Woman’s Day pays creep to stalk Mau

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, February 16th, 2010 - 58 comments
Categories: Media, Spying, tv - Tags: , , ,

Tabloid trash mag Woman’s Day has being paying someone to follow Alison Mau and her family to take pictures to fuel their prurient interest in her personal life, according to a statement by Mau on TVNZ’s Breakfast.

In her statement Mau pleaded for Woman’s Day Editor Sarah Henry to “call off the dogs” and the “creepy guy in a Corolla stationwagon following us around”.

Mau is one of the most impeccably professional journalists we have in this country and god knows she’s a welcome relief from having to listen to the pea-brained rantings of Paul Henry in the morning. Yet unlike Henry, Mau has done absolutely nothing wrong. So I really don’t think this sort of harassment is remotely fair. Mau’s acknowledged that as a person in the public eye there’s bound to be some attention, but really: for one she’s not exactly an elected official or the CEO of a multi-million dollar company, nor has she done anything particularly unusual to warrant unwanted intrusions into her and her family’s private life. 

And just what kind of sociopathic organization, other than the Police, goes around spying on people? It’s sick and it’s creepy and it serves no other purpose than to help rich people extract money from stupid people.

The valiant Sarah Henry refused to front on Close Up, but did offer the weasel excuse that Woman’s Day only paid for the pictures after they’d been taken. If you’d like to let Sarah Henry know your opinion on this, her email is shenry@acpmagazines.co.nz

Personally I’d just like to say FFS Sarah, how out of touch are you? It might have been news in the victorian age, but things have moved on from when you were a girl. Yours will be an unusually bitter life if you resent all the people who are at once smarter, more professional and better looking than you are, because believe me, they are legion.

In the mean time, if you know anyone witless or shameless enough to admit buying Woman’s Day, encourage them to spend their money on something else for the next few months. Something less damaging for their brains, like a can of glue to huff perhaps.

58 comments on “Woman’s Day pays creep to stalk Mau ”

  1. tc 1

    Mixed feelings about this…….Allie/Simon happily courted and were paid to be the subjects of many a fluff piece and now it turns out the premise (i.e. being happily hetro and married) seems to be a sham.

    Can’t have it both ways Allie, once a media whore…..and as for professional journo……mmmmmm Professional presenter and autocue reader more like…..watch out for the paid PR pieces TVNZ will get underway and Megan mouthpiece fronting the campaign.

    Swimming with the sharks comes to mind.

    • Ag 1.1

      That’s not quite the hypocrisy you’re looking for.

      What’s odd is that you have a person doing a spot on television devoted to these celebrity stalker rags in full knowledge that they all engage in this nonsense, who is complaining when they target her. Having said that, the news media had no business outing her and the whole episode is disgraceful.

      In any case, the only reason this is news is that the thought of Alison Mau having sex with another woman is a turn on for a significant portion of male New Zealanders, and the news media more or less peddles soft porn these days.

    • So obviously consent and reciprocation mean nothing to you tc.
      I hate to think what that says about your sex life (I’m assuming that as you’ve commented here you consider this topic fair game).

  2. Bearhunter 2

    “It might have been news in the victorian age, but things have moved on from when you were a girl. Yours will be an unusually bitter life if you resent all the people who are at once smarter, more professional and better looking than you are, because believe me, they are legion”

    And nice piece of personal abuse to ruin what was in danger of becoming a cogent argument. When Sarah Henry was a girl wasn’t that long ago. She’s not some embittered, middle-aged harridan living on cigarettes and botox in a Viaduct apartment. You should know that given how well you appear to know her. Clearly you know her well enough to presume that she is not smart, not professional and not that good looking.

    I’m not defending Sarah Henry’s methods, mostly because I don’t give a shit about the micro-celeb market in NZ, but I do object to your ad hominem abuse. And given the lengths TVNZ have gone to in the past when chasing a “story” of dubious editorial value, I’m amazed that Alison Mau felt the need to pull a “poor me” on national telly.

    • Rex Widerstrom 2.1

      Hear hear. I’d go a step further and point out that Mau has demonstrated a remarkable elasticity when it comes to journalistic ethics. She happily assisted journalism’s decline into sensationalism and “gotcha” behaviour when it suited her career ambitions.

      Sure, she didn’t do anything quite as grubby as this. And the stories she was on were arguably of (slightly) more import. But we’re still talking about people, some of whom were left feeling as angry as Mau now is.

      But if you’re happy to erode something’s foundations when it suits you, excuse me if I don’t weep when it caves in on you.

  3. Unlike Henry she has done nothign wrong?????

    What has Henry done that is wrong???

    You think it will be okay for these creeps to stalk him?

    Out of interest, In the past did she ever allow her kids to be photographed for a womans magazine???

  4. vto 4

    Gotta agree with bearhunters sentiments re the personal abuse of the ed person and the womans day reader.

    Talk about arrogance. Which is always always always always accompanied by its cuzzie “ignorance”.

    Do you think female interest in gossip and what the more prominent female members of our society are up to is something new? You think it doesn’t have a place in society? Gossip may well sometimes be a bit yucky but if you know women you will know that gossip and similar intimate discussion of people within a community (or versions thereof) are crucial aspects of human existence.

    Disappointing but not surprising mrs sprout. Arrogance is common among authors here at times. It shows a lack of understanding of the human society. It shows a youth and lack of wisdom.

    p.s. nuke the creep btw. bad form.

    • A Nonny Moose 4.1

      Crucial. Really? How? To keep women in their place?

      Gossip arises from boredom. And a society that keeps women ignorant, un-invested and unwelcome in the larger runnings of said society has a vested interest in the vicious circle of bored women gossiping.

      “Allie/Simon happily courted and were paid to be the subjects of many a fluff piece and now it turns out the premise (i.e. being happily hetro and married) seems to be a sham.”

      A whole lot BS to unpack here, but for starters – have you ever thought that women who come out bi or gay later in life have been conditioned by society to be in a hetro relationship, and struggle with confusion and conflicting emotions earlier in life? There’s no sham – just people discovering who they really are at a later age.

      I’ve getting a passive aggressive homophobic AND sexist vibe from people lashing out at Mau, and claiming “she deserves everything she gets”. So, your pretty TV presenter became true to herself – boo bloody hoo. She’s a human being deserving of privacy just as much as you.

  5. felix 5

    That sign really gets my goat.

    “Sorry we couldn’t be fucked building proper walls; here’s a nice sign instead.”

  6. Lew 6

    Let’s just dispense with the canard that, because she once allowed the media to cover her family and personal life, she has no reasonable expectation of privacy for ever. Think about what that means, for a moment.

    To employ a stark analogy, agreeing to a kiss and a cuddle on one occasion under particular circumstances, does not imply consent to sex at any later time under any different circumstances. You agree with that, right?

    That having been said, there is no indication that what WD has done is illegal — only that it’s unethical. That’s a matter for wider society to respond to, and for the readership to punish if they see fit. So it’s as the sprout says — convince your WD-reading friends and acquaintances to pick up a rival glossy, if you can. Not that the others are any better.

    L

  7. gitmo 7

    How are the Police a ‘sociopathic organisation’ ?

    Does Mike Williams own a camera ?

    .. oh and the woman’s mags are trash.

    • felix 7.1

      Well…. it’s an association full of sociopaths for a start. Or were you being cryptic?

      • Lew 7.1.1

        It is? I think the actual psychological testing and evaluation data that the police conduct as part of the recruitment process would beg to differ.

        L

        • felix 7.1.1.1

          That who conduct?

          Oh, I see.

          • Lew 7.1.1.1.1

            Psst, hey cuz — over here. Yeah, this is a-grade tinfoil, man. You’re gonna need plenty.

            L

            • felix 7.1.1.1.1.1

              And that will protect me from sociopaths?

              I’ll need quite a bit for that, won’t I?

              • Lew

                It’s not the sociopaths you have to worry about. It’s the massive conspiracy at the highest levels of the state which has allowed them to dominate our society. If they can do that, what can’t they do? Thoughtcrime is only the beginning.

                L

                Captcha: covering

              • felix

                That’s exactly what they want you to think, Lew.

          • Rex Widerstrom 7.1.1.1.2

            “…the actual psychological testing and evaluation data that the police conduct as part of the recruitment process…”

            The one that goes something like this?

            “Clearly you have a huge chip on your shoulder, having gone through school trading on your efficient brutality on the rugby field only to find that the smarter, wittier kids you used to bully have gone on to get good jobs while you’ve spent the past year guarding the meat section at Pak ‘n’ Save.

            “You demonstrated a complete lack of empathy – no understanding of other people whatsoever in fact – yet a willingness to back ‘the team’ no matter what transgressions it indulged in.

            “You used a great deal of unnecessary force during your physical evaluation… we’re going to have to replace several of our padded suits and a couple of police dogs.

            “It’s clear from your evaluation that you bear a grudge for the slightest provocation and would be prepared to misuse your considerable powers as a police officer to settle it. In short, you’re a dangerous sociopath.

            “Congratulations, that means you’ve passed with flying colours”.

            😛

            • Lew 7.1.1.1.2.1

              So much more entertaining than felix’s response, even if it is just as wrong.

              L

              • felix

                Neither of them were really jokes though Lew.

                Rex’s is pretty much the life story of most of the cops I’ve ever met. YMMV.

              • Rex Widerstrom

                Watch and learn, Lew…

                They’re all an eye-opener, these recruits, like the girl who suggests a crime scene could be secured by “the dead body people” (even an armchair detective could do better than that after one episode of CSI) but this guy makes my point the best. You need to watch a few episodes to really get a feeling for just how dedicated, and how immeasurably stupid, he is.

                And yes, he’s a former security gurard… and he passed the academy despite even being grossly unfit. Must have been his attitude and intelligence that they wanted 8-/

              • gitmo

                “Rex’s is pretty much the life story of most of the cops I’ve ever met”

                Yes, but perhaps you’re just a complete cunt and are being treated as such ?

                Most police I’ve met over the years have been pretty good people, doing the best they can under pretty tough circumstances a lot of the time.

                • lprent

                  So are most of the police I’ve dealt with. However I’ve also seen some friends and activists being dealt with quite differently. It is like any organisation – there are some people in it who drag the reputation into the dirt. The October 15th ‘terrorism’ raids come to mind. August 2011 when the trial begins should be interesting for looking at the role of the police prior to those arrests

              • felix

                gitmo: Yes, but perhaps you’re just a complete cunt and are being treated as such ?

                I was referring to the cops I’ve met socially. But you’re right, I am a complete cunt.

              • Lew

                Almost all the cops I’ve had anything to do with in NZ have been well decent. When I’ve had run-ins with the law I’ve found them to be generally professional and fair. I have a brother-in-law who’s a detective, and he’s as dedicated and hardworking and reasonable a chap as you’re ever likely to meet.

                I accept that there are a few bastards, and there are some situations where they habitually go off the deep end (protests/activism, surveillance, minor weapon incidents, enforcement of liquor bans, electing that mad bastard Greg O’Connor, etc). But it’s like in wider society: idiots tend to seek each other out and use each others’ idiocy to cause trouble. If you’re a prick, you’ll tend to end up with the prickiest cop around, all else being equal.

                And Rex, if you think the Australian police are remotely similar to the NZ force, I reckon you’ve been over there too long, and the heat has fried your brains.

                L

                • lprent

                  Yep. But what worries me is when they herd the real dorks together into a anti-terrorism squad. Then they tend to feed off each others paranoia and it is a irritation to watch the average intelligence to drop in such units – especially when you see them in court.

                  • Lew

                    Lynn, right on. Especially since, if the hype is to be believed, that is where we want the best and brightest.

                    L

              • Rex Widerstrom

                The Australian cops I’ve had delaings with are different to those I’ve encountered in NZ, Lew.

                They haven’t borne a childish grudge and therefore haven’t repeatedly tried to have me convicted of things I didn’t do; they don’t habitually pull me over every time they see me hoping to find some minor infraction; they generally leave me alone and I leave them alone.

                The NZ police, on the other hand, evidently feel – as one officer openly said to my then business partner – “he’s got it coming”.

                But then again, like felix, I am a complete cunt.

              • felix

                I’ve known a few, Lew, mostly bastards. From all my social interactions (note: social) with cops I’ve met I’ve got a strong sense of a deeply ingrained culture of sexism, racism, violence, intimidation, bullying, an “us against them” mentality where “them” means everyone not sworn in, a sense of superiority to anyone not sworn in, and much worse.

                One bloke springs to mind – mate of a mate – who a few years ago excitedly told us how much he and all the boys were looking forward being posted to Whangamata for new years. The best thing about a riot, he explained, is that you can get away with anything in the heat of the moment and the dark. They were particularly looking forward to being able to smash some young girls around with the batons cos it’s not often you can get away with that whereas you get to bash guys all the time. Extra points for a crack across the face.

                He was a right bastard but not at all atypical in my experience. I’m sure your brother in law is a nice chap though.

            • Mac1 7.1.1.1.2.2

              Being of the descended from Irish persuasion, and therefore having numbers of relatives who were policemen, plus knowing the children of my friends who became policemen and women, plus the police who I meet through my work and throughout my life, I have to say (*choke*) that I agree with you, Gitmo.

  8. randal 8

    TVNZ’s new slogan in case you haven’t noticed is stuff you love to watch!
    looks like they all lovin’ each other.
    hey lets get all get nekkid and join in.

  9. sweetd 9

    The people get what the people want. The same people that blamed the paparazzi for the death of Princess Diana were the same ones that week in, week out buy the magazines that the paparazzi feed. So, instead of getting all upset about someone getting photos taken, maybe you should stop buying that magazines that use those photos.

    • felix 9.1

      What about those of us who don’t buy the magazines? We can still bitch about it can’t we?

      But yeah, I know what you mean. It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye.

      There was a really good South Park ep which framed the phenomenon as a modern form of ritual sacrifice.

    • A Nonny Moose 9.2

      So, if you want people to not buy these magazines, are you prepared to dig in deep and long for the huge societal discussion it will take to air out the sexism and patriachy inherent in them? Are ready and willing to talk to every woman in your life at length about the terrible body images displayed, stoking of boredom, treating women as ignorant, and commercial vested interests by cosmetic/fashion companies in these magazines?

      It’s all very well to say “don’t buy these magazines” but you need the deep justifications for it too.

      • felix 9.2.1

        I take part in discussions around all of those issues on a regular basis. I’m not at all sure what your point is.

      • felix 9.2.2

        But of course the best reason to ignore those magazines is that they’re just shit anyway.

  10. The Voice of Reason 10

    I don’t buy ’em anyway, but if it’ll help I won’t read anything while I’m waiting for the chippie to cook my order.

    Mau does not come into this argument with clean hands and I have no sympathy at all with her situation. If you pimp your relationships (and in the case of Michael Laws, your kids), you can expect a backlash at some point.

    The media have no duty of loyalty and will quickly turn on previous friends if it suits. Likewise, enemies become bosom buddies just as quickly if there is a buck in it. Look up ‘reverse ferret’, it’s quite illuminating.

    • A Nonny Moose 10.1

      Ok, I’m coming to your workplace, to listen in to your water cooler discussions about your family, and the next time that happens I’m coming knocking on your door at to ask if I can watch you have sex with your SO or take your kids to the school gate.

      Not comfortable with that? Didn’t think so.

  11. The Voice of Reason 11

    And while I’m at it, if Mau doesn’t approve of media organisations hiring creeps, how come she sits next to Paul Henry?

  12. BLiP 12

    Given the hand in glove relationship betwixt television and the celeb mags is it too much to suggest the whole thing’s a jack up? Certainly got us talking about it.

    • the sprout 12.1

      Magazines and newspapers are usually a jack-up, after all ACP owns Women’s Day, The Herald and The Listener – and they frequently orchestrate their public interactions (standby for a defence of WD in the Listener any day now).
      But print and TV generally hate each other. Given that, and Mau’s performance, I don’t think this particular case is a collusion.

      • BLiP 12.1.1

        I haven’t seen a great deal of evidence to support the suggestion that the print and TV media generally hate each other. Perhaps there is some rivalry in the newsroom, for sure, but otherwise TV expends a lot of resources in promoting puff pieces in the print media to support the celebrity cult and generate interest in content. Some of those Idol/Reality type shows seem often to indicate a symbiotic relationship rather than a hateful one.

        It does seem odd that by having a bleat on the box and mentioning the magazine concerned Mau expected to dampen interest. She might have been better to keep her nose clean and mouth shut. But, seeing as I didn’t see the Mau piece, and its you, I’ll take your word in this case.

  13. PK 13

    “Mau’s acknowledged that as a person in the public eye there’s bound to be some attention, but really: for one she’s not exactly an elected official or the CEO of a multi-million dollar company, nor has she done anything particularly unusual to warrant unwanted intrusions into her and her family’s private life.”

    She’s a star by NZ standards & earns what, about 12 times above the average wage (?), through being an attractive presenter. If you enjoy the wealth that brings then you have to cop the prurient tabloid interest.

  14. Tiger Mountain 14

    Too bad for Ms Mau on a personal level, I would not like to be treated like that either, but once you place yourself in the media/celeb orbit all bets are off it seems. Now, onto the pigs seeing as how others have raised this, the psychological testing of recruits looks for among other qualities-compliance, lack of empathy, ability to stretch the truth in court and boneheadedness. It is often the solid country boys that fit the profile. If you think otherwise you must have literally not had many encounters with the NZ Police. Yes there are exceptions, often the UK imports and non pakeha members and some of the new fangled community policing initiatives. They are handy for finding lost trampers and all sorts of unpleasant tasks that they are paid quite well for. My main beef with them, not being a criminal type personally, is their role as members of the state forces, with various sneaky subset units, where they are happy to spray, baton and if ordered shoot, unionists and political activists. They are not great with the mentally unwell/stressed either tending to use lethal force unnecessarily. This is not just an opinion, ample evidence exists.

  15. Melons 15

    When a persons job is in the media, there will always be a small grey area between when someone presents the news to when they become the news. Understood. You run that risk.

    But please tell me where the line is. When is it ever okay to follow around someones children?. Even if Ali is currently dating a woman, how do they think photographing her kids will add interest/strength to the actual story they are trying to promote?

    New Zealand is a small place. We have no A-list Celebrities here. The magazine editors such as Henry and certain newspaper gossip columnists have slim pickings when it comes to New-Zealanders in gossip-worthy tales. There is an aspiration of these people to live up to their American and English (etc) journalist peers when it comes to telling us what we apparantly want to hear about New Zealanders in the spotlight. They get a “Big fish in a small pond” syndrome and will take the story as far as they need to go to show they are worthy of getting just as much grit as our overseas journalists.

    Henry and her buddies fall very very short of worthy.

  16. Sue S 16

    What Women’s Day is doing to Alison Mau is like raping a prostitute. Just because she’s sold herself and her private life to the sleaze media in the past doesn’t make it right for them to stalk her now. Standard readers, of all people, should be able to separate their (totally justified) distaste for Mau’s history of unbridled careerism from the principle that everyone, no matter how unpleasant, has the same human rights.

    • lprent 16.1

      Provided they follow the policies I generally leave them alone and just moderate those that fall outside the bounds or who have annoying behaviours.

      So we get all types of people commenting here with widely varying opinions in a moderately civilised manner. The behaviour is civilised because Irish and I are not exactly civilised when we have to moderate and bounce people out. Then the policy is that we’re cruel and vindictive and we like leaving severe bruising to encourage people to be more civilised in future.

      But my point is that there is no real way to try and consolidate the morass of differently opinionated comments into a phrase of ‘Standard readers’. They’re even more varied than the authors who write here.

  17. PK 17

    “Standard readers, of all people, should be able to separate their (totally justified) distaste for Mau’s history of unbridled careerism from the principle that everyone, no matter how unpleasant, has the same human rights.”

    What rights have been infringed? It’s legal to photograph someone in a public place isn’t it? Isn’t this what the ‘paparazzi’ do all the time?

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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    1 day ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    1 day ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • AT Need To Lift Their Game
    Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
    6 days ago
  • Christopher's Whopper.
    Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

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