When fear tactics backfire 2 – and GCSB roundup

Written By: - Date published: 8:20 am, August 21st, 2013 - 46 comments
Categories: activism, david shearer, john key, Spying - Tags: , , , , , ,

John Key (the PM who has on multiple occasions overspent the budget on his own protection staff) really dug himself a hole when he accused opposition leaders of wanting to “run for the hills” in case of a terrorist attack. Not only did David Shearer get to remind him of the occasions that he has been under fire – and run to help – but now some other voices have chimed in too.

As Russel Norman pointed out last night, the only two organisations in NZ who have actually been attacked, Greenpeace and the CTU, are both opposed to the Key-Dunne spying Bill. Here is a statement from Greenpeace’s Bunny McDiarmid:

I was targeted by terrorists and I don’t need the GCSB

I have been targeted by terrorists.

I am one of the very few people who has been subjected to a terrorist attack in New Zealand.

And I am absolutely opposed to John Key’s GCSB bill. It is an invasion of privacy that allows the Government to spy on people like you and me, and it’s a step too far.

I was crew on board the Rainbow Warrior in 1985 when French secret service agents, sanctioned by their government, laid bombs against her hull in the middle of the night whilst we all slept. One of our crew died in the subsequent explosions. It was a supposedly ‘friendly’ government that did this in Auckland Harbour, and their intention was to stop us from a peaceful protest at sea against nuclear testing in French Polynesia.

Today, as he trotted out his glib lines trying to justify the snooper’s charter, John Key said that those people opposed to the bill – that’s nine in ten of us, according to the polling on Campbell Live last night – would ‘run for the hills’ if there was a terrorist attack in New Zealand.

Well, John, you’re wrong. There has been a terrorist attack in New Zealand. I was one of those targeted. And I didn’t run for the hills then, and I’m not now. And, let me be absolutely clear: I am completely opposed to your GCSB bill. …

Go read the whole piece on the Greenpeace blog. In other recent GCSB news – a Stuff poll finds that:

More than three-quarters of New Zealanders have expressed concern about expanded spying laws in a new poll, scotching Prime Minister John Key’s assertions that the public don’t care.

Andrea Vance has an excellent piece demystifying Key’s lies on what the Bill does and does not do.

The always excellent Gordon Campbell weighs in with a typically thorough analysis.

I/S and No Right Turn summarises the question of NSA funding of the GCSB.

3 News has a timeline of GCSB related events.

A last ditch campaign is mounted to find a government MP who will cross the floor…

The Daily Blog has a selection of letters from prominent Kiwis asking John Key to ditch the Bill.

John Key’s walkout under questioning makes international news.

The Law Society has (according to Radio Live) reiterated its concerns about the Bill.

Nat poodle David Farrar tries to defend the Bill by claiming “Labour did it too”. Naturally his side by side analysis of the two bills tries to obfuscate the fact that in 2003 the GCSB was explicitly forbidden from spying on Kiwis, under the Key-Dunne Bill it is not. Compare his spin with the Andrea Vance piece and The Law Society’s comments here, here, and full submission.

Dame Anne Salmond has written another strongly worded article condemning the Bill and the role of the media in reporting it.

On and on and on it goes. I want to finish by quoting the final words of McDiarmid’s post above:

Look, John. We don’t want your GCSB bill. And we won’t be running for the hills.

Pretty soon, we’ll be running for the polls.

key-i'm-right-you're-all-wrong

46 comments on “When fear tactics backfire 2 – and GCSB roundup ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Sable 1
    21 August 2013 at 8:43 am

    Key’s is really making a total clown of himself. The smart move would be to apologise and back down but no, Keys is far too arrogant for that, and no doubt there is some deal with the US that binds him, in his mind, at least, to this course of action.

    There’s little doubt at this point in time that Keys will be remembered in the long term as the worst politician in this country’s history. I just hope the rest of NZ see this in the short term before its too late for democracy in this country.

    • weka 1.1
      21 August 2013 at 11:04 am

      “The smart move would be to apologise and back down but no”

      That implies that he gives a shit. I don’t think he does, and his agenda obviously isn’t the wellbeing of NZ. I agree that his post-PM reputation is being cemented, and it’s a small comfort that he will be remembered badly.

  2. Tracey 2
    21 August 2013 at 8:57 am

    The tide may be turning too late for the Bill to be stopped but perhaps not for the election next year.

    I have looked everywhere for where the Bill states that a warrant cannot be issued to spy on NZers internet content… I don’t want to take Mr Key’s word for it and would appreciate bLip posting his list under me to show one of the main reasons why.

    • Skinny 2.1
      21 August 2013 at 9:55 am

      Look it’s over for Key & National, 7% down in the latest Roy Morgan poll. They will lose badly I have doubts about that.

      • lprent 2.1.1
        21 August 2013 at 10:04 am

        Don’t rely on a single poll. Look at the trends. In this case there was a large reverse the other way in the previous poll. This last Morgan poll just corrects that.

        The reality is that this latest poll leaves the right and the left in roughly the same position as they have been for the last year. National slowly declining (but in a position to be able to bounce back), and Labour stuck in the that 30%-33% band.

      • Colonial Viper 2.1.2
        21 August 2013 at 10:04 am

        FFS do not even think like that, continuing to blindly underestimate Key and National will be the death of the idiot left in 2014.

        EDIT yes agree with lprent on Labour always returning to that tight band of support which I pick as 32%-33% but essentially the same. Very similar to how Goff was polling a year out from E-Day.

    • weka 2.2
      21 August 2013 at 11:12 am

      “The tide may be turning too late for the Bill to be stopped but perhaps not for the election next year.”

      It would be good if the Bill hadn’t passed, but there is something equally important going on here, and that’s that people in NZ are standing up together and saying no to the assaults on democracy. We need to keep that momentum going, because it’s not just the GCSB Bill that is at stake.

      • One Anonymous Knucklehead 2.2.1
        21 August 2013 at 11:19 am

        Yep.

        “…a number of recent legislative measures are fundamentally in conflict with the rule of law.”

        NZ Law Society.

  3. ak 3
    21 August 2013 at 9:01 am

    The smart move would be to apologise and back down..

    Exactamundo Sable. And this guy is not only smart, but has shown repeatedly that he is very prepared to back down and/or “me too” if necessary.

    The screaming unspoken question remains: what past sins is this bill going to bury?

    • Draco T Bastard 3.1
      21 August 2013 at 3:10 pm

      It’s not about past sins, it’s about controlling the majority of people and thus undermining democracy.

  4. Colonial Viper 4
    21 August 2013 at 9:18 am

    Glenn Greenwald writes how UK authorities arbitrarily detained and harassed his partner David Miranda while Miranda was transiting at Heathrow

    http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/18/david-miranda-detained-uk-nsa

    Welcome to the age of government fear tactics. Senior UK Ministers were informed in advance by the security forces this was going to occur, and of course they did fuck all to protect the democratic rights of someone who was a foreign national and clearly not a terrorist.

    • Tracey 4.1
      21 August 2013 at 10:05 am

      Have emailed the article to John Key. I am sure he will read it as avidly as National’s internal polling.

    • karol 4.2
      21 August 2013 at 10:55 am

      Yep, government fear tactics, but also showing the broad sweep of the US-led surveillance state/s.

      UK authorities arbitrarily detained

      Nothing arbitrary about it. It was carefully calculated. As Al Jazeera has been reporting, the law would not enable such detention outside of an airport, on UK soil.

      Under schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000, UK authorities are allowed to stop, search and detain passengers at rail, air and sea ports without probable cause, for up to nine hours.

      And the TV report on AJ also spelled out that this is treating journalists as ‘terrorists” – kind of like the NZ Defense Force Manual.

      • Colonial Viper 4.2.1
        21 August 2013 at 11:47 am

        indeed. They slipped in that little useful clause there, allowing them to treat airport transit zones as mini-stateless Guantanamo Bays where detainees have fuck all rights.

        Bet you our GCSB bill is full of similar shite.

  5. Tracey 5
    21 August 2013 at 9:31 am

    CV, thanks for the link and a good example I can show my students who believe if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear.

    • Colonial Viper 5.1
      21 August 2013 at 10:06 am

      Always welcome.

      • Tracey 5.1.1
        21 August 2013 at 12:59 pm

        Judith Collins has just explained how the impact of knowing her emails and those of her department could be read by the head of the inquiry was “chilling” for her.

        Could someone ask her next week in question-time?

        Does Judith Collins have anything to hide in the inquiry into who leaked the GCSB report? If NO

        Supplementary

        What does she have to fear that made the possibility so “chilling” for her?

  6. Poem 6
    21 August 2013 at 9:32 am

    John key is trying to bury his involvement in the illegal spying on a NZ resident by the GCSB for one AK, AND allowing a foreign govt agency to conduct an illegal raid on NZ soil on a NZ resident for another. In my book, that amounts to treason. 2 illegal wrongs will never make 1 legal right and stripping all NZers of our democratic rights by expanding the powers of both John Key and a govt department gone rogue just so John key can cover his own backside, and continue to kow tow to America will not be forgotten at the next election. And do you think John key even cares about that? NO, John key doesn’t give a shit.

    • Bill 7.1
      21 August 2013 at 11:50 am

      Well yeah, Fred…or at least I’d assumed most people had. The GCSB has probably more to do with facilitating an easier environment for the NSA to operate in than it has to do with discrete NZ security concerns. And, of course, the US will throw some $$ in funding in return for the favour.

      I’d have thought that was a no-brainer.

      Unfortunately, most GCSB coverage has entailed a degree of navel staring that assumes no explicit connection between NZ ‘security’ services and the wider, insidious designs of the NSA.

      Even if ‘the Bill’ is defeated, nothing much will change, other than the fact that the US will have to do it’s own dirty work in NZ (or get the Australians or whoever to do it).

      And if the NZ government wants legal access to NZ electronic info that is and has been trawled and stored via xkeyscore and prism, then they will simply have to ask another governments’ ‘security’ services to search the date bases. Those foreign ‘security’ services would then simply invent some pretext for searching the data (maybe….probably not even necessary to do that) and pass the info over…as a matter of national security of course.

  8. karol 8
    21 August 2013 at 11:19 am

    Thanks, r0b, for the links to the PM’s press confernece walkout.

    Interesting – the questioner says: “You can just interrupt like you did with John Campbell or you can answer the question”

    At that point Key walks out.

    Touche! And Key’s use of his hands was the same as during parts of the Campbell interview – waving his hands as if to physically stop the other talking.

  9. grumpy 9
    21 August 2013 at 11:31 am

    ….but…..but….didn’t we just have a march through Auckland of the Muslim Brotherhood? You know, that mob that provide an umbrella for Islamic terrorism. They are here…..

    Hope the GCSB have them under control.

  10. lprent 10
    21 August 2013 at 3:13 pm

    Along with the other sunnis, shiites, catholics, coptics, protestants, orthodox, baha’is, and atheists. Not to mention the socialists. monarchists, anarchists, nasserists, and all the other many elements of the egyptian political spectrum.

    Why do you think that a small minority defines a march. What are you (and that reporter)? Twelve years old or something? Is the Xmas parade still solely made up only of Santa?

  11. ianmac 11
    21 August 2013 at 4:39 pm

    It is in the interests of the USA for the GCSB bill to pass.
    Mr Key tries the Terrorist Threat is real in NZ.
    The CIA has the capability to orchestrate an explosion in a NZ building and leave evidence of foreign involvement.
    Mr Key can say,”Told you so. Pity about those kids caught in collateral damage.”
    Could it happen?

  12. tracey 12
    21 August 2013 at 6:39 pm

    That the us is constantly feeding garbage about imminent threats to nz is not a solid basis for this flawed law.
    of note is oppositions arent opposed to law around this just with the edges.

  13. Jenny 13
    21 August 2013 at 7:06 pm

    John Key and his GCSB mates are the heroes that protect us from terrorists? And all other New Zealanders are just cowardly sheep who will run for the hills. What a slur. What an insult to New Zealanders. Most New Zealanders despite their own distress would run to help. This has been our tradition. That this comes from a Prime Minister, (as Anthony Robins points out), is so frightened of his own shadow and concerned for his own personal safety that he regularly overspends taxpayers money on protection staff for himself.

    That he has the nerve to slander everyone opposed to this bill including those like McDiarmid and Shearer who have faced death and destruction and never shrunk from it. While he who has probably never experienced physical discomfit, let alone mortal peril, cowers behind his inflated security detail.

    What is the bet that national heroes like Bunny McDiarmid and even members of our opposition parties are among those that have been have been illegally spied on by the shadowy and secretive GCSB in league with their foreign NSA mates?

    New Zealanders are not cowards.

    That John Key collectively accuses us of cowardice to make excuses for the GCSB illegally poring through our personal data. Is to be accused of cowardice on behalf of secretive unaccountable snoops who hide in the shadows, while toadying up to the NSA but are too gutless to face the consequences of their law breaking, hence the need to protect these spineless cowards with this rushed piece of legislation. To be accused of cowardice by this shower. Now that’s rich.

  14. BrucetheMoose 14
    21 August 2013 at 7:50 pm

    Hitler and his pack of henchmen used the same tactic of external treats and their likely internal influence to the security and way of life in 1930’s Germany. In order to convince the German populace that the extreme powers of the Gestapo/SS were absolutely necessary for the people’s safety, he used the main “perceived” threats of the day to Germany, it’s security, and it’s culture. Substitute “Terrorists” for “Bolsheviks” and of course the unfortunate Jews, and you have the same manipulation of peoples minds and attitudes. Using these perceived threats, the whole Nazi secret security services and it’s powerful reaches throughout Germany were allowed to permeate every corner of society like a silent unassuming virus. Before they knew it, this system controlled all aspects of German society, and instead of it being the protector, it became the aggressor, where the people were to suffer the most rather than the original perceived threat. Sure, we won’t be seeing grim spectre of leather great coated shadowies turning up with their jack booted heavies in their lorries during the small hours of darkness, but there are strong parallels in the tactics and reasoning to impose these security surveillance laws on the people of New Zealand. Perhaps in this modern digital age, perhaps black leather great coats may come in a different guise.

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    Hi,One of the things I love the most about Webworm is, well, you. The community that’s gathered around this lil’ newsletter isn’t something I ever expected when I started writing it four years ago — now the comments section is one of my favourite places on the internet. The comments ...
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  • Seymour’s Treaty bill making Nats nervous

    A delay in reappointing a top civil servant may indicate a growing nervousness within the National Party about the potential consequences of David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill. Dave Samuels is waiting for reappointment as the Chief Executive of Te Puni Kokiri, but POLITIK understands that what should have been a ...
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    4 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #36

    A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 1, 2024 thru Sat, September 7, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is about how peopele are not born stupid but can be fooled ...
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    5 days ago
  • Time for a Change

    You act as thoughYou are a blind manWho's crying, crying 'boutAll the virgins that are dyingIn your habitual dreams, you knowSeems you need more sleepBut like a parrot in a flaming treeI know it's pretty hard to seeI'm beginning to wonderIf it's time for a changeSong: Phil JuddThe next line ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Six.

    The “double shocks” in post Cold War international affairs. The end of the Cold War fundamentally altered the global geostrategic context. In particular, the end of the nuclear “balance of terror” between the USA and USSR, coupled with the relaxation … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Buried deep

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    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies, Excerpt Five.

    Military politics as a distinct “partial regime.” Notwithstanding their peripheral status, national defense offers the raison d’être of the combat function, which their relative vulnerability makes apparent, so military forces in small peripheral democracies must be very conscious of events … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • Leadership for Dummies

    If you’re going somewhere, do you maybe take a bit of an interest in the place? Read up a bit on the history, current events, places to see - that sort of thing? Presumably, if you’re taking a trip somewhere, it’s for a reason. But what if you’re going somewhere ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Home again

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Dead even tie for hottest August ever

    Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The month of August was 1.49˚C warmer than pre-industrial levels, tying with 2023 for the warmest August ever, according ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 7

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the debate about how to responde to climate disinformation; and special guest ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Have We an Infrastructure Deficit?

    An Infrastructure New Zealand report says we are keeping up with infrastructure better than we might have thought from the grumbling. But the challenge of providing for the future remains.I was astonished to learn that the quantity of our infrastructure has been keeping up with economic growth. Your paper almost ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    7 days ago
  • Councils reject racism

    Last month, National passed a racist law requiring local councils to remove their Māori wards, or hold a referendum on them at the 2025 local body election. The final councils voted today, and the verdict is in: an overwhelming rejection. Only two councils out of 45 supported National's racist agenda ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago
  • Homage to Simeon Brown

    Open to all - happy weekend ahead, friends.Today I just want to be petty. It’s the way I imagine this chap is -Not only as a political persona. But his real-deal inner personality, in all its glory - appears to be pure pettiness & populist driven.Sometimes I wonder if Simeon ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    7 days ago
  • Government of deceit

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    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago
  • The professionals actually think and act like our Government has no fiscal crisis at all

    Treasury staff at work: The demand for a new 12-year Government bond was so strong, Treasury decided to double the amount of bonds it sold. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 6-September-2024

    Welcome to another Friday and another roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. As always, this and every post is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew. If you like our work and you’d like to see more of it, we invite you to join our regular ...
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    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies; Excerpt Four.

    Internal versus external security. Regardless of who rules, large countries can afford to separate external and internal security functions (even if internal control functions predominate under authoritarian regimes). In fact, given the logic of power concentration and institutional centralization of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • A Hole In The River

    There's a hole in the river where her memory liesFrom the land of the living to the air and skyShe was coming to see him, but something changed her mindDrove her down to the riverThere is no returnSongwriters: Neil Finn/Eddie RaynerThe king is dead; long live the queen!Yesterday was a ...
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    1 week ago
  • Bright Blue His Jacket Ain’t But I Love This Fellow: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power E...

    My conclusion last week was that The Rings of Power season two represented a major improvement in the series. The writing’s just so much better, and honestly, its major problems are less the result of the current episodes and more creatures arising from season one plot-holes. I found episode three ...
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  • Who should we thank for the defeat of the Nazis

    As a child in the 1950s, I thought the British had won the Second World War because that’s what all our comics said. Later on, the films and comics told me that the Americans won the war. In my late teens, I found out that the Soviet Union ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
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  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36 2024

    Open access notables Diurnal Temperature Range Trends Differ Below and Above the Melting Point, Pithan & Schatt, Geophysical Research Letters: The globally averaged diurnal temperature range (DTR) has shrunk since the mid-20th century, and climate models project further shrinking. Observations indicate a slowdown or reversal of this trend in recent decades. ...
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  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live at 5pm

    Photo by Jenny Bess on UnsplashCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with special guests:5.00 pm - 5.10 pm - Bernard and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Media Link: Discussing the NZSIS Security Threat Report.

    I was interviewed by Mike Hosking at NewstalkZB and a few other media outlets about the NZSIS Security Threat Report released recently. I have long advocated for more transparency, accountability and oversight of the NZ Intelligence Community, and although the … Continue reading → ...
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    1 week ago
  • How do I make this better for people who drive Ford Rangers?

    Home, home again to a long warm embrace. Plenty of reasons to be glad to be back.But also, reasons for dejection.You, yes you, Simeon Brown, you odious little oik, you bible thumping petrol-pandering ratfucker weasel. You would be Reason Number One. Well, maybe first among equals with Seymour and Of-Seymour ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • A missed opportunity

    The government introduced a pretty big piece of constitutional legislation today: the Parliament Bill. But rather than the contentious constitutional change (four year terms) pushed by Labour, this merely consolidates the existing legislation covering Parliament - currently scattered across four different Acts - into one piece of legislation. While I ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Nicola Willis Seeks New Sidekick To Help Fix NZ’s Economy

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  • Inflation alive and kicking in our land of the long white monopolies

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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
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  • The thermodynamics of electric vs. internal combustion cars

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  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Three.

    The notion of geopolitical  “periphery.” The concept of periphery used here refers strictly to what can be called the geopolitical periphery. Being on the geopolitical periphery is an analytic virtue because it makes for more visible policy reform in response … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
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  • Venus Hum

    Fill me up with soundThe world sings with me a million smiles an hourI can see me dancing on my radioI can hear you singing in the blades of grassYellow dandelions on my way to schoolBig Beautiful Sky!Song: Venus Hum.Good morning, all you lovely people, and welcome to the 700th ...
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  • I Went to a Creed Concert

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  • Government migration policy backfires; thousands of unemployed nurses

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  • A Time For Unity.

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  • Climate Change: Failed again

    National's tax cut policies relied on stealing revenue from the ETS (previously used to fund emissions reduction) to fund tax cuts to landlords. So how's that going? Badly. Today's auction failed again, with zero units (of a possible 7.6 million) sold. Which means they have a $456 million hole in ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Two.

    A question of size. Small size generally means large vulnerability. The perception of threat is broader and often more immediate for small countries. The feeling of comparative weakness, of exposure to risk, and of potential intimidation by larger powers often … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago

  • Minister to attend Police Ministers Council Meeting

    Police Minister Mark Mitchell will join with Australian Police Ministers and Commissioners at the Police Ministers Council meeting (PMC) today in Melbourne. “The council is an opportunity to come together to discuss a range of issues, gain valuable insights on areas of common interest, and different approaches towards law enforcement ...
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  • New Bill to crack down on youth vaping

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    18 hours ago
  • Interest in agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review welcomed

    Regulation Minister David Seymour, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, and Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard have welcomed interest in the agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review. The review by the Ministry for Regulation is looking at how to speed up the process to get farmers and growers access to the safe, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Bill to allow online charity lotteries passes first reading

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government is moving at pace to ensure lotteries for charitable purposes are allowed to operate online permanently. Charities fundraising online, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust and local hospices will continue to do ...
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    19 hours ago
  • Tax exempt threshold changes to benefit startups

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    19 hours ago
  • Getting the healthcare you need, when you need it

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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Targeted supports to accelerate reading

    The coalition Government is delivering targeted and structured literacy supports to accelerate learning for struggling readers. From Term 1 2025, $33 million of funding for Reading Recovery and Early Literacy Support will be reprioritised to interventions which align with structured approaches to teaching. “Structured literacy will change the way children ...
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    23 hours ago
  • Survivors invited to Abuse in Care national apology

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  • Rangatahi inspire at Ngā Manu Kōrero final

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    1 day ago
  • Driving structured literacy in schools

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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Labour’s misleading information is disappointing

    Labour’s misinformation about firearms law is dangerous and disappointing, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says.   “Labour and Ginny Andersen have repeatedly said over the past few days that the previous Labour Government completely banned semi-automatic firearms in 2019 and that the Coalition Government is planning to ‘reintroduce’ them.   ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Govt takes action on mpox response, widens access to vaccine

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  • Next steps agreed for Treaty Principles Bill

    Associate Justice Minister David Seymour says Cabinet has agreed to the next steps for the Treaty Principles Bill. “The Treaty Principles Bill provides an opportunity for Parliament, rather than the courts, to define the principles of the Treaty, including establishing that every person is equal before the law,” says Mr Seymour. “Parliament ...
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    2 days ago
  • Government unlocking potential of AI

    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced a programme to drive Artificial Intelligence (AI) uptake among New Zealand businesses. “The AI Activator will unlock the potential of AI for New Zealand businesses through a range of support, including access to AI research experts, technical assistance, AI tools and resources, ...
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    2 days ago
  • Government releases Wairoa flood review findings

    The independent rapid review into the Wairoa flooding event on 26 June 2024 has been released, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced today. “We welcome the review’s findings and recommendations to strengthen Wairoa's resilience against future events,” Ms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Promoting faster payment times for government

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    2 days ago
  • Acknowledgement to Kīngi Tuheitia speech

    E te māngai o te Whare Pāremata, kua riro māku te whakaputa i te waka ki waho moana. E te Pirimia tēnā koe.Mr Speaker, it is my privilege to take this adjournment kōrero forward.  Prime Minister – thank you for your leadership. Taupiri te maunga Waikato te awa Te Wherowhero ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Interim fix to GST adjustment rules to support businesses

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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Strong uptake for cervical screening self-test

    More than 80 per cent of New Zealand women being tested have opted for a world-leading self-test for cervical screening since it became available a year ago. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti and Associate Minister Casey Costello, in her responsibility for Women’s Health, say it’s fantastic to have such ...
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    3 days ago
  • Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document sets ambitious direction

    Regulation Minister David Seymour welcomes the Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document, which sets out how the Ministry will carry out its work and deliver on its purpose. “I have set up the Ministry for Regulation with three tasks. One, to cut existing red tape with sector reviews. Two, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Māori Education Advisory Group established

    The Education Minister has established a Māori Education Ministerial Advisory Group made up of experienced practitioners to help improve outcomes for Māori learners. “This group will provide independent advice on all matters related to Māori education in both English medium and Māori medium settings. It will focus on the most impactful ways we can lift ...
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    3 days ago
  • Government welcomes findings of NZ Superannuation Fund review

    The Government has welcomed the findings of the recent statutory review into the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation and the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, Minister of Finance Nicola Willis says. The 5-yearly review, conducted on behalf of Treasury and tabled in Parliament today, found the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation ...
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    3 days ago
  • First of five new Hercules aircraft takes flight

    Defence Minister Judith Collins today welcomed the first of five new C-130J-30 Hercules to arrive in New Zealand at a ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base Auckland, Whenuapai. “This is an historic day for our New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and our nation. The new Hercules fleet ...
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    3 days ago
  • Have your say on suicide prevention

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    3 days ago
  • Action to grow the rural health workforce

    Scholarships awarded to 27 health care students is another positive step forward to boost the future rural health workforce, Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “All New Zealanders deserve timely access to quality health care and this Government is committed to improving health outcomes, particularly for the one in five ...
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    4 days ago
  • Pharmac delivering more for Kiwis following major funding boost

    Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed the increased availability of medicines for Kiwis resulting from the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our Government assumed office, New ...
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    4 days ago
  • Sport Minister congratulates NZ’s Paralympians

    Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop has congratulated New Zealand's Paralympic Team at the conclusion of the Paralympic Games in Paris.  “The NZ Paralympic Team's success in Paris included fantastic performances, personal best times, New Zealand records and Oceania records all being smashed - and of course, many Kiwis on ...
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  • Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations

    A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report.  “It will have the mandate ...
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    7 days ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...
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    7 days ago
  • New appointments to the FMA board

    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister has today announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) board. Tracey Berry, Nicholas Hegan and Mariette van Ryn have been appointed for a five-year term ending in August 2029, while Chris Swasbrook, who has served as a board member ...
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    7 days ago
  • District Court judges appointed

    Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new District Court judges. The appointees, who will take up their roles at the Manukau Court and the Auckland Court in the Accident Compensation Appeal Jurisdiction, are: Jacqui Clark Judge Clark was admitted to the bar in 1988 after graduating ...
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    7 days ago
  • Government makes it faster and easier to invest in New Zealand

    Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged by significant improvements to overseas investment decision timeframes, and the enhanced interest from investors as the Government continues to reform overseas investment. “There were about as many foreign direct investment applications in July and August as there was across the six months ...
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    1 week ago
  • New Zealand to join Operation Olympic Defender

    New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...
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  • Government commits to ‘stamping out’ foot and mouth disease

    Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says that a new economic impact analysis report reinforces this government’s commitment to ‘stamp out’ any New Zealand foot and mouth disease incursion. “The new analysis, produced by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, shows an incursion of the disease in New Zealand would have ...
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  • Improving access to finance for Kiwis

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  • Prime Minister pays tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia

    As Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to Kotahitanga will have a lasting impact on our country. “Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering ...
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    1 week ago
  • Resource Management reform to make forestry rules clearer

    Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced proposals to reform the resource management system that will provide greater certainty for the forestry sector and help them meet environmental obligations.   “The Government has committed to restoring confidence and certainty across the sector by removing unworkable regulatory burden created by the previous ...
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    1 week ago
  • More choice and competition in building products

    A major shake-up of building products which will make it easier and more affordable to build is on the way, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Today we have introduced legislation that will improve access to a wider variety of quality building products from overseas, giving Kiwis more choice and ...
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  • Joint Statement between the Republic of Korea and New Zealand 4 September 2024, Seoul

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  • Comprehensive Strategic Partnership the goal for New Zealand and Korea

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol. “Korea and New Zealand are likeminded democracies and natural partners in the Indo Pacific. As such, we have decided to advance discussions on elevating the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive ...
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