Will Key read the GCSB report?

Written By: - Date published: 7:06 am, September 26th, 2012 - 75 comments
Categories: law and "order", Spying - Tags:

Key has said we all have to wait and see what is in the Neazor Report on the GCSB spies’ illegal spying on Kim Dotcom.* He won’t even answer basic questions like: ‘what section of the law did the GCSB breach?’ Funny that Key’s so keen for us to wait to read this report. But will he read it? Or will it be like the Banks Police Report, which he won’t read?  And when will anyone get to read Banks’ statement?

But, actually, we don’t need to wait for the report because the full story is out now. A police unit called OFCANZ approached GCSB for help in getting intel before the raid on Dotcom. The GCSB asked if Dotcom (and his colleagues) was a foreign national – OFCANZ said he was. In fact, the correct question was ‘is he a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident?’ – which he was, and which made the GCSB spying on him illegal.

Both OFCANZ and the GSCB are incompetent or purposely neglectful of the law.

Then, in August while Key was busy watching children play baseball in Maine, Bill English signed a ministerial certificate for GSCB that suppressed their involvement in the Dotcom raid from being mentioned in court. Incredibly, neither the GCSB or English realised at this point that the GCSB had been spying on a New Zealand permanent resident. English seems to have just signed whatever was stuck under his nose.

It all came out only later thanks to Dotcom’s lawyers.

And, speaking of Dotcom’s lawyers, this incompetent government that couldn’t be bothered properly monitoring its spies (Key meets with the GCSB more than once per month but never seems to have said ‘were you involved in the Dotcom raid?’ or ‘wait, you spied on Dotcom, a permanent resident?’) has put us in the gun for hundreds of millions of dollars. Megaupload was valued at a billion dollars. The raid and seizure of his property, which has been illegal at every level, destroyed that value. Who is he going to turn to for damages?

*incredibly, Key said in the House yesterday that the GCSB’s actions weren’t necessarily illegal, despite the fact his press release declared them illegal the day before. Cullen was right, the guy’s slippery as an eel. Either that or he’s stoned off his fucken rocker. By his own admission, there’s a lot of green on Planet Key.

75 comments on “Will Key read the GCSB report? ”

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  1. Tracey 1
    26 September 2012 at 7:28 am

    Why wasn’t this simple thing directed to him as a follow up question in parliament yesterday…

    Will you read THIS report???

    • blue leopard 1.1
      26 September 2012 at 11:25 am

      @ Tracey
      Exactly! Why didn’t they ask this?

      I have noticed the opposition parties to be a bit gentle in this regard; they miss opportunities like this on a regular basis. Why??

      • aerobubble 1.1.1
        26 September 2012 at 1:37 pm

        I got the impression that Key ‘leaked’ the crisis early before the report comes out so he
        could mis-align the debate, distort it. As opposition were hit with Key’s answer that he
        doesn’t know yet. After the report I suspect Key will return to the highly suspect
        non-reading of document argument (aka Banks was within the law despite not being
        except for a time out clause).

        So to answer your question, its because Key is a spin shitster par excellence.

        • mike 1.1.1.1
          26 September 2012 at 1:58 pm

          Yep, I’m picking Key already knows what the report will say, and he’s positioning himself correspondingly. The indications are that they are going to call it a whoopsie-daisy communications break down between OFCANZ and GCSB when they tried to verify whether Dotcom was an NZ resident. Who would have thought it would have been so hard when he had by then been a resident for more than 12 months? It’s just not credible, but Key will waive the report around saying that’s the end of the matter, move on.

          If this is the case then it’s no wonder Key’s body language and Tranzrail eyes look so shifty when he’s talking about this – he knows the story is weak.

          And because he’s already said he never heard of Dotcom until the night before the raid, he would also have us believe that Bill English didn’t think it worth mentioning to the PM, who oversees the GCSB, that the FBI and the GCSB were coordinating an over the top military style take-down on NZ soil.

          Oh and the PM doesn’t need to read a police report that says his minister broke the law and lied to the public and (supposedly) him about it.

          The credibility meter is falling fast.

          • blue leopard 1.1.1.1.1
            26 September 2012 at 2:22 pm

            @ Aerobubble and Mike

            I agree with your impressions

            It still doesn’t answer the question as to why the opposition doesn’t call them more firmly on these tactics.

            “If this is the case then it’s no wonder Key’s body language and Tranzrail eyes look so shifty when he’s talking about this – he knows the story is weak.”

            …which begs the question, why are the polls not reflecting a nation who is losing belief in his increasingly incredulous fictions?

            Are we simply becoming a nation who prefers to believe palatable fictions, rather than deal with reality?

            • mike 1.1.1.1.1.1
              26 September 2012 at 3:36 pm

              “…which begs the question, why are the polls not reflecting a nation who is losing belief in his increasingly incredulous fictions?”

              Polls move slowly, but it’s probably because most people aren’t paying that much attention.

              • BernyD …
                26 September 2012 at 3:48 pm

                True, workin workin

              • gobsmacked …
                26 September 2012 at 3:57 pm

                Re – the opposition questions … Today was a case in point. Peters had Key on toast, and said to the Speaker “I only have a limited number of questions”. That was the cue for Labour (who have many more available, as a larger party) to take up the attack. They didn’t.

                The nub of the problem is – the effective opposition parties have too few questions, the ineffective opposition party has too many.

                Re- the polls … Mike is right, most people aren’t paying much attention. But they will pay attention to visible, prominent stories and people … such as Kim Dotcom. Labour’s problem is that their leader has only done one thing (the schools speech) in the past nine months for people to notice.

                We can’t blame people with busy lives if the politicians don’t know how to reach them – or don’t even try very hard, because (in Labour’s case) they think they will win the next election by default.

                • BernyD …
                  26 September 2012 at 4:31 pm

                  Should send a Fridge Magnet Picture of Himself to every New Zealander ya reckon?

                • blue leopard …
                  26 September 2012 at 5:26 pm

                  “We can’t blame people with busy lives if the politicians don’t know how to reach them – or don’t even try very hard, because (in Labour’s case) they think they will win the next election by default.”

                  I like what you say re “can’t blame people” it’s so true, and I expect the opposition to ensure that the message is getting through and fully consider that their duty.

                  I sincerely hope Labour aren’t simply assuming they will get in next time. I was of the opinion initially, that this government would be thrown out next time around, yet when the spin and shonkey tactics aren’t absolutely outlined, emphasized and driven home…it appears that the effectiveness of these tactics are being underestimated… & yep…it leaves me questioning whether a Left-wing Government is the slam dunker it seemed it would be after the election night results.

  2. Lou 2
    26 September 2012 at 7:34 am

    Neither Keys nor Banks ever had or have integrity in my house.

  3. BLiP 3
    26 September 2012 at 7:58 am

    .

    We actually don’t know if it was OFCANZ which asked the GCSB to bug Dotcom because we only have the word of those protecting John Key. The last minute scampering into the High Court to lodge documents is just a bit too cute.The more likely scenario is that the US government asked its National Ltd­™ mate John Key for a favour in the lead up to the FBI turning the New Zealand police force into its Pacific bumboy. John Key would’ve been reduced to an incoherent wimpering ball of dribbling sychophancy at the prospect of a personal “attaboy” from Obama. There’s that Security Council seat to think of too, eh John?

    And then there’s the Hollywood connection. John Key was more than happy to shaft New Zealand workers and sell legislation to Warner Bros so, morally speaking, what’s to stop him usng the GCSB to gather information against someone who can be used as an international example of what happens to people who threaten the industry’s business model via file sharing?

    With “national interest” being bandied about along with Prime Ministerial “warnings” to journalists, the narrative and the MSM remain suspect. This whole thing, and this whole National Ltd™ government, is so skew whiff I’m betting there’s a lot more to it.

  4. mickysavage 4
    26 September 2012 at 8:11 am

    I can recall John Campbell asking Key a question a while ago about when was the first time that he heard of Kim Dotcom.  Key answered as he has subsequently “the day before the raid”.  

    I thought at the time that someone had some information to show that this was not true.  But it appears that Key may actually be illiterate.  There is no other reason for him to answer the way that he has.

    This is spiraling out of control for National.  The longer Key continues to maintain ignorance the more ineffectual and incompetent he appears to be. 

    The only way out is for him to confirm that he did know what was going on.  And then he is shown to be, how shall I put this, disingenuous. 

    • lanthanide 4.1
      26 September 2012 at 8:30 am

      He was absolutely adamant about it. iPredict has a contract on evidence contradicting key to be published. Currently trading about 25c. I still don’t think it will come out from this latest news, but there were “mysterious officials” that meet with police in December and it’s possible key could be one of them.

      • gobsmacked 4.1.1
        26 September 2012 at 11:42 am

        Key is adamant, probably because he has confidence in his “don’t ask, don’t tell” system.

        I seriously doubt that there is a paper trail showing that Key was told about Kim Dotcom. There might be a paper trail showing that Staffer A told Staffer B not to tell the PM. If that comes out, then Key can just sack the staffer (for doing what Key wanted).

    • insider 4.2
      26 September 2012 at 10:49 am

      kimdotcom wasn’t exactly national news until after the raids. He might have been a name in some AUckland party circles and the gossip pages but not exactly a high profile media figure.

  5. ak 5
    26 September 2012 at 8:13 am

    No surprise that the pie ‘n penthouse keystone cops have been under the tentacle of dear old Unca Sam – that’s been a given for decades.

    The interesting development here is that the Axis of Eelville has stopped even trying to wriggle.

    Just clear, blatant, multiple lies. And simply refusing to front.

    Ah well, at least no one’s signed a painting for charity, sat in the back of a speeding car or threatened advertising revenue, so democracy’s still safe, eh granny?

  6. captain hook 6
    26 September 2012 at 8:25 am

    nah he will just give it to heka or porla to reed.

  7. karol 7
    26 September 2012 at 8:57 am

    I just looked closely again at last night’s Campbell Live video on the issue, to try to ascertain the significance of the document that Bill English signed.

    It seems to me it involves a cover up, that included getting Key out of the country to his son’s baseball game while English dealt with the matter.

    Here is a summary of last nights Campbell Live piece:

    http://www.3news.co.nz/Who-kept-GCSBs-Dotcom-spying-secret-from-Key/tabid/367/articleID/270526/Default.aspx

    Paul Davison for Kim Dotcom, in court questioning witness Detective Inspector Grant Wormald.

    In response, Wormald said at a meeting he attended on 14 Dec 2011 to plan Dotcom raid there were representatives of Crown Law, representatives of OFCANZ, plus another group of people now known to be GCSB. 2 days after that meeting GCSB began intercepting Dotcom’s communications. Wormald incorrectly answered that no one other than police were conducting surveillance on Dotcom.

    Beehive press conference 24 Sept 2012: video clip of Key saying he’s requested an inquiry into the circumstances of unlawful interception of communications of certain individuals by the GCSB

    Clips of the raid on 20 January 2012 for FBI, now declared illegal by courts.

    Bill English document: Ministerial Certificate August 2012

    Addressed to Grant Wormald, Commissioner of Police, and Director of the GCSB.
    English went to the GCSB for advice on their role in the Dotcom case and its implications. Typed document says:

    I [Deputy PM] have sought advice on the implications of this request from the director of GCSB.

    GCSB advised him as in the typed document:

    [Disclosing] The information request would likely prejudice the security of New Zealand.

    Bill English then objected to any information being disclosed as in the typed document:

    I therefore object to the disclosure of any information.
    I direct that neither you nor any other person subject to this direction shall provide any information or answer any question in this proceeding.

    Signed by Bill English 16 August 2012.

    END OF VIDEO SUMMARY

    I recall that Key had left for his son’s baseball game on 9th August 2012.

    So, why did English go to the GCSB in August to ask about their role? Was it because it had come to light in the Dotcom court case?

    And is it coincidental that English was requesting this information at around the same time Key had suddenly decided to leave the country for an inadequate reason?

    Cover up?

    • BLiP 7.1
      26 September 2012 at 9:07 am

      .

      Fer sure.

      Another possibility is that Dotcom was under US-requested GCSB surveillance before he became a New Zealand permanent resident and so, mistakenly, its was presumed that the original authorisation was still in play.

    • gobsmacked 7.2
      26 September 2012 at 11:35 am

      Karol, I think you’re doing the old “take a slam-dunk and miss it”, which is too common on this blog.

      Key is in deep doo-doo on the GCSB/Kim Dotcom/Banks debacle. That has nothing to do with watching his son play baseball. He didn’t suddenly decide to go, it was well signalled in advance, publicly.

      Over-cooking the conspiracy just allows Key’s minions and trolls to rebut the exaggeration, when they can’t rebut the facts. Stick to them.

      • karol 7.2.1
        26 September 2012 at 5:18 pm

        gobsmacked, where am I not sticking to the facts?

        In that above comment I was just trying to make sense of Campbell Live’s item on this last night, and asking some questions about where there are gaps. He presented us with a certain amount of facts, but what he was trying to tell us is not totally clear. I don’t know the answers but there are things that don’t seem to qite make sens.

        I tend to go more for c*ck-up theory than conspiracy. And I would say this CL item points to c*ck-ups as much as conspiracy – or at least, a mixture of that, and Key’s sloppiness as a manager of government – and then attempts to paper over the cracks.

    • Treetop 7.3
      26 September 2012 at 4:07 pm

      Perjury is not new within the police just ask Patrick O ‘Brien.

      What have the last two police commissioners done to remedy an ex undercover cops confession?

  8. freedom 8
    26 September 2012 at 8:57 am

    i may be a bit slow but why did the GCSB not just pick up the phone and ask NZ Immigration on the status of Dotcom? Wouldn’t NZ Police have had to go to them anyway for the information?

    • alwyn 8.1
      26 September 2012 at 10:12 am

      They could also have done what Russel Norman has suggested and looked him up via Google.
      Russel appears to think that anything Google tells you is correct.
      Out of curiosity I looked up Russel and discovered he is a member of the Australian Communist party. Google tells me so it must be correct.
      Why has he not told the New Zealand public this? Do we not deserve to know? What else is he hiding?
      Actually I am beginning to think that Russel, and the Greens generally, appear to be relying on Google for their policies. You can get stupid statements on almost anything from there.

      • Dr Terry 8.1.1
        26 September 2012 at 11:10 am

        alwyn – what on earth has an attack on Norman got to do with the issue at hand? Does Russell threaten you in some way? Are you for or against Google information?

        • alwyn 8.1.1.1
          26 September 2012 at 11:30 am

          It wasn’t meant to be an attack on Norman when I started it.
          I should never have added the bit about Green policies.
          It was however intended to point out that I thought that his idea that you can rely on the internet for any ACCURATE information was silly. He was proposing that Googling Dotcom would tell you reliably that he had resident status. I don’t believe that to be the case at all. I just put in the material that claims that Norman is a Communist party member to show what sort of thing you can expect to get back when using the internet, and that you can’t rely on it to be accurate.

          • Tiger Mountain 8.1.1.1.1
            26 September 2012 at 12:16 pm

            Get it right “alwyn” rather than repeating Whale fat slander and taking an unnecessary swipe at Russell Norman who was just pointing out the bleedingly obvious.

            Norman has an interesting past and was involved with the then trotskyite Socialist Workers Party that became the DSP and issued newspaper ‘Green Left weekly’, the first organisational unity in oz between green and marxist forces, and a far different beast from the “Australian Communist party” you talk of which was actually the CPA “Communist Party of Australia” in two versions, the SPA-Socialist Party of Australia taking over inbetween.

            Anyway nevermind your sidetrack ShonKey remains deep in it with more to play out yet.

            • Robert M 8.1.1.1.1.1
              26 September 2012 at 12:34 pm

              The average Nat MP probably has very different tastes in DVDs and CDs from Russel Norman or the tracks Dot.Com was offering from Megaupload, ie Key or English probably found Dot Com distasteful and of minimal interest until long after the FBI inspired raid.
              Most of the boffins at Wahopai or Tangimoana or whereever the communications spies hang out today probably found little of interest about dot com in the Manawatu Standard or Blenheim rag in the extraordinary event they ever read the news or entertainment section.
              I imagine to the average NZ detective it remains inconcievable that Dot Com could have been given kiwi residency. Hardly an open minded attitude but reality.

            • alwyn 8.1.1.1.1.2
              26 September 2012 at 3:31 pm

              Damn.
              I was quoting what you could find on the Internet to try and illustrate that I thought Russel was being stupid in saying the the GCSB could have found out reliable information on KDs residency status by a Google query.
              It appears that what I found, and what I thought was solely fairy stories, has some truth in it.

    • insider 8.2
      26 September 2012 at 10:42 am

      Because the police told them it was all ok and above board. And they should know.

      Trust tends to be a reasonable and even admirable quality in human relations, including in govt. It’s going to be a strange and paranoid and arse covering world if we have to go and double check everything our colleagues tell us.

      • mike 8.2.1
        26 September 2012 at 3:52 pm

        Although when you’re the GCSB coordinating a military style raid with the FBI on NZ soil, double-checking your facts is probably the way to go I’d say.

        In answer to freedom’s question, (and this is purely speculation), perhaps because the GCSB knew they would get an answer that they didn’t want. Whereas they could rely on OFCANZ to er, make a ‘mistake’.

        • gobsmacked 8.2.1.1
          26 September 2012 at 4:06 pm

          Mike +1

          I don’t expect the bureaucracy to double-check every form letter they send me, with my name spelled wrong.

          I do expect them to double and triple check before an armed assault on my home.

          So, nothing whatsoever to do with checking “everything our colleagues tell us”. Just an incredibly important thing.

        • insider 8.2.1.2
          26 September 2012 at 4:07 pm

          It was the police doing all the management. GCSB apparantly provided info. AFAIK they are eavesdroppers not field operators.

          It’s the Police that are the ones that should face hard questions and their minister.

          • McFlock 8.2.1.2.1
            26 September 2012 at 4:20 pm

            They all should face hard question, preferably in public.
                     
            Do all the requests for GCSB surveillance come from the police? I bet not. So GCSB should have their own protocols for ensuring they aren’t breaking the law and tapping citizens. They should have used those protocols each and every time, no exceptions, as part of the standard operating checklist. 
                       
            It’s like firearm safety – the police told the GCSB that the weapon was safe, but the GCSB fucked up because they should have checked clear and kept it pointed in a safe direction. Now the weapon’s accidentally fired and you reckon it’s the cops’ fault, not the fault of the people actually holding the weapon.
               
            In any democracy, the people who are the first line of defense against abuses of power are the people actually in a position to abuse their power. And our watchdogs have been showing how interested they are in protecting our freedom. Fuck all.

  9. Leopold 9
    26 September 2012 at 9:00 am

    Nothing to read, nothing to see, move along folks…look! I’ve found another tranche of beneficiaries to bash…

  10. ianmac 10
    26 September 2012 at 9:58 am

    What If……..
    What If about 2+ years ago Mr John Key was given a heads up by shadowy people in USA who may have had connections with the Entertainment Industry, that all Hell would be visited on the Dotcom Empire?

    If so, Key had a choice between being on the ball, or set in place an extensive avoidance of all matters relating so that he could claim Ignorance. The latter is a High Risk strategy because should any info leak, or if the population or MSM began to doubt that a Prime Minister was totally unaware of anything relating to Kim Dotcom then the PM’s Credibility would be at least damaged.

    Warner Brothers? The Electorate Office for John Key? Bill English? The Courts?
    What if……

    • Tiger Mountain 10.1
      26 September 2012 at 2:10 pm

      Most people really don’t get how much ShonKey represents the US corporates in New Zealand, rather than this country’s (ie the NZ peoples) interests over there. The Hobbit Enabling Act was a reasonable tip off though. Brown nosing the yanks permeates everything the Nats do. From a skewed Foreign Account Deficit due to repatriation of profits offshore through defence and foreign policy.

  11. tc 11
    26 September 2012 at 12:00 pm

    JK : Hey bill, remember that favour you owe me for douple dippin.
    BE: (nervous tone) yes John.
    JK: someone will bring you something for you to sign and we’re square.
    BE: It’s not my resignation is it John ?
    JK: (laughter) come on bill, you know I value your contribution and I’ve no intention of sacking you, as it stands, all factors being weighed up, today as I call on this encrypted blackberry from ma mansion.
    BE: So that’s an unconditional no, John ?
    JK: Just sign it bill, everything will work out fine (under breath)…for me that is.

  12. Robert M 12
    26 September 2012 at 12:22 pm

    Yes but how much are the GCSB spies, Key’s spies or NZ intelligence officers. Really they are part of an international western chain of communications intercept bases- and the key positions in reality if not officially at Wahopai are probably often US or Australian intelligence officers. Read Nicky Hagars- book on Echelon.
    In reality New Zealand lacks the defence and foreign affairs bureaucracy to really regulate defence forces that have always had an element of top class equipment and officers and the same with intelligence. Even our more capable lawyers and journalists have abilities and skill beyond the ability of this societies instituions and authorities to really supervise and control as far as desirable.

  13. Nunya 13
    26 September 2012 at 2:19 pm

    While I realise this is an easy attack point for the politically incompetent whatshisname to attack Key on, I’m sickened that whatshisname is ‘enjoying the support’ of most humanist MP’s to do so.

    The issue is much bigger than trips overseas (altho I suspect that Key’s leadership method perfected during his time as a mid-level bank exec, depends upon regular absences, to enable plausible deniability loopholes to be retro-fitted into any issue that endangers jonkey-fawning©) because anyone with an enquiring mind who spends time around the despised fuel for aotearoa’s lawnorder mower (the ‘crims’), must know that law enforcement’s disregard of legalities is the norm rather than an exception.

    A real leader would set aside partisan politicking and expose the contempt for law aotearoan law enforcement agencies display every day.
    A politician who revealed he/she had the courage to fight this would immediately earn the support of a swathe of NZ voters. Far more than could ever be generated by a dozen exposes of the ‘other mobs’ true character’.

    I won’t hold my breath on this even tho it is the real instigator of the Dotcom circus. Most kiwis are aware of the bi-partisan agreement between labour and national to never question the integrity of NZ police, & have convinced themselves the sole malignancy created as being that the secretary of the policeman’s federation is the last unionist allowed tv time, rather than the awful reality, that this political & moral cowardice is the root cause of daily injustices committed against a multitude of kiwis.

    • Treetop 13.1
      26 September 2012 at 3:39 pm

      I went to Key in his first term with a serious complaint against the police (that police had misinformed three ministers of police and a few MPs, recent and historical files could not be located) and Key referred me to Powers then minister of justice as I wanted a barrister appointed to look at many cycles of police complaints. Power told me to go to the IPCA. This is not an option as I consider the IPCA to not be independent. It is unfortunate because I have to have an investigation to satisfy an ACC psychiatrist for a sensitive claim.

      I have just looked at As I see it with Commissioner Peter Marshall. A question of responsibility September 20, 2012.

      “On 1 October the new Search and Surveillance Act comes into force. This heralds major change for police and all constabulary staff have been required to undergo training in the new law. Commissioners are no exception!”
      http://www.police.govt.nz/blog/2012/09/20/question-responsibility/32757

      I think Marshall is trying to reassure the public that there will not be another Urewera/Dotcom fiasco and very much on his mind probably would have been the ofcanz blunder which Marshall would have known was about to become public.

  14. captain hook 14
    26 September 2012 at 2:53 pm

    he might reed it if skimdotcom slips a few deAD PRESIDENTS IN THE COVER.
    OOOPS.

    • blue leopard 14.1
      26 September 2012 at 3:06 pm

      @Captain Hook

      …you can’t have considered how much financial advantage (or otherwise) Junkie might enjoy by not reading it prior to you suggesting the possibility of such a dastardly activity ….in lil ol innocent and pure NZ …i mean…as if…..

  15. robertguyton 15
    26 September 2012 at 4:08 pm

    Are we calling him “Johnny Rotten” yet?

  16. Chris 16
    26 September 2012 at 4:42 pm

    Watching question time today I came to the conclusion that it is a pointless exercise asking the little trader ANYTHING as he immediately resorts to mindless crap of kindergarten level(sorry kiddies, I have some wonderful in depth conversations with my nearly five year old grandson) that lockjaw invariably lets him off with. Although once he did admonish the trader, with a wry little smile (tsk tsk) for not answering a question but going off in a rant, and reminded him that he was there to actually answer said question properly etc etc. Like that worked.There is something slightly imbecilic about key and I have always thought so.”If I keep saying the same thing that will make it true, in my view” Also he seems to have read the police report re his man date at the tea party, good ole “I have no idea what my name is” banksy of the last voyage of the cabbage boat.\, as he referred to it when answering a question by Grant R.While I still contend he may possibly be illiterate, he is most certainly intellectually and emotionally illiterate. Apropos of nothing I wonder quite often if the seats in the front row have been reinforced and if so who bore the cost?

    • gobsmacked 16.1
      26 September 2012 at 5:12 pm

      That’s all true enough Chris, but given the imbecilic level at which he operates, it really isn’t that hard to skewer him with smart, sharp questions.

      There are many options, apart from banging head on brick wall. When (for example) do we hear Labour doing the old one-two-three … soft, soft, hard? When do they ever come out of left field? When do they ever ask a question where you immediately wonder “Where are they going with this?”. When do they ever display some wit, or give a soundbite that resonates, or tempt Key into a mistake? Why did “Planet Key” catch on? Because Turei threw him the bait and Key took it. When do Labour ever lure him in like that? Almost never.

      They not only do the same thing every time, they don’t even TRY to do it differently. If we can predict their next question, so can Key. And now he’s off the hook for another month – Parliament goes into recess tomorrow.

      • ianmac 16.1.1
        26 September 2012 at 5:31 pm

        There is always the hope that comments from Key will lead to follow up questions where he is cornered by his contradictions. Maybe on another day. Today Key was asked to explain where he read in the Police Report that Banks had not broken the Law. He had to admit that it was not in the Report but was his own comment. Maybe “Misleading the House”?

      • blue leopard 16.1.2
        26 September 2012 at 5:34 pm

        @ Gobsmacked

        I agree. I believe what you write here is worthy of a letter to Labour.

        Do you think that perhaps there is a belief that “they are better than that” where “that” = belabouring a point in order to drive it home?

        I see improvement this year from last year; yet still there is something weak about their attacks. I mean, doesn’t someone get paid rather a lot of money to convey just such advice you relay here to them?

        They could read The Standard and get better advice for free by the looks of things….

        • gobsmacked 16.1.2.1
          26 September 2012 at 6:12 pm

          Cheers, Leopard.

          And here’s the TV news round-up … TV One and Three featuring Winston Peters, Russel Norman and Grant Robertson. The usual absentee – even though he asked a series of questions to the PM today. No good lines = no coverage.

        • captain hook 16.1.2.2
          26 September 2012 at 7:29 pm

          junkie.
          thats not nice BL.

        • Colonial Viper 16.1.2.3
          26 September 2012 at 7:57 pm

          I mean, doesn’t someone get paid rather a lot of money to convey just such advice you relay here to them?

          Well, there was Pagani. And most of the team who wrote and approved the sponging sickness benny bludger meme still work in that office.

  17. Tim 17
    26 September 2012 at 6:39 pm

    Why don’t Minsta or the Krean resign or stand down these days – ditto senior public ‘servants’.
    IF EVER there was a case for at least some suspensions – this is it!
    I’m wondering why the combined opposition are not petitioning the Gov Gen to have Blinglish’s warrant suspended or cancelled. And of course if that fails – a letter to Liz!
    Oz Proim Minsta’s have been brought down for less than this!

  18. Jokerman 18
    26 September 2012 at 7:16 pm

    on Closeup -to paraphrase “if a bigger dog comes into the room, the NAct govt pisses themslves”. !

  19. Herodotus 19
    26 September 2012 at 7:23 pm

    “Any other GSCB activity in the Megaupload case cannot be made public – because of a ministerial certificate signed by acting prime minister Bill English last month.” Regarding ministerial certificates; how often does this occur and more importantly in respect to the GSCB/ SIS etc how often is such a ministerial certificate signed. As to me if such an event from the GSCB is rare 1-5 times a year and that Bill is not often acting PM (And I imagine has never signed one before (If he has what did he do previously in keeping Key informed)) then such a rare event there would be protocols or precedents as to keeping the real PM informed ?
    Look to the past and compare to this case. Even with secrecy of this ministry I am sure some in Labour are aware of how things operate or if not then a quick call to someone who would, would be in order ?

  20. Huginn 20
    26 September 2012 at 7:48 pm

    Let’s take OFCANZ and the GSCB at their word for the moment and accept that the GSCB asked the wrong question and that OFCANZ didn’t bother to help them out.

    The GSBC must have known that it had acted illegally in spying on Kim Dotcom very soon after the raid when Kim Dotcom’s residency status became widely discussed common knowledge. At that stage the director should have informed the Prime Minister. After all, shit happens.

    But when the Prime Minster tells us that he didn’t know about this until a few days ago, he’s also saying that the director of the GSCB withheld knowledge of its serious illegal activity from our elected representative, the PM.

    Which is worse than finding out that the PM lies to us.

    • gobsmacked 20.1
      26 September 2012 at 8:04 pm

      Very good point, Huginn.

      The timeline gets mixed up in some of the reporting, so the full impact of that hasn’t really come through. For about six months, the PM was not told (assuming he’s being honest now).

      Because the GSCB thought he didn’t need to know? Or didn’t want to know?

      • mike 20.1.1
        26 September 2012 at 8:20 pm

        Key’s had 15 briefings from the GCSB this year. 15.

      • karol 20.1.2
        26 September 2012 at 8:21 pm

        Agreed, on the confusing timeline in the MSM. Something I’ve been trying to make sense of. The clip of Dotcom’s lawyer Davison (as on Campbell Live) clearly says 14 December 2011 for the meeting, which we now know included GCSB, and preceded the beginning of surveillance on DC by a couple of days.

        Yet other reports seem to say that the surveillance started in late 2010-beginning of 2011. Even Paul Buchanan used that late 2010 date in his interview on RNZ a couple of days ago:

        http://36th-parallel.com/2012/09/rnz-interview-paul-buchanan-ived-on-radio-new-zealand-on-an-investigation-into-the-gcsb/

        And this report just totally fudges it.

        http://news.msn.co.nz/nationalnews/8538593/opposition-ready-for-another-attack

        The GCSB was told by the police they were foreign nationals, although Dotcom threw a huge party in Auckland in November 2010 to celebrate gaining residency.

        The spying started on December 16 and ended on January 20, just before Dotcom, van der Kolk and two other associates were arrested for alleged internet piracy.

        But as far as I am aware, DC et al were arrested in January 2012.

        Also, the following became clear in Question Time today:

        Bill English was asked by GCSB about whether to disclose information, after their involvement was sprung by Davison in the court proceedings. On 16 August 2012, Blingish’s response was to sign the document saying they shouldn’t disclose information on the surveillance.

        Key wasn’t told about the GCSB involvement til 17 September.

      • karol 20.1.3
        26 September 2012 at 8:25 pm

        Because English thought the PM knew, and because, until they alerted the PM last week, GCSB thought they had acted legally:

        As reported here:

        http://news.msn.co.nz/nationalnews/8538593/opposition-ready-for-another-attack

      • Huginn 20.1.4
        26 September 2012 at 8:31 pm

        . . . the director of the GSBC unilaterally making decisions about what our elected representative needs or wants to know about a fundamental transgression of the law made while adventuring with a foreign power and an agency of the NZ Police which has shown itself to have a slippery grasp of the most basic principles of good governance?

        This is institutional corruption. It calls for a Commission of Inquiry.

    • Colonial Viper 20.2
      26 September 2012 at 9:02 pm

      The GSBC didn’t know? Ha chances are that they did, and very early on. Because the GCSB would have well established systems independent of the police set up to determine an individual’s residency status: it’s a key parameter of their mandate. The GCSB obviously won’t want to be running off to the police every time they are thinking of surveilling a suspected foreign spy living in NZ. They have their own systems.

      Then the GCSB went ahead and got a cover ass letter from some poor misinformed sap in NZ Police. Some high level political shennanigans in that one. Smart politics from the GCSB, dumb on the police.

      • mike 20.2.1
        27 September 2012 at 1:14 am

        Exactly. That the GCSB would be so clueless is just not credible.

        An awful lot of things seem to have gone wrong here. The police made a booboo, (even though Dotcom had been an NZ resident for more than 12 months), the GCSB didn’t double-check Dotcom’s residency status, the GCSB didn’t mention Dotcom to Key in the 15 briefings they’ve given him this year, English didn’t mention Dotcom to Key because he thought the GCSB already did, the GCSB took until September to realize that Dotcom was a resident and that they had thus broken the law.

        Not one of these are credible. This stinks bad and it’s written all over Key’s face.

  21. Logie97 21
    26 September 2012 at 8:25 pm

    Will Key read it?
    A more appropriate question might be, Can he read it?

    At about 5:30 this evening he came into the House to make a correction to an answer he gave during Question Time. The written statement was all of four sentences, and he minced them all. Perhaps there is someone out there who could do a “Running Record” on the chap to measure his reading behaviours and assess his real reading age.
    As for comprehension of this subject matter, he quoted a “Breakfast Television” interviewee for legal clarification – what a shallow man – doesn’t he have legal advisers around him.

    Key possibly has a head for figures, but as a literary powerhouse – he ain’t one… and learns about authors over a beer at a barby …

  22. Georgecom 22
    26 September 2012 at 9:35 pm

    Funny how simply ‘signing something without bothering to look to closely at it’ seems to have afflicted both English and Banks.

    I wonder if English ‘can’t remember’ and ‘can’t recall’?

    Of course, I fully expect that English has ‘nothing to fear’ and ‘nothing to hide’.

    Until such time anyway as something he might have to fear and might have to hide emerges.

    But then, he can probably rely on the Prime Minister not being interested in reading any report and continuing to ‘take him at his word’.

    That said, maybe English did actually act in full innocence and maybe some naivety. It will then fall on key to determine whether that is acceptable from a Minister.

  23. Karl Sinclari 23
    26 September 2012 at 11:55 pm

    Who really gives a rats…. look at whats going on in the banking sector:

    ANZ National soon to become ANZ….and who owns that, lets have a look (then say do some research on the main share holders …. http://deanhenderson.wordpress.com/2011/08/10/the-worlds-dirtiest-bank-hsbc/) and it just gets better and better…. I love you banks (not you John, your just a side show)

    reference:

    http://www.spankyourbank.com.au/anz-top-twenty-shareholders

    Top 20 ANZ Shareholders

    Name of Shareholder

    Number of Shares

    %
    1

    HSBC CUSTODY NOMINEES (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED

    446,984,331

    17.46

    2

    J P MORGAN NOMINEES AUSTRALIA LIMITED

    371,451,021

    14.51

    3

    NATIONAL NOMINEES LIMITED

    343,611,753

    13.42

    4

    CITICORP NOMINEES PTY LIMITED

    98,249,488

    3.84

    5

    COGENT NOMINEES PTY LIMITED

    42,380,166

    1.66

    6

    JP MORGAN NOMINEES AUSTRALIA LIMITED CASH INCOME A/C

    29,710,001

    1.16

    7

    RBC DEXIA INVESTOR SERVIC ES AUSTRALIA NOMINEES PTY LIMITED

    29,388,568

    1.15

    8

    AMP LIFE LIMITED

    25,265,475

    0.99

    9

    CITICORP NOMINEES PTY LIMITED

    16,013,808

    0.62

    10

    UBS WEALTH MANAGEMENT AUSTRALIA NOMINEES PTY LTD

    13,149,540

    0.51

    11

    QUEENSLAND INVESTMENT CORPORATION

    12,642,137

    0.49

    12

    ANZEST PTY LTD

    9,451,047

    0.37

    13

    COGENT NOMINEES PTY LIMITED

    8,626,014

    0.34

    14

    AUSTRALIAN FOUNDATION INVESTMENT COMPANY LIMITED

    6,865,377

    0.27

    15

    PERPETUAL TRUSTEE COMPANY LIMITED

    6,790,350

    0.26

    16

    AUSTRALIAN REWARD INVESTMENT ALLIANCE

    6,639,870

    0.26

    17

    UBS NOMINEES PTY LTD

    6,638,326

    0.26

    18

    RBC DEXIA INVESTOR SERVICES AUSTRALIA NOMINEES PTY LIMITED

    5,904,807

    0.23

    19

    ANZEST PTY LTD

    5,842,797

    0.23

    20

    CITICORP NOMINEES PTY LIMITED

    5,795,609

    0.23

    Total

    1,491,400,485

    58.26

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    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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week ago

  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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