When fear tactics backfire

Written By: - Date published: 2:47 pm, August 20th, 2013 - 93 comments
Categories: david shearer, john key, Spying - Tags: , , ,

John Key’s fear tactics backfired badly when he tried to smear David Shearer…

PM accuses Shearer of terrorism fear

Labour leader David Shearer has slammed prime minister John Key’s claims he would “run for the hills” in a terrorist attack, saying the last time he was involved in one he ran to help people instead.

The former aid worker’s exploits in war zones such as Iraq and Somalia are well-known. His wife was once held at gunpoint by a local guide in Somalia who then turned the gun on Shearer as he negotiated to have her released.

Key dismissed a large gathering of opponents to the GCSB bill in Auckland last night as a politically motivated and said on TV3’s Firstline this morning that if there was a terrorist attack at Auckland Airport opponents would “run for the hills” and demand to know why more was not done to prevent it.

“That would include David Shearer and Russel Norman,” he said.

“They wouldn’t want a bar of it. They’d be on your show saying the Government should have done more to protect people – mark my words.”

Shearer took exception to Key’s claims.

“The last time an attack happened I was actually in Iraq where a rocket came in and I ran to the people who were killed and wounded and helped out,” he said.

Shearer is not as smooth a politician as John Key, but he certainly has a lot more real-world credentials to draw on. Thanks John, for reminding us all of that…

93 comments on “When fear tactics backfire ”

  1. burt 1

    Key should understand that Labour have the funds from thousands of low paid workers at their disposal so that Shearer can keep his own money safe offshore while struggling workers pay for the publicity that will result in a large pay rise for him.

    • Tiger Mountain 1.1

      How many things can a commenter get totally wrong in just one diversionary sentence? Burt is sure leading the motley crew today.

      • blue leopard 1.1.1

        + 1 Tiger Mountain

      • burt 1.1.2

        So yes or no;

        Do unions donate to Labour ?

        Are union fees extracted from predominately low paid workers ?

        Shearer will get a fat pay rise if he becomes PM ?

        Shearer hast got his own money tucked away off shore ?

        Election advertising is expensive and important for political campaigns ?

        • Colonial Viper 1.1.2.1

          I think when Key said “run for the hills” he was describing himself. Bit of a slip there methinks.

        • Richard 1.1.2.2

          Burt you are way off topic. Guess that means you can’t refute the argument.

        • leftbutnotdeluded 1.1.2.3

          I repeat WTF are you on ?

        • Lightly 1.1.2.4

          “extracted” – you mean voluntarily paid?

          And union members earn more than average, on average, in their fields.

        • blue leopard 1.1.2.5

          @ Burt,

          Yes to all of the above. None of these factoids you provide make any difference to the following:

          Would I prefer to live in a country with a political party who promises to address the dodgy weakness of this GCSB bill ?

          YES!

          Do I despise living in a country where the party in government do not respect democratic principles (unclear if they even understand them)

          YES!

          Do I think the current government is concerned about NZers interests?

          NO!

          Do I think the current government, whose sole interest appears to be misinforming NZers to sway public opinion so that public opinion votes against NZ interests and meets goodness-knows-whose interests instead, is a competent, effective government?

          NO!

          Do I think NZ would be better off with a government made up of current opposition parties that are responding to NZ public opinion and actively working toward meeting these interests on a raft of matters?

          YES!

          Your comments, Burt, are a distraction to the very important matters this post relates to. Why do that?

        • Mary 1.1.2.6

          Your illogical and unrelated string of assertions notwithstanding, without the unions wages would be far far less.

      • Colonial Viper 1.1.3

        Shearer is a true hero. Key on the hand, is a hero to the bankster class.

        • AmaKiwi 1.1.3.1

          Key is one dangerous b*st*ard. He ignores our logical arguments and launches simplistic personal attacks on us. See Chris Trotter’s quote from Mein Kampf.

      • lprent 1.1.4

        burt has hung in here for (what seems like) eons picking up skills to deal with the people leaning left. Problem is that you have to explain what he got wrong and why… One of our posts with a large numbers of comments consists of r0b and burt arguing the meaning of retrospective….

        • rob 1.1.4.1

          Burt is certainly retro as in retrograde
          He should understand that Key wants to read his mail!!

          • lprent 1.1.4.1.1

            I sure that not even Key would want that much advice about the retrospective nature of his GCSB legislation……

            Has anyone explained that aspect to burt yet?

            oh dear… what have I unleashed..

    • leftbutnotdeluded 1.2

      WTF are you on ?

    • Draco T Bastard 1.3

      And burt rolls out his double standards again.

      burt, all organisations work the same way – lots of people pay in very little to maintain the people doing work that benefits them all. This includes National and Act but that is, according to you, ok because they’re rich people and not poor people.

      Why is it, burt, that you think that poor people shouldn’t organise the same way as the rich people do?

      BTW, I believe that Labour MPs pay a 10% tithe of their government paid income to the party.

      • lprent 1.3.1

        I believe that Labour MPs pay a 10% tithe of their government paid income to the party.

        They do. Greens do a similar amount as well

  2. amirite 2

    Figuring out that the public does not love him blindly any more, Key is reduced to scraping the bottom of the barrel. Keep digging, Johnny.

  3. Bill 3

    Most people would run to help. That’s something that’s well understood. Understood well enough to be exploited in drone attacks….the ‘double tap’ or whatever term is used, whereby a second drone is dispatched 10 minutes or so after the first to wipe out rescuers.

    But maybe John Key was referring to natural disasters where people, according to most media, turn feral (thinking of the coverage of the Haiti earthquake)…except that they don’t.

    And then there are places like Christchurch where ‘running for the hills’ would take some considerable effort and require a fairly high level of fitness.

    So John Key is a wanker and David Shearer acted as most people would act in the given circumstances. And I’m pointing out the normality of David Shearer’s reaction simply because I detest any whiff of hero worship or attempts to establish any such meme (and yes, that was what I was picking up).

    We’re all heroes when the chips are down.

    • Colonial Viper 3.1

      Well, some people are cowards, or plain self involved when the chips are down. The NZ Herald articles on how people walk straight by people in distress for instance.

      Secondary attacks/IEDs targeting first responders are a typical tactic. It’s therefore not a great idea to run to the site of a suspected IED explosion and the SOPs reflect that.

      Watching it all on a TV, it’s easy to forget how very nasty these conflicts are.

      • Bill 3.1.1

        Yup. Should have put the word all in parenthesis…some people go into shock, some people get ‘the fear’ or whatever. But generally speaking, when a serious piece of shit lands, ‘everyone’ gets to clearing up the shit. And I’m saying that trait is in spite of numerous instances where people, in every day circumstances, walk on by with their head down or gaze averted when someone is getting beaten up or whatever.

        • Colonial Viper 3.1.1.1

          People are socialist by instinct, it would be nice to have political leaders who owned a philosophy which understood that.

          • burt 3.1.1.1.1

            People are socialist by instinct

            People are social and caring for their family/tribe.

            Socialism seeks to force that natural human behaviour to exrtend to people who are both unknown to us and also who we may think don’t deserve our compassion and support.

            You are just making shit up when you seek to conflate natural human compassion with the ideology of socialism. That is like saying people will never fight over food, never compete with each other….

            This is the problem, socialism is a blunt instrument which attempts to mandate family behaviour across all of society. It is very very unnatural to be required to have less for people we care about so that people we don’t know can also live without taking personal responsibility for their own needs.

            • One Anonymous Knucklehead 3.1.1.1.1.1

              First you say it promotes diversity (people you don’t like) then you blither that it mandates behaviour.

              It can’t be both. You’ve got no clue what Socialism is, so why don’t you stop demonstrating your profound ignorance?

              I note that you think “personal responsibility” means “I’m all right Jack.” Truly the ethics of the gutter.

              • burt

                Umm…

                mandate diversity – how’s that working for you.
                mandate sharing – how’s that working for you.

                When a fat prick from down the street comes and helps himself to the last of the food in your fridge – you will be happy right…. Cause he is hungry and needs more food to maintain his 22 stone frame than all of your family put together.

                Ooops, I forgot – socialism is all about caring and helping others – unless you think they already have more than you in which case all the ideology goes out the window and you are allowed to denigrate them – Perhaps call them a “rich prick” or some other ultimate socialist insult.

                • Bill

                  Socialism also involves the commons Burt. And anybody who fucks with the commons does so at their peril. Ever thought about what being meaningfully ostracized from your society might mean in terms of your medium and long term prospects for survival?

                • One Anonymous Knucklehead

                  Burt smells of cheese, because he rubs it all over himself every night.

                  Note: this comment uses the Burt™ reality filter, where reality is 100% made up.

            • blue leopard 3.1.1.1.1.2

              @ Burt,

              Depends who you consider part of your tribe as to whether you view natural human compassion as being unduly conflated with a political ideology.

              I view my tribe as rather large, and not all of them I know.

              The person who cut the wood that makes up my house would have to be part of my tribe, they have helped me to find shelter. Same with the person who designed my house, trucked the wood in and those that built the house (in this case I do know some of them)

              My car, the many people who went into designing the car I drive, who created the metal, who trucked the parts, who put it together.

              The food I buy. The people who grew it, the people who brought it to my district, the people who stacked it on the shelves and I bought it off.

              The examples are near endless.

              There are many people who have assisted in my life, they all have families; some of them will be old and need a pension, some of them are likely to be unemployed (given the unemployment rate and lack of jobs).

              If I am wealthy, I gain my wealth from many unknown people too.

              I am defining tribe here as an extended social web that assists one another; although this may not be a very good definition, because do people in my tribe have to directly help me in order to be part of my tribe? I don’t know if this is so.

              If a political ideology discourages the view of how interconnected we are with others, how dependent we are on many people (alot of them unknown,) and teaches me to only consider my own narrow interests, pitting such against others, it not only does me a disservice personally, leading me to have dishonest and faulty views on how my fortune is gained and society actually functions, it also attacks the very structure that makes our society function healthily.

              So do I prefer an ideology that does the opposite? That makes use of the best in my nature and encourages a kind hearted, or at least forgiving, attitude toward others in my world, who may be in less fortunate circumstances than myself?

              Yes I do.

              Do I think such an ideology has the vision to create a healthier society than one that encourages the least positive aspects of human nature?

              Yes I do.

              You only have to look around at world affairs to see just how effective encouraging people into a narrower and narrower focus on self interest gets us.

            • Bill 3.1.1.1.1.3

              People are social to their….wait for it…society

              Modern nation states seek to impose a society that encompasses people who are unknown to one another. And that comes at the cost of a discrete and functioning society/community.

              You are just making things up when you suggest that socialism can ever exist among anonymous and detached individuals. Any attempt to bring such a thing into being would indeed involve imposing forms of blunt totalitarianism from an empowered ‘above’.

              Socialism results when there is a legitimate and dynamic social contract that is constantly being developed and refined through the meaningful participation of all that all members of that society.

              And since complexity can only arise from simple initial conditions (rather than from being constructed and imposed from above) socialism also involves the natural interaction between somewhat discrete societies and peoples projecting the values inherent to their habits and behaviours onto their interactions with other societies – or parts of other societies – during the osmotic spread of different influences (ideas) and senses of social identity.

            • Murray Olsen 3.1.1.1.1.4

              “socialism is a blunt instrument which attempts to mandate family behaviour across all of society”
              Ha. It’s neolibs who continuously spout rubbish about running a household budget and think that it gives some meaningful insight into the economy of a nation state. Poor Burt, you can’t even be right by accident.

      • AmaKiwi 3.1.2

        People who blog here are NOT cowards. We continue to speak out knowing the NZ Gestapo and their master can track us down in a split second.

        That takes courage.

  4. tinfoilhat 4

    Key really is a vile little man.

  5. tinfoilhat 5

    Was watching in the house earlier on and it seems that Shearer may have been having the odd tete a tete with Key on the GCSB bill and has kept the Greens in the dark on the whole thing.

    What’s going on with Labour ? When will the Labour voters and activists come to their senses and switch their allegiance to the Greens and Mana ?

    • RJL 5.1

      Not really, it looks like Labour offered to come to a consensus on the GCSB bill with National. Which was exactly what was done on the 2003 Bill — *National* voted for the 2003 bill.

      However, it looks like Key’s idea of “consensus” was for Labour to accept his bill as is, and if they didn’t, well he doesn’t need their vote if he has ACT and Dunne’s vote.

      • mickysavage 5.1.1

        Yep and the lesson should be do not trust Key under any circumstances.

        • tinfoilhat 5.1.1.1

          Or Labour from my Green perspective.

        • RJL 5.1.1.2

          Yes, don’t trust Key.

          But nonetheless, if GCSB reform really is both important, urgent, and “non-political” like Key sometimes suggests, then a consensus on what to do between *all* the parties in parliament is exactly what should be attempted.

          Of course, practically, what usually happens in such cases, is that National and Labour (plus non-entities like Dunne) come to a consensus and deliver a great big collective “fuck you” to the Greens. Like with the 2003 legislation.

          Which would hardly be a “win” for NZers, either. However, I would have thought that a keen negoitator like Key would back himself to get most of what he wanted in any negotiations with Labour, without such drama we’ve seen.

          The only way that Key’s actions with the GCSB legislation really make sense, is if he/National has calculated that by being tough and walking over the protests of Labour/Greens/etc he gains/retains more support from the electorate than he loses. Which may ultimately have been a mistake on his behalf.

      • burt 5.1.2

        RJL

        Yes, the arrogance of it. Next up will be Bill English saying – we won, you lost – eat that !

  6. Bob 6

    “The last time an attack happened I was actually in Iraq where a rocket came in and I ran to the people who were killed and wounded and helped out,”
    I wonder if he was telling John Key this story in John Keys office. He would have had to kill some time while waiting for Russel Norman to leave so he could sneak out. I guess David Shearer’s questions in parliament today were a case of his fear tactics (aka GCSB paranoia) backfiring, funny how what comes around, goes around.

  7. Tigger 7

    Key, of course, would not run. He would crap his pants and cry instead.

    • Sable 7.1

      Maybe we should all pitch in and send him some adult diaper’s along with a George Bush tea-shirt and a one way ticket to Iraq.

    • Anne 7.2

      He did. In the debating chamber when an unfortunate gentleman tried to harm himself by jumping off the balcony. The opposition MPs who were the ones in danger of being hurt behaved with decorum. What did Key (who was on the other side of the chamber and not in any danger) do? He lost his cool and then tried to make it look like it was somehow Phil Goff’s fault and cut him the slit throat gesture.

      The mark of a true coward.

  8. Sable 8

    Ha! Keys in a war zone what a laugh. The only fire fight he’s most likely experienced is a minor mishap with the bbcue.

  9. fambo 9

    Help – there’s a madman running the country!

  10. fender 10

    Looks like Key and the ruling elite will have to fund an incident or two to emphasise the point you will need “protecting”.

    • Jenny 10.1

      A phoney but timely coincidental false flag Terrorist scare is overdue, any day now. Nobody will be caught, (well nobody but some mentally unstable fall guy will be caught). Maybe a fire a la Reichstat sort of thing. Maybe even an assassination and then an assassination of the assassin.

      • Don't worry be happy 10.1.1

        Well there has been a deafening silence about the Korean guy with the SUV who tried to kill Key recently……something about a deal that went sour. Any journos out there?

  11. Ad 11

    Shearer has to be very very careful to sustain the mana of last night’s meeting into the remainder of this week. He won’t get any fear or favour from Key and nor should he.

    I think it’s incredibly unhelpful of Shearer to expose in Parliament today a secret negotiation with Key about the GCSB Bill.

    Firstly because exposing a conversation with any Prime Minister into Parliament’s question time is an incredibly serious step that totally salts the field of any such conversation ever taking place again on any matter before the government.

    Secondly because it deliberately excluded Russell Norman (his likely coalition partner) – which goes down great in the trust department.

    Thirdly because what Key and Shearer are briefed on in the context of the drafting of the GCSB Bill are matters of national security, and certainly not something to be drawn on in Parliament.

    Shearer has on this issue finally got the broad left united behind him. Please, Shearer, don’t blow it now.

    • BM 11.1

      Too late, he’s blown it.

      I’m interested to see how Paddy Gower spins it on tonights news.
      After watching the video, all I can say is Shearer is a complete idiot, he makes George Bush look like Einstein.
      .
      Honestly,There’s no way in hell any New Zealander with more than 2 brains cells would want that fuck wit controlling the country.

      Terrifying prospect.

      • amirite 11.1.1

        on the planet you live on, yes. You must be filling your nappy.

      • Sable 11.1.2

        Oooh look Bullshit Merchant is back with yet another slurry of insults as a substitute for a valid argument. More barking but still no bite…

    • CeeH 11.2

      I was gutted when I heard about this so-called secret meeting. John Key sure made a big drama of it. The man couldn’t contain himself. How could Shearer be so dumb? But then I remembered how beguiling and artful John Key can be at twisting things around. Hoping Shearer can explain.

      • burt 11.2.1

        This is politics in NZ. The sad thing really about this is that if the shoe was on the other foot Labour supporters would be crowing about kicking it to Key. The tribal warfare is so pointless, perpetuated only by loyal partisan foot soldiers. Change the game – don’t vote for either of the self serving major parties.

        • lprent 11.2.1.1

          My god, are you cheerleading for the conservatives now? I can’t imagine that Act is worth trying to salvage. It has had a bad case of Brash Banks.

  12. Murray Olsen 12

    Shearer’s meeting with Key, and the exclusion of Russell Norman, if that’s what actually happened, is another piece of evidence that some in Labour see National as a more natural coalition partner than the Greens. Shearer and ABC have to go. There is too much at stake to keep them around.

    • Colonial Viper 12.1

      A Grand Coalition to rule NZ for a hundred years.

      • Bill 12.1.1

        Jenny Shipley openly suggested such a formal coalition when she was PM. It has stuck in my mind because I was flabberghasted by the msm who let it slip by as a sound bite and failed to offer up any reaction whatsoever.

        Anyway, at some levels we have an informal coalition with nothing much beyond a revolving leadership when viewed from a broad economic or foreign policy perspective.

        I was reading some wikileaks cables the other night and the amount of bending over backwards by Labour with regards US concerns over possible ministerial positions for Green party ministers post election 2004(?) was quite astounding. No major portfolios within foreign affairs, economy etc. I very much doubt that anything has changed in that respect.

        • Colonial Viper 12.1.1.1

          Yep. And I’m damn sure that Green staffers have read the exact same cables.

        • tinfoilhat 12.1.1.2

          Yet you still have a majority of activists at sites like this desperate to get Labour into power but only willing to throw a few crumbs to the way of the real parties of the left…… yep and sadly I could level the same claim at the NZ union movement as week.

          • Colonial Viper 12.1.1.2.1

            Yet you still have a majority of activists at sites like this desperate to get Labour into power

            Go ahead and name five who fall into this category here at The Standard, if you can. You know, just to show that you aren’t full of shit.

            • tinfoilhat 12.1.1.2.1.1

              Anthony Robins, MickeySavage, lprent, Eddie, Mike Smith

              • lprent

                Ah, I see that the artform of not answering the question is still strong. There are activists on this site beyond the authors.

                But even here you are foolishly wrong. Perhaps you should *read* the site rather than pulling ideas out of your navel fluff?

                I stated last year that I would be voting for the Greens because I didn’t like the direction that the Labour caucus was travelling in, and that the Greens looked far more competent. I doubt that I will be changing my mind because they are long term trends.

                At the 2011 election Eddie said “It’s a bit of a toss-up, actually.” between Labour and the Greens.

                I have no idea what way Mickey would leap at present. But I suspect he’d be like I was last election and loyally help out Labour.

                I think that Anthony and Mike are still strong Labour supporters. In my observations, I’d say that both have reservations.

                The Labour Party is in my view rapidly losing their party.

                Basically you’re stupid if you think that we don’t evaluate our support and for whom. It is only fools like yourself who work of out of date presumptions – probably because you’re too lazy to think.

                You’d have been better off saying that “the majority of activists at sites like this being desperate to get National out of power”. That would have been accurate because they are completely incompetent at the task. Who we’d support to do the task varies.

    • karol 12.2

      Agreed. Enough! Russel Norman made some important points in his questions to Key today. s far as the MSM is concerned that got ignored in favour of Shearer’s inept antics.

    • Sable 12.3

      Its no secret I think Labour and National are both pond scum. Still I’d be surprised by a National/Labour coalition. I think no amount of protection would save Shearer from the wrath of Labour supporters…

  13. Poem 13

    The only one who has blown it is despot John key AD and BM who sound more desperate to make a mountain out of a molehill. If the nats and their supporters think that the key led national party is going to come out of the next election unscathed, you have a another thing coming. I wouldn’t be surprised if the national party end up suffering their greatest defeat ever since their formation in 1936.

  14. Poem 14

    And Bill, not everyone has that level of compassion, fortitude, courage and strength to do the kind of job that David Shearer did, and in a crisis I know who I would put my trust in and that would be David Sharer, not a self serving currency trader like John key.

    • Colonial Viper 14.1

      compassion, fortitude, courage and strength

      You should definitely fall out of love with political figures. None of them are worth it, you have to keep damn close tabs on ALL of them.

      • tinfoilhat 14.1.1

        “You should definitely fall out of love with political figures. None of them are worth it, you have to keep damn close tabs on ALL of them.”

        QFT !

      • Poem 14.1.2

        I dont love any politician Colonial Viper, I greatly admire people like David Shearer for the humanitarian work that he did in war torn countries, it is not the kind of job that anyone can do.

        • Colonial Viper 14.1.2.1

          neither is Leader of the Labour Party.

          • Poem 14.1.2.1.1

            Well that’s your opinion, I think Shearer deserves a shot and left to do the job, I think he will do it well, if given the chance. A Labour led coalition is a hell of a better prospect than what NZ has now under the insane despot john key who has gone crazy with power and his self serving national party.

            • Colonial Viper 14.1.2.1.1.1

              I think Shearer deserves a shot and left to do the job, I think he will do it well, if given the chance.

              Each month is a chance. That’s 19 or 20 chances so far. There aren’t that many chances left.

              Well that’s your opinion

              A line that the Prime Minister could have uttered quite comfortably.

              A Labour led coalition is a hell of a better prospect than what NZ has now under the insane despot john key who has gone crazy with power and his self serving national party.

              Yes. And I’m looking forwards to more demonstrations of Labour’s ability and willingness to work closely and supportively with the Greens.

              • Poem

                well it is your opinion, its not anybody else’s is it? How many chances do you think key has got left?
                Shearer is the ongoing target of national party electioneering and yet he is still standing. And you sound doubtful CV?? or more is it your wish that Labour and Greens dont get on? As things stand now, I dont see why Labour and the Greens including other opposition parties cant continue to work together.

    • Bill 14.2

      Would that be the type of compassion that drove him to go in and bat for those receiving sickness entitlements?

      As for ‘fortitude, courage and strength’, well…we all have them in some measure or other. And my comment wasn’t about his job or his motivation for taking up such a job or his execution of that job – it was about the common reaction of people in emergencies.

      But I take your point over which of the two to better rely on in a life threatening situation.

  15. logie97 15

    Why do we give the likes of burt oxygen…?

    • lprent 15.1

      Because he follows the rules of the site and engages in robust discussion, sticks broadly to the topic at hand, and lots of people argue with him and he with them. We try to moderate on behaviour, not on beliefs. Good thing too when you consider that you’re all wrong (IMAO) ! 😈

    • Tracey 15.2

      Because it adds to the debate. It would be stupid to have a site where everyone simply agreed all the time, especially when the parties they seem to favour most are on the opposition benches.

      Debate is one antidote to a closed and self righteous mind.

      • Bob 15.2.1

        +1 Tracey, that is why I come here rather than Whaleoil or Kiwiblog, I would rather see what is generally the opposite opinion to my own and debate the merits of both, than sit around a blog patting people with similar views to mine on the back!

  16. vto 16

    .
    Key has launched a pre-emptive strike on the issue of his muscles that is all. It is one of his weaknesses and one of Shearer’s strengths so he has struck first – peeeooowwww……

  17. gobsmacked 17

    Shearer showed great courage and compassion in his previous work. More than Key ever could.

    Unfortunately in his 50’s Shearer then made an extraordinary career change, and he appears to lack the kind of honest friends that would tell him how totally unsuited he is to this new line of work.

    Sure, we all make mistakes. Trouble is, we’re all paying the price for his.

    • Poem 17.1

      Well, New Zealand and its people are most definitely paying for the mistake called John key gobsmacked.

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    PunditBy Brian Easton
    2 days ago
  • Willis fails a taxing app-titude test but govt supporters will cheer moves on Te Pukenga and the Hum...
    Buzz from the Beehive The Minister of Defence has returned from Noumea to announce New Zealand will host next year’s South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting and (wearing another ministerial hat) to condemn malicious cyber activity conducted by the Russian Government. A bigger cheer from people who voted for the Luxon ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • ELIZABETH RATA: In defence of the liberal university and against indigenisation
    The suppression of individual thought in our universities spills over into society, threatening free speech everywhere. Elizabeth Rata writes –  Indigenising New Zealand’s universities is well underway, presumably with the agreement of University Councils and despite the absence of public discussion. Indigenising, under the broader umbrella of decolonisation, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the skewed media coverage of Gaza
    Now that he’s back as Foreign Minister, maybe Winston Peters should start reading the MFAT website. If he did, Peters would find MFAT celebrating the 25th anniversary of how New Zealand alerted the rest of the world to the genocide developing in Rwanda. Quote: New Zealand played an important role ...
    2 days ago
  • “Your Circus, Your Clowns.”
    It must have been a hard first couple of weeks for National voters, since the coalition was announced. Seeing their party make so many concessions to New Zealand First and ACT that there seems little remains of their own policies, other than the dwindling dream of tax cuts and the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 8-December-2023
    It’s Friday again and Christmas is fast approaching. Here’s some of the stories that caught our attention. This week in Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered some of the recent talk around the costs, benefits and challenges with the City Rail Link. On Thursday Matt looked at how ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • End-of-week escapism
    Amsterdam to Hong Kong William McCartney16,000 kilometres41 days18 trains13 countries11 currencies6 long-distance taxis4 taxi apps4 buses3 sim cards2 ferries1 tram0 medical events (surprisingly)Episode 4Whether the Sofia-Istanbul Express really qualifies to be called an express is debatable, but it’s another one of those likeably old and slow trains tha… ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Dec 8
    Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro arrives for the State Opening of Parliament (Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)TL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:New Finance Minister Nicola Willis set herself a ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • New Zealand’s Witchcraft Laws: 1840/1858-1961/1962
    Sometimes one gets morbidly curious about the oddities of one’s own legal system. Sometimes one writes entire essays on New Zealand’s experience with Blasphemous Libel: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2017/05/09/blasphemous-libel-new-zealand-politics/ And sometimes one follows up the exact historical status of witchcraft law in New Zealand. As one does, of course. ...
    3 days ago
  • No surprises
    Don’t expect any fiscal shocks or surprises when the books are opened on December 20 with the unveiling of the Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU). That was the message yesterday from Westpac in an economic commentary. But the bank’s analysis did not include any changes to capital ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #49 2023
    113 articles in 48 journals by 674 contributing authors Physical science of climate change, effects Diversity of Lagged Relationships in Global Means of Surface Temperatures and Radiative Budgets for CMIP6 piControl Simulations, Tsuchida et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-23-0045.1 Do abrupt cryosphere events in High Mountain Asia indicate earlier tipping ...
    3 days ago
  • Phone calls at Kia Kaha primary
    It is quiet reading time in Room 13! It is so quiet you can hear the Tui outside. It is so quiet you can hear the Fulton Hogan crew.It is so quiet you can hear old Mr Grant and old Mr Bradbury standing by the roadworks and counting the conesand going on ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • A question of confidence is raised by the Minister of Police, but he had to be questioned by RNZ to ...
    It looks like the new ministerial press secretaries have quickly learned the art of camouflaging exactly what their ministers are saying – or, at least, of keeping the hard news  out of the headlines and/or the opening sentences of the statements they post on the home page of the governments ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Xmas  good  cheer  for the dairy industry  as Fonterra lifts its forecast
    The big dairy co-op Fonterra  had  some Christmas  cheer to offer  its farmers this week, increasing its forecast farmgate milk price and earnings guidance for  the year after what it calls a strong start to the year. The forecast  midpoint for the 2023/24 season is up 25cs to $7.50 per ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • MICHAEL BASSETT: Modern Maori myths
    Michael Bassett writes – Many of the comments about the Coalition’s determination to wind back the dramatic Maorification of New Zealand of the last three years would have you believe the new government is engaged in a full-scale attack on Maori. In reality, all that is happening ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Dreams of eternal sunshine at a spotless COP28
    Mary Robinson asked Al Jaber a series of very simple, direct and highly pertinent questions and he responded with a high-octane public meltdown. Photos: Getty Images / montage: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR The hygiene effects of direct sunshine are making some inroads, perhaps for the very first time, on the normalised ‘deficit ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LINDSAY MITCHELL: Oh, the irony
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Appointed by new Labour PM Jacinda Ardern in 2018, Cindy Kiro headed the Welfare Expert Advisory Group (WEAG) tasked with reviewing and recommending reforms to the welfare system. Kiro had been Children’s Commissioner during Helen Clark’s Labour government but returned to academia subsequently. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Transport Agencies don’t want Harbour Tunnels
    It seems even our transport agencies don’t want Labour’s harbour crossing plans. In August the previous government and Waka Kotahi announced their absurd preferred option the new harbour crossing that at the time was estimated to cost $35-45 billion. It included both road tunnels and a wiggly light rail tunnel ...
    3 days ago
  • Webworm Presents: Jurassic Park on 35mm
    Hi,Paying Webworm members such as yourself keep this thing running, so as 2023 draws to close, I wanted to do two things to say a giant, loud “THANKS”. Firstly — I’m giving away 10 Mister Organ blu-rays in New Zealand, and another 10 in America. More details down below.Secondly — ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • The Prime Minister's Dream.
    Yesterday saw the State Opening of Parliament, the Speech from the Throne, and then Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s dream for Aotearoa in his first address. But first the pomp and ceremony, the arrival of the Governor General.Dame Cindy Kiro arrived on the forecourt outside of parliament to a Māori welcome. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • National’s new MP; the proud part-Maori boy raised in a state house
    Probably not since 1975 have we seen a government take office up against such a wall of protest and complaint. That was highlighted yesterday, the day that the new Parliament was sworn in, with news that King Tuheitia has called a national hui for late January to develop a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • Climate Adam: Battlefield Earth – How War Fuels Climate Catastrophe
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). War, conflict and climate change are tearing apart lives across the world. But these aren't separate harms - they're intricately connected. ...
    4 days ago
  • They do not speak for us, and they do not speak for the future
    These dire woeful and intolerant people have been so determinedly going about their small and petulant business, it’s hard to keep up. At the end of the new government’s first woeful week, Audrey Young took the time to count off its various acts of denigration of Te Ao Māori:Review the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Another attack on te reo
    The new white supremacist government made attacking te reo a key part of its platform, promising to rename government agencies and force them to "communicate primarily in English" (which they already do). But today they've gone further, by trying to cut the pay of public servants who speak te reo: ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • For the record, the Beehive buzz can now be regarded as “official”
    Buzz from the Beehive The biggest buzz we bring you from the Beehive today is that the government’s official website is up and going after being out of action for more than a week. The latest press statement came  from  Education Minister  Eric Stanford, who seized on the 2022 PISA ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • Climate Change: Failed again
    There was another ETS auction this morning. and like all the other ones this year, it failed to clear - meaning that 23 million tons of carbon (15 million ordinary units plus 8 million in the cost containment reserve) went up in smoke. Or rather, they didn't. Being unsold at ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Government’s Assault On Maori
    This isn’t news, but the National-led coalition is mounting a sustained assault on Treaty rights and obligations. Even so, Christopher Luxon has described yesterday’s nationwide protests by Maori as “pretty unfair.” Poor thing. In the NZ Herald, Audrey Young has compiled a useful list of the many, many ways that ...
    4 days ago
  • Rising costs hit farmers hard, but  there’s more  positive news  for  them this  week 
    New Zealand’s dairy industry, the mainstay of the country’s export trade, has  been under  pressure  from rising  costs. Down on the  farm, this  has  been  hitting  hard. But there  was more positive news this week,  first   from the latest Fonterra GDT auction where  prices  rose,  and  then from  a  report ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    4 days ago
  • ROB MacCULLOCH:  Newshub and NZ Herald report misleading garbage about ACT’s van Veldon not follo...
    Rob MacCulloch writes –  In their rush to discredit the new government (which our MainStream Media regard as illegitimate and having no right to enact the democratic will of voters) the NZ Herald and Newshub are arguing ACT’s Deputy Leader Brooke van Veldon is not following Treasury advice ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Top 10 for Wednesday, December 6
    Even many young people who smoke support smokefree policies, fitting in with previous research showing the large majority of people who smoke regret starting and most want to quit. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere on the morning of Wednesday, December ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Eleven years of work.
    Well it didn’t take six months, but the leaks have begun. Yes the good ship Coalition has inadvertently released a confidential cabinet paper into the public domain, discussing their axing of Fair Pay Agreements (FPAs).Oops.Just when you were admiring how smoothly things were going for the new government, they’ve had ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Why we're missing out on sharply lower inflation
    A wave of new and higher fees, rates and charges will ripple out over the economy in the next 18 months as mayors, councillors, heads of department and price-setters for utilities such as gas, electricity, water and parking ramp up charges. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Just when most ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did We Get Here?
    Hi,Kiwis — keep the evening of December 22nd free. I have a meetup planned, and will send out an invite over the next day or so. This sounds sort of crazy to write, but today will be Tony Stamp’s final Totally Normal column of 2023. Somehow we’ve made it to ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago
  • At a glance – Has the greenhouse effect been falsified?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    5 days ago
  • New Zealaders  have  high expectations of  new  government:  now let’s see if it can deliver?
    The electorate has high expectations of the  new  government.  The question is: can  it  deliver?    Some  might  say  the  signs are not  promising. Protestors   are  already marching in the streets. The  new  Prime Minister has had  little experience of managing  very diverse politicians  in coalition. The economy he  ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    5 days ago
  • You won't believe some of the numbers you have to pull when you're a Finance Minister
    Nicola of Marsden:Yo, normies! We will fix your cost of living worries by giving you a tax cut of 150 dollars. 150! Cash money! Vote National.Various people who can read and count:Actually that's 150 over a fortnight. Not a week, which is how you usually express these things.And actually, it looks ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Pushback
    When this government came to power, it did so on an explicitly white supremacist platform. Undermining the Waitangi Tribunal, removing Māori representation in local government, over-riding the courts which had tried to make their foreshore and seabed legislation work, eradicating te reo from public life, and ultimately trying to repudiate ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Defence ministerial meeting meant Collins missed the Maori Party’s mischief-making capers in Parli...
    Buzz from the Beehive Maybe this is not the best time for our Minister of Defence to have gone overseas. Not when the Maori Party is inviting (or should that be inciting?) its followers to join a revolution in a post which promoted its protest plans with a picture of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • Threats of war have been followed by an invitation to join the revolution – now let’s see how th...
     A Maori Party post on Instagram invited party followers to ….  Tangata Whenua, Tangata Tiriti, Join the REVOLUTION! & make a stand!  Nationwide Action Day, All details in tiles swipe to see locations.  • This is our 1st hit out and tomorrow Tuesday the 5th is the opening ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Top 10 for Tuesday, December 4
    The RBNZ governor is citing high net migration and profit-led inflation as factors in the bank’s hawkish stance. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere on the morning of Tuesday, December 5, including:Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr says high net migration and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Nicola Willis' 'show me the money' moment
    Willis has accused labour of “economic vandalism’, while Robertson described her comments as a “desperate diversion from somebody who can't make their tax package add up”. There will now be an intense focus on December 20 to see whether her hyperbole is backed up by true surprises. Photo montage: Lynn ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • CRL costs money but also provides huge benefits
    The City Rail Link has been in the headlines a bit recently so I thought I’d look at some of them. First up, yesterday the NZ Herald ran this piece about the ongoing costs of the CRL. Auckland ratepayers will be saddled with an estimated bill of $220 million each ...
    5 days ago
  • And I don't want the world to see us.
    Is this the most shambolic government in the history of New Zealand? Given that parliament hasn’t even opened they’ve managed quite a list of achievements to date.The Smokefree debacle trading lives for tax cuts, the Trumpian claims of bribery in the Media, an International award for indifference, and today the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Cooking the books
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis late yesterday stopped only slightly short of accusing her predecessor Grant Robertson of cooking the books. She complained that the Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU), due to be made public on December 20, would show “fiscal cliffs” that would amount to “billions of ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Most people don’t realize how much progress we’ve made on climate change
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The year was 2015. ‘Uptown Funk’ with Bruno Mars was at the top of the music charts. Jurassic World was the most popular new movie in theaters. And decades of futility in international climate negotiations was about to come to an end in ...
    6 days ago
  • Of Parliamentary Oaths and Clive Boonham
    As a heads-up, I am not one of those people who stay awake at night thinking about weird Culture War nonsense. At least so far as the current Maori/Constitutional arrangements go. In fact, I actually consider it the least important issue facing the day to day lives of New ...
    6 days ago
  • Bearing True Allegiance?
    Strong Words: “We do not consent, we do not surrender, we do not cede, we do not submit; we, the indigenous, are rising. We do not buy into the colonial fictions this House is built upon. Te Pāti Māori pledges allegiance to our mokopuna, our whenua, and Te Tiriti o ...
    6 days ago
  • You cannot be serious
    Some days it feels like the only thing to say is: Seriously? No, really. Seriously?OneSomeone has used their health department access to share data about vaccinations and patients, and inform the world that New Zealanders have been dying in their hundreds of thousands from the evil vaccine. This of course is pure ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • A promise kept: govt pulls the plug on Lake Onslow scheme – but this saving of $16bn is denounced...
    Buzz from the Beehive After $21.8 million was spent on investigations, the plug has been pulled on the Lake Onslow pumped-hydro electricity scheme, The scheme –  that technically could have solved New Zealand’s looming energy shortage, according to its champions – was a key part of the defeated Labour government’s ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • CHRIS TROTTER: The Maori Party and Oath of Allegiance
    If those elected to the Māori Seats refuse to take them, then what possible reason could the country have for retaining them?   Chris Trotter writes – Christmas is fast approaching, which, as it does every year, means gearing up for an abstruse general knowledge question. “Who was ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • BRIAN EASTON:  Forward to 2017
    The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies. Brian Easton writes The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Climate Change: Fossils
    When the new government promised to allow new offshore oil and gas exploration, they were warned that there would be international criticism and reputational damage. Naturally, they arrogantly denied any possibility that that would happen. And then they finally turned up at COP, to criticism from Palau, and a "fossil ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • GEOFFREY MILLER:  NZ’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    Geoffrey Miller writes – New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the government’s smokefree laws debacle
    The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around – incompetently, as it turns out – for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable ...
    6 days ago
  • Top 10 links at 10 am for Monday, December 4
    As Deb Te Kawa writes in an op-ed, the new Government seems to have immediately bought itself fights with just about everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Monday December 4, including:Palau’s President ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Be Honest.
    Let’s begin today by thinking about job interviews.During my career in Software Development I must have interviewed hundreds of people, hired at least a hundred, but few stick in the memory.I remember one guy who was so laid back he was practically horizontal, leaning back in his chair until his ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he left off. Peters sought to align ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    6 days ago
  • Auckland rail tunnel the world’s most expensive
    Auckland’s city rail link is the most expensive rail project in the world per km, and the CRL boss has described the cost of infrastructure construction in Aotearoa as a crisis. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The 3.5 km City Rail Link (CRL) tunnel under Auckland’s CBD has cost ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • First big test coming
    The first big test of the new Government’s approach to Treaty matters is likely to be seen in the return of the Resource Management Act. RMA Minister Chris Bishop has confirmed that he intends to introduce legislation to repeal Labour’s recently passed Natural and Built Environments Act and its ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • The Song of Saqua: Volume III
    Time to revisit something I haven’t covered in a while: the D&D campaign, with Saqua the aquatic half-vampire. Last seen in July: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/07/27/the-song-of-saqua-volume-ii/ The delay is understandable, once one realises that the interim saw our DM come down with a life-threatening medical situation. They have since survived to make ...
    6 days ago
  • Chris Bishop: Smokin’
    Yes. Correct. It was an election result. And now we are the elected government. ...
    My ThinksBy boonman
    1 week ago
  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science  Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 26, 2023 thru Dec 2, 2023. Story of the Week CO2 readings from Mauna Loa show failure to combat climate change Daily atmospheric carbon dioxide data from Hawaiian volcano more ...
    1 week ago
  • Affirmative Action.
    Affirmative Action was a key theme at this election, although I don’t recall anyone using those particular words during the campaign.They’re positive words, and the way the topic was talked about was anything but. It certainly wasn’t a campaign of saying that Affirmative Action was a good thing, but that, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • 100 days of something
    It was at the end of the Foxton straights, at the end of 1978, at 100km/h, that someone tried to grab me from behind on my Yamaha.They seemed to be yanking my backpack. My first thought was outrage. My second was: but how? Where have they come from? And my ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • Look who’s stepped up to champion Winston
    There’s no news to be gleaned from the government’s official website today  – it contains nothing more than the message about the site being under maintenance. The time this maintenance job is taking and the costs being incurred have us musing on the government’s commitment to an assault on inflation. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago
  • What's The Story?
    Don’t you sometimes wish they’d just tell the truth? No matter how abhorrent or ugly, just straight up tell us the truth?C’mon guys, what you’re doing is bad enough anyway, pretending you’re not is only adding insult to injury.Instead of all this bollocks about the Smokefree changes being to do ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • The longest of weeks
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Friday Under New Management Week in review, quiz style1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • Suggested sessions of EGU24 to submit abstracts to
    Like earlier this year, members from our team will be involved with next year's General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU). The conference will take place on premise in Vienna as well as online from April 14 to 19, 2024. The session catalog has been available since November 1 ...
    1 week ago
  • Under New Management
    1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. Under New Management 2. Which of these best describes the 100 days of action announced this week by the new government?a. Petulantb. Simplistic and wrongheaded c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • Ministers visit Hawke’s Bay to grasp recovery needs
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Cyclone Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell and Transport and Local Government Minister Simeon Brown, to meet leaders of cyclone and flood-affected regions in the Hawke’s Bay. The visit reinforced the coalition Government’s commitment to support the region and better understand its ongoing requirements, Mr Mitchell says.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New Zealand condemns malicious cyber activity
    New Zealand has joined the UK and other partners in condemning malicious cyber activity conducted by the Russian Government, Minister Responsible for the Government Communications Security Bureau Judith Collins says. The statement follows the UK’s attribution today of malicious cyber activity impacting its domestic democratic institutions and processes, as well ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Disestablishment of Te Pūkenga begins
    The Government has begun the process of disestablishing Te Pūkenga as part of its 100-day plan, Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills Penny Simmonds says.  “I have started putting that plan into action and have met with the chair and chief Executive of Te Pūkenga to advise them of my ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend COP28 in Dubai
    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will be leaving for Dubai today to attend COP28, the 28th annual UN climate summit, this week. Simon Watts says he will push for accelerated action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement, deliver New Zealand’s national statement and connect with partner countries, private sector leaders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • New Zealand to host 2024 Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins yesterday announced New Zealand will host next year’s South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM). “Having just returned from this year’s meeting in Nouméa, I witnessed first-hand the value of meeting with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security and defence matters. I welcome the opportunity to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Study shows need to remove distractions in class
    The Government is committed to lifting school achievement in the basics and that starts with removing distractions so young people can focus on their learning, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.   The 2022 PISA results released this week found that Kiwi kids ranked 5th in the world for being distracted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Minister sets expectations of Commissioner
    Today I met with Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to set out my expectations, which he has agreed to, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. Under section 16(1) of the Policing Act 2008, the Minister can expect the Police Commissioner to deliver on the Government’s direction and priorities, as now outlined in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New Zealand needs a strong and stable ETS
    New Zealand needs a strong and stable Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) that is well placed for the future, after emission units failed to sell for the fourth and final auction of the year, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  At today’s auction, 15 million New Zealand units (NZUs) – each ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • PISA results show urgent need to teach the basics
    With 2022 PISA results showing a decline in achievement, Education Minister Erica Stanford is confident that the Coalition Government’s 100-day plan for education will improve outcomes for Kiwi kids.  The 2022 PISA results show a significant decline in the performance of 15-year-old students in maths compared to 2018 and confirms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Collins leaves for Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins today departed for New Caledonia to attend the 8th annual South Pacific Defence Ministers’ meeting (SPDMM). “This meeting is an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security matters and to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the Pacific,” Judith Collins says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Working for Families gets cost of living boost
    Putting more money in the pockets of hard-working families is a priority of this Coalition Government, starting with an increase to Working for Families, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “We are starting our 100-day plan with a laser focus on bringing down the cost of living, because that is what ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Post-Cabinet press conference
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