Editorial casts doubt on value of Herald’s anonymous editorials

Written By: - Date published: 2:47 pm, January 6th, 2011 - 30 comments
Categories: local government, making shit up, newspapers - Tags:

The editorial on Granny Herald by an anonymous writer on the 29th1 entitled “Rail shutdown casts doubt on service’s value” really casts more doubt on the value of the use of editorials than anything else. It displays more of the writers divergence from practical realities than anything else because of its adherence to dog-whistling rather than facts.

If Aucklanders returning to work today have taken to commuting by train they are in for a surprise. No trains have been running in Auckland since Christmas Day. None. The entire service has been taken off the rails until at least January 10 so work can be done on the long-running electrification and upgrading of the network. This must be KiwiRail’s idea of a joke.

Not far from the railway, the Newmarket motorway viaduct is being replaced. The project has been engineered in a way that has enabled the bridge to be demolished and rebuilt in sections with minimal disruption to traffic on the busiest stretch of state highway in New Zealand.

Of course this could have rather more to do with the inherent nature of rail lines compared to roading networks than anything else. Auckland’s roads have multiple lanes and multiple routes, but Auckland’s rail lines either have only double tracks or in places single tracks. So while traffic on a road can be done lane by lane or by diverting traffic into alternate routes, it simply isn’t that easy to do on rail routes. Even a simple moment of thought would reveal the issues.

On our remaining single track you have to shutdown the track to work on extensive areas of the track.

In the case of a double track:-

  • It is hard to shutdown a single track because the tracks are very close together and protecting the workers is quite difficult. On multi-lane roads this done by erecting barriers. But this isn’t a viable option on a rail track with minimal separation.
  • Scheduling traffic on  long single track is tricky to say the least. It relies on switching engines to move in and out of diversions. It is a potential recipe for disaster on double track where the diversions and signalling procedures are not normally used.

In effect the idiot that wrote this editorial is arguing for unsafe practices because it is more convienient. KiwiRail took the sensible course of diverting the low number of rail travellers over the summer break on to buses. Anyone who stays around Auckland over summer knows that the road traffic volumes are typically less than half that of the rest of the year. So adding buses to carry the few people who’d usually use the train doesn’t impact on road congestion the way that it would any other time of the year as IDT commenting on the editorial 2 points out:-

Of course buses can do the job over the Christmas/New Year period. They are half-empty, as are the roads and motorways. But there’s no way they could handle the extra volume outside the holidays. I’m no apologist for KiwiRail’s pathetic management but we don’t need “rail is bad” propaganda from our daily paper.

Andrew on the same page 2 concurs with this

This argument is weak and incredibly flawed. Firstly, the argument that the Newmarket Viaduct remained open throughout is invalid as it did close on September 4 with much publicity encouraging Aucklanders to not only change their travel plans, but not to travel at all. You may remember the extra trains put on that weekend were packed. Additionally, if we apply the same argument to the lack of gridlock resulting from that same Viaduct closure, we would arrive at the conclusion that we do not need the Newmarket Viaduct either. Nor the two currently closed lanes of the Harbour Bridge, which is also uncongested during the same holiday period that the trains aren’t running. In fact, all the motorways are free-flowing, for the same reason that rail can shut down for heavy works at this time of year. A lot of Auckland is on holiday.
Therefore the Christmas rail shutdown is not in any way a valid reason for arguing that Auckland does not need rail.

Isaac on the same page 2 points to the work that is actually being done and its extent

If more investigation had gone into this poorly informed editorial, it would be quite clear why the rail network has been shut down. Not only are bridges being rebuilt and overhead masts being installed, but the tracks themselves which the trains run on, are being realigned and rebuilt in a number of locations throughout the network. To do this work properly and to a high standard, having trains trying to run through the work areas every 15 minutes is going to make things very difficult and much slower and longer to complete.

So the people who commented on this editorial are clearly far more aware of the issues involved in doing the rail upgrades and why they’re done using a complete shutdown over summer than the anonymous writer writing about an Auckland that they clearly don’t understand in Auckland’s only daily paper. So what was the point of this rather daft and ill-informed editorial?

In that case, it may be wondered why the city is getting an upgraded rail service to run at untold operating losses, if buses can do the same job.

It isn’t ‘untold’. Even a Herald editor is probably capable of reading a set of accounts and the subsidies and costs are pretty clearly stated in the accounts of the Auckland public transport system.

The case for upgrading rail rests on assumptions that it will attract many more people to live near a station or become employers in the CBD. It is a gamble the Auckland Council is willing to take with the Government’s money. “Build it”, say our civic visionaries, “and commuters will come”.

They point to the growth in rail passengers since the Britomart terminal was built. But it was apparent to early assessors of the business plan for rail project that it would probably draw passengers from certain bus routes rather than increase public transport patronage overall. That impression is reinforced by the ease with which buses have been substituted for trains during this rail shutdown.

The council-controlled agency Auckland Transport should be aggrieved at KiwiRail’s clumsy project management. A total shutdown is surely not necessary for bridges to be raised to make room for electricity lines, or for other work on the tracks. This is not the first summer shutdown of the project and there is no assurance it will be the last. It is merely the most extensive.

Clearly the idiot who wrote this article clearly hasn’t read the numerous economic costings of rail vs bus public services. The rail public transport upgrades were not put in place to increase property values close to rail stations. They were put in place to reduce the congestion on the roads by reducing the need to increase the number of buses or the cars as Aucklands population increases and housing becomes more dense. This means that we don’t have to massive resources to increase roads capacities in the built-up areas of Auckland.

Anyone who has used the trains and buses is aware of the difference in speed of travel. In the same time as it takes me to travel on the few kilometres of part of the Link bus route to work each day, the train to Onehunga travels from Britomart to the end of its line. There is none of the lurching from lights to lights that massively slows the buses around every road apart from the motorways. But everyone who uses the motorway buses is also aware that even when the motorway isn’t congested, most of the travel time is involved in going on an off the motorway through lights to bus stops.

Of course as the Northern busway shows, the same type of thing can be done for buses as trains, with dedicated lanes and dedicated bus stations. This makes it suitable for moving passengers long distances without delays. However it comes at a cost that is higher than putting train lines in. In the case of the northern bus way it was required to be a motorized route rather than a train track because the cost of putting a train bridge with a lower gradient over the harbor would have been excessive. It bottlenecks at the congested bridge which usually accounts for most of the routes time, but all of lanes are at capacity during rush-hour so creating a dedicated bus lane will have wait for a new crossing – which will probably have train track and the busway converted to track.

Obviously the idiot editorial writer just hasn’t bothered to use their brain or do even the most basic research before penning this editorial. This editorial is merely what bloggers would call a dog-whistle post full of inaccurate coded messages to the small self-selected audience that read the NZ Herald. In this case I suspect that it is written by someone who prefers to spend money on roads rather than public transport and is more interested generally in privatization than public participation, and that is the coded message they are wanting to publish. It makes no real attempt to make clear the arguments for and against the stance taken by the writer as would be the case of a editorial in a better respected publication such as The Economist – where it is policy to do so.

Furthermore it is not even pseudonymous as would be the case on a blog like this one3. However it has been published as being the view of the whole NZ Herald editorial team. The editorials in the Herald have become far more variable over the last few years. You get pieces like this that have been written without any understanding of the topic, and others that do understand what they are writing about and take care to present the issues. In other words it appears that the slow run-down of the traditional print media is letting at least one idiot (and probably more) pushing their own political and personal agendas ineptly thereby tainting the whole concept of an anonymous editorial amongst the others who also write more rational and interesting viewpoints – even when I disagree with their ideas.

Quite simply I’d like to have some idea of what idiot actually wrote this editorial and what their other editorials were so I don’t tar the whole editorial team at the NZ Herald as being idiots. What is probably required is a pseudonym or other type of byline to allow readers to separate the useless chaff from the useful wheat in the editorials. Alternatively a much stronger editorial policy on each editorial with more input from other viewpoints (as is done at The Economist and used to be done at the Herald) would achieve the same thing. However that is probably impossible bearing in mind the diminishing numbers of staff and their skills under the financial pressure of newspapers

But in the meantime, ‘editorials’ like this dog-whistle diminish the credibility of the whole anonymous editorial system as practiced at the NZ Herald.

  1. I noted this editorial down for writing a post on after Xmas, but was slightly too full to do anything about it.
  2. One of the real issues with the online version of the NZ Herald is that it doesn’t appear to have any way to link to individual comments as almost every other site does. You’d think that even a newspaper would have figured out how essential that is in a online publication with comment feedback.
  3. The Standard byline is used on this site for a quite specific purpose that is not an editorial viewpoint. Its internal name is “notices and features” which was somewhat too long and got cut down to “The Standard”. It is used for site features like the OpenMike or some posts where several authors have collaborated. It is also used where we are directly republishing other peoples material that is not first published on this site. It’s internal name

30 comments on “Editorial casts doubt on value of Herald’s anonymous editorials ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. alfa 1
    6 January 2011 at 2:50 pm

    Read the Herald’s About page.

    • lprent 1.1
      6 January 2011 at 3:09 pm

      a. I wasn’t aware that it had one.
      b. You’re on the net not obsolete letters to the editor. A link to it like I’d link to ours is easier than bullshitting.

    • QoT 1.2
      6 January 2011 at 5:59 pm

      Poor alfa, an unwitting own goal there as the Herald’s About Us “page” merely reads:

      APN News & Media is one of the region’s most broadly-based and successful media companies. In addition to publishing New Zealand’s leading metropolitan newspaper, The New Zealand Herald, APN is the largest operator of regional newspapers, radio broadcasting and outdoor advertising in Australasia.

      Mm, accountability.

      • Colonial Viper 1.2.1
        6 January 2011 at 6:06 pm

        You don’t think Alfa actually expected anyone to follow up on his reference, did you?

      • lprent 1.2.2
        6 January 2011 at 7:51 pm

        I knew there was a reason I’d never seen it. It was hidden right at the bottom of “Help and Technical Support”. An interesting place to conceal it.

        • QoT 1.2.2.1
          6 January 2011 at 8:11 pm

          I feel certain it’s only there because some poor web developer told them it was a fairly standard thing to have on websites these days but they didn’t quite get the point … still, “we are a faceless un-accountable cog in a vast Australian machine” while more accurate might have involved too much self-reflection.

          • Pascal's bookie 1.2.2.1.1
            6 January 2011 at 8:14 pm

            And “We’re selling your eyeballs to advertisers” might ruin the act.

  2. BLiP 2
    6 January 2011 at 3:06 pm

    Its the silly season – sure, some ill-informed guest gets to write a plonker editorial pushing lies and political agendas but then, the next day, you get something sensible like this:

    Editorial: Rein in banks and end the financial crisis

    . . . It is a crisis in the role of finance and banking in a modern economy. The financial sector used to be a service industry for the real economy, a repository of cash, a conduit for payments, a provider of working capital. These functions are essential to the daily operation of the economy. They are the reason governments cannot let their banking systems fail.

    The problem is that banks have become much more than a service industry. Slowly over the past five decades, finance has become an industry in its own right with a range of products that can generate far more wealth than most other goods and services . . .

    That the New Zealand Fox News Herald is a voice for the mercantile cannot be denied, but there are swings and roundabouts.

    • lprent 2.1
      6 January 2011 at 3:17 pm

      I know. That is really what my point is. Some of the editorials, even the ones that I agree or disagree with, are well written and cover the main points of the argument. Others are stuff that I’d criticize if they were written here because they don’t argue a case. The continuous feedback from the comments section means that every author becomes acutely aware of the need to argue a case. It is clear that author of the editorial that I referred to didn’t bother to try – making it a dog-whistle.

      Quite an easy way to look at it is to simply look at the comments that they attract. When they argue around the issue (like your example) rather than simply pouring factual scorn on the contents of the editorial, you’ve hit different people writing.

      I’d like the Herald to separate the idiot opinionatedness from those that are actually worth reading. Putting a psuedo byline on would help with that immensely. Then at least we could see what the individual identities are that write the good stuff rather than the crap.

      Of course they could simply police their editorial page more closely…

      • BLiP 2.1.1
        6 January 2011 at 4:35 pm

        I’d like the Herald to separate the idiot opinionatedness from those that are actually worth reading. Putting a psuedo byline on would help with that immensely. Then at least we could see what the individual identities are that write the good stuff rather than the crap.

        Sure, from a “customer service” point of view, I suppose, knowing who the writer is could save you five minutes of wading through the usual slop served up by the Herald editorial as you choose not to read some authors’ material. But, surely, its about the ideas and the message rather than the identity of the scribe?

        • lprent 2.1.1.1
          6 January 2011 at 5:43 pm

          Actually I’d usually do it in reverse. If I find a well-argued editorial, opinion, blog, etc somewhere then I’ll typically go back through that persons previous writing to see whatever else they’ve been writing. If they are consistently good then I’ll add their ‘link’ (sometimes just a google search for poorly designed sites) to my reading pad. But I don’t do it for people that aren’t consistently worth reading.

          So on our site I’d add me as http://thestandard.org.nz/author/lprent because we have a good lookup by author/category/tag. On other sites I’d use their search features like http://thestandard.org.nz/?s=%40author+lprent&isopen=block&search_posts=true&search_sortby=date Or I could use google like http://www.google.co.nz/search?q=%22By+LPRENT%22+site:thestandard.org.nz&hl=en&num=10&lr=&ft=i&cr=&safe=images&tbs=,qdr:w taking advantage of the pattern of the By: author that we use and the date restrictions on posts to get around the lack of date/time ordering.

          At present the ‘NZ Herald editorials’ fall into that inconsistent pattern that makes them worthless as a link to read each day because there is nothing to seperate the idiot from the interesting authors.

          • BLiP 2.1.1.1.1
            6 January 2011 at 6:14 pm

            Oh, stop showing off. Who in their right mind is going to know what function the expression %22 means in a Google search, let alone “&num=10&ft=i&” ? But yeah, point taken; as a searchable database, the Herald Editorial is seriously deficient. I suspect that’s deliberate.

            Most likely I’m just odd but, for me, reading the editorial is important in that it provides a glimpse into the thinking of the board room and/or an inkling of the PR being applied to particular issues. Also, its generally the authors I agree with which I skim and those with whom I disagree that I pore over. So, sure, it would be good to have some sort of identifier, even if it were just a number.

            • lprent 2.1.1.1.1.1
              6 January 2011 at 7:11 pm

              😈

              The google link is just

              site:thestandard.org.nz “By: LPRENT”

              Then in advanced set the date to in the last week.

              On our search it would be

              @author lprent

              In Advanced set to Post and Freshness

              Easy… Of course afterwards you get the gobbledygook that is a URL…

    • Bright Red 2.2
      6 January 2011 at 3:21 pm

      The Dom’s editoral today basically boils down to: ‘we’re campaigning against Labour this year, sorry’

      http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/opinion/4514818/Editorial-Labour-far-from-Treasury-benches

      It wheels out the Goff apartment story while mindlessly praising Key. No mention that Key has mismanaged us back into recession.

      • Deadly_NZ 2.2.1
        6 January 2011 at 4:09 pm

        Well i just wrote a letter to the editor but i dont think they will publish it, i was a little criticle of the Nats. I used some of the stuff i wrote this morning after due editing of the bad language.

  3. M 3
    6 January 2011 at 3:16 pm

    When the person/s who wrote this are paying $3 litre for fuel a retraction full of contrition will be the only way to salvage some respect.

  4. Sanctuary 4
    6 January 2011 at 3:22 pm

    This Herald editorial writer = John Roughton. The guy is anti-public transport dunderhead.

    • lprent 4.1
      6 January 2011 at 3:27 pm

      It’d be a good bet.

      Whoever it is clearly doesn’t use public transport and that is a characteristic of Roughton’s writing. He frequently talks about things that he clearly doesn’t understand the issues in any depth. He also lacks the external discipline that some of the authors who participate in comments sections receive.

      Of course that isn’t uncommon, however most of the others who write that way clearly frame their writing as either humor or satire. Roughton appears to regard his writing as serious, which it is – seriously factually deficient.

  5. RascallyRabbit 5
    6 January 2011 at 8:34 pm

    I actually wrote a comment to this editorial where I pointed out a lot of the same issues that others have with the factuality of the piece and I also compared and contrasted this road-biased attitude to various cities that I have had first experience with. I then suggested that the writer should get in their car and drive back to the provinces in order to let people who had a clue comment on and sort out Auckland’s transport woes.

    This comment wasn’t added so I subsequently wrote a more formal letter to the editor regarding the editorial but it wasn’t published either.

    Frankly its no loss if the New Zealand Herald heads down the toilet if they can’t even be bothered writing informed and balanced editorials any more….they should’ve checked out Josh Arbury’s fantastic blog over at Auckland Transport to get some decent analysis!

  6. The Baron 6
    6 January 2011 at 8:59 pm

    Wow Prent – whatever the hell your point is, you lost me at about line 15.
    Yeah yeah your blog and all, but perhaps you need a new years resolution in trying to make a point in under 12 paragraphs? You may find more people get to the end of it.

    • Zorr 6.1
      6 January 2011 at 9:54 pm

      Baron,

      tl;dr

      Make point in five words.

      Might find people read it.

    • lprent 6.2
      6 January 2011 at 10:12 pm

      Actually at line 15 you’d just finished reading the quote and had read 6 lines of my text, and 9 lines of the quote. I can quite understand you finding that editorial rather pointless (I sure did)

  7. Rationale 7
    6 January 2011 at 11:16 pm

    Good reading thanks all(commentary & comments) – yeah about the most out-of-line editorial I’ve read

  8. randal 8
    7 January 2011 at 10:36 am

    a cursory glance at any of our major metropolitan dailies reveals more and more items of poor scholarship, slipshod analysis and just poor thinking.
    a generation of writers are coming through now who have an answer for everything but dont know anything unless its about cars or hip-hop.
    the thing is all infrastucture needs maintenance and repair and it is not the end of the world just because something stops for a while.
    in any event the alternative is private enterprise.
    hohohohohoho.

    • jcuknz 8.1
      7 January 2011 at 12:20 pm

      I don’t waste my money on the local rag and when I pick up a copy at an eating house I never read the editorial simply because the idiots at the paper, to make it look different from the rest of the text on the page, have excessive line lengths … completely ignoring the ‘Golden Mean’ of printing which makes for easier reading which I learnt about when I worked for a publication decades ago. This site suffers from the same problem. It is a balance between type size and line length. But sorry I have forgotten the answer and these days can only appreciate the problem. I’d guess that these lines should be reduced by a third to get close to the GM.
      I’m glad I don’t live in Auckland an get riled over dam fool editorials 🙂

  9. jcuknz 9
    7 January 2011 at 12:24 pm

    It is after all the ‘silly season’ for journalism when all sorts of slack rubbish gets put in for want of proper news.

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    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
    2 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

  • Seeing the Aurora Australis
    There’s a solar-storm on at the moment, and since the South Island is having a day and night with clear skies, that means Aurorae. I have just got back from a midnight visit to Tunnel Beach – southwards-looking over the Sea, and without the light pollution. Quite a few others ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago

  • Welcome to the current welfare mess
    Michael Bassett writes – I’m not sure that it’s much comfort to anyone to know that the post-Covid surge in violent crimes, gang activity, ram raids, random shootings, thuggery and stabbings is occurring in other countries as well as New Zealand. These days, wagging school, out-of-control welfare and ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • A shovel-ready autopsy
    Oliver Hartwich writes –  Cast your mind back to mid-December. A new Prime Minister had just been sworn in, the new Government started its 100-day programme, and Christmas was only days away.Amid all the haste, a report landed that would have deserved our attention.I am talking about the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Why we almost blacked out and how to fix it
    TL;DR: An unseasonally early icy blast at the same time as some long-overdue maintenance almost caused Aotearoa-NZ’s electricity system to black out this week. That’s because a quadropoly of gentailers1 have prioritised paying dividends from their rising profits and adding debt over investing in 1.5 GigaWatts of new wind farms ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • What Is Instagram Trying To Sell Us?
    Hi,Before we crack into today’s Webworm, I wanted to acknowledge the fact that Israel is pushing into Rafah. Over 100,000 Palestinians are now attempting to flee the one place that was deemed “safe”.Trouble is, the place they’re fleeing to is already destroyed. Total annihilation is the end goal here.“Israel is ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago

  • Precious Little Excitement: Warner Brothers, Peter Jackson, and Gollum
    Back in February 2023, I made the cardinal mistake of getting my hopes up. Warner Brothers declared that fresh Middle-earth movies were in the works: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/02/24/it-never-rains-but-it-pours-warner-brothers-and-impending-tolkien-adaptations/ My assumption, based on which rights were available, and what had already been done, was that this was a stab at either the Angmar ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    7 days ago

  • Do We Need a Population Census?
    ‘It has been said that figures rule the world. Maybe. I am quite sure that it is figures which show us whether it is being ruled well or badly.’ GoetheI was struck at a recent conference on equity for the elderly, how many presenters implicitly relied upon Statistics New Zealand. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    7 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
    44 mins 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
    1 hour 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
    2 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
    4 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
    20 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
    21 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
    22 hours 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
    23 hours 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
    A high-level New Zealand political delegation in Honiara today congratulated the new Government of Solomon Islands, led by Jeremiah Manele, on taking office.    “We are privileged to meet the new Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet during his government’s first ten days in office,” Deputy Prime Minister and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New Zealand supports UN Palestine resolution
    New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Speech to the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium
    Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • $571 million for Defence pay and projects
    Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Climate change – mitigating the risks and costs
    New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
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    1 week ago

  • Getting new job seekers on the pathway to work
    Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
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    1 week ago

  • Accelerating Social Investment
    A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says.  “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
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    1 week ago

  • Getting Back on Track
    Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with  your Board and team, for hosting me.   I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
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    1 week ago

  • NZ – European Union ties more critical than ever
    Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith,   Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States,   Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us.   Ladies and gentlemen -    In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations.   ...
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    1 week ago

  • Therapeutic Products Act to be repealed
    The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
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    1 week ago

  • Decisions on Wellington City Council’s District Plan
    The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
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    1 week ago

  • Rape Awareness Week: Government committed to action on sexual violence
    Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston.  “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
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    1 week ago

  • Smarter lunch programme feeds more, costs less
    Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
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    1 week ago

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