Why wasn’t Brownlee sacked?

Written By: - Date published: 8:50 am, December 19th, 2014 - 49 comments
Categories: Abuse of power, Gerry Brownlee, john key, national, Politics, same old national - Tags:

gerry brownlee trust me

This Government has three different techniques when it wants to bury adverse news. For run of the mill reports they are released on the Friday at the beginning of a Parliamentary recess period. For bad reports they tend to dump them on days with other notable news events happening. And for the really bad reports they wait until just before Christmas.

By this measure the report into Gerry Brownlee’s breach of security at Christchurch Airport is a doozy.

It was originally going to be released on the same day as the announcement of the new Labour Party leader. Even then John Key expressed surprise at how long it had taken. Stuff reported him as saying this:

Mr Brownlee was advised today and so I’m sure there will be a statement tomorrow … don’t forget it’s got nothing to do with us. We are actually amazed that it’s taken as long as it has. I mean, it’s two months since the election.”

Key’s amazement should by now verge on incredulity.

The decision that Brownlee had been fined $2,000 for the security breach was announced at the time but the report was not released. Some commentators expressed surprise, after all according to Brownlee’s explanation the door was opened for him by the security officer and the definition of the infringement he had been charged with had a defence if Brownlee entered the area with a boarding pass and with the intent of catching a flight.

This morning’s Dominion Post refers to the now released report and has the following passage:

The airport employee “decided to swipe his security card to release the door, open it and explain to Mr Brownlee and his associates that they could not enter the sterile area using that door and would instead have to proceed to the security screening area”.

By the time the airport employee got to the door, one of Brownlee’s aides had already pulled the security door open, something Brownlee has never revealed before. The three then walked through the door.

The airport employee claims Brownlee then said “sorry to do this but we’re in a hell of a hurry”.

The report adds that the trio then walked passed him.

“Mr Brownlee and his aides considered [the airport employee] had agreed to, or at least acquired in, their entry through the Koru exit door” although the officer “does not accept that”.

When the events came to light, Brownlee told reporters that he had not barged passed security.

“No I didn’t barge past security … I went through a door that I shouldn’t have gone through,” Brownlee said.

“We knocked on the door and I said to the guy ‘we’re in a terrible hurry, can I go through here?’ He said ‘okay‘.”

Someone is telling fibs. My bet is that it is Brownlee.

The report is apparently heavily redacted. I have not been able to find it either on the CAA website or on the Beehive website.

The disclosure raises an issue about why Brownlee was treated in the way he was. Section 54 of the Civil Aviation Act 1990 makes it an offence to refuse to leave a security area. If the Security Officer was able to tell Brownlee to go then he should have been charged with this offence which is theoretically punishable by a jail sentence.

The event reinforces the well earned perception of National arrogance, that the rules do not apply to them and they enjoy privilege the rest of us do not.

The timing of the release and the redacting of the report raises serious questions about the CAA’s independence. And Brownlee should have been fired as a minister. After all John Key said in 2008 “I expect high standards from my Ministers … if they don’t meet the standards I set then obviously I will take action if necessary.”

49 comments on “Why wasn’t Brownlee sacked? ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Dont worry. Be happy 1
    19 December 2014 at 8:59 am

    Why were the police at the airport not called by security staff? Was the pilot of the plane told that three passengers had evaded security? If so, why did that pilot take off? Is airport security for real? Or is it a joke?

    • Lanthanide 1.1
      19 December 2014 at 9:19 am

      “Was the pilot of the plane told that three passengers had evaded security?”

      While this is of course true, you do also have to look at the reality of the situation: how likely is it that an unmistakable government minister (given his size) going to commit any sort of terrorist or harmful act while on the plane?

      • Wensleydale 1.1.1
        19 December 2014 at 11:51 am

        The fact that Brownlee is a government minister is a terrorist act.

        • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.1
          19 December 2014 at 12:52 pm

          😈

        • McFlock 1.1.1.2
          19 December 2014 at 12:53 pm

          chortle

        • mac1 1.1.1.3
          19 December 2014 at 1:11 pm

          “In 1999, Brownlee was prosecuted and fined $8000 for assaulting an environmental activist at a National Party conference. Neil Abel, 58, a sympathiser of the Native Forest Action Group, said Brownlee grabbed him by the belt, thrust his knee “up my backside”, and manhandled him from the venue. He said Brownlee then threatened to throw him down a staircase, and that he feared for his life during the scuffle.”

          This from Stuff in 2014, listing Brownlee’s top ten gaffes.

          http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10306756/Top-10-Gerry-Brownlee-gaffes

          You would fear for yourself if you knew Brownlee’s record and were confronted by him at a doorway, with his two ‘minders’.

          Brownlee’s behaviour at Christchurch Airport is not atypical of the man.

      • McFlock 1.1.2
        19 December 2014 at 1:12 pm

        Even if Brownlee was known, the people with him weren’t.
        But the real issue is that any compromise of a security system degrades the effectiveness of that system by setting a precedent for informal/non-procedural work-arounds.

        One incident isn’t fatal. But when you get a culture of this sort of shit, sooner or later something bad happens, and it’s never the people in charge (who let it get like that) who bear the brunt of it.

      • wtl 1.1.3
        19 December 2014 at 1:13 pm

        …how likely is it that an unmistakable government minister (given his size) going to commit any sort of terrorist or harmful act while on the plane?

        Probably not a lot less likely than any other person would commit such an act. Consider this: What if some ill-intentioned people were holding a family member of Brownlee hostage and were forcing him to do something he wouldn’t normally do?

        • Lanthanide 1.1.3.1
          19 December 2014 at 7:29 pm

          “What if some ill-intentioned people were holding a family member of Brownlee hostage and were forcing him to do something he wouldn’t normally do?”

          I think he’d talk to the police, rather than perform any sort of terrorist act against his country. Pretty quick way to lose your job and end up in prison, that.

          • Stephanie Rodgers 1.1.3.1.1
            20 December 2014 at 11:04 am

            It must be nice to be able to assume you’d act perfectly rationally under extremely stressful/dangerous circumstances.

            • Lanthanide 1.1.3.1.1.1
              20 December 2014 at 11:37 am

              If someone has checked in to fly and their luggage is on the plane, the plane doesn’t leave until either the passenger gets on board, or the luggage is removed (which is time-consuming, so they don’t like doing that). That is to prevent people from putting bombs in the bags.

              So, given that, if someone were using duress to get Brownlee to commit an act of terrorism against a plane, he would have to be on the plane himself. Again it seems unlikely a government minister would knowingly act as a suicide bomber no matter what duress someone was trying to put them under.

              So if we take the plane out of the picture, Brownlee could be under duress to do any sort of criminal or other activity – but you could do that anywhere, like a shopping mall, it doesn’t have to be an airport.

              • wtl …
                20 December 2014 at 3:13 pm

                So, given that, if someone were using duress to get Brownlee to commit an act of terrorism against a plane, he would have to be on the plane himself. Again it seems unlikely a government minister would knowingly act as a suicide bomber no matter what duress someone was trying to put them under.

                There is a very good reason why airport security does not make exceptions for ‘trustworthy people’ and that is that any assumption made about what someone would or would not do is an extremely dangerous thing to do. The reality is that if there are loopholes in airport security, it is not unlikely that a committed terrorist group that has planned their attack would take advantage of these loopholes, one way or another.

          • Sabine 1.1.3.1.2
            20 December 2014 at 11:05 pm

            You might think the sky is green or blue or pink. Who really cares. 🙂

            We the peeps of this nation and others have to take of our shoes, have to take of our belts, have to be screened, wanded, x-rayed and have to be polite when uniformed others go through our panties and socks. It is called Airport Security, and it is all there to keep us safe.

            now, we are still a democracy, we are still a nation of laws, and as far as I know we are still a nation of law for all and not just for some.

            Brownlee is a citizen of our nation and as such is subject to the same set of rules as you and I. If he was in such a hurry, someone could have called airport security and let them know that the most important Mr. Brownlee is late and needs to be fast tracked to catch his plane. That would have been the correct course of action.

            All your posts are nothing but very boring apologies for something that you and I could have spend time in prison under our current set of laws.

    • Draco T Bastard 1.2
      19 December 2014 at 12:52 pm

      Why are you trying to shift the responsibility for Brownlee’s actions on to airport security?

      • Sabine 1.2.1
        20 December 2014 at 11:06 pm

        that poor airport security might have been a labour or green fellow.

        Or, Mr. Brownlee is part of the National Party Machine, and as such is infallible, and always right.
        Ergo, it is Airport Security that needs to be crucified.

    • Murray Rawshark 1.3
      19 December 2014 at 8:10 pm

      A cop boarded the plane to tell the pilot that Brownlee and his goons had bypassed security. The NAct voting pilot replied that he wasn’t worried because there was a regulation exempting Ministers from security requirements. There isn’t.

      The NAct voting pilot who doesn’t follow security regulations should be sacked along with Brownlee.

      http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11376880

    • Kevin 2 1.4
      21 December 2014 at 12:18 pm

      Why was Goff not sacked for pre-empting the release of the so-called ‘black-ops’ report, and for lying to his leader about same???

  2. RedLogix 2
    19 December 2014 at 9:22 am

    On a scale of 0 -10 of Ministerial offenses – surely this rates a 2 or 3 three at worst?

    It’s the kind of stupid thing busy people do when they are running late or under pressure. But nothing was actually broken here. No-one was harmed. The idea that the Deputy PM somehow represented a potential security threat is risible.

    Yes Brownlee did the arrogant born-to-rule twit thing here, and it’s ok to play that up.

    But demanding a resignation? That just devalues the meaning of it.

    • Kevin 2.1
      19 December 2014 at 9:26 am

      Really?

      I wonder what the reaction/consequences will be for me if I try and pull the same stunt on my way to the South Island tomorrow.

      • RedLogix 2.1.1
        19 December 2014 at 9:37 am

        Likely you will be pinged and fined $2000. If you’re not the Deputy PM you will probably miss the flight.

      • Paul 2.1.2
        19 December 2014 at 9:39 am

        These Tories believe they were born to rule and that society’s rules don’t apply to them.

        • RedLogix 2.1.2.1
          19 December 2014 at 9:56 am

          Maybe. But it’s worth keeping in mind that Brownlee must have been through ChCh airport many hundreds of times. This seems to have been the one occasion he (or his entourage) stuffed up.

          Running late, under pressure – didn’t think it through. Let the importance of his office and responsibilities run away with him. A mistake and a very human one.

          There has to be a valid response to this incident that lies somewhere between rabid frothing and pretending it didn’t happen.

    • mickysavage 2.2
      19 December 2014 at 9:37 am

      I thought that at the time. But the subsequent handling of the matter, the burying of the report until Christmas and the indication that Brownlee may not have been telling the truth to the media makes this more serious IMHO.

      • RedLogix 2.2.1
        19 December 2014 at 10:01 am

        Yes and that could be the somewhat substantive issue here.

        But on re-reading the accounts – it appears that the employee did open the door so that in that sense Brownlee’s recollection may well be true.

        That the employee intended to prevent Brownlee from entering but didn’t get the chance to do so may not be Brownlees’ fault.

        Fuck it – I don’t want to be maneuvered into defending the man here, but if we are going to fire ammo – lets get the target sorted first?

        • Lanthanide 2.2.1.1
          19 December 2014 at 12:41 pm

          +100 Red.

        • McFlock 2.2.1.2
          19 December 2014 at 1:04 pm

          Brownlee didn’t notice he was barging past someone to whom both parties agree he said something along the lines of “sorry to do this but we’re in a hell of a hurry”?

          Nah.

          And he certainly wouldn’t think that anybody who says to airport staff “we’re in a hurry” would get to bypass security.

          He used his position to intimidate a person into allowing a violation of security procedures. This, from a government that is so paranoid it wanted to legalise warrantless surveillance of any NZ citizen.

          • emergency mike 2.2.1.2.1
            19 December 2014 at 4:18 pm

            Agree with McFlock. One of his aides pushed open the security door ffs. Plus there’s the point that big Gerry not only sorry but yeah nah’d his way through airport security, he took two other people with him.

            That’s not how airport security is supposed to work and he knew it. These are the clowns we are being asked/told to accept greater spy powers. Nick Smith resigned because he used the wrong letterhead.

    • aerobubble 2.3
      19 December 2014 at 11:55 am

      Clark driving speeds similar level of executive arrogance.

      • Crashcart 2.3.1
        19 December 2014 at 1:16 pm

        Clarke wasn’t driving. They didn’t force anyone trying to stop them to get out of the way. It was the sort of thing Key was referring to when he said he would expect a higher standard from his ministers, yet he then does not.

        Honestly if you are a believer in the old “well they did it so I can” way of thinking then you should feel happy breaking all laws because at some stage they have all been broken and someone got away with it so you should be allowed to

      • tc 2.3.2
        19 December 2014 at 3:38 pm

        but but labooouurr did it too…so sad and missing the actual context of Gerry’s actual offense V Clark’s driver and not Clark being the one speeding it’s almost funny.

        Can santa bring us some better wingnuts in 2015 please.

        • aerobubble 2.3.2.1
          21 December 2014 at 9:54 am

          Clark needed to get to the rugby, she’d missed the chch flight. Police were speeding to a new trans cook transport. Police were taken to court.

          Brownlee orders security to let him in. The security fearing for his job allegedly swipes him in.

          Now sure its harder to prove it was Clark, or a staffer. And sure not many terrorists are ministers who may even have lawful rights of entry to secure areas for testing security. And for sure police did endanger the PM by speeding.

  3. tc 3
    19 December 2014 at 9:41 am

    because he knows where the bodies are buried having served under brash and has fair knowledge of the chch plunder.

    So the last they want is an idle sgt shultz so best keep all those PR spin doctors being a minister brings bolted on keeping him in check.

  4. coaster 4
    19 December 2014 at 9:41 am

    Irrelevant of him being recognised, were the other 2 with him?. If brownlee was being forced to go through there against his will and one of the other 2 had a gun or bomb we would be calling for the security to face charges.

    the plane wouldnt leave any faster, unless it was a charter, so how could being in a hurry matter?.

    Personally I dont have an issue of mps going to the front of the line, but the line is there to keep us all safe.

    • Lanthanide 4.1
      19 December 2014 at 7:32 pm

      “the plane wouldnt leave any faster, unless it was a charter, so how could being in a hurry matter?.”

      Er, the point is that he was late and may have missed his flight. That would usually mean waiting 2-3 hours until the next departure, and hence missing meetings or other scheduled activities at the destination.

  5. mac1 5
    19 December 2014 at 1:24 pm

    Gerard Brownlee has a defence! It wasn’t him! The Minister is Gerald Brownlee, according to his swearing in.

    “…… it is worth noting that Brownlee was the first MP in more than a 100 years to be sworn into Parliament under the wrong name. Parliament called him “Gerald”, but his birth name is actually “Gerard”.”

  6. Skinny 6
    19 December 2014 at 4:49 pm

    Little surprise that Brownlee cops a slap with a wet bus ticket considering the dirty tricks exposed by the book Dirty Politic’s. The effects of which are clearly shown here.

  7. Scottie 7
    19 December 2014 at 8:19 pm

    Sorry Greg, Nobody is really interested.These days Unfortunately many politicians from all parties would be arrogant enough to behave in this manner. It was dealt with, he was fined. Time to move on.

    • McFlock 7.1
      19 December 2014 at 8:37 pm

      Unfortunately many politicians from all parties would be arrogant enough to behave in this manner.

      [citation needed]

    • Stephanie Rodgers 7.2
      20 December 2014 at 11:15 am

      Always telling which stories the rightwing newbies jump into to declare “no one’s interested”.

    • greywarshark 7.3
      20 December 2014 at 3:13 pm

      @ Scottie
      Are you putting your point to Micky Savage? That is the pseudonym of the person running this post and those who come to this blog understand his choice of name. It’s the name under the title.

  8. tracey 8
    20 December 2014 at 11:16 am

    isnt it at least possible the security guard could have fibbed out of fear of losing his job if found to have been so aquiescent?

    • Murray Rawshark 8.1
      20 December 2014 at 2:05 pm

      My instinct is to take the word of an honest proletarian before that of a lying, anti-democratic and imperious NAct minister. It’s interesting that you are going to such lengths to defend Brownlee.

      • RedLogix 8.1.1
        20 December 2014 at 2:14 pm

        And the evidence is that if you ask ten people to give their recollection of an event they all saw or participated in – you will get at least eleven or twelve versions of it.

  9. Andrea 9
    20 December 2014 at 9:54 pm

    “I went through a door that I shouldn’t have gone through,” Brownlee said.”

    End of story.

    Is there no number for Very Impatient People to call to ask the plane to wait? I would have thought the wannabe ‘elite’ would have jacked that up long ago.

    Or a ‘once a year’ hire-a-plane card for our short term public servants (aka politicians)? Or would that give them ideas above their station?

    Wanders off thinking wistful ‘Hindenburg’ thoughts…

  10. hoom 10
    21 December 2014 at 11:56 am

    Meanwhile in Herald land

    ‘Photo Op with famous people hat’ Key family meets Katy Perry aka ‘look the other way’
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11377456

    ‘Infamous PM dash car sold’ aka ‘see its not only us Nats that have transport related controversies’
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11377436

    And of course a dig at Len just because they can
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11377485

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  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    21 hours ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    22 hours ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    23 hours ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    23 hours ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    24 hours ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    5 days ago

  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago

  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: “What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Sad tales from the left
    Michael Bassett writes –  Have you noticed the odd way in which the media are handling the government’s crackdown on surplus employees in the Public Service? Very few reporters mention the crazy way in which State Service numbers rocketed ahead by more than 16,000 during Labour’s six years, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • In Whose Best Interests?
    On The Spot: The question Q+A host, Jack Tame, put to the Workplace & Safety Minister, Act’s Brooke van Velden, was disarmingly simple: “Are income tax cuts right now in the best interests of lowering inflation?”JACK TAME has tested another MP on his Sunday morning current affairs show, Q+A. Minister for Workplace ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Don’t Question, Don’t Complain.
    It has to start somewhereIt has to start sometimeWhat better place than here?What better time than now?So it turns out that I owe you all an apology.It seems that all of the terrible things this government is doing, impacting the lives of many, aren’t necessarily ‘bad’ per se. Those things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Auckland faces 25% water inflation shock
    Three Waters became a focus of anti-Government protests under Labour, but its dumping by the new Government hasn’t solved councils’ funding problems and will eventually hit the back pockets of everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 8:06 am today are:The Government ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Small accomplishments and large ironies
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • The Song of Saqua: Volume VII
    In order to catch up to the actual progress of the D&D campaign, I present you with another couple of sessions. These were actually held back to back, on a Monday and Tuesday evening. Session XV Alas, Goatslayer had another lycanthropic transformation… though this time, he ran off into the ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Navigating an unstable global environment
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