What Have Labour Done For The Poor, Exactly?

Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, September 28th, 2020 - 30 comments
Categories: benefits, Carmel Sepuloni, Economy, labour, uncategorized, welfare - Tags:

There’s been plenty of criticism about Labour’s policies not being effective enough to alleviate poverty.
Time for a bit of perspective.

You’ll probably remember the interview Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni gave with TVNZ last year.

But, as with most policy areas, COVID19 focused the Minister’s mind, and that of Treasury.

Labour’s Social Welfare Minister has had a hard time from the Child Poverty Action Group recently. Their task is necessarily unceasing.

But, as the Minister rightly notes, Labour have implemented a lot.

For just a few of the highlights:

  • Labour did the Families Package early on which gave 384,000 families an extra $75 a week
  • Labour implemented the Best Start payment which gets parents with young children $60 a week for 3 years
  • They implemented 7 months paid Parental Leave, up from 4 months.
  • They actually did the hard political thing of setting legislated targets child poverty, which is going to grip them tighter and tighter each time it’s reported
  • Labour now gives free lunches through schools – by mid next year that’s 200,000 children eating better so they can learn better
  • Minister Sepuloni stopped the requirement to name the father or your benefit gets cut. A truly shitty National government policy.
  • Minister Sepuloni shifted the mean and disgusting punitive culture of Social Welfare, though is happy to admit there’s a lot more to do
  • Labour banned smoking in cars – great for child health – and when National started in power the smoking rate was about 20% and it’s down to 14.9%.
  • Allocated over half a billion in funding against domestic violence – now let’s see them spend it to make a difference
  • Did strong long term employment stuff like the Tupu Aotearoa and the expanded Mana In Mahi programmes for education pathways into work for Maori and Pacifica and generally people who had some massive social disadvantage
  • Increased the minimum wage, and promised to raise it again to $20 next year

Sure, there is plenty they didn’t do. Minister Sepuloni should keep taking the criticism, and fighting harder for her patch in Cabinet. That’s what you get paid for.

Of all the political capital they’ve accumulated, it’s sure time to spend some of it in social welfare.

And probably COVID19’s social and economic effects will confuse any causality of the collected policies to any change to the GINI Coefficient. Brutal damn year.

But that scale of positive social intervention never happened under National. Or Act.

Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni led this change, as did the Prime Minister herself.

It would have been a meaner, crueller, more damaged country without Labour’s social welfare policies; a very, very dark entry into the crisis we are in.

Social welfare is another portfolio for which Labour should be voted back in.

30 comments on “What Have Labour Done For The Poor, Exactly? ”

  1. Poppa G 1

    I think the handbrake NZ 1st applied in cabinet should not be underestimated. Labour, without that impediment should be able to more social gains. Keep in mind that covid is going to be having an effect for a some time yet.

    [Is there a good reason why you changed your user name? You’re creating extra work for Moderators. Please stick to only one user handle and to the old one from now on, thanks – Incognito]

  2. Rosemary McDonald 2

    What Have Labour Done For The Poor, Exactly?

    Sweet FA, tbh.

    https://www.cpag.org.nz/new-zealands-welfare-system-fails-to-recognise/

  3. Kay 3

    They've completely ignored the existence of people with long term illnesses and disabilities and barely-if ever- acknowledge our existence. As long as we don't exist they don't have to help.

    If none of them will even have the decency to respond to an email on the subject then as far as I'm concerned they have done absolutely nothing. The only thing I will agree with is things are always a hell of a lot worse in general under the Nat. It does not mean they are better under Labour.

  4. Anker 4
    • Also benefits raised by $25 at the start of covid. And they have linked benefits to wage inflation (I don’t really understand this, but I have heard it said this is helpful)
    • will in crease sick leave.

    heard Robertson talk about an insurance scheme for unemployment. Seems Sweden has this, was reading about it in the context of Covid

    • Kay 4.1

      I can assure you that $25 has achieved absolute nothing. For nearly all of us it was eaten up right away by the rent. The worrying thing now is, Temporary Additional Support renewals have been on hold for the last 6 months because of covid and WINZ being over-run but are about to be restarted. usually, an increase in benefit rates result in an automatic decrease in TAS. Given every beneficiary in private rental and/or with high disability costs is now getting TAS full time just to have a roof over our heads, we are facing the very real prospect of having up to $25 taken off us.

      • woodart 4.1.1

        totally disagree kay, that $25 per week was a 9.5 percent increase in my benefit. has made a big difference. along with the winter power payout(doubled this winter, has helped me pay off a couple of longstanding accounts and also put a little aside for rainy day. I realise that everybodies experiences vary, but if you turn your nose up at a nearly ten percent increase in your weekly stipend, dont expect sympathy from this fellow beneficary. your claim that every beneficary in private rental is now getting TAS is also wrong.

        • Kay 4.1.1.1

          Fine woodart, I'm very pleased that $25 has helped you. It's no doubt helped a few people, but it's made bugger all difference to the people I know in private accommodation for the reason I've given, especially when their rent is more than the core benefit and we need supplements to pay the bills. And did I turn up my nose? It is how ever, a token gesture and the government knows it. Until exorbatant rents are sorted then token gesture increases are not going to make much of a difference.

          I do agree, than in conjunction with the increased winter energy payment (= $65/week for a single person), now that has made a massive difference. But 40 of that is about to vanish as you know. And just how many people do you think actually used that energy payment to pay for energy? Like you say, pay off a couple of accounts (if they were power, then that shows you didn't have enough to meet non-winter prices), and put a bit aside, ie hoarding for the leaner times to come.

        • weka 4.1.1.2

          not everyone got $25.

      • Sabine 4.1.2

        Given every beneficiary in private rental and/or with high disability costs is now getting TAS full time just to have a roof over our heads, we are facing the very real prospect of having up to $25 taken off us.

        Bill was worried about that. He left a few comments stating exactly this just before lockdown.

        The state gives with one hand and it takes away with the other. the poverty of the masses as a political tool.

    • weka 4.2

      "Also benefits raised by $25 at the start of covid"

      It's important to understand that that doesn't mean that each beneficiary got an increase in the bank account each week. Depending on what supplementary benefits they get, that $25 is abated down once the full benefit is calculated. Some beneficiaries get much less.

  5. arkie 5

    This morning the Prime Minister ruled out raising benefits if they get a second term, pledged continued incrementalism.

    From 5:28

  6. Sabine 6

    They have not increased benefits for anyone unless they are Families. there you get a wee bit of money for kids under three, and once they are three years old and a day, the kids can go get a job and 'learn the value' of work.

    School Lunches – Again, we can credit Covid with the increases in the school lunches provided. The 200.000 number of kids getting is came about Covid, not need. Covid.

    https://www.education.govt.nz/our-work/overall-strategies-and-policies/wellbeing-in-education/free-and-healthy-school-lunches/

    Expanding the programme in response to COVID-19

    In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the programme is being expanded to reach around 200,000 students by the end of 2021. It includes extending the programme to secondary schools.

    This initiative will help cushion the blow of COVID-19 impacts on students living in already socio-economically disadvantaged households which may now be experiencing heightened financial stress, job and income losses at home which can interfere with learning and wellbeing.

    The covid increase in the base benefits, due to Covid. The extra 25 NZD came because of Covid. No other reason than that. Not the need that was there already 3 years ago, 2 years ago and 1 year ago, but the Lockdown Level 4 braught that on. And only due to bad reports and bad score cards that were handed out before.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/413106/people-say-they-re-struggling-to-get-financial-support-from-work-and-income-during-covid-19-lockdown

    Work and Income is fielding an unprecedented number of calls for people trying to access the jobseeker allowance, emergency food grants and wage subsidies – with 75,000 calls in just four days.

    Mary and her partner are both in their 50s and on the benefit.

    Between them, they get roughly $186 a week, plus some temporary additional support to pay off a car.

    As the lockdown drew near, their cupboards were almost empty, Mary said.

    She applied for an emergency food grant a week ago and heard nothing, so she approached advocacy group Auckland Action Against Poverty (AAAP) for help.

    Her advocate applied for them and also heard nothing back.

    "She lent me $50 to get bread and butter. We were very grateful for that because we had absolutely nothing in our cupboards or fridge."

    Auckland Action Against Poverty spokesperson Ricardo Menéndez March said Work and Income's system was "chaos".

    "We're incredibly concerned about the fact that Work and Income's emails and online systems are completely overloaded," he said.

    "People are going for days without accessing emergency assistance for things like food grants or even get into income support for those that are recently unemployed."

    He said there were some options the government could look at to help smoothen the process.

    "The simplest way to streamline this is to increase base-line benefit levels, so that we take off a lot of the demand for families to get in touch with Work and Income for food grants.

    "That would alleviate a lot of that hardship out there in the community and a lot of the time staff have to take to process these hardship grants."

    Benefits are set to increase by $25 from today but AAAP wants that to be raised higher.

    The winter energy payment, which those on benefits receive, is also doubling.

    The rent freeze? Covid.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12319849

    Landlords will not be allowed to increase rents or kick out their tenants except for in very specific situations during the four-week Covid-19 lockdown.

    The Government will today pass an urgent piece of legislation to ensure renters wouldn't suddenly be homeless and without somewhere to self-isolate.

    Housing Minister Megan Woods said there was also an obligation on tenants not to abuse the situation.

    I like the little admonishment of the renters to not 'abuse' the situation, no word yet on Labour admonishing the Landlords not to abuse the drop of the rent freeze, but i guess that is ok?

    The Covid unemployment?

    https://workandincome.govt.nz/covid-19/income-relief-payment/index.html

    If you lose your job (including self-employment) from 1 March 2020 to 30 October 2020 due to COVID-19, you may be eligible for the COVID-19 Income Relief Payment.

    You can get up to 12 weeks of payments, to help with living costs after a sudden job loss, and give you time to find other work.

    Housing? Still as bad as it was 20 years ago, 10 years ago, 3 years ago, the rent freeze did help, but that is running out and i don't think Labour will extend it, despite the need for it.

    Homeless?

    https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/more-1000-homeless-be-housed-through-budget-2019#:~:text=Budget%202019%20will%20turn%20around,Minister%20Phil%20Twyford%20announced%20today.

    Budget 2019 will turn around the lives of more than a 1,000 long-term homeless people by helping them into permanent homes – the largest government investment ever in addressing chronic homelessness, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford announced today.

    Jacinda Ardern said Budget 2019 is breaking the cycle for long-term homeless people by giving them a permanent, warm and safe home, and support services to help address the causes of homelessness.

    never mind that by their own estimate in 2018 we had over 41800 people experiencing severe housing depreviation or homelessness , and the budget in 2019 did not even amount to a drop of water on a hot stone.

    https://www.hud.govt.nz/news-and-resources/statistics-and-research/2018-severe-housing-deprivation-estimate/

    The estimates confirm that on 6 March 2018 there were at least 41,600 people experiencing severe housing deprivation.

    The total includes:

    • 3,522 people who were considered to be living without shelter (on the streets, in improvised dwellings – including cars – and in mobile dwellings).
    • 7,567 people who were living in temporary accommodation (night shelters, women’s refuges, transitional housing, camping grounds, boarding houses, hotels, motels, vessels, and marae).
    • 30,555 people who were sharing accommodation, staying with others in a severely crowded dwelling.

    Food security? go check the increase in foodbank parcels.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300077507/coronavirus-auckland-city-mission-faces-175-rise-in-demand-for-food-parcels

    A leading charity has seen a staggering 175 per cent increase in demand for food parcels this winter as the fallout of coronavirus continues to be felt by Kiwi families.

    Before the pandemic, Auckland City Mission was distributing 450 parcels a week to families and individuals who could not otherwise put food on the table. Over lockdown, this rose to more than 1200.

    The need has continued, with about 1000 parcels – each with enough food to provide four days of meals to a family-of-four – currently being distributed each week.

    Income? Go check out the hard ship grants that we are handing out.

    https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/incomes-fall-for-first-time-on-record

    on average by their own numbers income fell by abut 50 NZD – just about the price of water and maybe internet per month.

    Unemployment? currently the hardest hit are already among the poorest or those most likely to be employed part time, low skilled and low wage jobs – Women, Young, Elders, Disabled/differntly abled. The ones that were already suffering before covid.

    https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/employment-highest-ever-for-women

    No shovel ready jobs for the dears, just the same old humiliating Winz – kinder and gentler if you can get someone to answer the phone in the first place, and then a benefit only if your husband does not earn 0.50 cnt above the threshold, and then my dear you depend on your husband for your three meals a day and nice save and warm bed at nigh. IF the partner is a bit of a shitheel go run to a womens refugee or just die in a ditch.

    https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2009/S00148/labour-partys-welfare-policy-condemns-beneficiaries-to-poverty.htm

    “Auckland Action Against Poverty launched its Liveable Incomes For All campaign earlier this year, inviting political parties to commit to lifting incomes to liveable levels, individualising benefits and removing all sanctions within three years. Both the Green Party and the Māori Party pledged their support to our campaign, but the Labour Party refused to engage with our demands. Now that the Labour Party has announced its welfare policy we know that if they win an outright majority this election significant welfare reform would not be part of the political agenda.

    “Despite all the rhetoric of kindness and compassion from the Prime Minister her Party is heading into the election without a commitment to lift people on the benefit out of poverty. COVID-19 is only going to put more strain on frontline Work and Income staff, with more people on jobseeker benefits needing food grants. Leaving core benefits below the poverty line during an economic crisis is irresponsible.

    Band aids, that is all they handed out. Not serious surgery for the festering boil that is poverty in NZ to clean up and heal, but shitty little bandaids so they – Labour – can feel like they did something.

    Labour should be ashamed of themselves with their kinder and gentler bullshit, its not even enough of a turd to trickle down to those that need it the most.

    • Sabine 6.1

      Unemployment? currently the hardest hit are already among the poorest or those most least likely to be employed are part time, low skilled and low wage jobs – Women, Young, Elders, Disabled/differntly abled, Maori and POC. The ones that were already suffering before covid.

      Fixed above error.

    • woodart 6.2

      didnt bother to read all of your post ,because your first line is totally incorrect, who knows about the rest. I live alone, not a family, and my benefit was raised $25 per week. if you are going to put a rant on here, get your facts correct!

      • Kay 6.2.1

        Yes she did get that first line wrong, that dates back to National and their pathetic attempt at saying how wonderful they were at fixing child poverty.

        I gather you don't get TAS woodart? If you don't then you'll get to keep your $25. As for the many, many of us reliant on it, well like I said, we're about to find out how much will be clawed back. You do know that's how they get away with these 'increases' don't you? Take away to give = not much of an increase to the budget.

  7. Sabine 7

    i have a comment in moderation due to high use of links. I hope it gets trhough. 🙂

  8. Stuart Munro 8

    It is one of the core principles of quality assurance that you determine the efficacy of your products or services, not independently, but in close consultation with your customer base.

    Though there would be no argument that Labour have done infinitely better than National would have done, that's a pretty back-handed compliment. The measures taken in support of the response to Covid were very positive however.

    But Labour still have much ground to make up for offshoring my industry. A few grudging sops thrown to the folk they impoverished in the first place don't make up for that. They really need to put some thought into what would create better prospects for those freight-trained by their ill-judged enthusiasm for the lies of Roger Douglas.

  9. adam 9

    There you been told,

    so shut up and take your scraps you ungrateful peons.

  10. Craig H 10

    Also:

    • a collection of pay equity settlements
    • Living Wage for public service employees with contracted workers to follow
    • indexing benefits against average wages, not CPI – obviously that's a long term system fix, not an immediate item, but the minimum wage increases and various living wage and pay equity settlements will also flow through this mechanism to benefit rates
    • winter energy payment (not stated in OP, but obviously mentioned a few times in comments)
    • increased student allowance
    • fees free – 1 year for university students, 2 years for apprentices

    Thoroughly agree that there is a long way to go, but hundreds of thousands of people are better off from these policies. For future policies, I'd suggest expanding ACC to illness and social insurance since people will be invested in a better welfare system if they are paying directly into it and can see the potential benefits for themselves. Potentially also has the bonus of eliminating income protection insurance as a thing.

    I just realised in typing this that it is unclear whether I meant to include social insurance in ACC or as a separate thing, so perhaps that can be a discussion topic.

  11. Corey Humm 11

    Notice that the nz left lazily only talks about poverty in one way: Families. Families families. Child poverty. CHILD poverty.

    Because middle class liberals have decided that adults who are in poverty deserve it.

    Won't somebody think of the children!!!

    Bugger all for anyone without kids, whose disabled can't work because of mental illness or can't find a job right now in any real financial way once covid benifit runs out.

    • Geoff Lye 11.1

      Spot on or people who cant pay for meds and cant even get a benefit either .

    • KJT 11.2

      The reason is that there isn't enough sympathy, for adults in poverty, to get traction for reducing poverty. See the antipathy from the Chardonnay Socialists on here, to even minimal taxes on the rich, to be used to reduce poverty.

      The only way to get any progress is to talk about child poverty.

      The religious belief that poverty is deserved, is so prevalent in New Zealand. (Comforting to our sense of decency, if we can tell ourselves we are richer, because we are better people). Nurtured by the many who either profit from poverty, or do not want to contribute, even the price of a few coffees a week, to reducing it.
      The belief that NZ is a meritocracy, where people get the income they deserve, is a common self justifying delusion, still!

      However even they cannot justify claiming that little children, "deserve" poverty without sounding totally callous.

      Disabled people seem, unfortunately, to be invisible.

      The actual "Left" whose only representatives in Parliament are the Greens, "well meaning middle class they may be, but their hearts are in the right place, have not forgotten about adults that are poor. We are struggling to get more help for the poor. At least if we get children helped a lot more, we may be able to break the cycle of poverty somewhat.

  12. Riff.s 12

    As has been touched on in the comments, raising benefits and working class wages mainly benefits landlords. Any extra money gets thrown into a rent payment bidding war in a desperate search for adequate housing.

    Ending the housing shortage is a necessary first step to reduce poverty. The only way to end a housing shortage is to build houses. Here labour has delivered the most building starts for a generation both public and private. Also a good move by labour to increase capacity by using free fees to get the young ones onto trades rather than uni.

    Its a long game but I think they've got the right idea.

    • PsyclingLeft.Always 12.1

      Yep incl the landlords Bene, the NZ Govt Accommodation Supplement. Another example of Socialism for the rich pricks…even moreso those with multiple properties.

      The criminal selling off of OUR State Housing…by nat and neolib "labour" has lead us to a bad place. Better change….

      Some old news…but hey..relevant as ever

      "It seems that an economy whose claim to fame has been getting rid of subsidies is now more reliant than ever on a subsidy to landlords which became the centrepiece of National’s housing reforms of the 1990s (and was embraced again when the party regained office) and a subsidy to employers that was a flagship policy of the Clark Labour governments (I’m told it was politically verboten in Treasury at the time to characterise WFF as a benefit, which it really is)."

      https://publicaddress.net/hardnews/budget-2017-how-do-we-get-out-of-here/

    • KJT 12.2

      Agree the fees free trades and building State rentals are good policy.

      However we need State house building at the per capita level of the 40's and 50's to even make a dent.

      Training up kids on the job to build 10 000 State rentals would be an excellent, “Shovel ready” project.

      • PsyclingLeft.Always 12.2.1

        @ 12.2 Hey I've thought, said, promoted (wished ) that for so long….just seems to be that cliche "no brainer" but so long coming…. Just frustrating as all hell. And Hey re you at 11.2. I kinda wondered what I'd struck here at times. Power to you matey… : )!

  13. Adrian Thornton 13

    No capital gains tax while Ardern leader

    https://www.newsroom.co.nz/pro/2019/04/17/542639/no-capital-gains-tax-while-ardern-leader

    I think a prime minister that touts pragmatism as one of their greatest assets, but only takes a firm stand on NOT implementing a capital gains tax, thereby directly supporting and encouraging the obscene housing ‘market’ has made it quite plain what their fundamental ideology is…free market capitalism, if she can help the poor within that frame work fine, but you can be sure she and this liberal Labour govt will NOT operate outside of their own self-imposed liberal free market framework. That is just a fact that they have made abundantly clear to anyone who chooses to see it can plainly see..like it or not.

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    Buzz from the Beehive  Oh, dear.  We have nothing to report from the Beehive. At least, we have nothing to report from the government’s official website. But the drones have not gone silent.  They are out on the election campaign trail, busy buzzing about this and that in the hope ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Play it, Elvis
    Election Hell special!! This week’s quiz is a bumper edition featuring a few of the more popular questions from last weekend’s show, as well as a few we didn’t have time for. You’re welcome, etc. Let us press on, etc. 1.  What did Christopher Luxon use to his advantage in ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Pure class warfare
    National unveiled its fiscal policy today, announcing all the usual things which business cares about and I don't. But it did finally tell us how National plans to pay for its handouts to landlords: by effectively cutting benefits: The biggest saving announced on Friday was $2b cut from the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Ask Me Anything about the week to Sept 29
    Photo by Anna Ogiienko on UnsplashIt’s that time of the week for an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session for paying subscribers about the week that was for an hour, including:duelling fiscal plans from National and Labour;Labour cutting cycling spending while accusing National of being weak on climate;Research showing the need for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 29-September-2023
    Welcome to Friday and the last one for September. This week in Greater Auckland On Monday, Matt highlighted at the latest with the City Rail Link. On Tuesday, Matt covered the interesting items from Auckland Transport’s latest board meeting agendas. On Thursday, a guest post from Darren Davis ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    3 days ago
  • Protest at Parliament: The Reunion.
    Brian’s god spoke to him. He, for of course the Lord in Tamaki’s mind was a male god, with a mighty rod, and probably some black leathers. He, told Brian - “you must put a stop to all this love, hope, and kindness”. And it did please the Brian.He said ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Labour cuts $50m from cycleway spending
    Labour is cutting spending on cycling infrastructure while still trying to claim the higher ground on climate. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Labour Government released a climate manifesto this week to try to claim the high ground against National, despite having ignored the Climate Commission’s advice to toughen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • The Greater Of Two Evils.
    Not Labour: If you’re out to punish the government you once loved, then the last thing you need is to be shown evidence that the opposition parties are much, much worse.THE GREATEST VIRTUE of being the Opposition is not being the Government. Only very rarely is an opposition party elected ...
    3 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #39 2023
    Open access notables "Net zero is only a distraction— we just have to end fossil fuel emissions." The latter is true but the former isn't, or  not in the real world as it's likely to be in the immediate future. And "just" just doesn't enter into it; we don't have ...
    4 days ago
  • Chris Trotter: Losing the Left
    IN THE CURRENT MIX of electoral alternatives, there is no longer a credible left-wing party. Not when “a credible left-wing party” is defined as: a class-oriented, mass-based, democratically-structured political organisation; dedicated to promoting ideas sharply critical of laissez-faire capitalism; and committed to advancing democratic, egalitarian and emancipatory ideals across the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Road rage at Kia Kaha Primary School
    It is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha Primary School!It can be any time when you are telling a story.Telling stories about things that happened in the past is how we learn from our mistakes.If we want to.Anyway, it is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Road rage at Kia Kaha Primary School
    It is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha Primary School!It can be any time when you are telling a story.Telling stories about things that happened in the past is how we learn from our mistakes.If we want to.Anyway, it is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Road rage at Kia Kaha Primary School
    It is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha Primary School!It can be any time when you are telling a story.Telling stories about things that happened in the past is how we learn from our mistakes.If we want to.Anyway, it is not the school holidays yet at Kia Kaha ...
    More than a fieldingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Hipkins fires up in leaders’ debate, but has the curtain already fallen on the Labour-led coalitio...
    Labour’s  Chris Hipkins came out firing, in the  leaders’ debate  on Newshub’s evening programme, and most of  the pundits  rated  him the winner against National’s  Christopher Luxon. But will this make any difference when New  Zealanders  start casting their ballots? The problem  for  Hipkins is  that  voters are  all too ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    4 days ago
  • Govt is energising housing projects with solar power – and fuelling the public’s concept of a di...
    Buzz from the Beehive  Not long after Point of Order published data which show the substantial number of New Zealanders (77%) who believe NZ is becoming more divided, government ministers were braying about a programme which distributes some money to “the public” and some to “Maori”. The ministers were dishing ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • MIKE GRIMSHAW: Election 2023 – a totemic & charisma failure?
    The D&W analysis Michael Grimshaw writes –  Given the apathy, disengagement, disillusionment, and all-round ennui of this year’s general election, it was considered time to bring in those noted political operatives and spin doctors D&W, the long-established consultancy firm run by Emile Durkheim and Max Weber. Known for ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • FROM BFD: Will Winston be the spectre we think?
    Kissy kissy. Cartoon credit BoomSlang. The BFD. JC writes-  Allow me to preface this contribution with the following statement: If I were asked to express a preference between a National/ACT coalition or a National/ACT/NZF coalition then it would be the former. This week Luxon declared his position, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • California’s climate disclosure bill could have a huge impact across the U.S.
    This re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Andy Furillo was originally published by Capital & Main and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The California Legislature took a step last week that has the potential to accelerate the fight against climate ...
    4 days ago
  • Untangling South East Queensland’s Public Transport
    This is a cross post Adventures in Transitland by Darren Davis. I recently visited Brisbane and South East Queensland and came away both impressed while also pondering some key changes to make public transport even better in the region. Here goes with my take on things. A bit of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    4 days ago
  • Try A Little Kindness.
    My daughter arrived home from the supermarket yesterday and she seemed a bit worried about something. It turned out she wanted to know if someone could get her bank number from a receipt.We wound the story back.She was in the store and there was a man there who was distressed, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • What makes NZFirst tick
    New Zealand’s longest-running political roadshow rolled into Opotiki yesterday, with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters knowing another poll last night showed he would make it back to Parliament and National would need him and his party if they wanted to form a government. The Newshub Reid Research poll ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • September AMA
    Hi,As September draws to a close — I feel it’s probably time to do an Ask Me Anything. You know how it goes: If you have any burning questions, fire away in the comments and I will do my best to answer. You might have questions about Webworm, or podcast ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago
  • Bludgers lying in the scratcher making fools of us all
    The mediocrity who stands to be a Prime Minister has a litany.He uses it a bit like a Koru Lounge card. He will brandish it to say: these people are eligible. And more than that, too: These people are deserving. They have earned this policy.They have a right to this policy. What ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • More “partnerships” (by the look of it) and redress of over $30 million in Treaty settlement wit...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point of Order has waited until now – 3.45pm – for today’s officially posted government announcements.  There have been none. The only addition to the news on the Beehive’s website was posted later yesterday, after we had published our September 26 Buzz report. It came from ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • ALEX HOLLAND: Labour’s spending
    Alex Holland writes –  In 2017 when Labour came to power, crown spending was $76 billion per year. Now in 2023 it is $139 billion per year, which equates to a $63 billion annual increase (over $1 billion extra spend every week!) In 2017, New Zealand’s government debt ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • If not now, then when?
    Labour released its fiscal plan today, promising the same old, same old: "responsibility", balanced books, and of course no new taxes: "Labour will maintain income tax settings to provide consistency and certainty in these volatile times. Now is not the time for additional taxes or to promise billions of ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • THE FACTS:  77% of Kiwis believe NZ is becoming more divided
    The Facts has posted –        KEY INSIGHTSOf New Zealander’s polled: Social unity/division 77%believe NZ is becoming more divided (42% ‘much more’ + 35% ‘a little more’) 3%believe NZ is becoming less divided (1% ‘much less’ + 2% ‘a little less’) ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the cynical brutality of the centre-right’s welfare policies
    The centre-right’s enthusiasm for forcing people off the benefit and into paid work is matched only by the enthusiasm (shared by Treasury and the Reserve Bank) for throwing people out of paid work to curb inflation, and achieve the optimal balance of workers to job seekers deemed to be desirable ...
    5 days ago
  • Wednesday’s Chorus: Arthur Grimes on why building many, many more social houses is so critical
    New research shows that tenants in social housing - such as these Wellington apartments - are just as happy as home owners and much happier than private tenants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The election campaign took an ugly turn yesterday, and in completely the wrong direction. All three ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Old habits
    Media awareness about global warming and climate change has grown fairly steadily since 2004. My impression is that journalists today tend to possess a higher climate literacy than before. This increasing awareness and improved knowledge is encouraging, but there are also some common interpretations which could be more nuanced. ...
    Real ClimateBy rasmus
    5 days ago
  • Bennie Bashing.
    If there’s one thing the mob loves more than keeping Māori in their place, more than getting tough on the gangs, maybe even more than tax cuts. It’s a good old round of beneficiary bashing.Are those meanies in the ACT party stealing your votes because they think David Seymour is ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The kindest cuts
    Labour kicks off the fiscal credibility battle today with the release of its fiscal plan. National is expected to follow, possibly as soon as Thursday, with its own plan, which may (or may not) address the large hole that the problems with its foreign buyers’ ban might open up. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Green right turn in Britain? Well, a start
    While it may be unlikely to register in New Zealand’s general election, Britain’s PM Rishi Sunak has done something which might just be important in the long run. He’s announced a far-reaching change in his Conservative government’s approach to environmental, and particularly net zero, policy. The starting point – ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    5 days ago
  • At a glance – How do human CO2 emissions compare to natural CO2 emissions?
    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 ...
    6 days ago
  • How could this happen?
    Canada is in uproar after the exposure that its parliament on September 22 provided a standing ovation to a Nazi veteran who had been invited into the chamber to participate in the parliamentary welcome to Ukrainian President Zelensky. Yaroslav Hunka, 98, a Ukrainian man who volunteered for service in ...
    6 days ago
  • Always Be Campaigning
    The big screen is a great place to lay out the ways of the salesman. He comes ready-made for Panto, ripe for lampooning.This is not to disparage that life. I have known many good people of that kind. But there is a type, brazen as all get out. The camera ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • STEPHEN FRANKS: Press seek to publicly shame doctor – we must push back
    The following is a message sent yesterday from lawyer Stephen Franks on behalf of the Free Speech Union. I don’t like to interrupt first thing Monday morning, but we’ve just become aware of a case where we think immediate and overwhelming attention could help turn the tide. It involves someone ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Competing on cruelty
    The right-wing message calendar is clearly reading "cruelty" today, because both National and NZ First have released beneficiary-bashing policies. National is promising a "traffic light" system to police and kick beneficiaries, which will no doubt be accompanied by arbitrary internal targets to classify people as "orange" or "red" to keep ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Further funding for Pharmac (forgotten in the Budget?) looks like a $1bn appeal from a PM in need of...
    Buzz from the Beehive One Labour plan  – for 3000 more public homes by 2025 – is the most recent to be posted on the government’s official website. Another – a prime ministerial promise of more funding for Pharmac – has been released as a Labour Party press statement. Who ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: The Vested interests shaping National Party policies
    As the National Party gets closer to government, lobbyists and business interests will be lining up for influence and to get policies adopted. It’s therefore in the public interest to have much more scrutiny and transparency about potential conflicts of interests that might arise. One of the key individuals of ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    6 days ago
  • Labour may be on way out of power and NZ First back in – but will Peters go into coalition with Na...
    Voters  are deserting Labour in droves, despite Chris  Hipkins’  valiant  rearguard  action.  So  where  are they  heading?  Clearly  not all of them are going to vote National, which concedes that  the  outcome  will be “close”. To the Right of National, the ACT party just a  few weeks  ago  was ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    6 days ago
  • GRAHAM ADAMS: Will the racists please stand up?
    Accusations of racism by journalists and MPs are being called out. Graham Adams writes –    With the election less than three weeks away, what co-governance means in practice — including in water management, education, planning law and local government — remains largely obscure. Which is hardly ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on whether Winston Peters can be a moderating influence
    As the centre-right has (finally!) been subjected to media interrogation, the polls are indicating that some voters may be starting to have second thoughts about the wisdom of giving National and ACT the power to govern alone. That’s why yesterday’s Newshub/Reid Research poll had the National/ACT combo dropping to 60 ...
    6 days ago
  • Tuesday’s Chorus: RBNZ set to rain on National's victory parade
    ANZ has increased its forecast for house inflation later this year on signs of growing momentum in the market ahead of the election. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: National has campaigned against the Labour Government’s record on inflation and mortgage rates, but there’s now a growing chance the Reserve ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • After a Pittsburgh coal processing plant closed, ER visits plummeted
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Katie Myers. This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Pittsburgh, in its founding, was blessed and cursed with two abundant natural resources: free-flowing rivers and a nearby coal seam. ...
    6 days ago
  • September-23 AT Board Meeting
    Today the AT board meet again and once again I’ve taken a look at what’s on the agenda to find the most interesting items. Closed Agenda Interestingly when I first looked at the agendas this paper was there but at the time of writing this post it had been ...
    6 days ago
  • Electorate Watch: West Coast-Tasman
    Continuing my series on interesting electorates, today it’s West Coast-Tasman.A long thin electorate running down the northern half of the west coast of the South Island. Think sand flies, beautiful landscapes, lots of rain, Pike River, alternative lifestylers, whitebaiting, and the spiritual home of the Labour Party. A brief word ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Big money brings Winston back
    National leader Christopher Luxon yesterday morning conceded it and last night’s Newshub poll confirmed it; Winston Peters and NZ First are not only back but highly likely to be part of the next government. It is a remarkable comeback for a party that was tossed out of Parliament in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • 20 days until Election Day, 7 until early voting begins… but what changes will we really see here?
    As this blogger, alongside many others, has already posited in another forum: we all know the National Party’s “budget” (meaning this concept of even adding up numbers properly is doing a lot of heavy, heavy lifting right now) is utter and complete bunk (read hung, drawn and quartered and ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    7 days ago
  • A night out
    Everyone was asking, Are you nervous? and my response was various forms of God, yes.I've written more speeches than I can count; not much surprises me when the speaker gets to their feet and the room goes quiet.But a play? Never.YOU CAME! THANK YOU! Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago
  • A pallid shade of Green III
    Clearly Labour's focus groups are telling it that it needs to pay more attention to climate change - because hot on the heels of their weaksauce energy efficiency pilot programme and not-great-but-better-than-nothing solar grants, they've released a full climate manifesto. Unfortunately, the core policies in it - a second Emissions ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago
  • A coalition of racism, cruelty, and chaos
    Today's big political news is that after months of wibbling, National's Chris Luxon has finally confirmed that he is willing to work with Winston Peters to become Prime Minister. Which is expected, but I guess it tells us something about which way the polls are going. Which raises the question: ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago
  • More migrant workers should help generate the tax income needed to provide benefits for job seekers
    Buzz from the Beehive Under something described as a “rebalance” of its immigration rules, the Government has adopted four of five recommendations made in an independent review released in July, The fifth, which called on the government to specify criteria for out-of-hours compliance visits similar to those used during ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago
  • Letter To Luxon.
    Some of you might know Gerard Otto (G), and his G News platform. This morning he wrote a letter to Christopher Luxon which I particularly enjoyed, and with his agreement I’m sharing it with you in this guest newsletter.If you’d like to make a contribution to support Gerard’s work you ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • LINDSAY MITCHELL: Alarming trend in benefit numbers
    Lindsay Mitchell writes –  While there will not be another quarterly release of benefit numbers prior to the election, limited weekly reporting continues and is showing an alarming trend. Because there is a seasonal component to benefit number fluctuations it is crucial to compare like with like. In ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago
  • BRIAN EASTON: Has there been external structural change?
    A close analysis of the Treasury assessment of the Medium Term in its PREFU 2023 suggests the economy may be entering a new phase.   Brian Easton writes –  Last week I explained that the forecasts in the just published Treasury Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU 2023) was ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • 100 new public EV chargers to be added to national network
    The public EV charging network has received a significant boost with government co-funding announced today for over 100 EV chargers – with over 200 charging ports altogether – across New Zealand, and many planned to be up and running on key holiday routes by Christmas this year. Minister of Energy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Safeguarding Tuvalu language and identity
    Tuvalu is in the spotlight this week as communities across New Zealand celebrate Vaiaso o te Gagana Tuvalu – Tuvalu Language Week. “The Government has a proven record of supporting Pacific communities and ensuring more of our languages are spoken, heard and celebrated,” Pacific Peoples Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Many ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • New community-level energy projects to support more than 800 Māori households
    Seven more innovative community-scale energy projects will receive government funding through the Māori and Public Housing Renewable Energy Fund to bring more affordable, locally generated clean energy to more than 800 Māori households, Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods says. “We’ve already funded 42 small-scale clean energy projects that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Huge boost to Te Tai Tokerau flood resilience
    The Government has approved new funding that will boost resilience and greatly reduce the risk of major flood damage across Te Tai Tokerau. Significant weather events this year caused severe flooding and damage across the region. The $8.9m will be used to provide some of the smaller communities and maraes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Napier’s largest public housing development comes with solar
    The largest public housing development in Napier for many years has been recently completed and has the added benefit of innovative solar technology, thanks to Government programmes, says Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods. The 24 warm, dry homes are in Seddon Crescent, Marewa and Megan Woods says the whanau living ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Te Whānau a Apanui and the Crown initial Deed of Settlement I Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me...
    Māori: Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna te Whakaaetanga Whakataunga Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna i tētahi Whakaaetanga Whakataunga hei whakamihi i ō rātou tāhuhu kerēme Tiriti o Waitangi. E tekau mā rua ngā hapū o roto mai o Te Whānau ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Plan for 3,000 more public homes by 2025 – regions set to benefit
    Regions around the country will get significant boosts of public housing in the next two years, as outlined in the latest public housing plan update, released by the Housing Minister, Dr Megan Woods. “We’re delivering the most public homes each year since the Nash government of the 1950s with one ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Immigration settings updates
    Judicial warrant process for out-of-hours compliance visits 2023/24 Recognised Seasonal Employer cap increased by 500 Additional roles for Construction and Infrastructure Sector Agreement More roles added to Green List Three-month extension for onshore Recovery Visa holders The Government has confirmed a number of updates to immigration settings as part of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Poroporoaki: Tā Patrick (Patu) Wahanga Hohepa
    Tangi ngunguru ana ngā tai ki te wahapū o Hokianga Whakapau Karakia. Tārehu ana ngā pae maunga ki Te Puna o te Ao Marama. Korihi tangi ana ngā manu, kua hinga he kauri nui ki te Wao Nui o Tāne. He Toa. He Pou. He Ahorangi. E papaki tū ana ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Renewable energy fund to support community resilience
    40 solar energy systems on community buildings in regions affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events Virtual capability-building hub to support community organisations get projects off the ground Boost for community-level renewable energy projects across the country At least 40 community buildings used to support the emergency response ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • COVID-19 funding returned to Government
    The lifting of COVID-19 isolation and mask mandates in August has resulted in a return of almost $50m in savings and recovered contingencies, Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Following the revocation of mandates and isolation, specialised COVID-19 telehealth and alternative isolation accommodation are among the operational elements ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Appointment of District Court Judge
    Susie Houghton of Auckland has been appointed as a new District Court Judge, to serve on the Family Court, Attorney-General David Parker said today.  Judge Houghton has acted as a lawyer for child for more than 20 years. She has acted on matters relating to the Hague Convention, an international ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government invests further in Central Hawke’s Bay resilience
    The Government has today confirmed $2.5 million to fund a replace and upgrade a stopbank to protect the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant. “As a result of Cyclone Gabrielle, the original stopbank protecting the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant was destroyed. The plant was operational within 6 weeks of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Govt boost for Hawke’s Bay cyclone waste clean-up
    Another $2.1 million to boost capacity to deal with waste left in Cyclone Gabrielle’s wake. Funds for Hastings District Council, Phoenix Contracting and Hog Fuel NZ to increase local waste-processing infrastructure. The Government is beefing up Hawke’s Bay’s Cyclone Gabrielle clean-up capacity with more support dealing with the massive amount ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Taupō Supercars revs up with Government support
    The future of Supercars events in New Zealand has been secured with new Government support. The Government is getting engines started through the Major Events Fund, a special fund to support high profile events in New Zealand that provide long-term economic, social and cultural benefits. “The Repco Supercars Championship is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • There is no recession in NZ, economy grows nearly 1 percent in June quarter
    The economy has turned a corner with confirmation today New Zealand never was in recession and stronger than expected growth in the June quarter, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. “The New Zealand economy is doing better than expected,” Grant Robertson said. “It’s continuing to grow, with the latest figures showing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Highest legal protection for New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs
    The Government has accepted the Environment Court’s recommendation to give special legal protection to New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs, Te Waikoropupū Springs (also known as Pupū Springs), Environment Minister David Parker announced today.   “Te Waikoropupū Springs, near Takaka in Golden Bay, have the second clearest water in New Zealand after ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • More support for victims of migrant exploitation
    Temporary package of funding for accommodation and essential living support for victims of migrant exploitation Exploited migrant workers able to apply for a further Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa (MEPV), giving people more time to find a job Free job search assistance to get people back into work Use of 90-day ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Strong export boost as NZ economy turns corner
    An export boost is supporting New Zealand’s economy to grow, adding to signs that the economy has turned a corner and is on a stronger footing as we rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle and lock in the benefits of multiple new trade deals, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. “The economy is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Funding approved for flood resilience work in Te Karaka
    The Government has approved $15 million to raise about 200 homes at risk of future flooding. More than half of this is expected to be spent in the Tairāwhiti settlement of Te Karaka, lifting about 100 homes there. “Te Karaka was badly hit during Cyclone Gabrielle when the Waipāoa River ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Further business support for cyclone-affected regions
    The Government is helping businesses recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and attract more people back into their regions. “Cyclone Gabrielle has caused considerable damage across North Island regions with impacts continuing to be felt by businesses and communities,” Economic Development Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Building on our earlier business support, this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • New maintenance facility at Burnham Military Camp underway
    Defence Minister Andrew Little has turned the first sod to start construction of a new Maintenance Support Facility (MSF) at Burnham Military Camp today. “This new state-of-art facility replaces Second World War-era buildings and will enable our Defence Force to better maintain and repair equipment,” Andrew Little said. “This Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Foreign Minister to attend United Nations General Assembly
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will represent New Zealand at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York this week, before visiting Washington DC for further Pacific focussed meetings. Nanaia Mahuta will be in New York from Wednesday 20 September, and will participate in UNGA leaders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago
  • Midwives’ pay equity offer reached
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