Search and Survey Our Loss of Human Rights

Written By: - Date published: 6:49 am, August 30th, 2010 - 38 comments
Categories: law and "order", police - Tags:

The Search and Surveillance Bill that was thrown back for re-drafting last year has very quietly come back.  And as awful as it was last time (not many Bills are sent back), this time it’s little different.

The idea of the Bill was perfectly valid – Search & Surveillance powers were spread unevenly across 70 pieces of legislation, without much consistency.  A tidy up made sense.  But what has eventuated is a massive land grab of rights.

There is a real smorgasbord of new powers given, without discrimination, to 70 different government agencies.  All agencies now get the same powers – be they the police, the Pork Board, the Meat Industry Board, the Overseas Investment Office, the powers authorised by the Wine Act or your local dog control (or anyone else authorised by Local Government).  Anybody who had any evidence gathering power now has every evidence gathering power.

– If they have a policy on strip-searching they may use it.  If they have suspicion they may conduct a warrantless search, and seize items of interest in plain view.

– They may hack into your computer and conduct fishing expeditions for crimes you may have committed.

– 24-hour video and audio surveillance (and any future sort of surveillance) gets classed the same as a search, making it much more easily authorised.  And where warrants are required they need not be obtained from a judge, but from a ‘registrar” or possibly a JP.

– Police trespass on private property?  It’ll now be fine.

Along with search and surveillance powers it introduces a new ‘Examination Order’.  This requires someone to report to the police for questioning and removes the right to silence.  The new version of the bill allows you to go before a judge to have them determine if you are incriminating yourself, thereby incriminating yourself…

Another new power will be Production Orders  this allows ‘enforcement officers’ to sit back and order you to produce documents that you have, or will have in future, on an on-going basis if they suspect that an offence has been committed.

Some will say that only those who have done something wrong need worry about this.  They would be wrong.

The Urewera raids showed that where powers are granted, they are used.  The many innocent families who were hounded around at gun-point by balaclava-clad police who ransacked their houses would disagree that they had done anything wrong, but they certainly needed to be worried.  As did unconnected innocent activists who had their homes visited by police the same day.

Others who have had police go through their property in the middle of the night due to an erroneous address would say that the compensation they might receive after fighting through the courts was not worth the intrusion to their privacy.

An innocent business owner who recently had to threaten to go to the newspapers so that police would give him his work computer (with important customer details) back would probably not like to see it be easier for police to seize ‘suspicious’ property.

We need to stop this bill, as it is an attack on our fundamental human rights.

As it’s all come back very quietly there’s only this week to make a submission.

But there is an opportunity for Wellingtonians tonight to express their displeasure in person to the Justice and Electoral Select Committee chair, Chester Burrows:

There’s a public meeting at 7pm in St. Josephs Church, Basin Reserve (just off Brougham St, Mt Vic).  Along with Chester Burrows, Michael Bott from the NZ Council for Civil Liberties will be speaking.

38 comments on “Search and Survey Our Loss of Human Rights ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. freedom 1
    30 August 2010 at 10:24 am

    I cannot get there myself but am informing everyone i know in Wellington to go. A few months back i had a hell of a time even convincing people it existed.

    Though even today, how few know of the bill when the media give it no coverage.

    Although i have not seen a printed paper today, the stuff site has nothing on it. here is the headline list from their politics pages, and zip, zilch, nada
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/politics/more_headlines

  2. Graeme Edgeler 2
    30 August 2010 at 10:36 am

    So much there, so much to correct…

    The Bill as currently written is different from the Bill as introduced. Still worrying, but not nearly as worrying as this piece makes out, and some of things listed as concerns here are vast improvements over the current law.

    1. Surveillance.

    Currently, anyone can do this. No warrant needed. As long is it doesn’t involve a trespass, the pork board can tail you, set up video surveillance from the House next dorr, use telephoto lenses etc. It’s completely unregulated. This bill regulates it. Now you’ll need a warrant.

    2. Production orders.

    These are given to agencies that already have search warrant powers. They are a less invasive form of them. Person X is making large money transfers, and the police suspect money laundering. At present, they get a search warrant and have the power to go and search a bank’s offices. Looking at whatever they find on the way. Now, they’ll get a production order, and say, please hand over Person X’s information from date A to date B. Much less invasive.

    Among many others.

    There is much to fight with this bill, but please focus on the problems with it, rather than the good things it does.

  3. just saying 3
    30 August 2010 at 10:38 am

    Nightmare stuff.

    Does anyone have any idea of how the parties would vote if the bill was introduced in its current form? I’d like to imagine that the Greens/Labour/Maori/Progressives would vehemently oppose it.

    If Act was true to its supposed civil-libertarian roots it would too, but obviously I’m not holding my breath.

    There is an alarming societal tolerance-cum-appetite for this kind of authoritarain shit at the moment, IMHO, and the public is being groomed via the media. The same people who railed against the “nanny-state” welcome the sinister comfort of the “daddy-state” with open arms.

    • Graeme Edgeler 3.1
      30 August 2010 at 11:05 am

      Most of the work on the Bill was done by the Labour Government. That is, there was the Law Commission report that made a number of recommendation. That report went through internal governmental process, with recommendations considered and rejected, etc, and a proposal went through cabinet, which agreed to them. Those decisions were then sent of the the Parliamentary Council Office, which started making them into bill form.

      This all occurred under Labour.

      The Bill that came out came under National, in the form agreed by the former government and was introduced by Simon Power, I think without amendment from the previous government’s proposals. The Greens opposed its first reading, and the Maori Party were voting one short, but everyone else supported it.

      • just saying 3.1.1
        30 August 2010 at 11:25 am

        Thanks for that Graeme.

        I had heard from posters here that the S@S bill was originally Goff’s baby, and found that very worrying. I had wondered if the cold shower of being in opposition, along with the chance to disown the bill now that Power seems to have taken it over, might have brought Labour and Anderton to their collective senses.

        Has there been any recent indication from them about their position on the bill?

        • Graeme Edgeler 3.1.1.1
          30 August 2010 at 12:02 pm

          The Cabinet Papers were signed off my then Minister of Justice Annette King.

          I believe Labour still supports it, while wanting to fix up some of the problems that were originally in the Bill (e.g. the extension of audio and video surveillance involving a trespass and phone tapping etc. to all bodies with search powers. Same with National. It’s not a partisan issue in Parliament.

          • Loota 3.1.1.1.1
            30 August 2010 at 7:15 pm

            Oh that’s just great. FFS can we have someone standing up for the citizenry for a change, instead of looking to grow the powers of the State into our everyday lives.

            • Rex Widerstrom 3.1.1.1.1.1
              30 August 2010 at 8:18 pm

              In my experience, the best party in any legislature for standing up against this stuff is the Greens. Who then ruin it by wanting to regulate what lighbulbs we can buy… and would probably go along with right of entry for lighbulb inspectors *sigh*

              Apparently a large number of people followed the advice of Mark Latham in his special report for “60 Minutes” just prior to the Australian election and posted a blank ballot (thus complying with Australia’s compulsory voting law).

              NZers seriously need to put aside our left / right “baby eating capitalist” / “baby factory dole bludger” differences for long enough to rein in our polticians before it’s too late and we disengage completely with the system.

              Since there is no party which truly supports personal freedom we need to agree some sort of truce whereby we vote for none of the bastards, thus destroying their claim to legitimacy. That’s the simplest solution.

              Or, my preferred solution would be to work together to purge every last “I know what’s best for you” trougher out of the place. Replace them with independents who’ve agreed to properly consult and listen before making their own decision, not doing what they’re “whipped” into doing in the hope of a cosy list spot. And then we can go back to our myriad differences, because then we’ll have a system capable of responding to, and accommodating them.

              Either way, if we’re just going to keep fooling ourselves that our preferred party isn’t about to seek to control us to suit their own ends, then we wholeheartedly deserve what’s coming, because no politician ever repealed a law without substituting a more punitive one. Sadly, though, we’re also visiting the nightmare on our children.

            • Hayden Peake 3.1.1.1.1.2
              1 September 2010 at 10:18 am

              Couldn’t agree with you more, Loota. I’m encouraged by the fact that there seems to be a broad opposition to this bill — authoritarianism needs to be opposed at every turn.

              Of course, it would help if we had the right to challenge legislation against a small body of superior law — ie, legislation that violates constitutional law (there seems to be a lot of potential for personal destruction without the lawful judgement of one’s peers in this bill), should be challengeable in the supreme court.

              And just for amusement value, the anti-spam word I had to type to post this was “watched” 🙂

  4. Tiger Mountain 4
    30 August 2010 at 11:03 am

    The SS Bill is a real shocker. Junior authoritarians in our midst from dog rangers to fishing inspectors will love the added opportunity to poke about in our lives. Few are more sanctimonious than a baggage handler/clerk/inspector with extra powers.

    A more significant concern though is the extended police powers and loss of right to silence. Even plain old kiwi neighbourhood curtain twitchers may soon get to experience what it is like to be snooped on. All it might take is exercising freedom of speech or assembly on say foreign ownership of land or animal rights, and whammo instant ‘person of interest’ to the authorities.

    Re digital files, keep your stuff on a remote server or securely stored removable drive if the SSB slimes in which is quite likely.

  5. pollywog 5
    30 August 2010 at 11:43 am

    COME GET ME FUCKERS !!!

    …but on a serious note, i reckon i could find out more and get more dirt than Big Bro’ could find out, faster and cheaper, just by befriending someone on facebook and asking them about themselves.

    only thing is, i’m not on facebook, don’t tweet or instant message, have a general mistrust of social media and much prefer pseudonimity.

    It’s not that i’ve anything to hide, it’s just i’m not that interesting 🙂

    • Bored 5.1
      30 August 2010 at 1:26 pm

      I like your challenging approach, if this goes through I will see you in the basement of some random government department being “questioned” about illegally taking flowers to granny or similar. Whole thing is so bloody small minded.

      • pollywog 5.1.1
        30 August 2010 at 2:42 pm

        I’m all for CCTV everywhere too.

        Only let’s make it public access and pay bludgers a reward, based on convictions, to sit around all day scanning for crime.

        I’d also expand Parliament TV to all ministers/MP’s offices and meeting places for sub commitee hearings and require their phone conversations and e- mails be public access.

        If they got nothing to hide they got nothing to fear … right ?

    • Rex Widerstrom 5.2
      30 August 2010 at 8:28 pm

      i reckon i could find out more and get more dirt than Big Bro’ could find out, faster and cheaper, just by befriending someone on facebook and asking them about themselves.

      And you think “Big Brother” isn’t doing this already?! We see the tip of the iceberg… police officers who should be out in the community protecting citizens paid to sit in an office all day pretending to be a teenage girl and entrapping idiots into offences they’d probably never have the guts to do if it wasn’t for the encouragement of the officer.

      But beneath that there is a lot of other illegal (but only in some countries… in the US now anything goes) information gathering going on. It even has a name: Social Hacking.

      It’s common in industrial espionage too. Why break into a secure office building andf try to decrypt files when a spotty young geek will tell a hot girl he’s met on Facebook what he’s working on to try and impress her?

      It always prods my cynicism nerve when I see governments spending money to “warn children about online cyber predators” when it is government agencies and large corporations who are the most predatory presences on the net.

  6. Bill 6
    30 August 2010 at 12:29 pm

    I’m reckoning the most pernicious aspect of this bill will be the fact that it wont even have to be used much to have an effect.

    Currently, I could rattle off countless examples of where people have self policed in the mistaken belief that what they were about to do was illegal or unlawful or otherwise held the potential to ‘get them into trouble’.

    And where over zealous wee authoritarians have over stepped the mark and gotten away with it because the person being stepped on made a whole pile of incorrect assumptions.

    And where an innocent comment made by someone not directly involved in a matter has introduced fear, uncertainty and doubt into a situation and curtailed action.

    Whereas a lot of the examples I’d draw on to illustrate the points above would be from various protest actions or challenges to authority, there is another level of acquiescence that is encouraged by the constant mantra that ‘innocent people have nothing to fear’.

    Know how when the traffic lights are still on red but there’s no traffic, yet some people stand and wait for the pedestrian’s green light? Or how some workers feel a need to ask the bosses permission to do just about anything? Or how people won’t complain about being ripped off or done over? Or won’t step up to intervene in a situation where someone is abusing another or others?

    All Sam Lowry’s from Terry Gilliam’s Brazil.

    They wouldn’t want to be seen to be stepping out of line now, would they? ‘Cause only ‘bad’ people rock the boat. Only ‘bad’ people don’t follow the dotted line. And ‘bad’ people are watched. And ‘bad’ people have something to fear. And so better this discountable ‘good’ fear born of striving to not be bad, than the burden of persistent, nagging ‘bad’ fear. And besides, the authorities are keeping an eye on things and know the difference between a Buttle and a Tuttle. Right?

    • Vicky32 6.1
      31 August 2010 at 5:30 pm

      “Know how when the traffic lights are still on red but there’s no traffic, yet some people stand and wait for the pedestrian’s green light?”
      In Auckland, that’s called self-preservation, as some speeding plonker in an SUV can come barrelling out of nowhere in the blink of an eye… No traffic doesn’t mean a thing here, where people do 110kph outside schools at 3.00 pm secure in the knowledge that they’ll get away with it, and if they hit a kid the talkback rabble will blame the victims…(half of all talkback listeners being truckies on the road, judging by when I used to listen.)
      Deb

  7. Bored 7
    30 August 2010 at 1:31 pm

    Police trespass on private property? Does this mean that search warrants will not be required, that they can come right on in and question you in your own lounge?

    If we quietly give away “access” today will they want “habeus corpus” changed tomorrow?

    What worries me about insidious legislation is that the real reason it is required never sees the light of day until post event. What the F is the real purpose of this ?

    • Bill 7.1
      30 August 2010 at 1:58 pm

      “What the F is the real purpose of this ?”

      Not the sole reason. But to encourage a culture of self surveillance and acquiescence to societal norms as determined by society’s centres of authority.

      You got something illegal sitting around your home? Maybe enough home-grown for personal use for example? Or maybe you have something on your computer that you’d rather authorities didn’t access?

      Up until now, the only threat would have been a plod with a warrant. And as long as your nose was relatively clean, then you had no worries.

      But now a plod can bowl right on in and have you for that plant. And embark on whole episodes of questioning and accusing over something you wrote on your computer or whatever.

      So fear will encourage you to throw away the plant and self censor in other areas.

      That’s the purpose….a purpose.

      edit. Pollywogs ‘Come get me fuckers!’ attitude would, if everyone followed suit, see this legislation wind up as useless. But chances are that people will tend to hide away instead of getting out whatever closet it is they’ve locked themselves away in.

      • Vicky32 7.1.1
        31 August 2010 at 5:39 pm

        I honestly had a nightmare about this – trying to hide my mobile from the Plods – scary stuff!
        Deb

  8. M 8
    30 August 2010 at 1:51 pm

    ‘only thing is, i’m not on facebook, don’t tweet or instant message, have a general mistrust of social media and much prefer pseudonimity.’

    Exactly – blogging will probably get me into enough trouble.

    All this cyber stuff could end up very toxic for some. You need not look further than people who go on to internet dating sites – there’s no telling what you could be connecting with. I think most humans next context or background to suss someone out properly, as in where they work, socialise and what their reputation is amongst family, friends and community – warts and all. No way can this be ascertained over the Net and we humans need body language to really get the measure of someone.

    Increased powers for the pocket Hitlers who push the state’s agenda will have Garth creaming himself

  9. pollywog 9
    30 August 2010 at 2:49 pm

    Worst thing blogging can do, is create a delusional sense of self worth ending in becoming something akin to whaleoil or some dipshit might step to you for saying something ‘provocative’ online

    Some people take this shit far too seriously 🙂

  10. jbanks 10
    30 August 2010 at 3:19 pm

    Only criminals have to worry about this. So I’m not surprised with the outcry here.

    • The Voice of Reason 10.1
      30 August 2010 at 4:18 pm

      So jwanks, are you saying that the sysadmin, authors and commentors here are criminals? Think carefully before you answer.

      • jbanks 10.1.1
        30 August 2010 at 5:00 pm

        Am I wrong to think that many people here use marijuana and/or force against a child for the purposes of correction? (Both illegal acts)

        • Rex Widerstrom 10.1.1.1
          30 August 2010 at 8:33 pm

          Speaking for myself, no and no. Hate smoking anything, have never even had a cigarette. Raised four happy children. Nor do I have a criminal record of any sort. I’m as clean and pure as Garth McVicar and David Garrett combined (now there’s a mental image).

          So by your reasoning, that makes everything I’ve said against this Bill and the general culture of surveillance completely valid then.

          jbanks, King of the Non Sequitur.

        • Armchair Critic 10.1.1.2
          30 August 2010 at 10:10 pm

          Count me out for both of those. I do support decriminalisation, though I would still not use marijuana if it were decriminalised.

  11. just saying 11
    30 August 2010 at 4:01 pm

    That’s right dear, big daddy only wants what’s best for good boys and girls like you.

    • just saying 11.1
      30 August 2010 at 5:16 pm

      Just to clarify for all the grown-ups out there. As can be seen from the time of the above post, I was responding to little J’s first post (10). The little tyke slipped in his next post (10.1.1) afterwards.

      You’d better be careful J, ’cause you know what happens to naughty boys and girls!

      • jbanks 11.1.1
        30 August 2010 at 5:26 pm

        When you respond to someone try clicking “reply”. Moron.

        • bbfloyd 11.1.1.1
          30 August 2010 at 8:18 pm

          J..just between you and me, i’m really glad we don’t have webcam facilities on this site. what you’ve been doing would be hard to watch..

  12. Lew 12
    30 August 2010 at 6:55 pm

    … and then when they inevitably get enough evidence to charge you with something, you’re not guaranteed a jury trial.

    L

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  • 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    6 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
    6 days ago

  • No, the govt will not be cutting back on every budget – and the Defence vote is among those to be ...
    Buzz from the Beehive Reporting on defence spending late last year, RNZ said the coalition government will have to make some tough calls this term to help the force address staff shortages and ageing infrastructure. “These are huge, huge amounts of government spending. It’s a significant proportion of the government’s ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • The Treasury and productivity
    Late last week The Treasury released a new 40 page report on “The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections” (productivity forecasts and projections that is, rather than any possible fiscal implications – the latter will, I guess, be articulated in the Budget documents). In short, if (as it has) ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • The Controller and Auditor-General’s role
    Peter Dunne writes –  I am always wary when I hear that the Controller and Auditor-General has commented on or made recommendations to the government about an issue of public policy that does not relate strictly to public expenditure. According to the legislation, the role of the Controller ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • More harm than good
    How Labour’s and National’s failure to move beyond neoliberalism has brought NZ to the brink of economic and cultural chaos   Chris Trotter writes –  TO START LOSING, so soon after you won, requires a special kind of political incompetence. At the heart of this Coalition ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Real reason Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Chhour
    And why did the Crown not challenge the Tribunal’s jurisdiction?   Gary Judd writes –  Retired District Court Judge, David Harvey, has posted on his A Halflings View Substack an excellent summary of Justice Isacs’ judgment declining to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Losing confidence in the integrity of NZ elections
    Bryce Edwards writes – Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result?As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Macklemore's Pro-Palestinian Protest.
    Macklemore isn’t someone I’d usually think about. Sure I liked his big hit from a few years back, everybody did it was catchy and cool with some memorable lines. But if I was going to think of artists who might speak out on political matters or world events, he wouldn’t ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on miserly school lunches, and the banning of TikTok’s Gaza coverage
    Another week goes by in the Luxon government’s efforts to roll back the past 70 years of social progress. The school lunches programme is to be downgraded by $107 million, and women need bother their heads no longer about pay equity, let alone expect ACC to provide adequate sexual violence ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    6 days ago

  • Weekly Roundup 10-May-2024
    Brrr, the first cold snap of the year. Hope you’re rugged up nice and warm. Here are some stories that caught our eye this week… This Week on Greater Auckland On Monday, we had a post from a new contributor, Connor Sharp, who dug into the public feedback ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    6 days ago

  • The Hoon around the week to May 10
    Almost all of the Wellington City Council’s recommended zoning changes to allow many more apartments and townhouses in its inner-suburbs have been approved.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guest on geopolitics, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #19 2024
    Open access notables A Global Increase in Nearshore Tropical Cyclone Intensification, Balaguru et al., Earth's Future: Tropical Cyclones (TCs) inflict substantial coastal damages, making it pertinent to understand changing storm characteristics in the important nearshore region. Past work examined several aspects of TCs relevant for impacts in coastal regions. However, ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Losing confidence in the integrity of NZ elections
    Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result? As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and always answered “yes”, with very few ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    7 days ago

  • The Song of Saqua: Volume VIII
    Thus far May has followed on from a quiet April in the blogging department, but in fairness, it has been another case of doing what I am supposed to be doing, namely writing original fiction. Plus reading. So don’t worry – I have been productive. But in order to reassure ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    7 days ago

  • Pretending to talk other people’s languages
    Fakes can come in many forms.A Rolex, for instance.A tan can be fake. Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • What’s new? A social agency with an emphasis on “investment” instead of “wellbeing” – b...
    Buzz from the Beehive A new government agency will open for business on July 1 – the Social Investment Agency. As a new standalone central agency effective from 1 July, it will lead the development of social investment across Government, helping ministers understand who they need to invest in, what ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • Following the political money
    Bryce Edwards writes –    “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • Hipkins would rather no one remember that he was Minister of Education
    Alwyn Poole writes –  After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy. He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017. He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • Fashionable follies
    Eric Crampton writes –  A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 week ago

  • Justice for Bainimarama!
    In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • March for Nature in June
    Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week 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
    3 hours 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
    8 hours 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
    23 hours 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
    24 hours 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    5 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
    6 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
    6 days 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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.   ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Report provides insights into marine recovery
    New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ to send political delegation to the Pacific
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