Whither Warren?

Written By: - Date published: 7:40 am, December 2nd, 2019 - 20 comments
Categories: capitalism, climate change, Donald Trump, jacinda ardern, us politics - Tags: ,

Is it too early to call negative odds on Elizabeth Warren’s candidacy?

A few months ago she was riding above Biden in the ‘preferred Democractic nominee stakes’. Might a true policy brain make it to the big chair?

Warren’s polling raise has been remarkable this year, and for a moment she eclipsed all.

But then the impeachment hearings began to suck almost all political oxygen out of Washington’s media, and has now dehumidified the Democratic selection process so much that politics is pretty much frozen up and won’t thaw again until February 2020 when the year wakes up.

Biden still holds 28% support among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents who are registered to vote, followed by Sanders at 17%, Warren at 14% and Buttigieg at 11%.

The poll tracking is saying she’s peaked and going down. Can Warren reverse this decline early in 2020?

Voters can make a distinction between Sanders and Warren. For those who like their economy well regulated rather than fully socialized, Warren is the choice.

Her parents endured the Dust Bowl of the 1930s and later her father’s career collapsed because of illness. So she gets New Deal politics real good.

To see how her policies want to re-make Americas capitalism on a
similar scale to the New Deal, take a good look at her policies here.

Seriously I’d urge you to take 30 minutes and go through these policies. We may be ahead in some things, but OMG I would love someone like her to come on down here and write a really clear anti-trust legislation that stops us being ruled by just a handful of companies in almost every sector of our lives here, where we have a Commerce Commission that had to be browbeaten into examining an obvious oligopoly like fuel supply and even then had to have the legislation written for them to get off their asses and act (sigh – I digress).

Elizabeth Warren would be the scourge of the oligopolies and the uber-rich – because her professional experience means she could cut through their layers of corporate defenses like flensing a beached Blue Whale.

Here’s some highlights.

Elizabeth Warren would not just reverse Mr Trumps tax cuts, she would impose large new taxes on individuals and large companies. Companies would face an extra 7% tax on all profits over $100m.

The highest earners would also face higher income taxes. New levies would come in worth around 15% on the nations’ top 2% of households.

Then there’s the wealth tax. Targeting the super-rich, Elizabeth Warren promises an annual levy of 2% on all net worth over US$50 million, rising to 3% on fortunes above US$1 billion.

Then there’s the proposed law called the “Stop Wall Street Looting Act” she has introduced into the Senate, to change the way private equity firm employees are taxed. Under her plan their tax would go up to 37%.

The Glass-Steagall Act would be revived. That means for example that Facebook would have to spin off Instagram and WhatsApp. Yup, break them up. Online marketplaces with global revenue of more than US$25 billion would be regulated as “platform utilities” and stopped from offering their own products and services on these regulated platforms. So, Amazon would not be able to sell on its own marketplace.

In big companies, 40% of Board seats would be reserved for workers.

And she also wants paid family leave, a $15 federal minimum wage within 5 years, make it easy to unionize, and “gig economy” companies would be forced to treat workers as salaried employees.

She’s going full on Medicare For All, which in reality we don’t even have in New Zealand with all our part-payments and fees. Of course it’s a huge proposal so she’s got a detailed transition plan as well, commenting:

“I will fight to pass fast-track budget reconciliation legislation to create a true Medicare for All option that’s free for tens of millions. I won’t hand Mitch McConnell a veto over my health care agenda. Instead, I’ll give every American over the age of 50 the choice to enter an improved Medicare program, and I’ll give every person in America the choice to get coverage through a true Medicare for All option. Coverage under the new Medicare for All option will be immediately free for children under the age of 18 and for families making at or below 200% of the federal poverty level (about $51,000 for a family of four). For all others, the cost will be modest, and eventually, coverage under this plan will be free for everyone.”

Her plans about climate change are also comprehensive.

Look, she’s not a socialist. You won’t see her advocating for the state to take big stakes in private companies. But as a wise and grounded Okie, her leadership would mean a programme as ambitious in its own way as anything since FDR’s New Deal: a fundamental reworking of American capitalism.

After a cable news personality reported that executives of big companies are anxious about a Warren presidency, she tweeted: “I’m Elizabeth Warren and I approved this message”.

Sanders’ nationwide funding and activist base built through 2016 is going to be hard to beat, and IMHO she would probably be more effective in Cabinet or as Vice President. It’s just great to see so much more policy ambition than Obama, and someone with the bureaucratic credibility to execute it.

For both Warren and Sanders, the impeachment hearings now very strongly frame the election as a ‘who-can-get-rid-of-Trump’ test. Not a policy-ambition-versus-venality test. Because that’s what failed last time. Big politics is partly in the luck of events.

In a parallel, the U.S. election on November 3rd will be likely to be close to the date of our own (not set yet but it’s about then).

Thankfully, in New Zealand Elizabeth Warren the policy wonk and great communicator will still live, but incarnated in a younger form called Jacinda Ardern.

20 comments on “Whither Warren? ”

  1. tc 1

    Yes the anti-trust probably gets her shunned more then the tax hikes from the all mighty media. Alot of that all over the western world with these mutli branded oligopolies.

    Need it here badly, being a small faraway place, to release other players into our many moribund markets.

  2. Nic the NZer 2

    "Not a policy-ambition-versus-venality test. Because that’s what failed last time."

    No, what failed last time was that the turn out was low among marginalised communities. This was a response to Obamas presidency combined with a lack of ambition to change anything from the democratic side. Also significant was that the key states were not targeted by an inept Clinton campaign and that the popular vote was not decisive.

  3. Tiger Mountain 3

    Unlike some of the local USA politics online experts, I don’t claim to know how it will all turn out “because of X…”.

    But…I do know that anyone worthy of the monikers–leftie & socialist–would be supporting, yes, against all sorts of odds–Bernie. On political principle, is why you would root for Mr Sanders campaign.

    The obvious great team for some, might be Bernie and Ms Warren together. Though Sanders would not likely want to be VP in any event, to anyone! Though he could do swapsies if a second term eventuated, or not. Bernie cannot help his age, and it is not his fault he is essentially a survivor of a previous age, his socialist world view undiluted by neo liberalism. He should not be discounted right to the very end, his career has been based on winning ‘unwinable’ positions.

    But regardless of who is the nominee, they face State and district gerrymandering and the undemocratic Electoral College. Though Internal Democratic Party struggles have seen some changes to the super delegates role, and there is the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, bubbling away also…

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Popular_Vote_Interstate_Compact

  4. Stuart Munro. 4

    It's always difficult to see how candidates appeal to foreign constituencies. I recall being astonished that a folksy bumbler like W could secure nomination, much less election, and Yeltsin came across as a drunken oaf absent his Moscow intelligentsia vocabulary, whereas Gorbachov's Primorean accent made him sound, to western Russia, like a hick.

    I follow Sanders, and there's little to dislike, or even anything particularly radical by New Zealand standards about him. But I've a feeling that decades of media sledging and scare propaganda about socialism may hurt his chances. Biden is an empty set – I've yet to see anything that makes him electable beyond evidently having been a friend of the right people – that may be an example of the W/Yeltsin parochial appeal – but if so his fan base isn't making his virtues known. So Warren is the obvious compromise candidate, and unlike some, has a strong smart direction to bring to the table. Whether what seems to me to be an obvious rational choice can survive the randomness of the electoral college system remains to be seen.

  5. Adrian Thornton 5

    It looks from were I am sitting that Warren in tanking for a few reason, first and foremost she keeps getting caught out lying, now we all know that those on the Left ( I am talking about progressive Left here, not centrists) will and do get held to a far far higher standard by the media than any Right wing or centrist politician, so her seeming character flaw in this regard is a huge problem for her. Secondly her bullshit medicaid for all cop out has been seen as exactly that, so I am pretty sure that flip flop has done her no favours in the polls either.

    'Liz Warren’s latest lie only deepens her dilemma on education'

    https://nypost.com/2019/11/26/liz-warrens-latest-lie-only-deepens-her-dilemma-on-education/

    'Elizabeth Warren's vagueness on 'Medicare for All' isn't fooling anyone'

    https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/463577-elizabeth-warrens-vagueness-on-medicare-for-all-isnt-fooling-anyone

    Lastly ( and I unfortunately can't find this link again) there are numbers out there that show how committed those polled are to the candidates that they say that they would vote for when polled, I can't remember the exact numbers but Biden was surprisingly strong, Sanders just outperformed everyone by miles, Warren was way down in the 20% range, which showed to me that her support was and as has been proved by these polls, extremely soft.

    I am not sure if I would compere her to Ardern, more like Helen Clark IMO, a centrist free market liberal, who believe the markets will answer all the problems of man and beast and planet…wait no actually you might be right.

    By the way, if Arden lied like Warren, she would be on her arse by now in NZ politics, you have to be sleazy prick like Sir John Key to get away with that.

    • Wensleydale 5.1

      Please don't call that suit-wearing turd "Sir John Key". It only encourages him.

    • Phil 5.2

      her bullshit medicaid for all cop out has been seen as exactly that

      Americans in aggregate (for better or worse) have a strong dislike of the compulsory-medicare-for-all policy platform as proposed by Sanders, but it does play well to a subset of the Dem primary electorate, so he's holding a good share of the vote. There is actually more support among Americans for some type of medicare-if-you-want-it-but-you-can-also-keep-your-insurance policy that Warren and other candidates now seem to be proposing.

      • adam 5.2.1

        You might want to back up that with a link Phil.

        Because the poll data I've seen is different from what you're suggesting. As for Warren does she even know what she saying about health care – she has flip flopped this last month so much it been really depressing to watch.

        • Incognito 5.2.1.1

          Why then don’t you provide a link to the poll data that you have seen?

          • adam 5.2.1.1.1

            Oh now asking for backing up a statement about polls is not longer OK? Even this poorly worded poll by CBS says the majority support Medicare for all.

            https://www.cbsnews.com/news/2020-polls-national-health-care-plan-favored-by-most-americans-cbs-news-poll-finds/

            There are literally hundreds of other polls on the topic – with the majority of the population supporting Medicare for All. The only polls I've seen which kinda counter that are the ones like the CBS poll I put up. Because they word it so badly, that republicans freak out, but even then what 30+% of republicans support it.

            So again let me ask, where the data supporting what Phil said. As I'm not his fact checker. When all you need to do is follow US politics even lightly, to know the majority support Medicare for All.

            • Incognito 5.2.1.1.1.1

              Your first sentence was off IMO but the rest of your comment was good and thank you for providing a link, which is what you asked from Phil and I asked from you. Unfortunately, Phil has not (yet) obliged. But as you said, for each (US) poll there’s a counter poll so how useful is this poll competition anyway?

              • adam

                As for polls, it's all about the wording. Then you draw relevant conclusions.

                Which is why I almost never comment on NZ polls, as I find they are worded poorly, and in many cases – are outright misleading. It's odd that the poll site which uses self selection (not a good method in my opinion) got better handle on the last election results weeks out, rather than the major poll companies here in NZ. But again – ask the right questions, in the right way and get a real result. Works better than holding to an ideological opinion, then fudging a poll to get the prescribed result.

                As such never understood why colmar brunton were on TVNZ, as the company has such obvious ties to the national party. I would have thought any person with half a brain in management would realise their credibility takes a hit when they such partisan hacks. Shows how little respect management in that joint have for the general public in my opinion.

  6. Phil 6

    There is something of a Republican-2012 primary vibe to this Dem campaign.

    Romney and Biden both have an 'elder statesman' role in the party and lead a crowded primary field, despite neither evoking a great deal of enthusiasm or being particularly well liked by their party. There have already been a couple of 'surges' in 2020 as a candidate catches fire then seems to drift out of contention before a single vote has been cast (Harris, Warren? Mayor Pete?) just like Bachmann, Perry, Gingrich, Cain and Santorum.

  7. Gosman 7

    Who Green New Deal is just a massive corporate welfare policy.

    • tc 7.1

      Well there's that and the fact that like Bloomberg, it's another wealthy individual who climbed high enough up the tree to now start telling everyone they'll be their saviour.

      It's all wearing a bit thin as Dylan sings "…your gunna have to serve someone.." and with the wealthy it's reasonably logical that by following the money that’s who they'll serve.

  8. adam 8

    Hate to say it Ad, but unless a progressive gets to be president Warren 'ant going to be in cabinet or VP. Which is a shame, I'd love Elizabeth to be in charge of treasury, the environment or any other departments. She'd be great.

  9. mosa 9

    I have watched Elizabeth Warren a few times and the impression is always the same

    wishy washy

    She is clever and bright i am sure but lacks any real authority and when she is interviewed she comes across like a child on a sugar rush.

    If Sanders makes it through i think he will pick a candidate like Cortez who he seems too have a great working relationship and shares a similar background too Sanders a former New Yorker but there is still a long way too go starting in February with the Iowa caucuses.

    I don't think Warren is V.P material imho.

  10. soddenleaf 10

    Trump will lose, he been shedding voters since he become President, and all his rhetoric is loyalty to party and it's leader.Whether wealth will wake-up and use politics for the people, and end the war on the planet, the juries out. Hope they, the U.S. surprise us.

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    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;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:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
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    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
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    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
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    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
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    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • AT Need To Lift Their Game
    Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
    6 days ago
  • Christopher's Whopper.
    Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
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    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
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    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
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    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
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    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
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    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
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    7 days ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
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    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity
    This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti.  Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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