Who leaked Pullar’s name?

Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, March 23rd, 2012 - 78 comments
Categories: ACC - Tags: , , ,

Nick Smith’s handpicked chair of ACC, John Judge, denies that ACC leaked Bronwyn Pullar’s name to the media after she made public the biggest leak of private data in history from the organisation. So, who did? Given the government’s track-record of using private data to intimidate its critics – Bennett vs the solo mums, Brownlee publicising Dalziel’s redzone offer – I’m beating it was Judith Collins. She wouldn’t have expected it to result in Nick Smith’s resignation. But I doubt she cares.

78 comments on “Who leaked Pullar’s name? ”

  1. toad 1

    Yeah, from what I gather, Smith was far from the most liked Minister among his colleagues, but was tolerated because he got the job done.

  2. Jim Nald 2

    Speaking of which ….. NZ voters today would be spoilt for choice when trying to spot who might be the most outstanding Lady Macbeth of John Key’s party 😕

  3. ianmac 3

    In my opinion Judith Collins exhibits a spiteful arrogance. Would she leak? Mmmmm

  4. Ross 4

    I think you mean you’re “betting” it was Collins. Certainly Collins doesn’t seem to be too impressed with Pullar’s conduct, so it would come as no surprise if she was the leaker.

    • Jilly Bee 4.1

      According to Radio N Z, the Auditor-General Lyn Provost is considering an enquiry. I trust she will stick to her guns and authorise this – I imagine she will be put under considerable pressure not to proceed.

      I agree ianmac – spiteful arrogance sums up Judith Collins’ attitude.

      • burt 4.1.1

        Jilly Bee

        I understand that if the AG takes this track that all National need to do is claimed the ref changed the rules and denigrate her…. That’s apparently the acceptable approach endorsed by many on this blog.

        Apparently parliament know better than anyone what the intent of the law is and if the AG claims they breached it then the government (National…) can simply pass retrospective validations to sort it. Apparently killing of any court cases that might pop up is a bonus in democracy because it gets rid of pesky waste of time cases.

      • burt 4.1.2

        Jilly Bee

        I trust she will stick to her guns and authorise this – I imagine she will be put under considerable pressure not to proceed.

        One would imagine so. But that’s her role and to date she appears to act without fear or favour.

        As much as that’s excellent it’s also unfortunate because it means she may not stay in the role long enough to be really effective. If she alleges laws were breached and is told she made a bad call and to move on, what do you think she will do?

      • Fortran 4.1.3

        Such an enquiry does not fall within the pervue, or responsibilty, of the Auditor General.
        She cannot take this case – others will though.

        Falls more towards the Police, in the first instance, not A-G.

  5. brybry 5

    It’s certainly worth following up. Where did the name first appear?

  6. Surely the Minister of Corrections who expressed satisfaction at the idea that inmates of her prisons might be raped or beaten has far too much integrity, empathy and strength of character to do something like that?

  7. js 7

    I heard it was part of an ongoing battle between Michelle Boag and Cameron Slater (National Party chairperson grievance politics) and he leaked the whole story to the Dominion Post. Phil Kitchin has mentioned before how he gets a lot of information from him.

    • Tom Gould 7.1

      Word around town suggests its much closer to home for Slater and involves settling old scores with Boag. Nasty bunch, these Tories.

    • Ross 7.2

      Hmm that sounds rather dubious. I think Slater despises Kitchin, and according to Slater, Pullar released private files to Kitchin.

    • Whaleoil 7.3

      I have not ever spoken to Phil Kitchin, nor emailed him or corresponded in any manner.

      Kitchin has been running this story from information provided to him directly by Pullar, he has said that and now so has Pullar.

      [lprent: This comment went straight on? I haven’t changed anything. Random.

      Let me know if and when the problem shows up again and what your IP is at the time. For the moment I’ll file this as solved in trac. ]

      • mickysavage 7.3.1

        So Cameron where did you get the information from?
         
        And was Nick Smith caught in friendly fire?

        • Whaleoil 7.3.1.1

          What information are you talking about?

          Some of what I have published was sent direct to me years ago by Bronwyn Pullar…the rest is public domain from media sites.

          It is a valid assumption though that Smith might have got caught in friendly fire.

          • mickysavage 7.3.1.1.1

            Pullar’s identity. It was o

          • Colonial Viper 7.3.1.1.2

            Friendly fire. Is not.

          • mickysavage 7.3.1.1.3

            Pullar’s identity and Boag’s presence at the meeting as well as what was said.  Given Pullar’s continuous complaints about privacy whoever did this had nerves of steel.
             
            There are three possibilities:
             
            1.  A highly placed politico with access to ACC information leaked the information to the Herald.
            2.  An ACC staffer leaked the information.
            3.  A highly placed politico with access to ACC information leaked the information to a right wing blogger with an axe to grind against Boag.  Your name sprang to mind.
             
            If this is correct then Smith was taken out by friendly fire.  I bet no one thought about checking for letters before the leak occurred.
             
            I bet there are a few red faces in the National Party and the brat pack may be considering some utu.
             
            I get the feeling this is going to continue to develop.

            • brybry 7.3.1.1.3.1

              Unless, like Blubber says, it was Pullar herself. Which seems a likely scenario to me.

              • Colonial Viper

                Pullar would have known about Nick Smith’s letters, so if she was the one who did it, she would have needed to have been willing to cause him collateral damage on the way.

                Also, leaking it makes ACC look like shit, but probably also hinders her own case more than anything.

              • It’s entirely possible, Bryby.

                Having had experience with two people who have experienced head injuries, it can result in irrational behaviour; emotional outbursts, including anger at minor things; heightened sense of ego and grievance; and obsessive-compulsive behaviour. When Pullar admitted to sending multiple requests to Smith, who finally caved in to her constant demands, it fits fairly well with head injury ‘syndrome’.

                Of the two people I know, one recieved extensive ACC-supported therapy and financial assistance, and is slowly being rehabilitated into the workforce. (This was done under the previous Labour administration, not the current regime.)

                The other person was never diagnosed or assessed, as it occurred well before ACC and well before these things were appropriatly diagnosed. His life was pretty much as described above. He went from owning a million-dollar enterprise – to being an invalid and being cared for by his elderly parents.

                It would be strange, but entirely possible, that Smith was caught up in the extreme mental-yo-yo world of a head-injury case…

  8. brybry 8

    This article from By David Fisher
    5:30 AM Sunday Mar 18, 2012
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10792840

    Is there an article that pre-dates that?
    And did Michelle Boag send a letter, or an email, or a letter in an email, or all of the above?

  9. aerobubble 9

    Hypothetically, lets say you’re a bureaucrat and fed up with one client. You are trying to justify the clients rights to your bosses and inadvertently send not for publishing documents to the client.
    Must happen all the time with lawyers, etc, where tiredness or fed up employees…
    Intentionally or not its a game changer, even a form of entrapment to see if the client would do the right thing allegedly

    Imagine your are angry, frustrated, powerless, and then your handed a gift to level the playing field, how many would be wrong to use that gift, criminally wrong.

    Its the Urs Singer who now finds deportation a possibility. He goes to a training ground, gets involved in illegal acts, and now has to fight off be thrown out of the country. If the government had an agent provoker pushing for illegal uses of weapons, etc….

    Now my understanding of entrapment in NZ, unlike other countries, is its legal????

    Add to that the three strikes, and the pig board placing a camera of your youngest kid (illegally) finding his older brothers (legal) porn mag, and you have a real problem in NZ that the government has too much power and little in the way of limits to make life hell for whom ever it chooses.

    We have no protection when both parliament rushes law into place without any thought to the likelihood that they will be wrong, which inevitably they are. The lack of safeguards for liberty in this country is shocking. Its Fiji now, who would dare stand up to government.

  10. Ross 10

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/6609619/Victim-furious-over-ACC-handling-of-leak

    Strange that ACC knew in December that its files had been disclosed to Pullar but is only now informing some of the victims.

  11. He he I wonder if Key’s office knows about this?  The next Cabinet meeting ought to be very interesting.
     
    And I thought that Collins and Smith were on the same side?

    • Tom Gould 11.1

      The jockeying is already well under way. They know the double talk and lists of lists and dirty dealing and smearing and photo ops are starting to wear thin. Power is now so concentrated, and the baubles so dull, political cannibalism is inevitable. Nasty venal bunch, these Tories.

    • ianmac 11.2

      Or more importantly, did Key know about this matter before this week?
      If he did then he mislead Parliament.
      If he didn’t know (and there was quite a lot of ACC action by December) what competency is that?!!
      Is it possible that Key knew alright and shifted Smith out of ACC to try and avoid fallout?
      Inquiry please.

      • Craig Glen Eden 11.2.1

        Who did the leak?
        Look no further than Collins I reckon. Collins would have known about this situation when she took over ACC, watch her for your selves in Parliament clips when Smith resigned she was wishing she could be any where else but there.

        I also reckon Key knows who did it, he didn’t look sad at Smiths resignation he looked pissed, like he knew this was done by one of his own. Fun and games in the National Party for the next little while I reckon, the real question is as others have said when will the rat pack take their revenge, it will happen but when?

        • Pascal's bookie 11.2.1.1

          God knows eh.

          But Smith isn’t asking for an enquiry into the events leading up to his own resignation because he *doesn’t* know what happened, I tell you what.

          The other thing to bear in mind is the Key is a hands off CEO style PM. His cabinet get pretty much a free hand to run their portfolios, and he only gets involved when someone needs to go.

          The most obvious example of that was with the broadcsts rights to the RWC when you had ministers bidding agin each other.

          n older example from when he was new in the leadership was with the S59 debate. Most of the National party was bleating away and stirring up the fundies on the one hand, and poking sticks at Labour on the other saying labour was being whipped into voting for it and blah blah blah; then in steps the boss, right over all of their toes and cuts his deal and tells them they are going to vote for it.

          He is above most all of what goes down policy wise I reckon. his role is strategic and political. As long as the Ministers are not causing political problems he doesn’t really get involved, and there doesn’t seem to be much evidence that he’s in the loop on what is going on untill there is a problem.

          This works for him, because he becomes a fixer, untouched by the scandal. It pops up, he doesn’t know anything about it, stalls for a day, maybe two, and then lowers the hammer if it’s starting to look dangerous.

          I’d say he knew there was trouble bewixt Collins and Smith, but doubt he wanted to know about the details. He seems like a “You sort this shit out between yourselves, because you don’t want me to have to get involved” type to me.

          So he may well have decided, rightly enough, that it’s better for Smith to go for what’s already out there, than to let it fester and have more stuff come out.

  12. The state services commission knew of the leaks before the december meeting with
    pullar,sooo john key would have been aware of the leak and also of smith’s
    involvement,this is why the new acc minister collins was put in the loop,so she\
    knew as well, so john key must resign,collins must resign,the acc board must resign,
    Parliamentry rules broken by key,collins,they were in the act of a cover-up.
    NZ deserves better from their politicians.

    • toad 12.1

      No, those Ministers would not have necessarily been alerted by the State Services Commission, starlight. But the one who would and should have been is the Minister responsible for the SSC, Tony Ryall.

      And if it can be shown he had knowledge of it, and failed to act on it, he should join Nick Smith in the League of Former Ministers.

  13. The commission confirmed that pullar sent it a copy of the spreadsheet 6mnths ago,
    meaning acc should have been alerted before the pullar meeting in december.
    If those ministers were kept in the dark by ryall,then he is also at fault,you would
    think that smith would have been notified,being the acc minister,obviously there
    has been an attempt to keep everything quiet.
    I feel that pullar herself leaked the spreadsheet,but she didn’t expect that it
    would have affected smith so badly.

  14. Sarah 14

    Rumour has it Boag tracked the email. It led straight from Judith Collins to Cameron Slater

    • Sarah, there were a lot of discussion and warnings on this thread yesterday about posting unsubstantiated rumours. You’re probably safe from reprimand here though.

      • felix 14.1.1

        “about posting unsubstantiated rumours”

        Really? I haven’t searched the thread, but yesterday all I saw was discussion and warnings for posting opinions and rumours as if they were facts.

        I’m not saying it didn’t happen, but I’m sure you could point me to an example if it did.

        Can you?

        • IrishBill 14.1.1.1

          What felix said.

        • Pete George 14.1.1.2

          So you can say anything here if you preface it with “rumour has it” or “in my opinion”?

          Rumour has it that IB and lprent would have different opinions on that.

          • lprent 14.1.1.2.1

            Not quite. Assertions of fact tend to to get jumped on from a great height if they aren’t backed. Quoting or attributing the opinions of others without linking is just plain stupid and also gets moderator ire.

            If you think it through then what is left is pretty much personal opinion and the usual rumor mills. Stating something as personal opinion, personal experience or straight rumour means that others can treat it as well.. Opinion or rumour. It just has to be clear that is what it is.

            Putting those things up in public means that others can refute them directly in comments. That is a transparency that I find works a hell of a lot better than the same opining and rumour mongering that happens in most broadcast and broadsheet media.

            In the end it is the credibility of their online handle that is at stake, and the ability to leave comments here at all. Assert too often without backing and the perpetrators will get permanent bans. Have ridiculous opinions too often, and you’ll find everyone engages only to mock. Reputation is everything.

            It has been the way of the net for 30 years or so. It was how the net was developed and why it developed. Remarkably effective at disseminating information because it is based entirely on previous mana from a history of offering good opinions. Scares the hell out of a lot of people in their first years on the net because there are limited leverage positions apart from giving good opinions.

      • mickysavage 14.1.2

        Interesting that Slater should comment here for the first time in ages, that he appeared to be running a diversion by talking about Kitchin rather than Fisher from the Herald, and that he then claims that he received all of his information either from Pullar herself or through publicly available information.
         
        Perhaps he could reappear and deny Sarah’s rumour.  Was he leaked Boag’s email by Collins?

        [lprent: whale has had a problem leaving comments here. I think that either akismet didn’t like him or his IP, but his comments were apparently disappearing without a trace. ]

        • Pete George 14.1.2.1

          Why don’t you ask him?

          It might be a step too far to ask unions to deny rumours though. That wouldn’t be a fair approach, would it.

          [lprent: the problem yesterday was people asserting facts. That reminds me, I must have a look at Rob to see if he has managed to find a source. ]

          • mickysavage 14.1.2.1.1

            PG 
             
            The Unions have denied the allegations repeatedly.
             
            No doubt you will continue in different ways continue to making this comment even though you do not have a shred of evidence to back it up.

            • Pete George 14.1.2.1.1.1

              Have they? Good, if they have also denounced anything like that.

              Have you got a link to back that up?

              • Back what up?  Don’t you have any credible sources for information?  If not why do you think that any attention should be paid to your comments?
                 

                • It’s you that made a claim – “The Unions have denied the allegations repeatedly” – with no attempt at sources. Why should any validity be paid to your claim?

                  • Try this one for a start.
                     
                    Poor old Petey sitting in Dunedin with his eyes closed and his fingers in his ears demanding proof of something which is so easy to find.
                     
                    Is your plan to divert away from the rather serious issue concerning the possible breaching of someone’s privacy?

                    • Thanks msavage, now I know that if it’s easy to find then a link isn’t required. Except that a link to audio is not very convenient.

                      No, I’m not trying to divert, and note your participation on this thread.

                      There are a few serious issues surrounding Pullar and ACC, but I think we need to wait for the results of inquiries before jumping to conclusions.

                      But on the surface there does seem to be misuse of political and possibly bureaucratic power. And Pullar doesn’t seem to have acted very well regarding holding and possibly attempting to misuse private information that bizarrely ended up in her possession.

                    • Pascal's bookie

                      Oh pete.

                      The thing about not jumping to conclusions is, if you’re not going to do it, then you shouldn’t go ahead and do it with regard to Pullar.

                      When you do, you look like a nasty political operative with more concern for the politics of the situation than anything else.

                      There are lots of things out there, and lots of questions. Many of those questions won’t be answered by the investigations that are being held (Police and Privacy comm.).

                      If the AG decides to investigate, then maybe some of those other questions will get looked at, but it is not unseemly for people to be talking about it, especially when it isn’t yet clear that the AG will have an investigation, or what that investigation might be into.

                      But seeing you are happy enough to talk about what things look like on the face of it, and what it seems like with regard to Pullar…

                      What, on the face it, does it look like that Smith wants an inquiry into the events leading up to his resignation, and Key and Collins do not? What does that seem like, to you?

                      It seems doubtful to me that Smith doesn’t have some idea of what the investigation he wants would show. Does that not raise serious questions about why Key doesn’t want it?

                      What say you pete?

                    • Pb – it’s a known fact that Pullar received information from ACC she shouldn’t have – someone else’s fault – but it’s also a known fact that she kept that information for months, so it’s not jumping to conclusions being critical of that.

                      Things don’t look flash for Boag either, that’s been widely talked about.

                      And things went pear shaped for Nick Smith through his own indiscretions.

                      I don’t know what ‘political situation’ you are talking about. I’ve certainly got nothing political to gain from any of this – I guess unless you think I could precipitate a snap election and pull off some electoral miracle.

                      Maybe you’re trying a bit hard on the ‘political operative’ thing yourself – especially with your edited addition.

                    • Pascal's bookie

                      Baog’s role has been talked about indeed. But what I’m saying is that it seems from your comments that that is a bad thing, that people shouldn’t be leaping to conclusions or what have you.

                      Many of her actions are known facts. The letter she wrote to Collins was leaked, obviously by someone with access to it There’s no reason to think that that would be large circle. Fran in the Herald is confident enough to say that Collins was probably behind the leak, in spite of Collins’ denial. Do you think Fran was out of line there?

                      As to the politics, you are laughable Pete. Possibly the most un self aware commenter in the landscape. And in a landscape that includes redbaiter, that’s quite a feat.

                    • Pascal's bookie

                      I’m just asking questions Pete. From one private citizen to another. What on earth are you complaining about?

                      Why not tell me what you think about those questions, from one citizen to another?

                      It’s called citizenship pete, discussing the politics of the day.

                      Certainly the questions I ask reflect on me. But so what? I don’t resile from the reflection, and the questions are genuine.

                      But by the same token, your answers, or lack of them, and your insinuations that questions are innappropriate or whatever, reflect on you. Surely?

                    • You’ve jumped to a lot of conclusion based on nothing I said. Is that what you call “political awareness”?

                      I didn’t think I’ need to mention absolutely everything about all the associated issues and people to escape criticism. Come to think of it, that probably wouldn’t have made any difference.

                    • Pascal's bookie

                      pete. I wasn’t attacking you. All I did was point out the fact that when you selectively talk about things, while at the same time saying that people shouldn’t be leaping to conculsions or whatever, it looks a bit whiffy.

                      And you seem, again, seem, to be very determined not to talk about amny of the other facts that are out there. that’s ok, but guess what/ People are perfectly entitled to find that strange and talk about that strangeness.

                      Don’t be such a big baby.

                      now seeing you said I’ve made some assumptions, perhaps you could be so kind as to point them out.

                      let’s discuss the issue shall we?

                      or is that above, or beneath, you?

                    • Do you mean come back to the topic? Who leaked Pullar’s name?

                      That’s the sort of conclusion I won’t try to jump to, unlike Zetetic who’s seeming to use the uncertainty as an excuse to propose whatever he/she wants to. Is that the political operative sort of stuff you were referring to?

                    • Pascal's bookie

                      I was thinking about this stuff Pete;

                      ,blockquote>But seeing you are happy enough to talk about what things look like on the face of it, and what it seems like with regard to Pullar…

                      What, on the face it, does it look like that Smith wants an inquiry into the events leading up to his resignation, and Key and Collins do not? What does that seem like, to you?

                      It seems doubtful to me that Smith doesn’t have some idea of what the investigation he wants would show. Does that not raise serious questions about why Key doesn’t want it?

                      What say you pete?

                      No leaping to conculsions necessary. There facts, what do those facts look like, on their face. You were happy enough to talk about how facts relating to Pullar made her seem to you.

                      So I’m just genuinely wondering what these facts make you feel about Key and Collins. What does it look like that they are saying we don’t need an inquiry into the things Smith feels need to be explored?

    • starlight 14.2

      The tories are ‘donkey deep’ lol

  15. Carol 15

    Fran O’Sullivan implies an email from Boag was leaked by Judith Collins in an op ed piece today (is this when Pullar’s name was leaked to the media?):

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10794249

    Any Cabinet minister sitting in “The Crusher’s” shoes – particularly a politician with as strong an instinct for self-preservation as Collins has – would quickly have worked out the impact of Boag’s email was they were also likely to be dragged into the same mud-pool which subsequently swallowed Nick Smith.

    The ACC Minister would quickly have reached the conclusion that all Boag’s email did was to compromise her.

    Hence she sent it to the ACC .

    Collins’ fingerprints will not be directly attached to the copy of the Boag email that was later leaked to the Herald on Sunday.

    But the ACC Minister, who is a former Law Society president, will not be shedding any crocodile tears over Pullar’s predicament. Nor will she be concerned at Boag’s embarrassment after she was hung out to dry.

    But O’Sullivan, always the NAct government cheerleader, uses her column to put the boot into Boag, and give Collins a bit of a positive glow.

    But if Boag is such a clumsy and bad bad-ass, what does it say about her being behind Key’s recruitment to the National Party?

  16. Let’s connect some dots here, about leaks; http://fmacskasy.wordpress.com/2012/03/24/gerry-brownlee-in-the-public-interest/

    Now, are we starting to build a picture?

    • Jim Nald 16.1

      overhead in a cafe … this john key government is a government of strategic deficits and strategic leaks.

  17. Fortran 17

    Getting Boring as to whodunnit !!!
    Move on.
    There are bigger fish to fry.

  18. Sarah 18

    Here’s my opinion about the leaking…..

    Collins found out it was Pullar. She thought f**k that bitch, how could she do this to me. Why didn’t she talk to me.

    Then she heard Boag’s side of the story and thought shit I’m screwed.

    Desperate, Collins went to Slater said what dirt do you have on Pullar.

    Collins says perfect – we can use that angle around threats in the report to cover my arse.

    Slater said we also have this email Pullar forwarded me that she sent to Nick Smith threatening to expose wrongdoing in ACC, copying the media into this email. Slater says there also rumours about her and Smith’s relationship.

    Collins finds out what else is on file in the Ministerial office between Smith and Pullar. She’s like my god, not a reference….you are f**king kidding.. Shit this is brilliant. I can take out Boag, Pullar and Smith all at once.

    Collins manipulates the report to state that Pullar threatened ACC, which suits the ACC managers who are also covering their arse. Serious arse-covering all round.

    ACC release a one sided arse covering report (without any primary factual evidence) that the whistleblower threatened the ACC managers to obtain a 2 year benefit payout…even although such things aren’t possible, to create maximum damage to shift the focus from ACC/the breach back onto the whistleblower

    The media is like shock horror, blackmail, extortion etc.

    Collins leaks Boag memo to Whale.

    Whale leaks memo from Boag naming Pullar to the Herald. Perfect, exposed and both linked to blackmail and extortion to destroy their credibility.

    Collins tells Whale about Herald about Smith letter for Pullar. Whale contacts Herald. Herald reports this as a woman/’claimant’ rang the Herald.

    Threats, extortion/blackmail, inappropriate relationship etc. Perfect. Now we’ve got them.

    Pullar denies threats and goes to police to lay a complaint. Crap.

    State Services knew of breach for six months, longer than Pullar, yet never notified ACC of breach, whereas Pullar did. Crap.

    Software tracking emails & attachments and the ISP’s where opened, printed, on forwarded etc Crap.

    One email, one leak. Tracking. Collins, Slater, Herald. Oh dear.

    Question Time should be interesting this week.

  19. Anne 19

    Yes, I too, am intrigued by Sarah’s interpretation of events.

    I have tried, but I don’t have sufficient knowledge to be able to access a video of Question No. 2/March 20th/Kevin Hague to the Minister of ACC.

    If I’ve recalled the right question, a study of Judith Collins’ facial expression immediately prior to her answering the question says it all. That she is guilty of something is written all over it.

    • deuto 19.1

      I am also intrigued by Sarah’ s interpretation. IMO there is a lot more to this than meets the eye, especially with respect to Collins’ involvement. Am just taking some time to think about Sarah’s interpretation before commenting – that is not a negative, as a female myself I have some experience as to how we think, including many of the (female) players in this saga. NO – not trying to make this a gender thing!

      Anyway, here is a link to the recording of Kevin Hague’s question 2 on 20 March. Not sure I can identify the expression you refer to but Collins’ appears IMO to be much less self-assured than she usually is through out this recording. I also found the behaviour of Tau Henare and the other person immediately behind her during this question and answer session interesting.

      http://inthehouse.co.nz/node/11875

      Hope this link works – had some difficulty pasteing it. FYI all Parliamentary recordings can be accessed by going to the www. inthehouse.co.nz site.

      • Anne 19.1.1

        I’ve got the wong question deuto. Now you’ve given an address, I will see if I can find it. It may well have occurred during the course of a supplementary question but not this one. I can assure you it was look to kill…

        • deuto 19.1.1.1

          The correct link is (I think) http://www.inthehouse.co.nz – my comment included an incorrect space between “www” and “inthehouse”. Having watched question time each day this week, I also recall that look but cannot remember which question it related to – or it could also have been in the General Debate session on Wednesday?

          • Anne 19.1.1.1.1

            Thanks for the link. Know where to look in future. As I said if looks could kill… there would have been a lot of dead people – including you and me. 🙂

            I think she spoke during the Urgent Debate that same afternoon. That was probably when it happened. Might try and find it tomorrow.

  20. ACC insider 20

    Four questions Minister Collins needs to be asked:

    Has the Minister run an IT sweep of her office for the email relating to Bronwyn Pullar that was leaked to the Herald on Sunday. If not, why not?
    Is the Minister aware that emails and attachment can be tracked, including when these are opened and the ISP address of where they are opened?
    Did the Minister or her office provide a copy of the memo regarding Bronwyn Pullar to Cameron Slater or any of his ISP’s?
    Did the Minister or her office encourage Cameron Slater to provide the memo regarding Bronwyn Pullar to the media?

  21. Nick K 21

    David Shearer must be loving this. He’s having to do absolutely nothing and watch the government suffer. Incredible.

Links to post

CommentsOpinions

Recent Posts

FeedsPartyGovtMedia

  • Salvation For Us All

    Yesterday, I ruminated about the effects of being a political follower.And, within politics, David Seymour was smart enough on Friday to divert attention from “race blind” policies [what about gender blind I thought - thinking of maternity wards] and cutting school lunches by throwing meat to the media. Teachers were ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    8 hours ago
  • A warm embrace

    Far, far away from here lives our King. Some of his subjects can be quite the forelock tuggers, but plenty of us are not like that, and why don't I wheel out my favourite old story once more about Kiwi soldiers in the North African desert?Field Marshal Montgomery takes offence ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    9 hours ago
  • Literal clowns are running the place, we must put a timeout on this stupidity… right Aotearoa?

    These people are inept on every level. They’re inept to the detriment of our internal politics, cohesion and increasingly our international reputation. And they are reveling in the fact they are getting away with it. We cannot even have “respectful debate” with a government that clearly rejects the very ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    17 hours ago
  • Fact brief – Does manmade CO2 have any detectable fingerprint?

    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Does manmade CO2 have any ...
    20 hours ago
  • Judge Not.

    Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. Matthew 7:1-2FOUR HUNDRED AND FORTY men and women professing the Christian faith would appear to have imperilled their immortal souls. ...
    23 hours ago
  • Managed Democracy: Letting The People Decide, But Only When They Can Be Relied Upon To Give the Righ...

    Uh-uh! Not So Fast, Citizens! The power to initiate systemic change remains where it has always been in New Zealand’s representative democracy – in Parliament. To order a binding referendum, the House of Representatives must first to be persuaded that, on the question proposed, sharing its decision-making power with the people ...
    23 hours ago
  • Looking For Labour’s Vital Signs.

    Flatlining: With no evidence of a genuine policy disruptor at work in Labour’s ranks, New Zealand’s wealthiest citizens can sleep easy.PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN has walked a picket-line. Presidential candidate Kamala Harris has threatened “price-gauging” grocery retailers with price control. The Democratic Party’s 2024 platform situates it well to the left of Sir ...
    1 day ago
  • Forty Years Of Remembering To Forget.

    The Beginning of the End: Rogernomics became the short-hand descriptor for all the radical changes that swept away New Zealand’s social-democratic economy and society between 1984 and 1990. In the bitterest of ironies, those changes were introduced by the very same party which had entrenched New Zealand social-democracy 50 years earlier. ...
    1 day ago
  • Kōrero Mai – Speak to Me.

    Good morning all you lovely people. 🙂I woke up this morning, and it felt a bit like the last day of school. You might recall from earlier in the week that I’m heading home to Rotorua to see an old friend who doesn’t have much time. A sad journey, but ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Winning ways

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Street architecture adjustment, KolkataShare Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • 48 seconds on a plan that would reverberate for a million years

    Despite fears that Trump presidency would be disastrous for progress on climate change, the topic barely rated a mention in the Presidential debate. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Using blunt instruments and magical thinking to ignore evidence of harm

    The abrupt cancellations and suspensions of Government spending also caused private sector hiring, spending, and investment to freeze up for the first six months of the year. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāThis week we learned:The new National/ACT/NZ First Coalition Government ignored advice from Treasury that it didn’t have to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Is This A Dagger Which I See Before Me: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power Episode 5 (Seaso...

    Another week of The Rings of Power, season two, and another confirmation that things are definitely coming together for the show. The fifth Episode of season one represented the nadir of the series. Now? Amid the firmer footing of 2024, Episode Five represents further a further step towards excellent Tolkien ...
    2 days ago
  • In Open Seas; A Book

    The background to In Open Seas: How the New Zealand Labour Government Went Wrong:2017-2023Not in Narrow Seas: The Economic History of Aotearoa New Zealand, published in 2020, proved more successful than either I or the publisher (VUP, now Te Herenga Waka University Press) expected. I had expected that it would ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    2 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 13

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the climate implications of the US Presidential elections; and special guests Janet ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Do or do not. There is no try

    1. Upon receiving evidence that school lunches were doing a marvellous job of improving outcomes for students, David Seymour did what?a. Declared we need much more of this sort of good news and poured extra resources and funding into them b. Emailed Atlas network to ask what to do next c. Cut ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Dangerous ground

    The Waitangi Tribunal has reported back on National's proposed changes to gut the Marine and Coastal Area Act and steal the foreshore and seabed for its greedy fishing-industry donors, and declared it to be another huge violation of ti Tiriti: The Waitangi Tribunal has found government changes to the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • Climate Change: National wants to cheat on Paris

    In 2016, the then-National government signed the Paris Agreement, committing Aotearoa to a 30 (later 50) percent reduction in emissions by 2030. When questioned about how they intended to meet that target with their complete absence of effective climate policy, they made a lot of noise about how it was ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • Treasury warned Govt lower debt limits meant less ‘productivity-enhancing investment’

    Treasury’s advice to Cabinet was that the new Government could actually prudently carry net core Crown debt of up to 50% of GDP. But Luxon and Willis instead chose to portray the Government’s finances as in such a mess they had no choice but to carve 6.5% to 7.5% off ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Is the Media Complicit?

    This is a long read. Open to all.SYNOPSIS: Traditional media is at a cross roads. There is a need for those in the media landscape, as it stands, to earn enough to stay afloat, but also come across as balanced and neutral to keep its audiences.In America, NYT’s liberal leaning ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Black Friday

    It's Black Friday, the end of the weekYou take my hand and hold it gently up against your cheekIt's all in my head, it's all in my mindI see the darkness where you see the lightSong by Tom OdellFriday the 13th, don’t be afraid.No, really, don’t. Everything has felt a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 13-September-2024

    Ooh, Friday the thirteenth. Spooky! Is that why certain zombie ideas have been stalking the landscape this week, like the Mayor’s brainwave for a motorway bridge from Kauri Point to Point Chev? Read on and find out. This roundup, like all our coverage, is brought to you by the Greater ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #37 2024

    Open access notables Early knowledge but delays in climate actions: An ecocide case against both transnational oil corporations and national governments, Hauser et al., Environmental Science & Policy: Cast within the wide context of investigating the collusion at play between powerful political-economic actors and decision-makers as monopolists and debates about ‘the modern ...
    3 days ago
  • What it is

    I liked what Kieran McAnulty had to say about the Treaty Principles bill this morning so much I've written it down and copied it out for you. He was saying that rather than let this piece of ordure spend six months in Select Committee, the Prime Minister could stop making such ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • A government-funded hate campaign

    Cabinet discussed National's constitutionally and historically illiterate "Treaty Principles Bill" this week, and decided to push on with it. The bill will apparently receive a full six month select committee process - unlike practically every other policy this government has pushed, and despite the fact that if the government is ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • How Substack works to take (some) craziness out of America’s elections

    I spoke with Substack co-founder yesterday, just before the Trump-Harris debate, about how Substack is doing its thing during the US elections. He talks in particular about how Substack’s focus on paid subscriptions rather than ads has made political debate on the platform calmer, simpler, deeper and more satisfying ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable

    Hi,Yesterday me and a bunch of friends gathered in front of the TV, ate tortillas, drank wine, and watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.Some of you may have joined in on the live Webworm chat where we shared thoughts, jokes and memes — and a basic glee ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable

    Hi,Yesterday me and a bunch of friends gathered in front of the TV, ate tortillas, drank wine, and watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.Some of you may have joined in on the live Webworm chat where we shared thoughts, jokes and memes — and a basic glee ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable

    Hi,Yesterday me and a bunch of friends gathered in front of the TV, ate tortillas, drank wine, and watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.Some of you may have joined in on the live Webworm chat where we shared thoughts, jokes and memes — and a basic glee ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • David Seymour is such a loser

    For paid subscribersNot content with siphoning off $230,000,000 of taxpayers money for his hobby projects - and telling everyone his passion is education and early childcare - an intersection painfully coincidental to the interests of wealthy private families like Sean Plunkett’s1 backers, the Wright Family, Seymour is back in the ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Cross-party consensus: there’s no pipeline without good faith

    There’s been a lot of talk recently about a cross-party agreement to develop a pipeline for infrastructure, including transport. Last month, outgoing CRL boss Sean Sweeney talked about the importance of securing an enduring infrastructure programme. He outlined the high costs of the relentless political flip-flopping of priorities, which drives ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    3 days ago
  • Voters love this climate policy they’ve never heard of

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The Inflation Reduction Act is the Biden administration’s signature climate law and the largest U.S. government investment in reducing climate pollution to date. Among climate advocates, the policy is well-known and celebrated, but beyond that, only a minority of Americans ...
    3 days ago
  • ACC wants to administer inflation at more than double the RBNZ’s target rate

    ACC levies are set to rise at more than double the inflation rate targeted by the RBNZ. Photo: Lynn GrievesonKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 12:The state-owned monopoly for accident insurance wants ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Harris vs Trump

    We’ve been selected to rock your asses 'til midnightThis is my term, I've shaved off my perm, but it's alrightI solemnly swear to uphold the ConstitutionGot a rock 'n' roll problem? Well we got a solutionLet us be who we am, and let us kick out the jams, yeahKick out ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Treaty Bill “a political stunt”

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon appears to have given ACT Leader David Seymour more than he has been admitting in the proposals to go forward with a Treaty Principles Bill.All along, Luxon has maintained that the Government is proceeding with the Bill to honour the coalition agreement.But that is quite specific.It ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • An average 219 NZers migrated each day in July

    Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, September 11:Annual migration of New Zealanders rose to a record-high 80,963 in the year to the end of July, which is more than double its pre-Covid levels.Two ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • What you’re wanting to win more than anything is The Narrative

    Hubris is sitting down on election day 2016 to watch that pig Trump get his ass handed to him, and watching the New York Times needle hover for a while over Hillary and then move across to Trump where it remains all night to your gathering horror and dismay. You're ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • National’s automated lie machine

    The government has a problem: lots of people want information from it all the time. Information about benefits, about superannuation, ACC coverage and healthcare, taxes, jury service, immigration - and that's just the routine stuff. Responding to all of those queries takes a lot of time and costs a lot ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Christopher Luxon: A Man of “Faith” and “Compassion” Speaks on the Treaty Pr...

    Synopsis: Today - we explore two different realities. One where National lost. And another - which is the one we are living with here. Note: the footnote on increased fees/taxes may be of interest to some readers.Article open.Subscribe nowIt’s an alternate timeline.Yesterday as news broke that the central North Island ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Member’s Day

    Today is a Member's Day. First up is the third reading of Dan Bidois' Fair Trading (Gift Card Expiry) Amendment Bill, which will be followed by the committee stage of Deborah Russell's Family Proceedings (Dissolution for Family Violence) Amendment Bill. This will be followed by the second readings of Katie ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Northern Expressway Boondoggle

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has been soaring high with his hubris of getting on and building motorways but some uncomfortable realities are starting to creep in. Back in July he announced that the government was pushing on with a Northland Expressway using an “accelerated delivery strategy” The Coalition Government is ...
    4 days ago
  • Never Enough

    However much I'm falling downNever enoughHowever much I'm falling outNever, never enough!Whatever smile I smile the mostNever enoughHowever I smile I smile the mostSongwriters: Robert James Smith / Simon Gallup / Boris Williams / Porl ThompsonToday in Nick’s Kōrero:A death in the Emergency Department at Rotorua Hospital.A sad homecoming and ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Question Two of The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50)

    Kia ora.Last month I proposed restarting The Kākā Project work done before the 2023 election as The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50), aiming to be up and running before the 2025 Local Government elections, and then in a finalised form by the 2026 General Elections.A couple of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Why is God Obsessed with Spanking?

    Hi,If you’ve read Webworm for a while, you’ll be aware that I’ve spent a lot of time writing about horrific, corrupt megachurches and the shitty men who lead them.And in all of this writing, I think some people have this idea that I hate Christians or Christianity. As I explain ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago
  • Inside the public service

    In 2023, there were 63,117 full-time public servants earning, on average, $97,200 a year each. All up, that is a cost to the Government of $6.1 billion a year. It’s little wonder, then, that the public service has become a political whipping boy castigated by the Prime Minister and members ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • New Models Show Stronger Atlantic Hurricanes, and More of Them

    This is a re-post from This is Not Cool Here’s an example of some of the best kind of climate reporting, especially in that it relates to impacts that will directly affect the audience. WFLA in Tampa conducted a study in collaboration with the Department of Energy, analyzing trends in ...
    5 days ago
  • Where ever do they find these people?

    A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, is how Winston Churchill described the Soviet Union in 1939.  How might the great man have described the 2024 government of New Zealand, do we think? I can't imagine he would have thought them all that mysterious or enigmatic. I think ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Motorway madness

    How mad is National's obsession with roads? One of their pet projects - a truck highway to Whangārei - is going to eat 10% of our total infrastructure budget for the next 25 years: Official advice from the Infrastructure Commission shows the government could be set to spend 10 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Our transport planning system is fundamentally broken

    Ever since Wayne Brown became mayor (nearly two years ago now) he’s been wanting to progress an “integrated transport plan” with the government – which sounded a lot like the previous Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP) with just a different name. It seems like a fair bit of work progressed ...
    5 days ago
  • Thou Shalt Not Steal

    And they taught usWhoa-oh, black woman, thou shalt not stealI said, hey, yeah, black man, thou shalt not stealWe're gonna civilise your black barbaric livesAnd we teach you how to kneelBut your history couldn't hide the genocideThe hypocrisy to us was realFor your Jesus said you're supposed to giveThe oppressed ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • How mismanagement, not wind and solar energy, causes blackouts

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections In February 2021, several severe storms swept across the United States, culminating with one that the Weather Channel unofficially named Winter Storm Uri. In Texas, Uri knocked out power to over 4.5 million homes and 10 million people. Hundreds of Texans died as a ...
    5 days ago
  • The ‘Infra Boys’ Highway to Budget Hell

    Chris Bishop has enthusiastically dubbed himself and Simeon Brown “the Infra Boys”, but they need to take note of the sums around their roading dreams. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Media Link: “AVFA” on the politics of desperation.

    In this podcast Selwyn Manning and I talk about what appears to be a particular type of end-game in the long transition to systemic realignment in international affairs, in which the move to a new multipolar order with different characteristics … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • The cost of flying blind

    Just over two years ago, when worries about immediate mass-death from covid had waned, and people started to talk about covid becoming "endemic", I asked various government agencies what work they'd done on the costs of that - and particularly, on the cost of Long Covid. The answer was that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Seymour vs The Clergy

    For paid subscribers“Aotearoa is not as malleable as they think,” Lynette wrote last week on Homage to Simeon Brown:In my heart/mind, that phrase ricocheted over the next days, translating out to “We are not so malleable.”It gave me comfort. I always felt that we were given an advantage in New ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • Unstoppable Minister McKee

    All smiles, I know what it takes to fool this townI'll do it 'til the sun goes downAnd all through the nighttimeOh, yeahOh, yeah, I'll tell you what you wanna hearLeave my sunglasses on while I shed a tearIt's never the right timeYeah, yeahSong by SiaLast night there was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Could outdoor dining revitalise Queen Street?

    This is a guest post by Ben van Bruggen of The Urban Room,.An earlier version of this post appeared on LinkedIn. All images are by Ben. Have you noticed that there’s almost nowhere on Queen Street that invites you to stop, sit outside and enjoy a coffee, let alone ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    6 days ago
  • Hipkins challenges long-held Labour view Government must stay below 30% of GDP

    Hipkins says when considering tax settings and the size of government, the big question mark is over what happens with the balance between the size of the working-age population and the growing number of Kiwis over the age of 65. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Your invite to Webworm Chat (a bit like Reddit)

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

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

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

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

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

    Here's a bike on Manchester St, Feilding. I took this photo on Friday night after a very nice dinner at the very nice Vietnamese restaurant, Saigon, on Manchester Street.I thought to myself, Manchester Street? Bicycle? This could be the very spot.To recap from an earlier edition: on a February night ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies, Excerpt Five.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    When National cut health spending and imposed a commissioner on Te Whatu Ora, they claimed that it was necessary because the organisation was bloated and inefficient, with "14 layers of management between the CEO and the patient". But it turns out they were simply lying: Health Minister Shane Reti’s ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • The professionals actually think and act like our Government has no fiscal crisis at all

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

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

  • Government eliminates $190 million in trade barriers to boost the economy

    The Government has successfully removed trade barriers affecting nearly $190 million worth of exports to help grow the economy, Minister for Trade and Agriculture Todd McClay today announced.  “In the past year, we have resolved 14 Non Tariff Barriers (NTBs), returning significant value to kiwi exporters. These efforts directly boost our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Reo Māori the ‘beating heart’ of Aotearoa New Zealand

    From private business to the Paris Olympics, reo Māori is growing with the success of New Zealanders, says Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka. “I’m joining New Zealanders across the country in celebrating this year’s Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week, which has a big range ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Need and value at forefront of public service delivery

    New Cabinet policy directives will ensure public agencies prioritise public services on the basis of need and award Government contracts on the basis of public value, Minister for the Public Service Nicola Willis says. “Cabinet Office has today issued a circular to central government organisations setting out the Government’s expectations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Minister to attend Police Ministers Council Meeting

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

    The coalition Government has introduced legislation to tackle youth vaping, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No 2) is aimed at preventing youth vaping.  “While vaping has contributed to a significant fall in our smoking rates, the rise in youth vaping ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Interest in agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review welcomed

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

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

    Technology companies are among the startups which will benefit from increases to current thresholds of exempt employee share schemes, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Revenue Minister Simon Watts say. Tax exempt thresholds for the schemes are increasing as part of the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2024-25, Emergency ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Getting the healthcare you need, when you need it

    The path to faster cancer treatment, an increase in immunisation rates, shorter stays in emergency departments and quick assessment and treatments when you are sick has been laid out today. Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has revealed details of how the ambitious health targets the Government has set will be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Targeted supports to accelerate reading

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

    With two months until the national apology to survivors of abuse in care, expressions of interest have opened for survivors wanting to attend. “The Prime Minister will deliver a national apology on Tuesday 12 November in Parliament. It will be a very significant day for survivors, their families, whānau and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rangatahi inspire at Ngā Manu Kōrero final

    Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini kē - My success is not mine alone but is the from the strength of the many. Aotearoa New Zealand’s top young speakers are an inspiration for all New Zealanders to learn more about the depth and beauty conveyed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Driving structured literacy in schools

    The coalition Government is driving confidence in reading and writing in the first years of schooling. “From the first time children step into the classroom, we’re equipping them and teachers with the tools they need to be brilliant in literacy. “From 1 October, schools and kura with Years 0-3 will receive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Labour’s misleading information is disappointing

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

    The Government is taking immediate action on a number of steps around New Zealand’s response to mpox, including improving access to vaccine availability so people who need it can do so more easily, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. “Mpox is obviously a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Next steps agreed for Treaty Principles Bill

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

    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced a programme to drive Artificial Intelligence (AI) uptake among New Zealand businesses. “The AI Activator will unlock the potential of AI for New Zealand businesses through a range of support, including access to AI research experts, technical assistance, AI tools and resources, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Promoting faster payment times for government

    The Government is sending a clear message to central government agencies that they must prioritise paying invoices in a timely manner, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Andrew Bayly says. Data released today promotes transparency by publishing the payment times of each central government agency. This data will be published quarterly ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government releases Wairoa flood review findings

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

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

    Inland Revenue can begin processing GST returns for businesses affected by a historic legislative drafting error, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says. “Inland Revenue has become aware of a legislative drafting error in the GST adjustment rules after changes were made in 2023 which were meant to simplify the process. This ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Strong uptake for cervical screening self-test

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

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

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

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

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

    Today, September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, a time to reflect on New Zealand’s confronting suicide statistics, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “Every death by suicide is a tragedy – a tragedy that affects far too many of our families and communities in New Zealand. We must do ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Action to grow the rural health workforce

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    5 September 2024  The Government is progressing further reforms to financial services to make it easier for Kiwis to access finance when they need it, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.  “Financial services are foundational for economic success and are woven throughout our lives. Without access to finance our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Prime Minister pays tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia

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

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

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-09-15T02:34:16+00:00