Why Is New Zealand So Strong?

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, May 25th, 2022 - 36 comments
Categories: economy, Environment, food, Maori Issues, transport, treaty settlements - Tags:

As New Zealand signs up to another alliance to shore up our economic security in the face of fast retreats in economic globalisation, it’s worth taking stock of why New Zealand’s economy is so strong.

As Treasury commentary about this 2022 budget has noted, we have just gone through an economic shock many times worse than the GFC and come out pretty good.

It’s pretty easy to go through what we are bad at and what holds us back. Instead we are going to look at what makes us so strong.

A survey report from MBIE in February this year gives some analysis.

It starts off with the ‘deep roots’ of our advantages:

New Zealand’s comparative strengths often reflect ‘deep roots’ factors. Compared with other countries, New Zealand has strengths and specialisations in research in agriculture and biological sciences, and in products related to agriculture, partly reflecting a climate conducive to agriculture.

Similarly, New Zealand has strengths in tourism, partly reflecting the country’s natural beauty.”

(Just a length warning the report is 70 pages of analysis).

The four sectors of strength for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise are: Advanced Transportation, Food and Beverage, Partnering with Maori, Renewable Energy, Tech and Innovation, Tourism, and Wood Processing.

So it’s pretty consistent on the advantages that build what we produce and export well.

But that’s not the whole story to our survival through crises that have hit us about once every two years for the last two decades. Part of the further answer is in our social cohesion and wellbeing.

Self-reported wellbeing among New Zealanders is comparatively high, as are some other measures of wellbeing. This finding is striking in comparison with standard metrics like GDP  per capita for which New Zealand fares less well than many other developed countries. Given that New Zealanders’ wellbeing is the ultimate policy goal, it is important not to lose sight of the factors that likely contribute to this performance.

It hasn’t struck me until this year that we are a nation made of families that are broad and interrelated –  so many family groups have broad Messenger apps that keep us constantly connected. This is an economic power as well as a social power, and it runs deep and long. We house each other, hire each other, invest in each other, and do so with multigenerational intent.

As democracies fade and corrode in many parts of the world, compared with other countries New Zealand has performed consistently well in areas such as fundamental institutions, social capital and trust, and other deep foundational platforms.

Similarly, it will only take a couple of years of Matariki and Maori Language Week revivals to recognise a deep strength emerging from Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Maori culture, tikanga and matauranga, Maori corporate development and entrepreneurship, and the specific values and culture derived from Maori and Pacifika, which are both a social strength and in many respects an economic strength. They are, again, deep and long advantages that aren’t going to shift.

Governments will come and go but it is unlikely that any flavour of them will have much impact on the deep roots of our social and economic advantage. There is a persistence in our strengths.

So while Treasury is warning at Budget 2022 that we are in for further years of extreme volatility in the next few years, it is worth putting trust in this country that we will survive and indeed thrive.

36 comments on “Why Is New Zealand So Strong? ”

  1. Sanctuary 1

    NZ has a strong economy – unfortunately, it is constantly white-anted by an Anglophone globalised settler class that dominates the MSM and ruthlessly puts its class interests (one week they are grounded Kiwis locked out of their beloved homeland, next week they are desperate to flee this hellhole for better digs elsewhere but really they just want to do as they please) ahead of those of the country and the bulk of the people in it.

    The media representatives of this class are now tirelessly gas lighting us that the economy is a disaster (i.e. they are over-leveraged on their mortgages and the government is spending money on people who are not them) that "COVID is in the rear view mirror" (that is they've vigorously erased the deaths of the elderly and poor and brown people who are the main victims of covid from the media narrative) that crime is out of control (white person moral panic) and whole cohorts of young people (the well healed kids from nice parts of town) are gagging to get outta dodge.

    It is very difficult to argue that Ngati Pakeha are in partnership with Maori when a fair percentage of Pakeha are quite simply racists with an enormous cultural cringe which means they see the country is an enormous prison, except when they are down on their luck and then it ought to be organised entirely for their benefit until such time as they are back on their feet and they can shit all over the "locals" on the way out the door again.

    • RedLogix 1.1

      Three paras of gold plated white guilt cringe. Get over it mate.

      • Sanctuary 1.1.1

        I think you've spent too long amongst the red necks of Oz. Also, don’t call me mate. You don’t have that privilege.

        • RedLogix 1.1.1.1

          On the contrary – if I look about my office at the moment I am surrounded by more skin colours and cultures that you have probably ever met.

          This red-neck Oz you speak of is probably more multi-cultural and openly diverse than NZ. The whole time I have been here I rarely hear anyone speak in openly racist terms, and such language never gets any traction in the public discourse. Shit this is a country that has comprehensively voted away from that past just this weekend – and still there are far too many kiwis happy to trade on the tired old 'we're morally superior to those bogan ex-convicts over the ditch' meme.

          The sole exception is of course anyone who wants to dump on people with a white skin. Then for some reason it's all good.

          • Mark 1.1.1.1.1

            Good comment.

            That's true. As an ethnic Chinese I find Aussies far more relaxed than the average Kiwi, not only in terms of racial matters, but generally more relaxed overall. They are more sure of themselves, and are rarely 'try hards' in the way some Kiwis are.

            Also a lot less road rage.

          • woodart 1.1.1.1.2

            aus maybe multi racial but working on sydney construction sites would be an education for you logix. the casual racism is outrageous and would not be tolerated here.maybe you need to get out more.

            • Patricia Bremner 1.1.1.1.2.1

              devilTrue Woodart. My own now Aussie brother wife and family are very bigoted. They have racist names for all other racial groups, and have nothing to do with their gay nephew. They openly said they left NZ because of the Maori. (Probably better for Maori!!)sad

              Some have had difficulties with unvaccinated family falling out with the vaccinated. This is similar, conversations stay in safe territory, though I have let him know privately I am saddened he can not accept our son.

              Red Logix, bigotry is everywhere. Do you visit your work mates homes have meals with them, invite them to share in your occasions?…
              There is a huge difference between work acquaintances and mates. Sanctuary was talking about a bigoted few, who unfortunately loom large on our landscape. Hoskins for one, but there are others as well, who have hugely problematical attitudes. Just recently two people pretended to be two well known Maori, took their names in vain by posting threats to others in their town. It happens and can be very hurtful, especially when it is systemic.

              Most are not like that, thank goodness and the uptake of the Maori language, enthusiasm for all things Maori point to a more inclusive future. Don’t despair Sanctuary.

    • Mike the Lefty 1.2

      Not all pakeha are simple racists, Sanctuary. To blankly say that any non-Maori who doesn't support what Maori are asking for is racist only creates more walls for everyone.

      A lot of it is misinformation, and the MSM certainly should take some blame for this. For example the word "co-governance" has become a catchphrase for some non-Maori elements who believe that whenever Maori want a voice in anything they have an ulterior motive – and that is control – "the Maoris want to control everything".

      Now I don't believe this, but some elements of society do and unfortunately they seem to have a disproportionate amount of power in the public circle and the means to publicise their prejudices and inform the minds of the great unwashed.

      The classic example is Three Waters. If people actually bother to go right through it they find that it has laudable aims. Some small communities have already benefitted from its funding to start smaller scale water and sewerage treatment facilities which would never have been achieved otherwise.

      But political interests that oppose the government have turned it into another racial fight like they did with the foreshore and seabed act a couple of decades ago.

      I believe that some of the problem lies with what Maori and non-Maori define as "ownership". There is obviously a difference – I don't pretend that I understand the Maori perspective much but I do recognise that it is worthy and should not be dismissed out of hand.

      But you have a hard job persuading the diehards who are egged on by ZB Newstalk shock jocks who base their shows on their own ignorance and prejudices.

      How can this be remedied? I don't know but I suspect that if the government stands firm on the Maori Health provider, and Three Waters then people will be able to judge for themselves how it really will work with Maori input.

  2. Reality 2

    Wow! How good it is to read something positive and optimistic. Kiwis seem to expect absolutely everything to be exactly as they want and if they don't get exactly what they want, oh boy, do they whinge and moan. How would they like to live in Ukraine these days, in comparison.

    Thank you Advantage for reminding us the sun can and does shine.

    • mike 2.1

      Hear hear
      We seem to have swapped a pandemic for an epidemic.
      An epidemic of nitpicking, sneering, and moaning banality.

      Our country's good.

      • aj 2.1.1

        An epidemic of nitpicking, sneering, and moaning banality.

        Easy to forget that we fortunately don't have too many like
        Ian Taylor

  3. Hunter Thompson II 3

    Sanctuary – and note I did not call you my mate – you are entitled to your views, but you must realise that not everyone agrees with them.

    Surely the best way to test the strength of your position is to run for political office.

    See what happens then.

  4. Craig H 4

    Even with tourism's status as a pillar of our economy, the economy didn't skip a beat with the loss of international tourism, although obviously that didn't help our foreign exchange earnings. Remarkable stuff really.

    • KJT 4.1

      Shows that the net benefit of tourism was way less than claimed.

      The change in our balance of trade was way less, than if tourism was earning the billions claimed

      Neo-liberals never understand that a ledger has two sides.

      For two years many Aotearoa ans have enjoyed having their country back. COVID hasn't been all bad. Uncrowded tourist spots and more locals with jobs.

      • Poission 4.1.1

        Neo-liberals never understand that a ledger has two sides.

        The other side of ledger was that rather then the OS holiday,the money stayed in NZ,the decreased spend became savings,and NZ households increased their savings by 30 billion mar 2020- mar 2022.

        The increased funds also helped lower interest rates,and meant the banks had the use of liquid assets in nz.

        • Belladonna 4.1.1.1

          Actually, a heck of a lot of them 'invested' that spare money in housing, either purchase or renovations, contributing to the house-price inflation AND the shortage of builders (and other tradies).

      • Craig H 4.1.2

        Absolutely agree. Different tourism businesses will have gained and lost from the shift to domestic tourism, but the overall impact looks to have been small.

  5. Tiger Mountain 5

    An ADVANTAGE puff piece par excellence…

    NZ has developed into a “Tale of Two Cities” since Roger’n’Ruth had their way. COVID certainly showed who we really are in ways both magnificent and disappointing.

    Capital, farming and the petit bourgeoisie wailing for two years because they could not do what they wanted when they wanted for once–even a second tier welfare benefit for the poor wee lambs–while the working class kept the basic infrastructure ticking over.

    Agree with KJT @ 4.1.

    • KJT 5.1

      I do agree with Ad about "resiliance" and that it is due to New Zealanders social cohesion and our fundemental ethics of fairness, helping each other and co-operation.

      Even though eroded in recent years, the "essential workers" continued to keep things running, despite all the shite being thrown at them.

  6. Patricia Bremner 6

    The nasty undermining wails of the 1% became obvious as the bulk of the country followed the health edicts, used the Government supports, supported and cheered each other on to weather covid while the 1% cried against lockdowns.

    The internet warriors got busy with their lies, meanwhile 96% of us did not go down the rabbit holes. Vaccination rates showed that. Then the mandated vaccinations caused all the disaffected to join together.

    The intent for some was to overturn vaccine mandates others to bring down this Government. Finding most of the anti sentiment came from 12 voices, showed it was not as general or as widespread as feared.

    Those members of parliament past and present who kept up the cry of hobbits and failure and wrong direction and open up….really undermining what was being done.

    It was all to preserve health, and to keep people employed so meant people and the economy weathered the immediate problems strongly.

    The fallout of too much covid cash chasing fewer assets has meant growing inflation. Though we are told it is internally caused, we see it is world wide.

    The growing overseas political tensions coupled with climate change problems cascading has made people aware of their trade relationships supply lines and loss of crops causing a growing awareness of food shortages based on sunflower oil and wheat, to name a few.

    Basing the Budgets on wellbeing and health has underpinned our success. The pivot towards home has supported many businesses, money staying here instead of going overseas.

    Many have found this a stressful time as inequities are laid bare and although charities have had huge support from Government, real change is still very slow.

    Bolder moves are needed as some conduits of help are not up to the task and a Country wide approach to poverty is needed. All the sticking plasters have been applied, what we need is radical treatments for all the sufferers on a nation wide scale.

    It is possible to tweek capitalism without inviting the cossack dancers of fear again. We need Government building “For rent” @ 25% of the main income, to keep us strong.

    • DanW 6.1

      Couple of points;

      1) Vax rates do not infer acceptance. Many were put between a rock and a hard place.

      2) "The Nasty Underminers" are just as much a part of our community and are equally entitled to their existence and opinion.

      3) Regarding the so called "lies", The governments own statistics (ministry of health website) are now showing that fully vax'd and boostered have equal or higher percentage rates of hospitalisation and death than the un-vax'd group. If the original claims of 95% effectiveness were true, why are we seeing equal or higher rates of cases amongst the vax'd and boostered? Why did the outbreak happen directly after the vax roll out? Why are vax'd even getting sick?

      4) its not only 1% of us who are against lockdowns, the main reason most businesses that I've spoken with complied with mandates etc was to avoid future lockdowns (or to stay open), suggesting the majority of us are against lockdowns.

      5) the intent of the "nasty undermining liars" is likely to ensure we have a future, that is inclusive of all walks of life and opinions (even those as aggressive and condescending as yours), and that we remain free to do our own research, formulate our own opinions and contribute together to build a stronger, more rounded and balanced society as a whole. Enough with this divisiveness.

      If you need a hug, I'm here for you.

      • weka 6.1.1

        The governments own statistics (ministry of health website) are now showing that fully vax'd and boostered have equal or higher percentage rates of hospitalisation and death than the un-vax'd group. If the original claims of 95% effectiveness were true, why are we seeing equal or higher rates of cases amongst the vax'd and boostered? Why did the outbreak happen directly after the vax roll out? Why are vax'd even getting sick?

        Please link to the MoH page that supports what you just said, so that we can know what you are referring to. It's a requirement of this site to provide backup for claims of fact when asked.

        • DanW 6.1.1.1

          https://www.health.govt.nz/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-data-and-statistics/covid-19-case-demographics

          Scroll down to cases by vaccination status section

          Then if you do the math, based on the % of population per vaccination status. I've arrived at;

          52% of the population are boosted, and 60% of new cases in the past 7 days are boosted people and they are 51% of new hospitalisations. There are just 24% of the population left with just two jabs, 25% of new cases are from them, and fully 35% of hospitalisations. Unvax'd make up 7% of the population, but only 2% of the new cases, and 6% of the hospitalisations.

          I find this worrying considering we were told the jab is 95% effective.

          Happy to be proven wrong.

          • KJT 6.1.1.1.1

            In the past 7 days?

          • KJT 6.1.1.1.2

            Analysis from someone who actually knows what they are talking about.

            Most COVID patients in NZ's Omicron outbreak are vaccinated, but that's no reason to doubt vaccine benefits (theconversation.com)

            "Many cases, probably most cases, are not being diagnosed at the moment. Unvaccinated people will be less likely to get tested, especially in mild cases of the disease, either because of poor access to the health system or because they don’t think COVID is important. We can’t really tell how much bias this introduces into the numbers.

            Hospitalisations and deaths are much more reliably counted than cases. Results from clinical trials and careful population studies of COVID vaccines consistently show the vaccines to be more effective in preventing more serious disease, especially with the new variants. There are plausible biological explanations for this, based on different parts of our immune response."

            A better comparison for assessing vaccine effectiveness is NZ against Hong Kong, where only about half were vaccinated.

      • Incognito 6.1.2

        Luckily for you, weka has already challenged you on your 3rd point, which is just as well because it shows such a high level of profound ignorance.

        As to your 4th point, “suggesting the majority of us are against lockdowns”, that’s a load of bollocks.

        As the success of social distancing is contingent on compliance with government instructions, it was critical that people bought into the task. The “Unite Against COVID-19” campaign helped develop a collective sense of purpose (Duncan, 2020), and public opinion polls consistently showed more than 80% support for the government’s actions including the lockdown (Cooke, 2020; Cooke & Malpass, 2020; Coughlan, 2020; Manhire, 2020).

        https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0275074020941721

        • DanW 6.1.2.1

          Thanks for taking the time to respond.

          3rd point rebutted above , with link and math. Please do the math and let me know if I'm seeing this wrong.

          To suggest any bussiness is happy to close their doors and not trade is "bollocks". I live in the real world and locking healthy people at home in fear of an invisible boggy man is "bollocks", regardless of what any paid off advisor has to say.

          • Incognito 6.1.2.1.1

            You haven’t rebutted anything; your math was off and your understanding of the topic is clearly piss poor.

            As to the majority of us being against lockdowns, you have tried to counter the robust evidence provided by shifting the goal posts and you got nowhere, as expected.

            The “invisible boggy man” [sp] tells me that your comments can be dismissed as futile and fantastic. The irony is that you claim to live in the real world.

            I should have challenged you on your 1st point @ 6.1 with stone-cold facts but you would have sunk faster than a former National Minister into a billion dollar hole of his own making.

    • In Vino 6.2
      • 1 Patricia
  7. Stuart Munro 7

    While it is necessary to rebut the habitual sledging of the policyless traditional Right parties, an economy in which worker incomes do not keep pace with the cost of living is certainly not strong from their perspective.

    It's like society has delaminated, and those who work productively get to watch their cheese being drawn away while self-congratulatory civil servants utter Panglossian bromides.

    Dr. Pangloss's comment about, “the best of all possible worlds”, is widely remembered, but what we tend to forget is how unpleasant his world really is. Candide's life is marred by pillage, murder, rape, war, torture and natural disasters. The only relief Voltaire provides Candide after each disaster is a bizzare re-iteration of Pangloss's absurd refrain that, “this must be the best of all possible worlds”. Voltaire's Candide warns us about scholarly self-deception and wishful thinking.

    Panglossian accounting theories: The science of apologising in style – ScienceDirect

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    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    6 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
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