Why Can’t We Do More?

Written By: - Date published: 8:44 am, October 16th, 2021 - 35 comments
Categories: climate change, covid-19, housing, human rights, labour, poverty - Tags:

That’s a pretty standard question when your own political team is comfortably in power.

Particularly since the failure to implement the Capital Gains Tax in April 2019, there was clamour for this government to have the courage to do more.

Since that time a number of large government initiatives have been actively stopped or gone nowhere.

They have shown extraordinary caution to solidify the direction of the Climate Commission into a forceful, bold and comprehensive climate change response across the whole of government and indeed of society. Tax. Climate. Poverty. Environment. Productivity. Savings. Housing. Energy.

They have made small steps in some areas, but no more.

There is one quite present thing that ought to give this government courage to act boldly and implement swiftly in climate change, poverty, tax, housing, or any other policy area and it is this. All government entities, and almost 90% of the entire population of New Zealand, have acted to the common policy interest of us all and agreed to invasive medical treatment, and the state has enabled this to occur within 10 months of just one year, with exceptionally fast results.

Over one third of New Zealand’s population and 40% of its economy has in Auckland been subjected to a martial order controlling its citizens and curtailing their human rights and commercial freedoms three times over two years, with but minor protest. The Brian Tamaki protest managed to gather less than half the number of Kiwis whose main sport is cross-country running.

When the state and its political leadership determine that there are policy goals which are so pressing that human rights and commercial freedoms must be suspended on such a scale, you know that you have a society that is at base so cohesive, with such high trust in government, that it really will sacrifice to transform itself in the common good.

Within such incredible circumstance of dramatic cuts to our rights and freedoms for common cause, the popularity of the ruling Labour Party remains higher than it has for decades. Our sustained cohesion is something to behold.

So there is no political excuse left not to act boldly in responding to any of our outstanding policy areas. Poverty. Climate. Environment. Housing. Productivity. Savings. Energy.

We have good reason to now expect that this government and indeed ourselves can get to 90% achievement of any such audacious goal.

Not only is there the will of the public service to act at speed and with power, so too is the will of the people to achieve it.

35 comments on “Why Can’t We Do More? ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. garibaldi 1
    16 October 2021 at 8:53 am

    Greta Thunberg comes to mind. All we will get is "blah blah blah".

  2. Forget now 2
    16 October 2021 at 9:09 am

    One thing that the government could do right away is to stop exempting itself from the (legal) consequences of its inaction on CO2/ CH4 reduction (beyond a toothless declaration by the courts).

    Across the world climate change activists have been going to court, seeking to make their governments act to protect future generations. And hot on the heels of victories in the Netherlands and Germany, there's been another one in France…

    Note that Aotearoa's climate law specifically forbids this. Our government refuses to be accountable under the law if it fails to meet its obligations. Which is effectively a declaration of criminal intent.

    http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2021/10/climate-change-another-legal-victory.html

    The relevant Subpart 5: {was} inserted, on 14 November 2019, by section 8 of the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act 2019 (2019 No 61), so it's not like they can blame this one on National. NZF maybe, but that begs the question of; why have they done nothing over the past year to amend this clause?

    (1) No remedy or relief is available for failure to meet the 2050 target or an emissions budget, and the 2050 target and emissions budgets are not enforceable in a court of law, except as set out in this section.

    (2) If the 2050 target or an emissions budget is not met, a court may make a declaration to that effect, together with an award of costs.

    https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2002/0040/latest/LMS282051.html

  3. Tiger Mountain 3
    16 October 2021 at 9:48 am

    Ideological orthodoxy and the substantial pressure of an embedded neo liberal state is why the Labour Caucus will not do more. Plus the “Parliamentary wing” of the NZ Labour Party has always lorded it over ordinary party members–lest they get uppity with any ideas about “socialisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange”.

    Contracting out, deregulation, self regulation, penetration of public infrastructure by private capital (e.g. power generation and supply), free in and out flow of capital, State Sector Act, Reserve Bank Act…these are the reasons there is not a state house mega build, rent control, basic income to all citizens, retirement of WINZ/MSD, Capital Gains tax etc. etc.

    How deep the nearly 40 year Parliamentary neo liberal consensus runs is obvious in the fact that Grant Roberstson would rather appease the corporate, SME and petit bourgeois sectors than do some easy things for the working class–and the alienated working class that seem to make up a good section of the non vaccinated.

    Class left thinkers are needed at the heart of Government rather than the hardcore fifth columnist tories at the top to the public service, complete with their rimless or Harry Potter styled glasses. The current MPs are mainly the children of “Roger’n’Ruth” so to some extent they have not known any other way of doing politics, particularly post Employment Contracts Act when union density was devastated.

    So Parliament cannot be seen as the answer, it is the people and communities that have to get organised again. And as the property hogging boomers shuffle off, their replacement generations will have that opportunity and there are many signs they will take it.

    • KJT 3.1
      16 October 2021 at 10:19 am

      As the small proportion of boomers that are "Property hogging" shuffle their mortal coil.

      Their equally wealthy and "property hogging" descendants will inherit the houses, the wealth and the anti community selfishness.

      And most likely vote ACT!

    • Michael 3.2
      16 October 2021 at 5:29 pm

      I agree with your diagnosis. The Labour Party has not been a vehicle for participatory democracy for many years. As a result, the caucus is easily swayed by vested interests from outside the Party, either technocratic, bureaucratic or capitalist. In turn, people from outside those elite groups have no faith or confidence that their concerns will even be considered. I'd really like to see the Party build, or rebuild, democratic participation from within – unions could be a great source of people and resources. Workshops in civics, to improve basic political and economic literacy, seem necessary.

  4. weka 4
    16 October 2021 at 10:15 am

    Good post. (lol that you know or looked up how many cross country runners NZ has).

    So what's the difference between the pandemic and the housing crisis or climate/ecology crises (the two most pressing issues)? The pandemic force Labour to act. The other two crises aren't at crunch, do or die moment. They should be, but we are still buffered by neoliberal economics and fossil fuels, and can keep pretending that they're not that urgent.

    I see a lot of potential for the pandemic to teach use how to respond to climate/eco and housing crises, but I also think it's going to take pressure from outside of parliament of a degree that Labour will follow. There's a paradox there because a lot of what is going on is people being afraid of covid and being relieved that someone else stepped up and sorted it out (Labour). But Labour aren't stepping up on housing or climate/ecology.

    What would make them do so other than waiting until both those long crises are so bad that the government is forced to act?

    I don't think waiting for the election cycle will work either, because Labour don't have a history of shifting left to win elections when they're already in power.

    • Sabine 4.1
      17 October 2021 at 2:59 pm

      Not one member in parliament is affected by poverty or the housing crisis.

      Covid however is something even the well to do can get and die of.

      See, there is your motivation to 'combat' the one whilst doing very little on the rest.

  5. Dennis Frank 5
    16 October 2021 at 10:19 am

    Your thesis correctly illuminates the dark side of centrism. Hegemony of the middle, used to preserve the status quo. The problem for genuine progressives is the numbers game of democracy.

    So the left/right thing is just democracy's institutional way of implementing mass psychology, using Plato's model of shadows on the cave wall. Folks read the shadow-play, believing it real. Mass delusions are ever a source of political power.

    Next year is likely to be a new ball game created by the level of mass vaccination, and ensuing effectiveness of that strategy. If the threat is stabilised, any progressive govt agenda will be revealed in roll-out of prospective legislation. It would be sensible for the PM to announce her aspirations after the new year.

  6. SPC 6
    16 October 2021 at 11:57 am

    In Germany the Social Democrats are moving to a traffic light coalition with Greens and Free Democrats.

    They have agreed to bring forward the end of coal power from 2038 to 2030, have solar panels on all suitable roof space and allocate 2% of land for wind farms.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58924480

    The Germans will end nuclear power next year and will use more (of the cleaner) gas as coal use ends, and thus the “green” divide with France, which is continuing with its nuclear power system will continue.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/energy/is-nuclear-power-green-the-eu-shouldnt-be-the-one-deciding/2021/10/15/91bcf04e-2d75-11ec-b17d-985c186de338_story.html

  7. AB 7
    16 October 2021 at 12:20 pm

    …you know that you have a society that is at base so cohesive…

    I think the apparent cohesiveness is a bit deceptive. Pandemic-style public action is accepted only to the point where private interests (especially economic ones) start to suffer too much, then cohesiveness breaks down fast. What would another 4 weeks of L4 in Auckland produced?

    And pandemics are a bit unusual – in that although there is still a social gradient and the poor are more likely to get sick, they are scary for everyone. Pandemics are unusually equalising in their psychological effect. Housing crises, and poverty aren't like that. Climate change might be, but we will need to see imminent threats to life itself right at the door before large-scale coercive intervention is tolerated.

    We are stymied because sufficient cohesiveness is actually absent. And that's not suprising when we structure our society as what amounts to an undeclared civil war of everyone against everyone else for money and resources.

  8. Foreign waka 8
    16 October 2021 at 3:03 pm

    There is currently no system aligned providing freedom for the individual without the outcome of winners and losers in that system. The left tries to mitigate by state intervention whereas the right relies on self sufficiency aka swim or sink. Both have the propensity to work, as time passes and votes to be retained, towards the outer edges of their ideology. Over time people in the middle get p… off, because they are either milked endlessly for tax or made to run the gauntlet, with both outcomes delivering only a grunt and survival mood. These are also the very people that are throwing their jobs what is reported as the "great resignation". You can skin people some of the time but not all of the time. Now where is the tax to keep all ticking over going to come from? The corporates? LOL, sarc. The danger now is that the shift towards extremes at both ends. But the left does not want to take notice. Well, lets see in two years time….

  9. Ad 9
    16 October 2021 at 3:08 pm

    We just did 100,000 vaccinations in a day.

    We can do anything we want.

    • Tiger Mountain 9.1
      16 October 2021 at 3:32 pm

      Various counties have tried that…and the “powers that be” put a spanner in, capital flight or state force is the usual threat, so leaderships have to inform and take the people with them to have any chance.

      The PM could do it if she had a class left political analysis, but that is unfortunately not the case. A state house flat pack mega build with enforced land acquisition could indeed be done, but the Labour Caucus defers to developers and suppliers ahead of working class homeless.

      Yes great numbers today, all is not lost in the COVID fight.

      • Ad 9.1.1
        16 October 2021 at 3:44 pm

        The PM led it, with a united DHB and NGO and volunteer effort. The disaggregated state seems perfectly capable of effecting policy.

        • Foreign waka 9.1.1.1
          16 October 2021 at 4:14 pm

          You need to ask the question: where is the money coming from? NZ is now at a cross road where all the country "generates" is farm based product and that is internationally being questioned in terms of greenhouse gases. You need people paying tax, not government employees being fed the tax dollar generated by those few left to produce something and then "working from home" (pull another one).

          NZ is billions in debt, has printed money as if there is no tomorrow which resulted in assets (houses) being used instead of bank deposits and/or investments. Lets just see how that pans out shall we. I mean financial literacy is not the strongest suit by the average punter either.

          • Ad 9.1.1.1.1
            16 October 2021 at 4:19 pm

            NZ goes through crises at least once every five years and are getting better and better at responding, both as a state and as a society.

        • Tiger Mountain 9.1.1.2
          16 October 2021 at 4:20 pm

          Yes, on an “all New Zealander” basis–and how could it be otherwise in this case, a nasty virus that can kill rich and poor alike–except the alienated and poor are now more on the receiving end for some obvious reasons.

          Most Parliamentarians claim to govern for all, but the fact is they will not introduce reforms that capital and the structural neo liberal state strongly disapprove of.

          The Govt. is certainly capable, as the marvellous first few weeks response to COVID 2020 illustrated, when public health was put before private profit. It has been daily sniper attacks ever since, with fifth columnists in the public service providing intel, by capital trying to reverse that situation for good.

          • Ad 9.1.1.2.1
            16 October 2021 at 4:29 pm

            Neither the MSM nor Parliamentary opponents have achieved their aims. The old threat from National and its core is just vanishing. They had the chance to unite with the government and chose to stay where they were and burn. The NZHeraldn and both tv news channels are leading with Ardern's nationwide success today.

            There is of course reason to be pessimistic about this government achieving goals, but through her Covid response Ardern will see the measure of what she can do, and this will empower her to act more boldly in other areas.

  10. Castro 10
    16 October 2021 at 3:57 pm

    Don't hold your breath; Lational and Nabour have imported and enfranchished a fuckload of ACT (and Lational) voters.

  11. RedLogix 11
    16 October 2021 at 6:52 pm

    So there is no political excuse left not to act boldly in responding to any of our outstanding policy areas. Poverty. Climate. Environment. Housing. Productivity. Savings. Energy.

    The bold response to COVID was possible because people were willing to give up some of their usual rights – such as being able to go out of their home – for a temporary period.

    I'm not sure how this would work out for your list above. Crisis politics has a shelf life.

    • Ad 11.1
      16 October 2021 at 7:17 pm

      It's pretty hard now to look back on New Zealand's last 20 years without a good-sized crisis every 3 years at least.

      In a small country with a small government and a very small corporate sector all such crises get magnified. Our responses do look like they're improving.

  12. Stuart Munro 12
    16 October 2021 at 7:54 pm

    I am all for more active government, but there are things that make it difficult. The main gap is competence. Muldoon was enthusiastic to make NZ a tiger economy, but his strike rate under Think Big was lower than might have been hoped. We never got the synthetic petrol nor the ammonia urea plant – but I'm pretty sure we paid for them.

    Palmer learned the wrong lesson from this, deciding that government should do nothing – thus locking in decades of automatic failure. If one never tries, one will certainly never succeed. Opposition parties became exceptionally lazy during this period, until the Key government was so useless it was incapable of managing the still incomplete Christchurch rebuild. Its only achievements were faking a recovery by flooding the real estate market with foreign speculators, and primary industry with migrants who could never qualify for PR – creating a temporary new colonial economy by those who could exploit them.

    Labour should choose a substantial project to embark upon post Covid. Housing everybody would be a logical start – and if it reduced the deadweight cost of rentiers to the economy, so much the better. But, if they're going to do it, better do it right. Do not rely on foreign investors – they have no interest in project success, only in cash returns. Forget The Market as a rational force – NZ is a pretty small market and much more susceptible to volatilities of one kind or another than the theoretical markets, or large ones like the US or Europe. Get a working group within the party to bone up on the sector, and related issues like homelessness, materials supply, forestry and milling, and sustainable building technology. Select ministers and associates from this group once plans are worked out – this way the competence gap can be avoided. Give little credence to National or Act criticism – they have no competence, and listening to Seymour is like listening to Carter Burke.

    • Foreign waka 12.1
      16 October 2021 at 9:30 pm

      I honestly think that an UI would be a good start. The value ought to be linked to the affordability of basics such as housing, food, clothes, medicine. This could take away the one blackmailing power from those who have economic power over the less well off and perhaps an adult conversation can finally take place what it means to build a sustainable society. Such are dreams…

  13. georgecom 13
    16 October 2021 at 9:45 pm

    Over the past few weeks here are covid related things I can think of right here and now that relate to how the government has introduced new responses, initiatives and ways of doing things:

    isolate at home trial following international travel

    isolate at home recovering from covid

    introduce saliva pcr tests

    allow rapid antigen tests

    mandatory masks at level 2 and above

    compulsory vaccines in health and education

    vaccine passports

    mandatory weekly tests for those crossing the auckland border

    saturday vaxathon

    some are easy, like mask wearing, some quite late appearing like saliva pcr test, something the govt hasn't done that some might like, but all in all a reasonable suite of responses to the delta outbreak

  14. Phillip Clarke 14
    17 October 2021 at 7:58 am

    There seems to be a lot more blah blah blah here.

    Climate change is coming to a field near you.

    Hows about stopping burning coal? That would work

    Hows about stopping subsidising fossil fuels? That would work

    Hows about supporting regenerative farming? That would work

    I have children. I want them to see a New Zealand as green as it is now or preferably more.

  15. georgecom 15
    17 October 2021 at 2:22 pm

    yes to regenerative farming, which includes a focus on water harvesting where the topography permits it

  16. Sabine 16
    17 October 2021 at 3:04 pm

    why can't they do more?

    Because literally they are not able to think bigger and better then what they have offered now. Which is sandwiches for kids that can go to school, nothing much for those that are 'learning' from home, motel accom for our homeless adults and their kids, and a nice shiny new electric car feebate for those that can afford such a vehicle in the first place, oh and best of all Unisex toilets other people and persons and Men toilets for Men. 🙂

    We can do a lot of things – as a people, a community and a country, but we will get nothing done if leadership is not there, and it seems that while there is a lot of self interest being served there is no leadership to be found anywhere in our government.

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  • ACC wants to administer inflation at more than double the RBNZ’s target rate

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Draft critical minerals list released for consultation

    A draft list of minerals deemed essential to New Zealand’s economy and strengthening its mineral resilience has been released for consultation, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The draft Critical Minerals List identifies 35 minerals essential to economic functions, are in demand internationally, and face high risk of supply disruption domestically ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    56 mins ago
  • Government eliminates $190 million in trade barriers to boost the economy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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