in soon they'll get one so broke they'll demand an island or a bit of land as compensation and have a naval base right next to Australia.

    Look at universities cramping down on students and professors who critcize China, the main political parties are absolutely infiltrated by China and woe be anyone who brings it up, china has brought our soul for milk, yay neoliberalism.

    I'm no defender of western imperialism but a lot of people seem to defend chinese imperialism.

    But seriously … consensual govt in china? Since when? Maintain our independent foreign policy? What independence? We offer meek criticism and have govt ministers spewing CCCP party lines and offering condescending advice to other countries on how to make nice with china, we're not independent, we're dependent.

    And last thing the rise of russia ? Russia? A petrol station that manufactures vodka and dash cam crash footage? Again try speaking out against the govt there.

    • Scud 15.1
      22 February 2021 at 8:44 pm

      NZ well never have a proper Independent Foreign Policy, if whatever NZG keeps Foreign, Trade, Defence and Aid Development in separate Silo's. For NZ to have a truly Independent Foreign Policy all 4 dept's have to be treated as equal if NZ is to avoid being caught up in the coming shit sandwich and time is running out for NZ. Especially when both sides of the house incl most here at The Standard wants to keep on salami slicing cuts the NZDF inparticularly the most equipment hungry/ expensive arms of the NZDF the Navy and Airforce.

      NZ is an export led economy and unlike Ireland, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland NZ's export markets is 4-5 sailing days away to our closet market Australia. But it doesn't even the capability to maintain its SLOC's to Singers ie access the SEA markets or to the like of Sth Korea, Japan Taiwan, Western US or Canada and let alone the UK/ EU.

      In other words if NZ can't export, it can't import which means NZ economy will tank quicker than it did during the Great Depression of the 30's thanks to 40-30yrs of the NeoCon Lib economic market BS theory.

    • Subliminal 15.2
      23 February 2021 at 12:43 pm

      The "debt trap" is another western myth being used to fuel anti China rhetoric. If you read the Michael Hudson article linked in the main post you would realise that China has a much more nuanced understanding of debt. Often debt must necessarily be restructured or forgiven. Most importantly, debt that cant be paid must be forgiven. Western society is alone in history in not understanding this fundamental principal.

      So the "seizure of islands" isnt going to happen and serious analysis of this fear has shown that there has never been this type of pressure and likely never will be:

      Our research shows that Chinese banks are willing to restructure the terms of existing loans and have never actually seized an asset from any country, much less the port of Hambantota. A Chinese company’s acquisition of a majority stake in the port was a cautionary tale, but it’s not the one we’ve often heard. With a new administration in Washington, the truth about the widely, perhaps willfully, misunderstood case of Hambantota Port is long overdue.

  16. Mike Smith 16
    22 February 2021 at 8:04 pm

    Never let the facts get in the way of a poor argument.

    Have a read of this article "As U.S. Views Of China Grow More Negative, Chinese Support For Their Government Rises" https://www.npr.org/2020/09/23/913650298/as-u-s-views-of-china-grow-more-negative-chinese-support-for-their-government-ri

    It's not surprising that 73% of US respondents have a negative view of China in. Pew Research poll in July 2020 – they've been fed on the sorts of views that you express.

    In contrast, a long-term Harvard study found as follows

    The survey team found that compared to public opinion patterns in the U.S., in China there was very high satisfaction with the central government. In 2016, the last year the survey was conducted, 95.5 percent of respondents were either “relatively satisfied” or “highly satisfied” with Beijing. In contrast to these findings, Gallup reported in January of this year that their latest polling on U.S. citizen satisfaction with the American federal government revealed only 38 percent of respondents were satisfied with the federal government.

    https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/07/long-term-survey-reveals-chinese-government-satisfaction/

    • Stuart Munro 16.1
      22 February 2021 at 9:53 pm

      Violent suppression of dissent and nationalism allows even very poor leaders to maintain a fictitious popularity.

      Stalin Is More Popular Than Ever in Russia, Survey Shows | Best Countries | US News

      US antigovernment propaganda, as typified by Norquist

      "My goal is to cut government in half in twenty-five years, to get it down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub."

      has been largely successful, the poor Republican response in Texas exemplifying a constituency that cannot anticipate federal or state relief no matter what the crisis.

      Talk to a few Chinese New Zealanders – they'll soon sophisticate your naive view of the PRC.

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    Amsterdam to Hong Kong William McCartney16,000 kilometres41 days18 trains13 countries11 currencies6 long-distance taxis4 taxi apps4 buses3 sim cards2 ferries1 tram0 medical events (surprisingly)Episode 4Whether the Sofia-Istanbul Express really qualifies to be called an express is debatable, but it’s another one of those likeably old and slow trains tha… ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • The Hoon around the week to Dec 8
    Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro arrives for the State Opening of Parliament (Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)TL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:New Finance Minister Nicola Willis set herself a ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • New Zealand’s Witchcraft Laws: 1840/1858-1961/1962
    Sometimes one gets morbidly curious about the oddities of one’s own legal system. Sometimes one writes entire essays on New Zealand’s experience with Blasphemous Libel: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2017/05/09/blasphemous-libel-new-zealand-politics/ And sometimes one follows up the exact historical status of witchcraft law in New Zealand. As one does, of course. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • No surprises
    Don’t expect any fiscal shocks or surprises when the books are opened on December 20 with the unveiling of the Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU). That was the message yesterday from Westpac in an economic commentary. But the bank’s analysis did not include any changes to capital ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #49 2023
    113 articles in 48 journals by 674 contributing authors Physical science of climate change, effects Diversity of Lagged Relationships in Global Means of Surface Temperatures and Radiative Budgets for CMIP6 piControl Simulations, Tsuchida et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-23-0045.1 Do abrupt cryosphere events in High Mountain Asia indicate earlier tipping ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Phone calls at Kia Kaha primary
    It is quiet reading time in Room 13! It is so quiet you can hear the Tui outside. It is so quiet you can hear the Fulton Hogan crew.It is so quiet you can hear old Mr Grant and old Mr Bradbury standing by the roadworks and counting the conesand going on ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • A question of confidence is raised by the Minister of Police, but he had to be questioned by RNZ to ...
    It looks like the new ministerial press secretaries have quickly learned the art of camouflaging exactly what their ministers are saying – or, at least, of keeping the hard news  out of the headlines and/or the opening sentences of the statements they post on the home page of the governments ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Xmas  good  cheer  for the dairy industry  as Fonterra lifts its forecast
    The big dairy co-op Fonterra  had  some Christmas  cheer to offer  its farmers this week, increasing its forecast farmgate milk price and earnings guidance for  the year after what it calls a strong start to the year. The forecast  midpoint for the 2023/24 season is up 25cs to $7.50 per ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • MICHAEL BASSETT: Modern Maori myths
    Michael Bassett writes – Many of the comments about the Coalition’s determination to wind back the dramatic Maorification of New Zealand of the last three years would have you believe the new government is engaged in a full-scale attack on Maori. In reality, all that is happening ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Dreams of eternal sunshine at a spotless COP28
    Mary Robinson asked Al Jaber a series of very simple, direct and highly pertinent questions and he responded with a high-octane public meltdown. Photos: Getty Images / montage: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR The hygiene effects of direct sunshine are making some inroads, perhaps for the very first time, on the normalised ‘deficit ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • LINDSAY MITCHELL: Oh, the irony
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Appointed by new Labour PM Jacinda Ardern in 2018, Cindy Kiro headed the Welfare Expert Advisory Group (WEAG) tasked with reviewing and recommending reforms to the welfare system. Kiro had been Children’s Commissioner during Helen Clark’s Labour government but returned to academia subsequently. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Transport Agencies don’t want Harbour Tunnels
    It seems even our transport agencies don’t want Labour’s harbour crossing plans. In August the previous government and Waka Kotahi announced their absurd preferred option the new harbour crossing that at the time was estimated to cost $35-45 billion. It included both road tunnels and a wiggly light rail tunnel ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • Webworm Presents: Jurassic Park on 35mm
    Hi,Paying Webworm members such as yourself keep this thing running, so as 2023 draws to close, I wanted to do two things to say a giant, loud “THANKS”. Firstly — I’m giving away 10 Mister Organ blu-rays in New Zealand, and another 10 in America. More details down below.Secondly — ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago

  • The Prime Minister's Dream.
    Yesterday saw the State Opening of Parliament, the Speech from the Throne, and then Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s dream for Aotearoa in his first address. But first the pomp and ceremony, the arrival of the Governor General.Dame Cindy Kiro arrived on the forecourt outside of parliament to a Māori welcome. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • National’s new MP; the proud part-Maori boy raised in a state house
    Probably not since 1975 have we seen a government take office up against such a wall of protest and complaint. That was highlighted yesterday, the day that the new Parliament was sworn in, with news that King Tuheitia has called a national hui for late January to develop a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • Climate Adam: Battlefield Earth – How War Fuels Climate Catastrophe
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). War, conflict and climate change are tearing apart lives across the world. But these aren't separate harms - they're intricately connected. ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • They do not speak for us, and they do not speak for the future
    These dire woeful and intolerant people have been so determinedly going about their small and petulant business, it’s hard to keep up. At the end of the new government’s first woeful week, Audrey Young took the time to count off its various acts of denigration of Te Ao Māori:Review the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Another attack on te reo
    The new white supremacist government made attacking te reo a key part of its platform, promising to rename government agencies and force them to "communicate primarily in English" (which they already do). But today they've gone further, by trying to cut the pay of public servants who speak te reo: ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • For the record, the Beehive buzz can now be regarded as “official”
    Buzz from the Beehive The biggest buzz we bring you from the Beehive today is that the government’s official website is up and going after being out of action for more than a week. The latest press statement came  from  Education Minister  Eric Stanford, who seized on the 2022 PISA ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • Climate Change: Failed again
    There was another ETS auction this morning. and like all the other ones this year, it failed to clear - meaning that 23 million tons of carbon (15 million ordinary units plus 8 million in the cost containment reserve) went up in smoke. Or rather, they didn't. Being unsold at ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On The Government’s Assault On Maori
    This isn’t news, but the National-led coalition is mounting a sustained assault on Treaty rights and obligations. Even so, Christopher Luxon has described yesterday’s nationwide protests by Maori as “pretty unfair.” Poor thing. In the NZ Herald, Audrey Young has compiled a useful list of the many, many ways that ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    5 days ago

  • Rising costs hit farmers hard, but  there’s more  positive news  for  them this  week 
    New Zealand’s dairy industry, the mainstay of the country’s export trade, has  been under  pressure  from rising  costs. Down on the  farm, this  has  been  hitting  hard. But there  was more positive news this week,  first   from the latest Fonterra GDT auction where  prices  rose,  and  then from  a  report ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    5 days ago

  • ROB MacCULLOCH:  Newshub and NZ Herald report misleading garbage about ACT’s van Veldon not follo...
    Rob MacCulloch writes –  In their rush to discredit the new government (which our MainStream Media regard as illegitimate and having no right to enact the democratic will of voters) the NZ Herald and Newshub are arguing ACT’s Deputy Leader Brooke van Veldon is not following Treasury advice ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Top 10 for Wednesday, December 6
    Even many young people who smoke support smokefree policies, fitting in with previous research showing the large majority of people who smoke regret starting and most want to quit. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere on the morning of Wednesday, December ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • Eleven years of work.
    Well it didn’t take six months, but the leaks have begun. Yes the good ship Coalition has inadvertently released a confidential cabinet paper into the public domain, discussing their axing of Fair Pay Agreements (FPAs).Oops.Just when you were admiring how smoothly things were going for the new government, they’ve had ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Why we're missing out on sharply lower inflation
    A wave of new and higher fees, rates and charges will ripple out over the economy in the next 18 months as mayors, councillors, heads of department and price-setters for utilities such as gas, electricity, water and parking ramp up charges. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Just when most ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • How Did We Get Here?
    Hi,Kiwis — keep the evening of December 22nd free. I have a meetup planned, and will send out an invite over the next day or so. This sounds sort of crazy to write, but today will be Tony Stamp’s final Totally Normal column of 2023. Somehow we’ve made it to ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago

  • At a glance – Has the greenhouse effect been falsified?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • New Zealaders  have  high expectations of  new  government:  now let’s see if it can deliver?
    The electorate has high expectations of the  new  government.  The question is: can  it  deliver?    Some  might  say  the  signs are not  promising. Protestors   are  already marching in the streets. The  new  Prime Minister has had  little experience of managing  very diverse politicians  in coalition. The economy he  ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    6 days ago

  • You won't believe some of the numbers you have to pull when you're a Finance Minister
    Nicola of Marsden:Yo, normies! We will fix your cost of living worries by giving you a tax cut of 150 dollars. 150! Cash money! Vote National.Various people who can read and count:Actually that's 150 over a fortnight. Not a week, which is how you usually express these things.And actually, it looks ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • Pushback
    When this government came to power, it did so on an explicitly white supremacist platform. Undermining the Waitangi Tribunal, removing Māori representation in local government, over-riding the courts which had tried to make their foreshore and seabed legislation work, eradicating te reo from public life, and ultimately trying to repudiate ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • Defence ministerial meeting meant Collins missed the Maori Party’s mischief-making capers in Parli...
    Buzz from the Beehive Maybe this is not the best time for our Minister of Defence to have gone overseas. Not when the Maori Party is inviting (or should that be inciting?) its followers to join a revolution in a post which promoted its protest plans with a picture of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Threats of war have been followed by an invitation to join the revolution – now let’s see how th...
     A Maori Party post on Instagram invited party followers to ….  Tangata Whenua, Tangata Tiriti, Join the REVOLUTION! & make a stand!  Nationwide Action Day, All details in tiles swipe to see locations.  • This is our 1st hit out and tomorrow Tuesday the 5th is the opening ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Top 10 for Tuesday, December 4
    The RBNZ governor is citing high net migration and profit-led inflation as factors in the bank’s hawkish stance. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere on the morning of Tuesday, December 5, including:Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr says high net migration and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Nicola Willis' 'show me the money' moment
    Willis has accused labour of “economic vandalism’, while Robertson described her comments as a “desperate diversion from somebody who can't make their tax package add up”. There will now be an intense focus on December 20 to see whether her hyperbole is backed up by true surprises. Photo montage: Lynn ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • CRL costs money but also provides huge benefits
    The City Rail Link has been in the headlines a bit recently so I thought I’d look at some of them. First up, yesterday the NZ Herald ran this piece about the ongoing costs of the CRL. Auckland ratepayers will be saddled with an estimated bill of $220 million each ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    6 days ago

  • And I don't want the world to see us.
    Is this the most shambolic government in the history of New Zealand? Given that parliament hasn’t even opened they’ve managed quite a list of achievements to date.The Smokefree debacle trading lives for tax cuts, the Trumpian claims of bribery in the Media, an International award for indifference, and today the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Cooking the books
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis late yesterday stopped only slightly short of accusing her predecessor Grant Robertson of cooking the books. She complained that the Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU), due to be made public on December 20, would show “fiscal cliffs” that would amount to “billions of ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Most people don’t realize how much progress we’ve made on climate change
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The year was 2015. ‘Uptown Funk’ with Bruno Mars was at the top of the music charts. Jurassic World was the most popular new movie in theaters. And decades of futility in international climate negotiations was about to come to an end in ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago

  • Of Parliamentary Oaths and Clive Boonham
    As a heads-up, I am not one of those people who stay awake at night thinking about weird Culture War nonsense. At least so far as the current Maori/Constitutional arrangements go. In fact, I actually consider it the least important issue facing the day to day lives of New ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    7 days ago

  • Bearing True Allegiance?
    Strong Words: “We do not consent, we do not surrender, we do not cede, we do not submit; we, the indigenous, are rising. We do not buy into the colonial fictions this House is built upon. Te Pāti Māori pledges allegiance to our mokopuna, our whenua, and Te Tiriti o ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago

  • You cannot be serious
    Some days it feels like the only thing to say is: Seriously? No, really. Seriously?OneSomeone has used their health department access to share data about vaccinations and patients, and inform the world that New Zealanders have been dying in their hundreds of thousands from the evil vaccine. This of course is pure ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • A promise kept: govt pulls the plug on Lake Onslow scheme – but this saving of $16bn is denounced...
    Buzz from the Beehive After $21.8 million was spent on investigations, the plug has been pulled on the Lake Onslow pumped-hydro electricity scheme, The scheme –  that technically could have solved New Zealand’s looming energy shortage, according to its champions – was a key part of the defeated Labour government’s ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • CHRIS TROTTER: The Maori Party and Oath of Allegiance
    If those elected to the Māori Seats refuse to take them, then what possible reason could the country have for retaining them?   Chris Trotter writes – Christmas is fast approaching, which, as it does every year, means gearing up for an abstruse general knowledge question. “Who was ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • BRIAN EASTON:  Forward to 2017
    The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies. Brian Easton writes – The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 week ago

  • Climate Change: Fossils
    When the new government promised to allow new offshore oil and gas exploration, they were warned that there would be international criticism and reputational damage. Naturally, they arrogantly denied any possibility that that would happen. And then they finally turned up at COP, to criticism from Palau, and a "fossil ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • GEOFFREY MILLER:  NZ’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    Geoffrey Miller writes – New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 week ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the government’s smokefree laws debacle
    The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around – incompetently, as it turns out – for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 week ago

  • Top 10 links at 10 am for Monday, December 4
    As Deb Te Kawa writes in an op-ed, the new Government seems to have immediately bought itself fights with just about everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Monday December 4, including:Palau’s President ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Be Honest.
    Let’s begin today by thinking about job interviews.During my career in Software Development I must have interviewed hundreds of people, hired at least a hundred, but few stick in the memory.I remember one guy who was so laid back he was practically horizontal, leaning back in his chair until his ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he left off. Peters sought to align ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    1 week ago

  • Auckland rail tunnel the world’s most expensive
    Auckland’s city rail link is the most expensive rail project in the world per km, and the CRL boss has described the cost of infrastructure construction in Aotearoa as a crisis. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The 3.5 km City Rail Link (CRL) tunnel under Auckland’s CBD has cost ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • First big test coming
    The first big test of the new Government’s approach to Treaty matters is likely to be seen in the return of the Resource Management Act. RMA Minister Chris Bishop has confirmed that he intends to introduce legislation to repeal Labour’s recently passed Natural and Built Environments Act and its ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago

  • Ministers visit Hawke’s Bay to grasp recovery needs
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Cyclone Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell and Transport and Local Government Minister Simeon Brown, to meet leaders of cyclone and flood-affected regions in the Hawke’s Bay. The visit reinforced the coalition Government’s commitment to support the region and better understand its ongoing requirements, Mr Mitchell says.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns malicious cyber activity
    New Zealand has joined the UK and other partners in condemning malicious cyber activity conducted by the Russian Government, Minister Responsible for the Government Communications Security Bureau Judith Collins says. The statement follows the UK’s attribution today of malicious cyber activity impacting its domestic democratic institutions and processes, as well ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Disestablishment of Te Pūkenga begins
    The Government has begun the process of disestablishing Te Pūkenga as part of its 100-day plan, Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills Penny Simmonds says.  “I have started putting that plan into action and have met with the chair and chief Executive of Te Pūkenga to advise them of my ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Climate Change Minister to attend COP28 in Dubai
    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will be leaving for Dubai today to attend COP28, the 28th annual UN climate summit, this week. Simon Watts says he will push for accelerated action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement, deliver New Zealand’s national statement and connect with partner countries, private sector leaders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand to host 2024 Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins yesterday announced New Zealand will host next year’s South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM). “Having just returned from this year’s meeting in Nouméa, I witnessed first-hand the value of meeting with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security and defence matters. I welcome the opportunity to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Study shows need to remove distractions in class
    The Government is committed to lifting school achievement in the basics and that starts with removing distractions so young people can focus on their learning, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.   The 2022 PISA results released this week found that Kiwi kids ranked 5th in the world for being distracted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Minister sets expectations of Commissioner
    Today I met with Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to set out my expectations, which he has agreed to, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. Under section 16(1) of the Policing Act 2008, the Minister can expect the Police Commissioner to deliver on the Government’s direction and priorities, as now outlined in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New Zealand needs a strong and stable ETS
    New Zealand needs a strong and stable Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) that is well placed for the future, after emission units failed to sell for the fourth and final auction of the year, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  At today’s auction, 15 million New Zealand units (NZUs) – each ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • PISA results show urgent need to teach the basics
    With 2022 PISA results showing a decline in achievement, Education Minister Erica Stanford is confident that the Coalition Government’s 100-day plan for education will improve outcomes for Kiwi kids.  The 2022 PISA results show a significant decline in the performance of 15-year-old students in maths compared to 2018 and confirms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Collins leaves for Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins today departed for New Caledonia to attend the 8th annual South Pacific Defence Ministers’ meeting (SPDMM). “This meeting is an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security matters and to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the Pacific,” Judith Collins says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Working for Families gets cost of living boost
    Putting more money in the pockets of hard-working families is a priority of this Coalition Government, starting with an increase to Working for Families, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “We are starting our 100-day plan with a laser focus on bringing down the cost of living, because that is what ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Post-Cabinet press conference
    Most weeks, following Cabinet, the Prime Minister holds a press conference for members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery. This page contains the transcripts from those press conferences, which are supplied by Hansard to the Office of the Prime Minister. It is important to note that the transcripts have not been edited ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme scrapped
    The Government has axed the $16 billion Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme championed by the previous government, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says. “This hugely wasteful project was pouring money down the drain at a time when we need to be reining in spending and focussing on rebuilding the economy and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ welcomes further pause in fighting in Gaza
    New Zealand welcomes the further one-day extension of the pause in fighting, which will allow the delivery of more urgently-needed humanitarian aid into Gaza and the release of more hostages, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said. “The human cost of the conflict is horrific, and New Zealand wants to see the violence ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Condolences on passing of Henry Kissinger
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters today expressed on behalf of the New Zealand Government his condolences to the family of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who has passed away at the age of 100 at his home in Connecticut. “While opinions on his legacy are varied, Secretary Kissinger was ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Backing our kids to learn the basics
    Every child deserves a world-leading education, and the Coalition Government is making that a priority as part of its 100-day plan. Education Minister Erica Stanford says that will start with banning cellphone use at school and ensuring all primary students spend one hour on reading, writing, and maths each day. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • US Business Summit Speech – Regional stability through trade
    I would like to begin by echoing the Prime Minister’s thanks to the organisers of this Summit, Fran O’Sullivan and the Auckland Business Chamber.  I want to also acknowledge the many leading exporters, sector representatives, diplomats, and other leaders we have joining us in the room. In particular, I would like ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Keynote Address to the United States Business Summit, Auckland
    Good morning. Thank you, Rosemary, for your warm introduction, and to Fran and Simon for this opportunity to make some brief comments about New Zealand’s relationship with the United States.  This is also a chance to acknowledge my colleague, Minister for Trade Todd McClay, Ambassador Tom Udall, Secretary of Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • India New Zealand Business Council Speech, India as a Strategic Priority
    Good morning, tēnā koutou and namaskar. Many thanks, Michael, for your warm welcome. I would like to acknowledge the work of the India New Zealand Business Council in facilitating today’s event and for the Council’s broader work in supporting a coordinated approach for lifting New Zealand-India relations. I want to also ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Coalition Government unveils 100-day plan
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has laid out the Coalition Government’s plan for its first 100 days from today. “The last few years have been incredibly tough for so many New Zealanders. People have put their trust in National, ACT and NZ First to steer them towards a better, more prosperous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • New Zealand welcomes European Parliament vote on the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement
    A significant milestone in ratifying the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was reached last night, with 524 of the 705 member European Parliament voting in favour to approve the agreement. “I’m delighted to hear of the successful vote to approve the NZ-EU FTA in the European Parliament overnight. This is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

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