Who’s bulldozing Christchurch business?

Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, March 18th, 2011 - 73 comments
Categories: business, disaster - Tags: , ,

There’s a large number of reports coming out of Christchurch of businesses that have been demolished without Civil Defence consulting with the owners, as is procedure, and giving them a chance to recover vital equipment and records first. Disturbingly, some of these demolitions seem to have been carried out by ‘cowboys’ without CD approval.

Demolitions are being conducted without the owners having a chance to even know about it first. The wrong building has been knocked down at least once and others have been demolished before owners had a chance to present the case that their experts’ opinion was the building was salvageable.

I can understand that in limited circumstances immediate demolition may be necessary but what is happening here is the gradual, wholesale destruction of red-stickered buildings. There’s no immediate time constraint. If there’s disagreement over whether a building can be saved, have the discussion while knocking down buildings that everyone agrees have to go. If the owners want to go in before demolition, see if that can be done safely or not. But that’s just not happening. And it’s not CD, necessarily, that’s at fault. Blame is being directed at overzealous private demolition companies.

Kurt Langer, who led a protest of 30 business owners outside CD HQ yesterday, calls the high-handed and seemingly arbitrary manner in which things are being conducted “communist”. With respect, that I think he means is ‘authoritarian’.

This is all happening under the auspices of Gerry the First’s CERRA powers and the national state of emergency that National keeps on extending. And it’s so typical of Brownlee’s whole approach to life. He’s like a bull in a China shop but with less grace and patience. His initial call for all Christchurch’s historic buildings to be destroyed has undoubtedly been seen as a licence by people involved in demolition to do whatever they want. It’s well known that Brownlee has strong links with certain developers in the city. They’re probably right to think they can go ahead and destroy property because Gerry can and will exempt them from any legal implications that they aren’t all ready exempted from by the state of emergency.

This lack of subtlety and foresight from Brownlee is why he was such a bad choice for the role of earthquake recovery Minister. Where a bit of thought, planning, and, above all, honest up-front communication with the people is needed on residential housing, he point-blank refuses, preferring to be secretive and autocratic instead. Where a little bit of patience and consultation is needed in the CBD to minimise the damage and save businesses, he unleashes the bulldozers and, in the process, destroys untold value in salvageable equipment and records. His brutishness will only send more small businesses to the wall, destroying more jobs. That’ll only make the recovery even less likely to appear out of thin air, as the Nats seem to assume it will.

73 comments on “Who’s bulldozing Christchurch business? ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Wyndham 1
    18 March 2011 at 9:20 am

    ‘Brutish’ is the very word that I used to classify Brownlee some years ago when he physically assaulted a pensioner and literally threw him out of a Nats. meeting. It cost Brownlee a substantial fine.

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0203/S00109.htm

  2. Daveo 2
    18 March 2011 at 9:26 am

    Brownlee hid from the protest. What a coward.

  3. pollywog 3
    18 March 2011 at 9:32 am

    “These are not the buildings you are looking for !”

    It didn’t work with androids for Jabba the Hut. It won’t work on buildings with Gerry the Hut.

    He is impervious to Jedi mind tricks. Like Jabba, Gerrys fate will ultimately be sealed in liquefacting sandpits.

  4. grumpy 4
    18 March 2011 at 9:36 am

    It’s worse than that. Under the State of Emergency the demolishers get salvage rights to everything in the building (including stock etc). They hardly want the owner removing all the “good stuff”.

    This is looting.

  5. prism 5
    18 March 2011 at 10:35 am

    CD spokesperson today – from The Press demolition rethink
    However, he said it was likely there would be fewer – or no – demolitions as it re-examined the Red Zone access plan.
    The news came as 30 business and property owners yesterday protested outside the Civil Defence headquarters at the Christchurch Art Gallery.
    Protest organiser Kurt Langer, who owns a photography studio within the zone, said the city had been turned into a “communist state”.
    He had no information on the state of his studio and no opportunity to retrieve negatives, photos and hard-drives.
    “If they demolish it, my whole 15 years of taking photos is gone,” he said.

  6. Red Rosa 6
    18 March 2011 at 11:00 am

    Lots of disturbing stories along these lines emanating from ChCh. Many cowboy demolitions, totally unauthorized. Owners arbitrarily denied access or info. First some owners heard of their building was when they saw it demolished on TV.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-earthquake/4782165/Civil-Defence-calls-rethink-as-Christchurch-building-owners-protest

    The local Labour MPs working on this but getting far less publicity than they deserve.

    http://www.labour.org.nz/canterbury-earthquake

    Parker and Key are grabbing the limelight, but looking increasingly like a couple of lightweights who have lost control of the situation.

    • Bright Red 6.1
      18 March 2011 at 11:06 am

      I’m sure the work of the Labour MPs is getting the attention it deserves from the locals.

      And I’m sure we’ll see a big drop in Gerry’s majority in Ilam this election.

      • grumpy 6.1.1
        18 March 2011 at 11:11 am

        Don’t underestimate the business community’s disgust over this. National have just got a wake up call. Already, demolition has been halted for 3 days (probably more) – Brownlee has been told to get his act together.

        National’s Canterbury power brokers are not happy!

        • Colonial Viper 6.1.1.1
          18 March 2011 at 12:04 pm

          I am betting that a fair number of those inner city buildings are owned by Canterbury rural interests.

          And no, they will not be happy at all.

          • grumpy 6.1.1.1.1
            18 March 2011 at 1:11 pm

            Correct, owned is one thing but most of the contents are property of the lessee. A friend of mine owns 6 heritage buildings and he is not worried – wanted to knock most of them down after the first quake – but his tenants, the ones who run the businesses, will lose everything.

    • prism 6.2
      18 March 2011 at 11:07 am

      Red Rosa – A point – I had already put the link to the Press in my comment above yours.

    • Swampy 6.3
      18 March 2011 at 10:44 pm

      Oddly enough, there isn’t yet even a posting on the Labour Party blog, as there would be if they were pushing it seriously.

  7. Oleolebiscuitbarrell 7
    18 March 2011 at 11:10 am

    How do you demolish a business?

    • grumpy 7.1
      18 March 2011 at 11:13 am

      Like Bogor’s woodsman’s exam:
      Q. “how do you selectively log a forest?”

      A. “first you select a forest, then you log it”

      • Oleolebiscuitbarrell 7.1.1
        18 March 2011 at 11:44 am

        I know it’s pedantry but a business is not the same thing as the building in which it is housed.

        • grumpy 7.1.1.1
          18 March 2011 at 11:52 am

          To some the building is both their business and their home.

        • Colonial Viper 7.1.1.2
          18 March 2011 at 12:06 pm

          I know it’s pedantry but a business is not the same thing as the building in which it is housed.

          It’s true quite that the legal entity of the business remains, even if all the assets and facilities the business used to actually conduct business has been destroyed or looted.

          So its the legal entity which gets wound up after that point.

          • Oleolebiscuitbarrell 7.1.1.2.1
            18 March 2011 at 12:13 pm

            Closer. The business is the expectation of repeated custom. It is owned by a company, partnership or person. That company, partnership or person leases or owns the premises from which the business operates.

            It has no bearing on the central issue of the post, but it is not really possible to bulldoze the abstract thing which is the business.

            (I am in no way saying that demolition of the premises from which a business operates is not likely to be highly detrimental to the business.)

            • felix 7.1.1.2.1.1
              18 March 2011 at 12:44 pm

              Christ on a bike, I thought I was pedantic but you really take the biscuit!

              Of course you’re right though.

              • Oleolebiscuitbarrell …
                18 March 2011 at 12:50 pm

                I know. It’s annoying but I can’t help myself.

                • mcflock …
                  18 March 2011 at 6:07 pm

                  But the expectation of custom ceasing to exist is the final consequence of a direct causal sequence initiated by the person who instructed someone else to drive the bulldozer into a particular building.

                  It’s almost the opposite to the anti-gun control maxim “guns don’t kill people, people kill people”, where the immediate cause of demise has its responsibility transferred up the causal chain. The argument that bulldozers can’t be used to destroy businesses is positioning responsibility further down the causal chain.

    • prism 7.2
      18 March 2011 at 11:48 am

      oobb Question – How do you build a business? If you are really interested in this Christchurch problem perhaps you can think up or collect some useful and pertinent points which could be helpful if posted. A business might not get demolished, but it can feel like it, say it is an analogy. When your effort over years to build a brand, expertise and goodwill is like a physical frame that stands as an entity. Then there are as the tools, equipment, records, planning documents, bills payable with no money coming in, it could feel like personal demolishment, the weight of sadness on top of difficulty already experienced.

      I guess you have not tried being in business yourself as it isn’t a real funny subject when you’re involved in one. Though someone like Bill Bailey could probably do something with it, and provide some rueful laughs about the problems and hard learning.

  10. Alpha Sud 10
    18 March 2011 at 2:55 pm

    Fact check Marty. Gerry Brownlee doesn’t order demolitions. As much as you might want to tarnish any National MP, including Brownlee, you are way off the mark with this post.

    Demolition of buildings has nothing to do with reconstruction of Christchurch. They are a civil defence operation. The Civil Defence Commander–not a politician–is ultimately responsible for demolishing individual buildings.

    Are you seriously suggesting that Commander Hamilton would have chosen a different path of demolition under a Labour Government?

    • lprent 10.1
      18 March 2011 at 3:19 pm

      The procedure may have been in place before Brownlee got there (I have no idea). But Brownlee has the authority and responsibility to fix problems to do with the reconstruction of Christchurch post-earthquakes. He is specifically responsible for doing what is required for the rebuilding. Part of that would be deciding what gets destroyed as being too damaged to fix vs deciding to adding extra resources to prop up a building.

      Effectively he sets the policy for the search and rescue goes in. It is a policy decision on based on resources. To date he appears to have said, just do it the easiest, fastest and safest way. This probably eventually increases the costs of reconstruction since they seem to be knocking over virtually everything. But it also means that they don’t appear to be contacting the people who have businesses in those buildings or in some cases the owners. I guess that is to ensure there isn’t an argument?

      He carries at least part and probably much of the responsibility for deciding the destruction policy. If he isn’t looking at it now, then he should be.

      • Alpha Sud 10.1.1
        18 March 2011 at 3:50 pm

        Wrong.

        Decisions to demolish buildings are based entirely on safety, which is entirely a civil defence issue. Which reports to the civil defence commander. Who is a neutral public servant.

        • Colonial Viper 10.1.1.1
          18 March 2011 at 4:10 pm

          Hey Alpha you just described the powerpoint slide. But pay attention to this minor detail:

          that’s not the way it is happening

        • lprent 10.1.1.2
          18 March 2011 at 4:15 pm

          Actually you’re sort of right (having had a dig around), . This is all under control of the Minister of Civil Defense – John Carter. You’d have to be silly to think that civil servants aren’t responsible to a minister. The only real exceptions are the militias – NZ Police and the armed forces.

          Marty was looking at a separate issue – liability.

          They’re probably right to think they can go ahead and destroy property because Gerry can and will exempt them from any legal implications that they aren’t all ready exempted from by the state of emergency.

          • Pete 10.1.1.2.1
            18 March 2011 at 4:28 pm

            That’s a serious claim to make – is there anything to back it up? Of course it’s possible, “Gerry can”, but to say “will exempt them from any legal implications ” (certain developers he “has strong links with”) suggests there must be solid reasons to believe it. Or….?

        • prism 10.1.1.3
          18 March 2011 at 7:39 pm

          Alpha Sudreports to the civil defence commander. Who is a neutral public servant.
          I don’t think it is that simple. It would be truer to say that he has a mandate from the government in which safety is paramount. The government requires compliance within a narrow set of demands. Serving the wider public interest is not part of his instructions.

          Edit- Though Chris says that he operates under the Civil Defence code of operations. Safety first and what buildings come down second. Chris says that is not political. I think the buildings part definitely is.

          anti-spam = droppings. Is that a nice way of saying s..t. I don’t know what these machines are coming to.

        • Swampy 10.1.1.4
          20 March 2011 at 1:41 am

          Who is empowered by the state of emergency, a Government process.

  11. Chris 11
    18 March 2011 at 3:37 pm

    ‘Iprent’ you are incorrect. It is clearly under the Civil Defence code of operations not Brownlees. It is based on safety first and second second what building gets demolished. It is not based on ‘politics’. Stop being silly. The latest Morgan opinion poll has the Nats. gaining and Labour loosing. Labour really need to stop being critical, negative and reactive. ‘Attacking’ Key / Brownlee etc. will not work. The current plan of character assassination will simply not work. We also need to dump Goff who has made enough gaffes and been too hypocritical and ineffective the past year. Being on 5% popularity for 2+ years does not win elections. Let’s face facts.

    • lprent 11.1
      18 March 2011 at 4:39 pm

      You were correct after I looked it up. It is John Carter who is responsible.

      Being on 5% popularity for 2+ years does not win elections. Let’s face facts.

      Now you’re being silly. Helen Clark had even worse preferred PM poll figures from 1993 to most of the way to the 1999 election. Brash had crap preferred PM figures for large chunks of his time at the head of the National party and almost got over the line in 2005. I seem to remember that he was regularly outpolled by Winston Peters.

      Preferred PM figures are a very stupid political indicator only looked at by the politically inept.

  12. Swampy 12
    18 March 2011 at 10:41 pm

    If we want to get on with our lives in the city then we need the CBD reopened as soon as possible and dragging out the demolition process is something many, many people criticised after last time.

  13. ropata 13
    18 March 2011 at 11:13 pm

    The destruction of Christchurch’s heritage buildings is a cultural disaster for residents and the nation, second only to the loss of lives. Tsar Gerry IS responsible for creating a climate of frenzied demolition with his irresponsible and inaccurate comments,

    Mr Brownlee said there were no plans to ease the safety cordon around the central city, as older buildings have damage and were unsafe.
    “Those buildings will have to be sorted out fairly swiftly — they don’t have a future”, he said.
    “As a general premise, older buildings are the buildings where people have suffered loss of life.”

    Heritage buildings were not the sole cause of loss of life, or even the biggest cause of it. The greatest number of deaths occurred in two reinforced concrete buildings the Pyne Gould Corporation building completed in 1964 and the CTV building built in 1979.

    Sydenham Heritage Church: demolished without warning
    Fortuna Books: demolished without warning
    Addington flour silos & 450 cub.m. Oregon timber: demolished without warning
    Democracy in Christchurch: ” ” ”

    The minister responsible for earthquake “recovery” is “cutting through red tape” and causing his own aftershocks.
    If the govt can’t monger a decent war then I suppose a natural disaster is a fine opportunity to suspend democracy.

    • Swampy 13.1
      20 March 2011 at 1:43 am

      Sydenham Heritage Church may be prosecuted. You have listed but three examples. Three too many but not in itself a huge problem.

      • Colonial Viper 13.1.1
        20 March 2011 at 2:03 am

        Given that we know of three examples, there is a likelihood that this is just the tip of the iceberg.

        There’s no smoke without fire.

  14. Swampy 14
    20 March 2011 at 1:38 am

    There’s a number of reports, but it’s not a large number. The number of situations is relatively small.

    We have to face up to the fact a significant number of buildings are too unsafe and will be demolished forthwith.

    There have been at least a couple of instances of buildings being knocked down without authorisation and I hope those companies will be prosecuted.

    Some people in this blog have alleged the demolition companies are going about seizing buildings along with their contents for private profit. I hope that those claims turn out to be untrue.

    I think there is plenty of room to question whether the state of emergency or CERRA does give too much power to Civil Defence or the council. I have heard allegations that CERRA was used to permit the council to drop agreed spending not directly related to the earthquake without the public consultation normally mandated.

    • Colonial Viper 14.1
      20 March 2011 at 2:03 am

      We have to face up to the fact a significant number of buildings are too unsafe and will be demolished forthwith.

      demolished forthwith =! demolished arbitrarily.

      • Swampy 14.1.1
        24 March 2011 at 12:14 am

        Don’t see the difference. For example the Smiths City carpark is being knocked down right now. That didn’t take long to happen did it. Should the public have been consulted or whatever over it.

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  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago

  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago

  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
    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 in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago

  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago

  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    5 days ago

  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago

  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • “That's how I roll”
    It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago

  • “Comity” versus the rule of law
    In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago

  • Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
    Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder. In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago

  • Water is at the heart of farmers’ struggle to survive in Benin
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére Sosou Market gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • At a time of media turmoil, Melissa had nothing to proclaim as Minister – and now she has been dem...
    Buzz from the Beehive   Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago

  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago

  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago

  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago

  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government saves access to medicines
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.    “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Pharmac Chair appointed
    Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
    Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says.  “Every day, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Diplomacy needed more than ever
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.    “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
    Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service.  It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
    Distinguished guests -   It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders.   Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
    Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia.   Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
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