Whose RWC is it?

Written By: - Date published: 6:44 am, February 17th, 2011 - 59 comments
Categories: Economy - Tags:

When people talk about the rugby world cup as if it will buoy the spirits of voters across the country regardless of whether the all blacks win or lose, I find myself asking why.

For a start the whole thing is going to throw infrastructure into turmoil, especially in Auckland and all for a boost of 0.3% of GDP.

Then there’s the cost of the big stadium upgrades that taxpayers and rate payers are having to bear.

And after all that there’s the fact that tickets to the final cost $1500. That’s three times the weekly median income and more than a month of pension.

Of course the Prime Minister will be there in a corporate box and I’m sure most of cabinet too. And I doubt they’ll be paying for their own tickets.

Once upon a time rugby was seen as symbolic of our egalitarian society. Somehow it seems fitting that it’s now too expensive for the majority of Kiwis to attend.

59 comments on “Whose RWC is it? ”

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  1. chris 1
    17 February 2011 at 7:24 am

    Let me guess – if labour were in power tickets would only be $30 and we would be watching it in mallards BILLION dollar waterfront stadium.

    gee really.

  2. Kevin Welsh 2
    17 February 2011 at 7:52 am

    Well I would be happier with tax payer dollars spent on a stadium ANYONE can use, not just Rugby or the occasional game of Cricket.

    • Bill 2.1
      17 February 2011 at 10:12 am

      Don’t forget Elton! And, and…well, probably two nights of Elton!! Before the endless days of tumble weed and whistling wind. No cricket in Dunedin’s stadium.

      • Colonial Viper 2.1.1
        17 February 2011 at 10:34 am

        Disaster, sheer disaster. Just you wait, within 5 years there will be loose talk of mothballing the facility, 5 years after that, serious talk.

  3. Colonial Viper 3
    17 February 2011 at 7:58 am

    The slaves of Rome built Rome’s Colosseum with their bare hands, then they get to die in it.

  4. Marty G 4
    17 February 2011 at 8:03 am

    The fact this will add just $700 million to the economy makes a joke of the idea it will be an economic boon.

    $700 million is 30 hours’ economic output for this country.

    Getting those railcars built here rather than in China would have contributed $500 million to the economy and it wouldn’t have required a huge taxpayer expenditure with us bearing the loss that the RWC is projected to return.

    • The Economic Illiteracy Support Group 4.1
      17 February 2011 at 2:21 pm

      And not to put too fine a point on it, that $700 million is going exclusively to the hospitality sector – it’s an effective subsidy from the rest of the economy. If you’re a panelbeater in Papatoetoe you’re not going to see a single red cent in economic benefit from the RWC, yet you’ll be paying for it in your rates and taxes.

  5. Bored 5
    17 February 2011 at 8:06 am

    Without spectacles, galas and celebrities how else will the eyes of the people be diverted from the daily grind? How else will their focus be averted? And if we can they will feel good for a week or two. Election time?

    Capcha: obey

    • Colonial Viper 5.1
      17 February 2011 at 10:35 am

      Bread and circuses mate. Keep the masses distracted.

      (And only bread, no milk – too expensive you see)

      • The Economic Illiteracy Support Group 5.1.1
        17 February 2011 at 2:22 pm

        And they increased the GST rate on bread to help pay for the circuses.

  6. Craig Glen Eden 6
    17 February 2011 at 8:40 am

    Yup and Keys minders will have him all over this like a pig in shit.

  7. Carol 7
    17 February 2011 at 8:58 am

    I like watching rugby on TV & usually support the All Blacks. But the way it’s shaping up, I’m going off the whole world cup thing. I’ll watch some games that are Free-to-Air on TV, and will probably support Samoa and Scotland. I might give the finals a miss.

    • Colonial Viper 7.1
      17 February 2011 at 8:59 am

      Give it another month or two, I think some real RWC fatigue is going to set in. You won’t be able to have weetbix or a hamburger without another round of RWC commercialism in your face.

  8. Leon 8
    17 February 2011 at 9:01 am

    This is a global event that happens to be staged in NZ. As with any global event the price of tickets relates to a global market. The amount of time and money that the National government are allocating to RWC indicates that it is far beyond a game. New Zealand’s RWC is about tourism, brand image, business connections and maybe winning the election. Who goes to the games live and the final outcome is purely incidental.

    • joe90 8.1
      17 February 2011 at 9:25 am

      So I fork out my hard earned dollars to finance someone else’s opportunity to make a buck out of tourism, brand image, business connections and maybe winning the election but I’m an incidental.

      gfy leon.

      • Leon 8.1.1
        17 February 2011 at 10:27 am

        I’m not saying I agree, I’m just explaining what I see happening.

        • Bright Red 8.1.1.1
          17 February 2011 at 11:10 am

          it’s not so much the price of the tickets as that we’re expected to subsidise the event on top of that. Someone’s making off with a mint and it isn’t the taxpaying public

    • Zaphod Beeblebrox 8.2
      17 February 2011 at 2:32 pm

      Note that the costs aren’t globalised however. ChCh ratepayers paying 1% more on their rates, Auckland council bailing out the Eden park trust $40 mill, who knows how much its going to cost Dunedin ratepayers.

      All for a group of hooray henry’s to come out and brag to their mates back in the Uk that they were there.

  9. Rich 9
    17 February 2011 at 9:09 am

    I saw England play Fiji at Twickenham in the 1999 RWC. Twenty quid.

    If I remember rightly, most of the tickets were distributed through small rugby clubs, so they only went to people involved in the game and their friends.

    Everyone in NZ has paid out several hundred dollars for stadium upgrades, highway upgrades and party central’s that will stand idle for the next 24 years. You’d have thought we could at least get some cheap tickets.

    • The Voice of Reason 9.1
      17 February 2011 at 9:39 am

      Quite right, Rich. At the real World Cup in South Africa last year plenty of tickets were made available for the locals at prices that they could afford. And that’s at a tournament that actually has global significance, as opposed to a competition that only half a dozen commonwealth countries and the French bourgeiosie are even interested in trying to win.

  10. Lanthanide 10
    17 February 2011 at 9:58 am

    I either read or heard (on Nat Rad) something about the stadium in CHCH needing to seek increased funding from ratepayers over the coming years, which they pinned to a “distinct downturn in attendance of rugby games” that has happened recently. More and more frequently you can read comments from people saying they aren’t that interested in rugby any more, or they prefer soccer.

    Seems our culture is changing. I wonder why.

    • Colonial Viper 10.1
      17 February 2011 at 10:02 am

      Unfortunately that won’t stop the establishment from sucking more and more funds out of us to keep sport enjoyed by (only affordable by) the elites going.

      • Vicky32 10.1.1
        5 March 2011 at 12:01 am

        I remember a bizarre little rant by Danny Watson (back in the 90s when I used to listen to him). He’s a ‘taxation is theft’ neo-liberal, not that he’s actually know what one is, I gather. But he was advocating a special tax purely for the support of sport – especially rugby. Abolish all PAYE, introduce a 25% GST, oh and wait a minute, let’s have a 5% tax on all incomes under $75,000 pa to support thugby.
        I vomited in my mouth. It had never occurred to the little weirdo that he might have anyone listening to him who wasn’t a rugby fan!
        Deb

    • Puddleglum 10.2
      17 February 2011 at 2:18 pm

      Here’s a Press editorial about Vbase’s parlous financial situation, largely courtesy of the AMI Stadium upgrade (i.e., Lancaster Park).

    • Carol 10.3
      5 March 2011 at 6:08 am

      Part of the problem (probably a major part) of dwindling support for rugby is professionalisation and that pay TV has taken most of the coverage. So now there’s some wanting more tax payer money to support an industry that makes profits for media corporates?

  11. luva 11
    17 February 2011 at 11:04 am

    seriously, does anything make you people happy

    • Bright Red 11.1
      17 February 2011 at 11:09 am

      subsidising a sporting event I can’t hope to afford to attend certainly doesn’t. Does it make you happy?

    • bbfloyd 11.2
      17 February 2011 at 1:16 pm

      yes luva… luring dickheads like you out of hiding so that we can make fun of you. you’re always good for a laugh..

    • mcflock 11.3
      17 February 2011 at 3:37 pm

      Things that make me happy:
      The laugh of a small child, a lavender scent carried on the morning breeze, and soft but strong toilet paper (1001 uses).

    • Kevin Welsh 11.4
      17 February 2011 at 7:03 pm

      Plenty Luva. Watching the Reds dick the Scum at Old Toilet last season, watching the Phoenix at the ‘tin, The Breakers at the Sweatbox and the Warriors at Mt Smart. I love it to bits.

      Sick to fucking death of having the most boring sport in the world shoved down my throat almost 12 months of the year.

  12. Richard 12
    17 February 2011 at 11:21 am

    Maybe this can be an opportunity to start learning how to save money?

    It is possible to afford the final if you cut down wasteful expenditure

    • Colonial Viper 12.1
      17 February 2011 at 11:25 am

      The rich can save money because they have discretionary income which is not used on staples and paying basic utilities.

      If you have less than $20K p.a. coming in as a single, or less than $35K p.a. coming in as a family, you’re basically screwed on the savings front.

      You might be able to save a bean a fortnight.

      And by the way, why should someone who lives in NZ be expected to live like a pauper and not be able to participate in society e.g. buy a Sunday paper, buy a coffee at the cafe, see a movie etc.

      We aren’t talking about BMW 7 series limo rides at $90/hr are we?

      • The Baron 12.1.1
        17 February 2011 at 11:40 am

        Who knew that “participation in society” was defined as a copy of the Sunday Star-Times, a skinny Latte and a trip out to Dinner with Shmucks with the Mrs!

        But then again, when was the last time you knew what it was like to live on $20k CV? Does your Mrs only give you a $400 a week allowance from her massive family fortune?

        Oh diddums, you do need a top up.

        • felix 12.1.1.1
          17 February 2011 at 12:53 pm

          Let me get this straight, Baron.

          You’re hassling CV because he’s well off but hasn’t stopped giving a shit about other people?

          Is that it?

          • Bored 12.1.1.1.1
            17 February 2011 at 12:59 pm

            Hah Felix, its got nothing to do with CVs status, or care / empathey for others. Trolls are habitually cruel and uncaring, its genetically imprinted.

            • bbfloyd 12.1.1.1.1.1
              17 February 2011 at 1:23 pm

              it’s also not necessary for a troll to have the slightest knowledge on any given subject to be able to comment on it. preferable in fact. reality would be an impediment to good slagging.

    • Bright Red 12.2
      17 February 2011 at 12:07 pm

      I don’t see how a person with a family on the median income ($27K before tax) can be expected to save $1,500 per ticket plus other expenses. You’re going to be talking over 10% of net annual income all up to watch a rugby game.

      And if they could get that money together would the RWC final be a responsible thing to spend the money on when they have kids?

      • Colonial Viper 12.2.1
        17 February 2011 at 2:30 pm

        Minimum 4 weeks minimum wages, living under bridges and eating air.

        In other words to those low paid workers: you’re not the kind of people we’re looking for to attend the finals.

  13. Richard 13
    17 February 2011 at 11:47 am

    CV you seem to have a lot of free time, i assume you are on the dole because “there is no work”.

    Would you like a job working for my wife?

    Thought so.

  14. Richard 14
    17 February 2011 at 12:02 pm

    Your link says you married into wealth so you are “doing ok without employment”.

    • Colonial Viper 14.1
      17 February 2011 at 12:05 pm

      I’ve no real reason to work (although I am degree qualified) as my needs are pretty well provided for.

      And thanks to her accountant, its completely legit the dole and accommodation supplement is handy for a Friday/Saturday night out, dinner and a few drinks on the town. So its not like I’m ungrateful to you and your wife paying your GST etc.

      • Rob 14.1.1
        17 February 2011 at 4:04 pm

        Wow, thats really interesting. How do you actually contribute to society , and I dont mean through burning electrons by continually posting on blog sites. Do you pay any tax of any nature or do you have various mechanisms to protect your or your wifes wealth.

  15. Zaphod Beeblebrox 15
    17 February 2011 at 1:36 pm

    My advice- for about 1/2 the cost you could ring your travel agent and book a ticket to Melbourne to watch some AFL at the MCG. Better game (lasts 3 hours not two), bigger crowds (70-90K for the big games)., excellent public transport straight to the stadium connected to the metro rail network (they don’t force you to get ther 3 hours behorehand), it won’t be pissing rain (might be slightly colder than Auckland- even if it is you can go watch at the dome), excellent city restaurants walking distance to the stadium and you won’t be ripped off.

    If rugby’s your go (not mine as can be seen previously) there is now a S15 franchise there or the Storm to watch. So you can even watch the kiwi teams over there in comfort.

    Then of course you can go to Syd or Bris but everyone really knows where the capital of sport is.

  16. randal 16
    17 February 2011 at 2:08 pm

    once he was a sophisticated new york banker and now he is a mewing maundering spruiker for everything that is juvenile and infantilised about new zealand society.
    he has been dragged down to our level.

  17. kriswgtn 17
    17 February 2011 at 3:38 pm

    I would have loved to go to @ least one match
    I work 40 hours a week inc Sat mornings once a month.

    I earn bout $41000 a year $788 gross a week-minus tax and student loan=$611.15

    $150 rent
    Visa$150
    Food$120
    Power $40
    Petrol$120

    i cant save whats remains-

    Def aint my RWC

    thanks Key for nothing

    • Colonial Viper 17.1
      17 February 2011 at 3:43 pm

      $120 petrol a week. That’s rough. $3/L petrol is going to frag a lot of ordinary working people. And we’ll be there in a year or two.

      • Lanthanide 17.1.1
        17 February 2011 at 5:24 pm

        Potentially sooner if the dollar keeps dropping.

        We had high petrol prices back in 2004 because the dollar was a lot lower then, even though oil wasn’t much more than $60 or $70US barrel I think. The difference between 2004 and 2008 was our dollar – it has risen a lot in the meantime. I have a gut feeling that, apart from everything else, the NZ$ rises to help insulate the economy from costly oil prices, that is if the NZ $ didn’t rise, the oil prices would kill the economy quick-smart and the $ would be worth even less. Sort of like a built in feedback mechanism: the dollar appreciates to ensure that it’s still worth something.

      • kriswgtn 17.1.2
        17 February 2011 at 5:47 pm

        well i live on the coast and cant rely on trains yup here- i dont like long bus trips so yeah i leave for work real early to beat congestion
        my mate lets me park my truk on his property in mt vic for $20 a week so all good

        paying back student loan – i managed to get it down to 7800- if nact go ahead and take off the interest free- ill be fucked
        itll never get paid

        sometimes i feel like fucking off-this is one of those days- go to OZ, make double what i am doing here but i stay to contribute to making this country great again.Thing is with Nact and its allies the MP-theyre making it so fucking hard to stay

  18. Alwyn 18
    17 February 2011 at 4:09 pm

    At last you seem to have realised what a lot of us did years ago.
    The people who pushed so hard for the RWC were the idiots lke Helen Clark and Trevor Mallard in the last Labour government.
    I, and a lot of my acquaintances who have to earn and live off our own money didn’t want it here. We knew, because of the way the IRB is set up, that we would not see any of the main matches and we were pissed off when the then PM spent our money travelling around the world to try and get something she thought would be a vote-getter for the Labour party.
    Don’t just blame Key for it. It’s every bloody trough swilling politician that is guilty.

  19. s y d 19
    17 February 2011 at 4:26 pm

    if you can’t afford the tickets it’s probably due to your own poor lifestyle choices

  20. kultur 20
    17 February 2011 at 4:45 pm

    it seems to me that whether we like it or not – New Zealand as those of us old enough to remember – has GONE. Whether it has gone for good – is up to the voters this year. My belief is that Phil Goff and a rejuvenated Labour Party can bring it back to where it needs to be. I think everyone got fixated on the “big idea” and one big thing “that put us on the map” … now we’re all descending to reality – its just that Key and the Nats and their sycophants are still on planet finance fantasy. They want anyone below the middle income line to pay for their ideals, suck it up and take it up the ass.

    Phil Goff was involved in the Government that started this mess – he realises it and admits it – there is a lot of retained value in someone at the top who REMEMBERS. Prof Niall Fergusson in his doco “the ascent of money” makes the comment when examining the Quants – the nobel prize winning boffins / Maths geniuses who arrived at a pristine probability maths system for trading in “options” on the financial markets and then went totally tits-up and had to have a Govt bailout in the USA … he said and i quote – “they knew a lot about maths and economics … but they didnt know anything about history….” What goes up – does come down – its been happening for decades and centuries. Phil Goff REMEMBERS – and we need a PM who doesnt hide from or try to rewrite the past. And we DONT need a money man who participated in meaningless paper transactions that produced nothing of any real value – running this country. Give Key a free BMW and tell him to bugger off and dont come back again.

    Rugby World Cup – spare me – its just another opportunity for smile and wave and his sycophants to seek a temporary reprieve from growing public discontent.

  21. millsy 21
    19 February 2011 at 11:19 am

    Seriously, why would you want to go anyway.

    Assuming you dont get turned away due to a ticketing glitch, youll probably be patted down by the goons in flouro vests, and made to hand over things such as cameras watches and food/drink that you brought in (so you have to buy overpriced soggy chips, stale sandwiches and thimbles of softdrink). The ‘beer’ youll have is low alcohol so essentially it will be warm pee in a plastic cup.

    (mean while up in the corporate boxes it would be drunken debauchery a go go)

    Therll be no booing, no banners, no mexican waves, no suggestive dancing, no swearing, no no no no no.. and youll have to sit down like good little boys and girls and watch the match quietly.

    Then when they let you out, and go to ‘party central’, you will have to party in the approved manner, or else youll be out on your ear, courtesy of the aforementioned flouro vested goons who will hang around everywhere.

    And DONT drink the wrong beer, or wear the wrong shirt, or have anything with the wrong logo on it in a clean zone. The goons will probably be all over you like a rash.

    Pay 1200 for that. No fucking way.

    The TV barons should pay for it. They are the ones who are going to make the most money from it, followed by the hospo barons, and the landlord class, who will start throwing out their tenants so they can rip off rugby fans who come here by letting out their houses at 500 a night or something like that.

    The RWC should have gone to Argentina or Japan, or some other developing nation.

  22. world cup 2011 22
    4 March 2011 at 8:47 pm

    In the end it’s the public will decide on election day. Having the world cup in the country also helps the tourism industry that would boost the economy’s revenue and I think they’ll just have to raise the taxes on network coverage(chuckles)to make it fair at least.

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

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

    Note: The audio attached to this Webworm compliments today’s newsletter. I collected it as I met people attending a Creed concert. Their opinions may differ to mine. Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago
  • Government migration policy backfires; thousands of unemployed nurses

    The country has imported literally thousands of nurses over the past few months yet whether they are being employed as nurses is another matter. Just what is going on with HealthNZ and it nurses is, at best, opaque, in that it will not release anything but broad general statistics and ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • A Time For Unity.

    Emotional Response: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addresses mourners at the tangi of King Tuheitia on Turangawaewae Marae on Saturday, 31 August 2024.THE DEATH OF KING TUHEITIA could hardly have come at a worse time for Maoridom. The power of the Kingitanga to unify te iwi Māori was demonstrated powerfully at January’s ...
    Bowalley Road
    4 days ago
  • Climate Change: Failed again

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

    A question of size. Small size generally means large vulnerability. The perception of threat is broader and often more immediate for small countries. The feeling of comparative weakness, of exposure to risk, and of potential intimidation by larger powers often … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Nicola Willis’s Very Unserious Bungling of the Kiwirail Interislander Cancellation

    Open to all with kind thanks to all subscribers and supporters.Today, RNZ revealed that despite MFAT advice to Nicola Willis to be very “careful and deliberate” in her communications with the South Korean government, prior to any public announcement on cancelling Kiwirail’s i-Rex, Willis instead told South Korea 26 minutes ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Satisfying the Minister’s Speed Obsession

    The Minister of Transport’s speed obsession has this week resulted in two new consultations for 110km/h speed limits, one in Auckland and one in Christchurch. There has also been final approval of the Kapiti Expressway to move to 110km/h following an earlier consultation. While the changes will almost certainly see ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago
  • What if we freed up our streets, again?

    This guest post is by Tommy de Silva, a local rangatahi and freelance writer who is passionate about making the urban fabric of Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland more people-focused and sustainable. New Zealand’s March-April 2020 Level 4 Covid response (aka “lockdown”) was somehow both the best and worst six weeks of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    4 days ago
  • No Alarms And No Surprises

    A heart that's full up like a landfillA job that slowly kills youBruises that won't healYou look so tired, unhappyBring down the governmentThey don't, they don't speak for usI'll take a quiet lifeA handshake of carbon monoxideAnd no alarms and no surprisesThe fabulous English comedian Stewart Lee once wrote a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Five ingenious ways people could beat the heat without cranking the AC

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons Every summer brings a new spate of headlines about record-breaking heat – for good reason: 2023 was the hottest year on record, in keeping with the upward trend scientists have been clocking for decades. With climate forecasts suggesting that heat waves ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • No new funding for cycling & walking

    Studies show each $1 of spending on walking and cycling infrastructure produces $13 to $35 of economic benefits from higher productivity, lower healthcare costs, less congestion, lower emissions and lower fossil fuel import costs. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 99

    Dad turned 99 today.Hell of a lot of candles, eh?He won't be alone for his birthday. He will have the warm attention of my brother, and my sister, and everyone at the rest home, the most thoughtful attentive and considerate people you could ever know. On Saturday there will be ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Open Government: National reneges on beneficial ownership

    One of the achievements of the New Zealand’s Open Government Partnership Fourth National Action Plan was a formal commitment from the government to establish a public beneficial ownership register. Such a register would allow the ultimate owners of companies to be identified - a vital measure in preventing corruption, money ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt One.

    This project analyzes security politics in three peripheral democracies (Chile, New Zealand, Portugal) during the 30 years after the end of the Cold War. It argues that changes in the geopolitical landscape and geo-strategic context are interpreted differently by small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Tea and Toast

    When the skies are looking bad my dearAnd your heart's lost all its hopeAfter dawn there will be sunshineAnd all the dust will goThe skies will clear my darlingNow it's time for you to let goOur girl will wake you up in the mornin'With some tea and toastLyrics: Lucy Spraggan.Good ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • NLTP 2024 released – destroying pipeline of shovel ready local projects

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Waka Kotahi yesterday released the latest National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) for 2024-27. The NLTP sets out what transport projects will be funded for the next three years, including both central and local government projects. As expected given the government’s extremely ideological transport policy, it’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    5 days ago
  • Can Brown deliver his roads

    The Government’s unveiling of its road-building programme yesterday was ambitious and, many would say, long overdue. But the question will be whether it is too ambitious, whether it is affordable, and, if not, what might be dropped. The big ticket items will be the 17 so-called Roads of National Significance. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • New paper about detecting climate misinformation on Twitter/X

    Together with Cristian Rojas, Frank Algra-Maschio, Mark Andrejevic, Travis Coan, and Yuan-Fang Li, I just published a paper in Nature Communications Earth & Environment where we use the Computer Assisted Recognition of Denial and Skepticism (CARDS) machine learning model to detect climate misinformation in 5 million climate tweets. We find over half ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • Excerpting “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies.”

    In the late 2000s-early 2010s I was researching and writing a book titled “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Chile, New Zealand and Portugal.” The book was a cross-regional Small-N qualitative comparison of the security strategies and postures of three small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • Hating for the Wrong Reasons: Of Rings of Power, Orcs and Evil

    A few months ago, my fellow countryman, HelloFutureMe, put out a giant YouTube video, dissecting what went wrong with the first season of Rings of Power (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ6FRUO0ui0&t=8376s). It’s an exceptionally good video, and though it spans some two and a half hours, it is well worth your time. But ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago
  • Climate Change: “Least cost” to who?

    On Friday the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment released their submission on National's second Emissions Reduction Plan, ripping the shit out of it as a massive gamble based on wishful thinking. One of the specific issues he focused on was National's idea of "least cost" emissions reduction, pointing out that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Israeli Lives Matter

    There is no monopoly on common senseOn either side of the political fenceWe share the same biology, regardless of ideologyBelieve me when I say to youI hope the Russians love their children tooLyrics: Sting. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Luxon Cries

    Over the weekend, I found myself rather irritably reading up about the Treaty of Waitangi. “Do I need to do this?” It’s not my jurisdiction. In any other world, would this be something I choose to do?My answer - no.The Waitangi Tribunal, headed by some of our best legal minds, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • Just one Wellington home being consented for every 10 in Auckland

    A decade of under-building is coming home to roost in Wellington. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday September 2:Wellington’s leaders are wringing their hands over an exodus of skilled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Container trucks on local streets: why take the risk?

    This is a guest post by Charmaine Vaughan, who came to transport advocacy via her local Residents Association and a comms role at Bike Auckland. Her enthusiasm to make local streets safer for all is shared by her son Dylan Vaughan, a budding “urban nerd” who provided much of the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    6 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #35

    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, August 25, 2024 thru Sat, August 31, 2024. Story of the week After another crammed week of climate news including updates on climate tipping points, increasing threats from rising ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago
  • An Uncanny Valley of Improvement: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episodes 1-3 (Season ...

    And thus we come to the second instalment of Amazon’s Rings of Power. The first season, in 2022, was underwhelming, even for someone like myself, who is by nature inclined to approach Tolkien adaptations with charity. The writing was poor, the plot made no sense on its own terms, and ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Alcohol debris and Crocodile Tears

    I write to you this morning from scenes of carnage. Around the floor lie young men who only hours earlier were full of life, and cocktails, and now lie silent. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • When Do We Look Away?

    Hi,The first time I saw something that made me recoil on the internet was a visit to Rotten.com. The clue was in the name — but the internet was a new thing to me in the 90s, and no-one really knew what the hell was going on. But somehow I ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • The decades just fly by

    You turn your back for a moment and a city can completely transform itself. It was, oh, just the other day I was tripping up to Kuala Lumpur every few months to teach workshops and luxuriate in the tropical warmth and fill my face with Char Kway Teow.It has to ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • 2024 Reading Summary: August

    Completed reads for August: Aesop’s Fables (collection), by Aesop Berserk: Volume XXV (manga), by Kentaro Miura Benighted, by J.B. Priestly Berserk: Volume XXVI (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVIII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXIX (manga), by Kentaro Miura ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Is recent global warming part of a natural cycle?

    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. Is recent global warming part ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • White Noise

    Now here we standWith our hearts in our handsSqueezing out the liesAll that I hearIs a message, unclearWhat else is there to decide?All that I'm hearing from youIs White NoiseLyrics: Christopher John CheneyIs the tide turning?Have we reached the high point of the racist hate and lies from Hobson’s Pledge, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • The Death Of “Big Norm” – Exactly 50 Years Ago Today.

    Norman KirkPrime Minister of New Zealand 1972-1974Born: 6 January 1923 - Died: 31 August 1974Of the working-class, by the working-class, for the working-class.Video courtesy of YouTubeThese elements were posted on Bowalley Road on Saturday, 31 August 2024. ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Claims and Counter-Claims.

    Whose Foreshore? Whose Seabed? When the Marine and Coastal Area Act was originally passed back in 2011, fears about the coastline becoming off-limits to Pakeha were routinely allayed by National Party politicians pointing out that the tests imposed were so stringent  that only a modest percentage of claims (the then treaty ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand Honours Maori King ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • The Principles of the Treaty

    Hardly anyone says what are ‘the principles of the treaty’. The courts’ interpretation restrain the New Zealand Government. While they about protecting a particular community, those restraints apply equally to all community in a liberal democracy – including a single person.Treaty principles were introduced into the governance of New Zealand ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • The Only Other Reliable Vehicle.

    An Elite Leader Awaiting Rotation? Hipkins’ give-National-nothing-to-aim-at strategy will only succeed if the Coalition becomes as unpopular in three years as the British Tories became in fourteen.THE SHAPE OF CHRIS HIPKINS’ THINKING on Labour’s optimum pathway to re-election is emerging steadily. At the core of his strategy is Hipkins’ view ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • A Big F U to this Right Wing Government

    Open to all - deep thanks to those who support and subscribe.One of the things that has got me interested recently is updates about Māori wards.In April, Stuff’s Karanama Ruru reported that ~ 2/3 of our 78 councils had adopted Māori wards in NZ.That meant that under the Coalition repeal ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: James Shaw’s legacy keeps paying off

    One of the central planks of the previous Labour-Green government's emissions reduction policy was GIDI (Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry). This was basically using ETS revenue to pay polluters to clean up production, reducing emissions while protecting jobs. Corporate welfare, but it got the job done, and was often a ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Gravity

    Oh twice as much ain't twice as goodAnd can't sustain like one half couldIt's wanting moreThat's gonna send me to my kneesSong: John MayerSome ups and downs from the last week of August ‘24. The good and bad, happy and sad, funny and mad, heroes and cads. The week that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Ditch the climate double speak and get real

    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 Government announced changes to the Fast-Track Approvals Bill on Sunday, backing off from the contentious proposal to give ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to August 30

    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 science of changing sea temperatures and which emissions policies actually work; on the latest from Ukraine, Gaza and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • This Govt’s infrastructure strategy depends on capital gains taxes & new road taxes

    Billions of dollars in value uplift was identified around the Transmission Gully project, but that was captured 100% by landowners and not shared to pay for the project. Now National is saying value capture should be used for similar projects. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/ Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 30-August-2024

    Kia ora and welcome to the end of another week. Here’s our regular Friday roundup of things that caught our eye, in the realm of cities and transport. If you enjoy these roundups, feel free to join our growing ranks of supporters by making a recurring donation to keep the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Table Talk: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.

    “That’s the sort of constitutional reform he favours: conceived in secret; revolutionary in intent; implemented incrementally without fanfare; and under no circumstances to be placed before the electorate for democratic ratification.”TO SAY IT WAS RAINING would have understated seriously the meteorological conditions. Simply put, it was pissing down. One of ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Big Norm and Chris Hipkins

    It’s 50 years ago today that “Big Norm” Kirk died of a heart attack in Wellington’s Home of Compassion. Home of Compassion. Although he was Prime Minister for only 623 days, he has an iconic place in New Zealand history, particularly Labour history. When Labour leaders like Jacinda Ardern recite ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #35 2024

    Open access notables Arctic glacier snowline altitudes rise 150 m over the last 4 decades, Larocca et al., The Cryosphere: We mapped the snowline (SL) on a subset of 269 land-terminating glaciers above 60° N latitude in the latest available summer, clear-sky Landsat satellite image between 1984 and 2022. The mean SLA was extracted ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week 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
    2 days ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

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

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

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

    Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged by significant improvements to overseas investment decision timeframes, and the enhanced interest from investors as the Government continues to reform overseas investment. “There were about as many foreign direct investment applications in July and August as there was across the six months ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days 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
    3 days 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
    3 days 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
    3 days 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
    3 days 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
    3 days ago
  • More choice and competition in building products

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

    On the occasion of the official visit by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand to the Republic of Korea from 4 to 5 September 2024, a summit meeting was held between His Excellency President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Comprehensive Strategic Partnership the goal for New Zealand and Korea

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol. “Korea and New Zealand are likeminded democracies and natural partners in the Indo Pacific. As such, we have decided to advance discussions on elevating the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • International tourism continuing to bounce back

    Results released today from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) confirm international tourism is continuing to bounce back, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey says. The IVS results show that in the June quarter, international tourism contributed $2.6 billion to New Zealand’s economy, an increase of 17 per cent on last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government confirms RMA reforms to drive primary sector efficiency

    The Government is moving to review and update national level policy directives that impact the primary sector, as part of its work to get Wellington out of farming. “The primary sector has been weighed down by unworkable and costly regulation for too long,” Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.  “That is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Weak grocery competition underscores importance of cutting red tape

    The first annual grocery report underscores the need for reforms to cut red tape and promote competition, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “The report paints a concerning picture of the $25 billion grocery sector and reinforces the need for stronger regulatory action, coupled with an ambitious, economy-wide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government moves to lessen burden of reliever costs on ECE services

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government has listened to the early childhood education sector’s calls to simplify paying ECE relief teachers. Today two simple changes that will reduce red tape for ECEs are being announced, in the run-up to larger changes that will come in time from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Over 2,320 people engage with first sector regulatory review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says there has been a strong response to the Ministry for Regulation’s public consultation on the early childhood education regulatory review, affirming the need for action in reducing regulatory burden. “Over 2,320 submissions have been received from parents, teachers, centre owners, child advocacy groups, unions, research ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government backs women in horticulture

    “The Government is empowering women in the horticulture industry by funding an initiative that will support networking and career progression,” Associate Minister of Agriculture, Nicola Grigg says.  “Women currently make up around half of the horticulture workforce, but only 20 per cent of leadership roles which is why initiatives like this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government to pause freshwater farm plan rollout

    The Government will pause the rollout of freshwater farm plans until system improvements are finalised, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard announced today. “Improving the freshwater farm plan system to make it more cost-effective and practical for farmers is a priority for this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Milestone reached for fixing the Holidays Act 2003

    Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden says yesterday Cabinet reached another milestone on fixing the Holidays Act with approval of the consultation exposure draft of the Bill ready for release next week to participants.  “This Government will improve the Holidays Act with the help of businesses, workers, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • New priorities to protect future of conservation

    Toitū te marae a Tāne Mahuta me Hineahuone, toitū te marae a Tangaroa me Hinemoana, toitū te taiao, toitū te tangata. The Government has introduced clear priorities to modernise Te Papa Atawhai - The Department of Conservation’s protection of our natural taonga. “Te Papa Atawhai manages nearly a third of our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Faster 110km/h speed limit to accelerate Kāpiti

    A new 110km/h speed limit for the Kāpiti Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS) has been approved to reduce travel times for Kiwis travelling in and out of Wellington, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • IVL increase to ensure visitors contribute more to New Zealand

    The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) will be raised to $100 to ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand, Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Matt Doocey and Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka say. “The Government is serious about enabling the tourism sector ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Delivering priority connections for the West Coast

    A record $255 million for transport investment on the West Coast through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s road and rail links to keep people connected and support the region’s economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “The Government is committed to making sure that every ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Road and rail reliability a focus for Wellington

    A record $3.3 billion of transport investment in Greater Wellington through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will increase productivity and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. We're focused on delivering transport projects ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Record investment to boost economic and housing growth in the Waikato

    A record $1.9 billion for transport investment in the Waikato through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more efficient, safe, and resilient roading network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “With almost a third of the country’s freight travelling into, out ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Building reliable and efficient roading for Taranaki

    A record $808 million for transport investment in Taranaki through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Taranaki’s roads carry a high volume of freight from primary industries and it’s critical we maintain efficient connections across the region to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Supporting growth and resilience in Otago and Southland

    A record $1.4 billion for transport investment in Otago and Southland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more resilient and efficient network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and productivity in Otago ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Delivering connected and resilient roading for Northland

    A record $991 million for transport investment in Northland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s connections and support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “We are committed to making sure that every transport dollar is spent wisely on the projects and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Top of the South to benefit from reliable transport infrastructure

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