Immigration and economic growth

Written By: - Date published: 8:16 am, June 14th, 2017 - 54 comments
Categories: economy, im/migration, labour, national - Tags: , , ,

National’s go-to response to anything that Labour suggests is scaremongering. Case in point:

English says Labour’s immigration ‘breather’ would stall momentum in the economy

Prime Minister Bill English’s strenuous opposition to Labour’s proposed “breather” in immigration draws a clear battle-line in the election.
…
English also said the cut would stall the momentum in the economy which was producing 10,000 new jobs every month.

I’m not sure that English has thought this through, because all it does highlight our fundamental weakness.

New Zealand’s economic growth driven almost exclusively by rising population

New Zealand’s economic growth is barely keeping up with the speed at which the population is growing, amid a slowdown in the primary sector.
…
But while the construction industry is expanding at speed, economists said almost all of the growth was being driven by population growth, currently at a 40 year high, boosted by record immigration. …

National are such “great” economic managers that per capita growth is anemic, the illusion of growth is just an increasing population. It’s not such a great plan.

Record migration boosts growth short term, but will it make NZ richer?
…
But the growing population comes with pains, from the need to increase infrastructure spending to added pressure on the housing market, especially in Auckland where prices have surged.

While economists largely agree that a rising population boosts short term demand, some warn it shifts resources away from investment which will boost long term prosperity, towards simply coping with the pressures of a growing population. …

Thanks for bringing this to our attention Bill. Labour is focusing on abuses of student visas, with increases in other sectors such as the “Kiwibuild visa” for construction. If that is able to cripple us, then what kind of economy do we have after 9 long years?

https://twitter.com/andykirton/status/874714404935221248

54 comments on “Immigration and economic growth ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Keith 1
    14 June 2017 at 8:38 am

    Is it not amazingly remarkable that the whole open the flood gates on migration unofficial policy was a very deliberate well planned but well hidden policy. And there is lies how the National Party business works.

    All those bums on seats have to live somewhere. Calling all investors, we will provide you tenants you can shit all over and use as competition to up rents.

    The Nat’s knew damned well that these migrants have an element of pure desperation wanting residency and all are supremely exploitable. And best of all they give the illusion of growth vis-a-vis National look masterly at economic management.

    None of this was an accident but it absolutely stinks of get rich quick for the few from its inception. But long term it is very damaging.

    I can’t ever recall National going to the voters to say, “In the Brighter Future we will bring in lots and lots of supermarket and Warehouse shelf stackers, bus drivers, Uber Cab drivers, actually any cab driver, kitchen hands and any other menial shitty low paid job you care to name to increase the labour pool competition to drive down wages and expectations or at least freeze them”. No wonder they have to artificially raise wages via the minimum wage. Things were looking bad if not.

    I didn’t receive the manifesto that told us that to do so we would crank up a dodgy education industry to allow such low skills into NZ by way of student visa’s.

    Maybe because Joyce and his fellow schemers in National realised it may actually look bad if New Zealanders realised what they were up to!

    • Draco T Bastard 1.1
      14 June 2017 at 11:25 am

      I can’t ever recall National going to the voters to say, “In the Brighter Future we will bring in lots and lots of supermarket and Warehouse shelf stackers, bus drivers, Uber Cab drivers, actually any cab driver, kitchen hands and any other menial shitty low paid job you care to name to increase the labour pool competition to drive down wages and expectations or at least freeze them”.

      Like John Banks, National would never get elected if it actually told people their policies.

    • AB 1.2
      14 June 2017 at 12:03 pm

      Yes – I see a lot of these students as part of my work. It seems to me that:
      a.) the whole thing is a cynical, integrated exploitation machine. With a combination of predatory pricing (immigration consultants and private tertiary institutions) and creating market pressure – rents up for landlords, wages down for employers – there is a lot of money to be made. And the students who don’t get work and residency at the end can be booted out and a fresh lot will come in every year.
      b.) It’s the next stage of outsourcing. Those high- personal interaction jobs in customer service and hospitality that unlike (say) IT can’t be outsourced to India – you solve the problem by bringing India and China here. ‘Domestic outsourcing’ if you like.
      The whole thing is ugly and greedy enough to have come straight from the mind of Stephen Joyce.

  2. tc 2
    14 June 2017 at 8:44 am

    Such great managers they’ve allowed our waterways to be poisoned, our state highways to degrade for holiday highways, gutted education and health, not addressed their last efforts (leaky homes), left ships, cities and people to decay as a shining monument to their beloved market, flogged the money spinning state assets, screwed akl etc.

    Games up and Bill knows it, watch them continue gutting and passing legislation to make the next govts job even tougher.

  3. Keith 3
    14 June 2017 at 8:46 am

    In fact when you look at Nationals economic management model, it is quite chilling.

    Essentially the masses are thrown into a pit to fight it out. The wealthy stand back, cream the labour market competition and get richer whilst everyone competes and struggles to make any headway in life. By tipping in an endless supply of third world labour they can keep this going for years to come. Third world people kept third world by the very wealthy who manipulate this country.

    Hence we work more and more hours in NZ but we as a nation remain stubbornly unproductive in comparison to countries who have do not have far right governments

    • garibaldi 3.1
      14 June 2017 at 8:56 am

      Dead right Keith. Along with that are the problems of crowded roads, struggling infrastructure, extra stress on health and education …. the list goes on and on.
      Nationals economic management model is an uncontrolled disaster.

  4. Louis 4
    14 June 2017 at 8:47 am

    But when Bill English had his Finance Minister hat on he implied immigration was not a main driver of GDP like others were saying, now with his Prime Minister hat on in an election year he is now saying it is. Is this right or have I got it completely wrong?

    • Gabby 4.1
      14 June 2017 at 1:31 pm

      Maybe an opposition MP with a modicum of gumption could ask a question in the House to clarify this.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 4.2
      14 June 2017 at 4:30 pm

      If there’s one good thing about an absolute monarchy, it’s that being a minister lying to the queen will get you executed.

      • Stuart Munro 4.2.1
        14 June 2017 at 6:47 pm

        Saudi’s environmental legislation is strangely effective for that reason. Jared Diamond made similar observations about Haiti.

  5. BM 5
    14 June 2017 at 8:54 am

    There was 130,000 international student fee paying enrollments back in 2003, why does Labour have a problem with international students now and not back then?

    After the GFC and Christchurch earthquake, international student numbers dropped right off, we’re actually finally back to the levels that we were at 14 years ago.

    https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/statistics/international-education/international-students-in-new-zealand

    • Keith 5.1
      14 June 2017 at 8:58 am

      Even if that number was correct, there were strict controls on working whilst on a student visa. National made all that silliness go away and bingo, a cheap work force is born!

      • BM 5.1.1
        14 June 2017 at 8:59 am

        What changes were made Keith?

        • Keith 5.1.1.1
          14 June 2017 at 9:10 am

          http://www.visabureau.com/newzealand/news/24-03-2009/nz-student-visa-hodlers-to-get-relaxed-work-permit-regulations.aspx

          2009. The bullshit line from Dr Coleman at the time was we had to do this to remain “competitive with Australia”. Even by Nationals low standards for honesty thats a fucking whopper!

          They had it planned long before they got elected in 2008 would be my educated guess!

          • BM 5.1.1.1.1
            14 June 2017 at 10:26 am

            So the issue isn’t so much the numbers of students it’s the fact they can work here while they study?

            Just reading your link this line stuck out.

            Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman has indicated that English-language New Zealand student visa holders could possibly have regulations lifted that are stopping them from getting a work permit in New Zealand.

            Currently, holders of the New Zealand student visa studying English need to pass language tests in order to gain a New Zealand student work permit.

            How many students are here studying English, all of them, half of them?

            Maybe the thinking was if they’re mingling with everyday Kiwis they’ll pick up a more natural form of English,? which will make an NZ course more valuable in the eyes of a potential overseas student?

            • McFlock 5.1.1.1.1.1
              14 June 2017 at 1:05 pm

              Well, yes, the fact “students” can work here stacking shelves while waiting to qualify for residency does seem to be the objective of the immigration scams.

              Aren’t you worried that the pm seems to believe that if we stop importing berry pickers and shelf stackers we’d risk falling into recession? Such precarious economic management….

              • Bill …
                14 June 2017 at 5:31 pm

                Can I quietly suggest you read Labour’s policy with regards bringing in foreign workers for seasonal jobs?

                Because if you do, you might wonder at what the difference is between international students who are already here ‘picking berries’ and specifically bringing people in from overseas to pick berries.

                And while you’re wondering about it, you might want to do it against the backdrop of why Labour says it’s cutting immigration back – stresses and strains on infrastructure and services.

                It (Labour’s policy) doesn’t stack up McFlock.

                edit – If there are courses that just a sham, why isn’t Labour simply saying it will shut those courses down?

                • McFlock …
                  14 June 2017 at 11:05 pm

                  Had a skim through it: firstly, people being imported to pick berries will be subject to closer controls as to whether there is a genuine shortage of berry-pickers, or whether it’s just because the employer is offering shit conditions.

                  Secondly, student visas tightened up to bachelor level and TEC recognised. So if NZ students want to study unapproved things, cool, but if the course is a token for the the paperwork, it needs to be substantive.

                  Thirdly, tightening up post-study residency. Fair call.

                  fourthly: worker scarcities would be judged with a finer, more regional grain.

                  fifthly: unfortunately, sham courses don’t advertise themselves as such. Technically it would be immigration fraud, but good luck getting them to put that on the course prospectus. So there isn’t a magic wand to just “shut those courses down”.

                  • Bill …
                    15 June 2017 at 1:18 pm

                    The point was that banning students from taking up work while importing people to undertake seasonal work is incongruous with the stated claim about the immigration policy being about tackling population pressures on infrastructure and services.

                    • McFlock …
                      15 June 2017 at 11:36 pm

                      Whereas I think it’s a more nuanced approach than you’re giving it credit for.

                      It doesn’t necessarily ban students from taking up work, but it markedly restricts the eligibility of students to come here in the first place, and makes it more difficult to qualify for immigration just because they’ve been studying here a while.

                      It doesn’t renegotiate international obligations, but it does make it more difficult for employers to claim that they can’t find the staff and import workers at a lower rate.

                    • Bill …
                      16 June 2017 at 1:18 pm

                      Unless the work is shown to be course related, it can’t be undertaken. And study doesn’t qualify anyone for residency or whatever at the moment.

                      On the broader work front (employers using immigrants to undercut or hold back wages and conditions) over-haul employment law, or all that will happen is that unemployed people will be ‘coerced’ into taking work that is low paid with crap conditions.

            • Stuart Munro 5.1.1.1.1.2
              14 June 2017 at 3:34 pm

              There’s a little more to it than that.

              We are a democracy, and in spite of decades of neoliberal incursions, the incumbents and their vile MSM nodding dogs and their anti-social media trolls (that’s you BM 😀 ) have not entirely succeeded in stifling the concept of representative democracy.

              Now, when it comes to the suddenly very high and problematic levels of immigration, did we ask for this? Is there a constituency mandate? Did any party honestly stand on a platform of massive or uncontrolled immigration? If not it is clearly illegitimate before we even look at the deleterious effects on employment, housing, and or the vicious and sustained swindling of foreign students and workers.

              This is grounds to clap our worthless fake government in jail and never let the bastards out. Who the fuck do they think they are, playing tiddlywinks with the public franchise? They need a firm message to buck up, remember who you are sworn to serve, and grow a fucking brain.

              • One Anonymous Bloke …
                14 June 2017 at 4:33 pm

                Lock them up! Lock them up! Lock them…

                No, wait…

                • Stuart Munro …
                  14 June 2017 at 4:37 pm

                  We need this guy to reform the Gnats

                  Knox – who is probably the origin of our form of parliamentary democracy was not remotely tolerant of the peccadilloes of self-styled rulers.

                  • Stuart Munro …
                    14 June 2017 at 5:08 pm

                    The citizens of a democracy don’t ‘have the right’ to depose a corrupt autocratic government, they have a duty to do so.

              • Philj …
                15 June 2017 at 7:18 am

                Stuart, “We are a democracy” This is a bold statement.
                Can you provide backing for this claim. IMO our so called demockary has morphed into something different. Voting every 3 years does not a Dumocruptcy make. Otherwise, couldn’t agree more with you. +1

    • Molly 5.2
      14 June 2017 at 9:04 am

      …”why does Labour have a problem with international students now and not back then?”

      I don’t know about Labour, but I did. As the funding for education continually went down in real terms, the reliance on overseas students fees went up. This essentially allowed successive governments to continue underfunding the education sector. This indicates how little value is placed on educating our own.

    • Carolyn_nth 5.3
      14 June 2017 at 9:28 am

      There has been a steady increase in the numbers of international students in NZ since 2008:

      Chart here:

      The stats of transition to work by overseas students in NZ show more change than the numbers of students, or kind of institutions they enrolled in.

      The has been a steady increase in students who were enrolled in private educational establishments, who then transitioned to work in NZ since 2006.

      The greatest proportion of overseas students transitioning to work in NZ were enrolled in Polytechnics. The numbers of overseas uni students transitioning to work in NZ has declined since 2007.

    • Chch_chiquita 5.4
      14 June 2017 at 9:43 am

      “why does Labour have a problem with international students now and not back then?”
      Oh, I don’t know. Perhaps because a big chunk of current Labour MPs were not MPs back then or not in a position to influence policy and they think that was a mistake and things need to be done differently now? Maybe because they looked at the combination with no proper investment in infrastructure and realized this is hurting us?

      • BM 5.4.1
        14 June 2017 at 11:10 am

        Didn’t seem to be affecting us that badly 14 years ago?

        • Draco T Bastard 5.4.1.1
          14 June 2017 at 11:31 am

          Probably was but we didn’t have the stats available at that time as we do now.

        • SpaceMonkey 5.4.1.2
          14 June 2017 at 12:13 pm

          Or a critical mass hadn’t been reached for the numbers to be a problem, i.e. we had capacity in our infrastructure to support them.

        • Ch_ch chiquita 5.4.1.3
          14 June 2017 at 5:05 pm

          Are you suggesting we should ignore how it’s affectng us now because 14 years ago?

    • Draco T Bastard 5.5
      14 June 2017 at 11:29 am

      There was 130,000 international student fee paying enrollments back in 2003, why does Labour have a problem with international students now and not back then?

      Perhaps they’ve learned a thing or two since then. Like just how much the system is being rorted and students abused through it.

      • BM 5.5.1
        14 June 2017 at 11:37 am

        If the students are being abused why do they still come here? why is the education sector not declining?

        Sure some get ripped off but so do born and bred kiwis, that’s just life, bad people doing bad things, been like that since civilisation started.

        • Draco T Bastard 5.5.1.1
          14 June 2017 at 11:57 am

          If the students are being abused why do they still come here?

          You mean Why do people not know when they’re being ripped off and abused?

          Psychology tells us that it’s extremely difficult to tell when we’re being taken for a ride:

          Most people believe that they are pretty good at knowing when other people are lying. But research clearly shows that people are notoriously bad at detecting others’ lies. Even the very best lie detectors are only slightly better than chance (despite what might have been portrayed on the show Lie to Me).

          why is the education sector not declining?

          Because the majority of foreign students aren’t being ripped off?
          Because those that are being ripped off don’t don’t realise it until after they get here?
          Because the fact that people are being ripped off by unscrupulous operators has only recently come to light?

        • Psycho Milt 5.5.1.2
          14 June 2017 at 3:15 pm

          If the students are being abused why do they still come here?

          Why do people in Third World countries want to emigrate to First World ones? Seriously?

        • The New Student 5.5.1.3
          14 June 2017 at 7:46 pm

          Yo BM are you kidding me?

          Because some bad people have always done bad things, we should all just shut the hell up and take it?

          NO. I refuse.

          These are all real people who have lives and livelihoods. There is no excuse for New Zealand’s continued exploitation of their hopes and dreams.
          We all must take steps to make this right.
          For a start, we can vote for a Government that will put a stop to this shameful racket.
          Vote for a Government that will refrain from the privatising our education system.
          Vote for a Government that refuses to view education as an “export industry”.

          Reminds me – I had better go write that submission on the Education (Tertiary Education and Other Matters) Amendment Bill

    • bwaghorn 5.6
      14 June 2017 at 11:55 am

      clark wasn’t any different from the nats , Mr Little appears to be a different beast altogether,

    • Poission 5.7
      14 June 2017 at 12:02 pm

      After the GFC and Christchurch earthquake, international student numbers dropped right off,

      In Chch international student numbers dropped 40% (still not recovering by 2016)

      Employment increased and underemployment decreased especially for low skilled workers,wages increased in chch compared with AK and the rest of nz and as replacement stock for housing came on stream both rents and house prices have fallen.

      http://www.rbnz.govt.nz/-/media/ReserveBank/Files/Publications/Bulletins/2016/2016feb79-3.pdf

      makes a good case study for why the economic arguments by the NP do not meet reality.

    • Johan 5.8
      14 June 2017 at 4:53 pm

      BM, Is that the same as 130,000 international fee paying students?

  6. dv 6
    14 June 2017 at 8:55 am

    10,000 new jobs a month
    120,000 new jobs a year.

    Yeah right!!

  7. ianmac 7
    14 June 2017 at 9:07 am

    Kate Davis above: “When only migrant students are prepared to do a job, the problem is the job.”
    Every interview showing hospitality owners decrying their labour force, I thought what about wages and conditions mate.
    I would have thought you build a business by working with the available market and your means to staff/pay/conditions etc. Not by extending beyond your means.

    • Draco T Bastard 7.1
      14 June 2017 at 11:32 am

      Businesses love applying ‘the market’ to the workers but they cry blue murder when it’s applied to them.

  8. Ad 8
    14 June 2017 at 9:10 am

    The big economic indicators coming out tomorrow will be a major direction for this 2017 election.

    If National can continue to show that there is dynamism and population growth, strength in multiple sectors such as milk, wine, tourism, horticulture, and construction, sustained low unemployment, and an impression that we are keeping busy – even if none of us are getting pay rises – then there is very little room for the entire Opposition to get traction on.

    If on the other hand the Opposition particularly Labour said “we will ensure that you all get a pay rise” by shrinking the low-level labour pool, increasing the minimum wage dramatically, and altering income tax rates dramatically, then they would have a strong message.

    Most analysts are predicting sustained 3% GDP growth.

  9. Cinny 9
    14 June 2017 at 9:10 am

    The public aren’t buying the outgoing PM’s spin. The reason being they live and see a different world than he does, the facts are right in their faces and no amount of words from the blue team will change their views on how mass immigration changes an unprepared nation.

    Ali Mau interviewed Paul Gold-Smith about the student visa/immigration issues yesterday, he came across to me as a bumbling fool on the subject, was surprised considering he appears rather ‘together’ in the house.

  10. Anthony Rimell 10
    14 June 2017 at 10:26 am

    Perhaps the most damning indictment of National’s failed policy is that leaders from the migrant community I’ve spoken are fully supportive of Labour’s plans. They too believe that the use of overseas students as a commodity has done nothing for them, nothing for the economy, and nothing for those people with essential skills who have wanted to come to New Zealand.

    Indeed, these comments from migrant business leaders show that they understand it isn’t a racist policy (as some in the twiteratti are claiming it to be), but an essential common sense one.

  11. Philj 11
    14 June 2017 at 10:47 am

    This government is reckless and its position on immigration wreaks the future for many years to come. I have also spoken with migrants who wanted to limit immigration.

  12. saveNZ 12
    14 June 2017 at 12:00 pm

    Bill English, sore loser!

    • ianmac 12.1
      14 June 2017 at 2:25 pm

      I think Bill should sit down with PM May and get her to advise him on how to win an Election and follow her advice!

  13. greg 13
    14 June 2017 at 5:10 pm

    if you read the book the fire economy its worse NZ is hollow debt driven shell
    the brighter future is a bad joke national has done bugger all in 9 long years
    now we are dependent on massive immigration inflows to keep the houses of cards afloat.
    bullshit bill should be honest and tell the new Zealand people the true ugly state of the economy. like everything else nacts do its an illusion.
    http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/07/14/the-fire-economy/

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  • Bryce Edwards: Lobbying for Waikato’s Medical School causing problems for the Govt
    It’s becoming a classic case study for why lobbying deals with politicians need greater scrutiny. Former National Minister Steven Joyce runs a lobbying company with a major client – the University of Waikato. The University desperately wants $300m+ of taxpayer funding to establish a third medical school in New Zealand, ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago

  • Picking Sides.
    Time To Choose: Like it or not, the Kiwis are either going into AUKUS’s  “Pillar 2” – or they are going to China.HAD ZHENG HE’S FLEET sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 day ago

  • Universities offer course in self-serving cowardice
    Henry Ergas writes –  When in Randall Jarrell’s Pictures from an Institution, a college president is accused of being a hypocrite, the novel’s narrator retorts that the description is grossly unfair. After all, the man is still far from the stage of moral development at which the charge ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • The teacher trainee challenge
    David Farrar writes –  Radio NZ reports: The Education Review Office says too many new teachers feel poorly prepared for their jobs. In a report published on Monday, the review office said 60 percent of the principals it interviewed said their new teachers were not ready. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Words and (in)actions
    New Zealand’s economic performance and the PM’s vision   Michael Reddell writes –  When I wrote yesterday morning’s post, highlighting how poorly both New Zealand and its Anglo peer countries have been doing in respect of productivity in recent times (ie, in the case of New ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • What do you hope for/fear from the budget?
    Hi all,Firstly - thank you! You guys are awesome. The response I’ve received to last night’s mail has been quite overwhelming. It’s a ghastly day outside, but there are no clouds in here.In case you didn’t read my email and are wondering what on earth I’m talking about you can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago

  • Gordon Campbell on ACT’s charter schools experiment
    If there was still any doubt as to who is actually running this government – and it isn’t the buffoon from Botany – then this week’s announcement of a huge spend up on charter schools has settled the matter. While jobs and public services continue to be cut in the ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day ago

  • Drought fuels wildfire concerns as Canada braces for another intense summer
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gaye Taylor As widespread drought raises expectations for a repeat of last year’s ferocious wildfire season, response teams across Canada are grappling with the rapidly changing face of fire in a warming climate. No longer quenched by winter, nor quelled by the ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus and pick ‘n’ mix for Thursday, May 16
    Half of Christchurch City Holdings Ltd’s directors and its chair resigned en masse last night in protest at Christchurch City Council’s demand to front-load dividends File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The chair of Christchurch City Council’s investment company and four of its independent directors resigned in protest last ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Controversial proposal could threaten coalition
    The University of Waikato has reworded an advertisement that begins the tender process for its new $300 million-plus medical school even though the Government still needs to approve it. However, even the reworded ad contains an architect’s visualisations of what the school might look like. ACT leader David Seymour told ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago

  • Of Rings of Power Annatar, Dramatic Irony, and Disguises
    As a follow-up to the Rings of Power trailer discussion, I thought I needed to add something. There has been some online mockery about the use of the same actor for both the Halbrand and Annatar incarnations of Sauron. The reasoning is that Halbrand with a shave and a new ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    2 days ago

  • The future of Nick's Kōrero.
    This isn’t quite as dramatic as the title might suggest. I’m not going anywhere, but there is something I wanted to talk to you about.Let’s start with a typical day.Most days I send out a newsletter in the morning. If I’ve written a lot the previous evening it might be ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • The PM promises tax relief in the Budget – but will it be enough to satisfy the Taxpayers’ Union...
    Buzz from the Beehive The promise of tax relief loomed large in his considerations when  the PM delivered a pre-Budget speech to the Auckland Business Chamber. The job back in Wellington is getting government spending back under control, he said, bandying figures which show that in per capita terms, the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Fucking useless
    Yesterday de facto Prime Minister David Seymour announced that his glove puppet government would be re-introducing charter schools, throwing $150 million at his pet quacks, donors and cronies and introducing an entire new government agency to oversee them (the existing Education Review Office, which actually knows how to review schools, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Setting things straight.
    Seeing that, in order to discredit the figures and achieve moral superiority while attempting to deflect attention away from the military assault on Rafa, Israel supporters in NZ have seized on reports that casualty numbers in Gaza may be inflated … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago

  • Far too light a sentence
    David Farrar writes – Newstalk ZB report: The man responsible for a horror hit and run in central Wellington last year was on a suspended licence and was so drunk he later asked police, “Did I kill someone?” Jason Tuitama injured two women when he ran a red ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Unwinding Labour’s Agenda
    Muriel Newman writes –  Former US President Ronald Reagan once said, “Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation.” The fight for ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Sequel to “Real reason Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Chhour”
    Why Courts should have said Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Karen Chhour Gary Judd writes – In the High Court, Justice Isacs declined to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal to compel Minister for Children, Karen Chhour, to appear before it to be ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • The Govt’s Fast-Track is being demolished by submissions to Parliament
    Bryce Edwards writes –  The number of voices raising concerns about the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill is rapidly growing. This is especially apparent now that Parliament’s select committee is listening to submissions from the public to evaluate the proposed legislation. Twenty-seven thousand submissions have been made to Parliament ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A generation is leaving at a rate of one A320-load per day
    An average of 166 New Zealand citizens left the country every day during the March quarter, up 54% from a year ago.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The economy and housing market is sinking into a longer recession through the winter after a slump in business and consumer confidence in ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • NZUP RORS back to life
    The government has made it abundantly clear they’re addicted to the smell of new asphalt. On Tuesday they introduced a new term to the country’s roading lexicon, the Roads of Regional Significance (RoRS), a little brother for the Roads of National (Party) Significance (RoNS). Driving ahead with Roads of Regional ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    2 days ago

  • School Is Out.
    School is outAnd I walk the empty hallwaysI walk aloneAlone as alwaysThere's so many lucky penniesLying on the floorBut where the hell are all the lucky peopleI can't see them any moreYesterday morning, I’d just sent out my newsletter on Tama Potaka, and I was struggling to make the coffee. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • How Are You Doing?
    Hi,I wanted to check in and ask how you’re doing.This is perhaps a selfish act, of attempting to find others feeling a similar way to me — that is to say, a little hopeless at the moment.Misery loves company, that sort of deal.Some context.I wish I could say I got ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • The Rings of Power: Season Two Teaser Trailer
    I have hitherto been fairly quiet on the new season of Rings of Power, on the basis that the underwhelming first season did not exactly build excitement – and the rumours were fairly daft. The only real thing of substance to come out has been that they have re-cast Adar ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – What ended the Little ice Age?
    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

  • Talking Reo with the PM
    “The thing is,” Chris Luxon says, leaning forward to make his point, “this has always been my thing.”“This goes all the way back to the first multinational I worked for. I was saying exactly the same thing back then. The name of our business needs to be more clear; people ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Waitangi Tribunal’s authority in Chhour case is upheld – but bill’s introduction to Parliament...
    Buzz from the Beehive It’s been a momentous few days for Children’s Minister Karen Chhour.  The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court decision which blocked a summons order from the Waitangi Tribunal for her. And today she has announced the Government is putting children first by introducing to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Australia jails another whistleblower
    In 2014 former Australian army lawyer David McBride leaked classified military documents about Australian war crimes to the ABC. Dubbed "The Afghan Files", the documents led to an explosive report on Australian war crimes, the disbanding of an entire SAS unit, and multiple ongoing prosecutions. The journalist who wrote the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Some “scrutiny”!
    Back in February I blogged about another secret OIA "consultation" by the Ministry of Justice. This one was on Aotearoa's commitment in its Open Government Partnership Action Plan to "strengthen scrutiny of Official Information Act exemption clauses in legislation" (AKA secrecy clauses). Their consultation paper on the issue focused on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • TVNZ is loss-making, serves no public service due to bias, and should be liquidated
    Rob MacCulloch writes –  According to the respected Pew Research Centre, “In seven of eight [European] countries surveyed, the most trusted news outlet asked about is the public news organization in each country”. For example, “in Sweden, an overwhelming majority (90%) say they trust the public broadcaster SVT”. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • The conflicted Covid Chair
    David Farrar writes –  Kata MacNamara reports:    Details of Tony Blakely’s involvement in the New Zealand Government’s response to the pandemic raise serious questions about the work of the Covid-19 Royal Commission of Inquiry over which he presides. It has long been clear that Blakely, a ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Attacking the smartest and most resilient people in the room is never a good idea
    Chris Trotter writes – Are you a Brahmin or a Merchant? Or, are you merely one of those whose lives are profoundly influenced by the decisions of Brahmins and Merchants? Those are the questions that are currently shaping the politics of New Zealand and the entire West. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • A fortune-telling failure, surely, if the tarot cards can’t see a bulldozer coming
    RNZ reports –  It’s supposed to be a haven of healing and spiritual awakening but residents of the Kawai Purapura community say they’ve been hurt and deceived. It’s the successor to the former Centrepoint commune, and has been on the bush block opposite Albany shopping centre since 2008. It ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • The climate battleground heats up
    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. Usually we have a video chat to go with this wrap, but were unable to do one this week. We’ll be back next week.Several reports ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Bernard’ s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Tuesday, May 14
    The Transport Minister has set a hard 'fiscal envelope' of $6.54 billion for transport capital spending. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The economy is settling into a state of suspended animation as the Government’s funding freezes and job cuts chill confidence and combine with stubbornly high interest rates to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on why anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitic
    To be precise, the term “anti- Zionism” refers to (a) criticism of the political movement that created a modern Jewish state on the historical land of Israel, and to (b)the subjugation of Palestinians by the Israeli state. By contrast, the term “anti-Semitism” means bigotry and racism directed at Jewish people, ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Climate change is making hurricanes more destructive
    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Because hurricanes are one of the big-ticket weather disasters that humanity has to face, climate misinformers spend a lot of effort muddying the waters on whether climate change is making hurricanes more damaging. With the official start to the hurricane ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Wayne Brown’s PT Plan
    Yesterday the Mayor released what he calls his “plan to save public transport” which is part of his final proposal for the Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP). This comes following consultation on the draft version that occurred in March which showed, once again, that people want more done on transport, especially ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Potaka's Private Universe.
    And it's a pleasure that I have knownAnd it's a treasure that I have gainedAotearoa’s coalition government is fragile. It’s held together by the obsequious sycophancy of Christopher Luxon, who willingly contorts his party into the fringe positions of his junior coalition partners and is unwilling to contradict them. The ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Our slow regional councils
    The Select Committee hearing submissions on the fast-track consenting legislation is starting to become a beat-up of regional councils. The inflexibility and slow workings of the Councils were prominent in two submissions yesterday. One, from the Coromandel Marine Farmers Association, simply said that the Waikato Regional Council’s planning decisions were ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law after all
    Back in April, the High Court surprised everyone by ruling that Ministers are above the law, at least as far as the Waitangi Tribunal is concerned. The reason for this ruling was "comity" - the idea that the different branches of government shouldn't interfere with each other's functions. Which makes ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • NZTA takes the wheel after govt gives it the road map for regional roads (and puts a speed governor ...
    Buzz from the Beehive  Tolling was mentioned when Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced the government was re-introducing the Roads of National Significance (RoNS) programme, with 15 “crucial” projects to support economic growth and regional development across New Zealand. All RoNS would be four-laned, grade-separated highways, and all funding, financing, and ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Change in Catalonia?
    or the past 14 years, ever since the Spanish government cheated on an autonomy deal, Catalonia has reliably given pro-independence parties a majority of seats in their regional parliament. But now that seems to be over. Catalans went to the polls yesterday, and stripped the Catalan parties of their majority. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • Having an enrolment date is not depriving anyone of a vote
    David Farrar writes –  Radio NZ report: Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins said the Electoral Commission should make sure the system ran smoothly and “taking away the right of thousands of people to vote” was not the answer. “Thousands of people enroled and voted on the day. If ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Perhaps house prices don’t always go up
    Don Brash writes –  There was a rather revealing headline in the Herald on Sunday today (12 May). It read “One in 8 Auckland homes on market were bought during boom, may now sell for loss”. The first line of text noted that “New data shows one in ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Can’t read, can’t write, can’t comprehend – and won’t think…?
    Mike Grimshaw writes –  At a time when universities are understandably nervous regarding the establishment of the University Advisory Group (UAG) and the Science System Advisory Group (SSAG) it may seem strange – or even fool-hardy – to state that there are long-standing issues in the tertiary sector ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Time for some perspective
    Lindsay Mitchell writes –  A lack of perspective can make something quite large or important seem small or irrelevant. Against a backdrop of high-profile, negative statistics it is easy to overlook the positive. For instance, the fact that 64 percent of Maori are employed is rarely reported. For ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Will NZ Herald’s ‘poor journalism’ cost lives?
    Earlier this year, the Herald ran a series of articles amounting to a sustained campaign against raised pedestrian crossings, by reporter Bernard Orsman. A key part of that campaign concerned the raised crossings being installed as part of the Pt Chevalier to Westmere project, with at least 10 articles over ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to May 19 and beyond
    TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 19 include:PM Christopher Luxon is expected to hold his weekly post-cabinet news conference at 4:00pm on Monday.Parliament is not sitting this week. It resumes next week for a two-week sitting session up to and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Webworm Popup Photos!
    Hi,Thanks to all the beautiful Worms who came to the LA Webworm popup on Saturday.It was a way to celebrate the online store we launched last week — and it was super special.As I talk about a lot, I really value our community here — and it was a BLAST ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #19
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, May 5, 2024 thru Sat, May 11, 2024. (Unfortunate) Story of the week "Grief that stops at despair is an ending that I and many others, most notably ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • The Gods Must Be Woke.
    Last night the largest solar storm in decades resulted in Aurorae being seen across Aotearoa, causing many to ask why?Why was the sky pink? What was all this stuff about the power grid? Have we, as so many have wondered since the election, reached the end of days?I had a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • More road
    We have been on the road in England, squeezing down narrow lanes, flying up the M6, loving hedgerows and villages and cathedrals, liking the 21st century less.There have been moments when it’s felt like a movie trope. The pub in Exford, lovely seventeenth century bar, almost more dogs than people, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • District Court Judges appointed
    Attorney-General Judith Collins has announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges, to replace Judges who have recently retired. Peter James Davey of Auckland has been appointed a District Court Judge with a jury jurisdiction to be based at Whangarei. Mr Davey initially started work as a law clerk/solicitor with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago

  • Unions should put learning ahead of ideology
    Associate Education Minister David Seymour is calling on the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) to put ideology to the side and focus on students’ learning, in reaction to the union holding paid teacher meetings across New Zealand about charter schools.     “The PPTA is disrupting schools up and down the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago

  • Craig Stobo appointed as chair of FMA
    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly today announced the appointment of Craig Stobo as the new chair of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). Mr Stobo takes over from Mark Todd, whose term expired at the end of April. Mr Stobo’s appointment is for a five-year term. “The FMA plays ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago

  • Budget 2024 invests in lifeguards and coastguard
    Surf Life Saving New Zealand and Coastguard New Zealand will continue to be able to keep people safe in, on, and around the water following a funding boost of $63.644 million over four years, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “Heading to the beach for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago

  • New Zealand and Tuvalu reaffirm close relationship
    New Zealand and Tuvalu have reaffirmed their close relationship, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says.  “New Zealand is committed to working with Tuvalu on a shared vision of resilience, prosperity and security, in close concert with Australia,” says Mr Peters, who last visited Tuvalu in 2019.  “It is my pleasure ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago

  • New Zealand calls for calm, constructive dialogue in New Caledonia
    New Zealand is gravely concerned about the situation in New Caledonia, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.  “The escalating situation and violent protests in Nouméa are of serious concern across the Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.  “The immediate priority must be for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago

  • New Zealand welcomes Samoa Head of State
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met today with Samoa’s O le Ao o le Malo, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, who is making a State Visit to New Zealand. “His Highness and I reflected on our two countries’ extensive community links, with Samoan–New Zealanders contributing to all areas of our national ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Island Direct eligible for SuperGold Card funding
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced that he has approved Waiheke Island ferry operator Island Direct to be eligible for SuperGold Card funding, paving the way for a commercial agreement to bring the operator into the scheme. “Island Direct started operating in November 2023, offering an additional option for people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Further sanctions against Russia
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters today announced further sanctions on 28 individuals and 14 entities providing military and strategic support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  “Russia is directly supported by its military-industrial complex in its illegal aggression against Ukraine, attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity. New Zealand condemns all entities and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • One year on from Loafers Lodge
    A year on from the tragedy at Loafers Lodge, the Government is working hard to improve building fire safety, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I want to share my sincere condolences with the families and friends of the victims on the anniversary of the tragic fire at Loafers ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Pre-Budget speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for having me here in the lead up to my Government’s first Budget. Before I get started can I acknowledge: Simon Bridges – Auckland Business Chamber CEO. Steve Jurkovich – Kiwibank CEO. Kids born ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New Zealand and Vanuatu to deepen collaboration
    New Zealand and Vanuatu will enhance collaboration on issues of mutual interest, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “It is important to return to Port Vila this week with a broad, high-level political delegation which demonstrates our deep commitment to New Zealand’s relationship with Vanuatu,” Mr Peters says.    “This ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Penk travels to Peru for trade meetings
    Minister for Land Information, Chris Penk will travel to Peru this week to represent New Zealand at a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific region on behalf of Trade Minister Todd McClay. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting will be held on 17-18 May ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Minister attends global education conferences
    Minister of Education Erica Stanford will head to the United Kingdom this week to participate in the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) and the 2024 Education World Forum (EWF). “I am looking forward to sharing this Government’s education priorities, such as introducing a knowledge-rich curriculum, implementing an evidence-based ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Education Minister thanks outgoing NZQA Chair
    Minister of Education Erica Stanford has today thanked outgoing New Zealand Qualifications Authority Chair, Hon Tracey Martin. “Tracey Martin tendered her resignation late last month in order to take up a new role,” Ms Stanford says. Ms Martin will relinquish the role of Chair on 10 May and current Deputy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Joint statement of Christopher Luxon and Emmanuel Macron: Launch of the Christchurch Call Foundation
    New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and President Emmanuel Macron of France today announced a new non-governmental organisation, the Christchurch Call Foundation, to coordinate the Christchurch Call’s work to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online.   This change gives effect to the outcomes of the November 2023 Call Leaders’ Summit, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Panel announced for review into disability services
    Distinguished public servant and former diplomat Sir Maarten Wevers will lead the independent review into the disability support services administered by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. The review was announced by Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston a fortnight ago to examine what could be done to strengthen the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Minister welcomes Police gang unit
    Today’s announcement by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster of a National Gang Unit and district Gang Disruption Units will help deliver on the coalition Government’s pledge to restore law and order and crack down on criminal gangs, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. “The National Gang Unit and Gang Disruption Units will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • New Zealand expresses regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today expressed regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric towards New Zealand and its international partners.  “New Zealand proudly stands with the international community in upholding the rules-based order through its monitoring and surveillance deployments, which it has been regularly doing alongside partners since 2018,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • New Chief of Defence Force appointed
    Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies MNZM is the new Chief of Defence Force, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. The Chief of Defence Force commands the Navy, Army and Air Force and is the principal military advisor to the Defence Minister and other Ministers with relevant portfolio responsibilities in the defence ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government puts children first by repealing 7AA
    Legislation to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has been introduced to Parliament. The Bill’s introduction reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the safety of children in care, says Minister for Children, Karen Chhour. “While section 7AA was introduced with good intentions, it creates a conflict for Oranga ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Defence Minister to meet counterparts in UK, Italy
    Defence Minister Judith Collins will this week travel to the UK and Italy to meet with her defence counterparts, and to attend Battles of Cassino commemorations. “I am humbled to be able to represent the New Zealand Government in Italy at the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of what was ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Charter schools to lift educational outcomes
    The upcoming Budget will include funding for up to 50 charter schools to help lift declining educational performance, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced today. $153 million in new funding will be provided over four years to establish and operate up to 15 new charter schools and convert 35 state ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • COVID-19 Inquiry terms of reference consultation results received
    “The results of the public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has now been received, with results indicating over 13,000 submissions were made from members of the public,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “We heard feedback about the extended lockdowns in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • The Pacific family of nations – the changing security outlook
    Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, other Members of Parliament Acting Chief of Defence Force, Secretary of Defence Distinguished Guests  Defence and Diplomatic Colleagues  Ladies and Gentlemen,  Good afternoon, tēna koutou, apinun tru    It’s a pleasure to be back in Port Moresby today, and to speak here at the Kumul Leadership ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • NZ and Papua New Guinea to work more closely together
    Health, infrastructure, renewable energy, and stability are among the themes of the current visit to Papua New Guinea by a New Zealand political delegation, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Papua New Guinea carries serious weight in the Pacific, and New Zealand deeply values our relationship with it,” Mr Peters ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Driving ahead with Roads of Regional Significance
    The coalition Government is launching Roads of Regional Significance to sit alongside Roads of National Significance as part of its plan to deliver priority roading projects across the country, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “The Roads of National Significance (RoNS) built by the previous National Government are some of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand congratulates new Solomon Islands government
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