Play it again John

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, February 8th, 2014 - 39 comments
Categories: australian politics, benefits, david cunliffe, Economy, john key, national, same old national - Tags:

play it again John Key

So John Key went to Aussie and managed to secure a significant concession by the Australian Government.  Apparently now kiwis who have emigrated and lived in Australia for a sufficient period of time will be eligible for student loans.

According to the Beehive site:

Mr Key welcomed Prime Minister Abbott’s confirmation that Australia would extend access to students under the Higher Education Loan Program to long-term New Zealand residents in Australia.

“It is in both countries best interest to provide educational opportunities for young people.”

Good stuff John.  Following hard on the heels of David Cunliffe’s correct assertion that the treatment of Kiwis in Australia is unfair it is good to see that he has been able to improve conditions for Kiwis living in Australia of which I am sure each of us know many.  And when you look at what the Australian Supermarket chains are trying to do to Kiwi food exporters this is a really sensitive issue.  After all Australia and New Zealand stand together and there is the CER Treaty and the ANZAC history and what is going on when Australian Corporates refuse to purchase New Zealand produce and when Kiwis in Australia are not treated the same as Australians here?

The Herald made the prospects of success seem distant.  Yesterday morning it said this:

Mr Key said that he would discuss the issue of New Zealanders in Australia with Mr Abbott, with some hope of making progress in the provision of student loans available to young Kiwis.

The previous Labor Government had agreed to make the loans available, but the legislation did not reach parliament before last year’s election that swept the Coalition to power.

Before the meetings this morning Mr Key said that the provision of student loans would be one of the logical steps Australia could take because they would provide what were essentially young Australians with access to higher learning.

But Mr Key said was “not overly hopeful” of any change of heart by Australia towards the rules introduced in 2001 that cut New Zealanders off from most Government services, programmes and welfare and effectively denied expatriates the means to gain permanent residency or citizenship.

And Stuff celebrated Key’s success.  Apparently …

Australia has agreed to extend access to student loans for the children of long-term Kiwi expats.

The announcement by prime ministers John Key and Tony Abbott is in line with proposals last year by the previous Australian Labor government.

The move was announced in a joint statement after a joint Cabinet meeting in Sydney this morning.

Key welcomed it as a “sensible and progressive step”.

The point that really irks is that the language used suggests that Key has achieved something when he has clearly not.  Australia has decided not to welch on an agreement previously reached and somehow we should thank Key?  How is it that a decision not to back away from a previous decision can be described as an agreement to extend access?  I mean, and I am trying to be level headed about this, DO THEY UNDERSTAND ENGLISH?  Describing inertia on the part of the Australian Government as a “sensible and progressive step” is twisting the English language well out of shape.

To put it all into perspective here is something that Murray McCully said in June 2013.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully has welcomed a move by Australia to extend its student loan scheme to long-term New Zealand residents.

Australia’s Tertiary Education Minister Craig Emerson today announced many New Zealanders will, from January 2015, be eligible to apply for the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) for tertiary education or vocational training.

“This is a positive step forward for both New Zealand and Australia. Making tertiary education more accessible will lead to increased employment prospects and a better educated workforce,” Mr McCully says.

New Zealand already extends student loans to Australians who have lived in New Zealand for three years.

Extending student loan access to New Zealanders resident in Australia was a recommendation of the Australia and New Zealand productivity commissions.

David Cunliffe has responded to this “news”:

John Key has got nothing out of his bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott but a re-announcement of a previous Government’s decision on student loans, Labour Leader David Cunliffe says.

John Key has tried to claim a win out of his meeting with Tony Abbott today in the form of agreement to extend student loans to children of New Zealanders who are long-term Australian residents.

“He is taking the New Zealand public and media for a ride. This decision was reached by the previous Labor Government in Australia and was announced in June …

There has been no movement on the crucial areas of social welfare for New Zealanders in Australia, who are still treated as second class citizens.

So Key is trumpeting that continuation of existing policy as some sort of diplomatic success.  The first impression from his press statement and the MSM is that he has achieved something of benefit.  But when you learn about the background and then read his press releases you realise that he has spun this particular “achievement” to within an inch of it being a lie.

Paula Bennett has announced and reannounced policy to give the impression that National is doing things.  It seems that John Key is now doing the same.

Play it again John.

39 comments on “Play it again John ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. felix 1
    8 February 2014 at 10:03 am

    So how about some progress on the aussie supermarkets? You know, the issue that he actually said he was going there to sort out.

    Guess there’s only so much you can do between rounds of golf and propping up bars.

  2. yabby 2
    8 February 2014 at 10:14 am

    How on earth can Mr Key and Mr Abbott step into commercial territory and effectively order Australians to be less patriotic? Even if such interventionism was possible with regards to the supermarket’s position on “Buy Aussie”, the customer’s may well choose to boycott themselves.

    As for the concessions (student loans)gained being too little, I understand that when Helen Clark signed up to the SCV for Kiwis, she and her Labour government negotiated far more lenient terms and that the Australian government sought. They wanted far more restrictive and draconian visa measures to stop the back door immigration that was occurring.

    • Olwyn 2.1
      8 February 2014 at 12:25 pm

      In actual fact the more draconian measures would have made it easier for the people who managed to get through, but fewer would have been able to go in the first place. Those who got through would have faced exactly the same processes as migrants from elsewhere.

      Helen Clark’s choice under her own watch was probably the right one, since she was also keen on creating employment opportunities here, which would have naturally reduced the numbers migrating. This would have allowed a gradual drift back to the previous status quo. But since then, Australia has not only become the receptacle for NZ’s unemployed, it is also affected by NZ’s reliance on migrants to buy a broom and a mattress from the Warehouse and clean offices or drive cabs for a couple of years before transferring to Sydney. New Zealand’s lack of responsibility for its own citizens forms the background to Australia’s continued heavy-handedness.

      When a crisis arises, NZ cries “Save our upper middle class!’ while Australia cries “Save the Australians.” The New Zealand worker has the misfortune of not fitting into either category.

      • greywarbler 2.1.1
        8 February 2014 at 3:43 pm

        Olwyn
        I question some of your thinking. There was a thorough wipeout of the reciprocal arrangement NZ and Oz had. This resuslted in no or very few rights to welfare to NZs and help when in difficulty. And withdrawal of the right to apply for citizenship. More should be happening in NZ but that is a separate matter than us being discriminated against after we both signed the Closer Economic Region accord.

        Just demanding respect and continuation of rights should have been a standing point for Helen Clark. And benefits could have been delayed further if the Australians considered that NZs had to work for a longer period before entitlement. By the time they were eligible, those NZs would have proved their worth, and paid good amounts of tax.

        But no, no demands that I heard about, no long face and quiet annoyance. Business as usual, and I feel we were sold down the river. We are now just another P.I. – that has special work and entry permissions. That suits our government, because it gets the Oz visiting workers off our unemployment register. The charlatans.

        • Olwyn 2.1.1.1
          8 February 2014 at 4:31 pm

          Greywarbler: As I remember it, Howard initially wanted to place New Zealanders under the same restrictions as apply to all other migrants. This allows them to extend their visas, apply for citizenship after a couple of years and so on, but also restricts their numbers. Helen Clark opted for the system that did not restrict the free flow of people between Australia and New Zealand, but that came with restrictions of its own, like not accessing Australian welfare and not applying for citizenship.

          I suspect that Clark thought that the loss of the free flow between countries would be hard to regain once lost, while the restrictions would be eased as the numbers going there dropped off. However, the GFC and John Key came along, so that the numbers going there increased, and the restrictions remained. It is also true that migrants have historically used New Zealand as a back door into Australia, by first gaining NZ residency. So while I think what Australia is doing is far too harsh, at least some of the blame is New Zealand’s for not following policies that lead to adequate employment, and ignoring the back door entry move.

          • greywarbler 2.1.1.1.1
            8 February 2014 at 4:40 pm

            Olwyn
            Okay.. I had forgotten these features. Thanks for updating. Too soft from our supposedly tough leader Helen. She should have bitten the bullet and cut back numbers, instead of losing our rights, in some calculated risk strategy. It is an illustration of what ought to be the case, that a referendum should be called for before allowing such changes. Not up to a pollie, a temporary driver of the country, who leaves behind people suffering unnecessarily.

            Could be there needs to be a fidelity fund that pollies pay into annually, and individually when their portfolio introduces swingeing changes.
            We could be offering some help now from it.

            • greywarbler 2.1.1.1.1.1
              8 February 2014 at 5:30 pm

              I have just checked our Stats Dept for number of NZs living in Oz. Radionz said 600,000 and that is the estimated figure that Stats gives.

              There is also the OECD census of 2000 that shows 316,000 NZ-born people living in Australia. The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates 477,000 New Zealand-born people were living in Australia at 30 June 2006

              So that would be higher now. The 600,000 counted anyone who was a NZ which would include naturalised people.

              Then there are uncertainties whether stat figures include everyone eligible. It asks – Are the children and spouses of New Zealand-born people included, for example?

            • Psycho Milt 2.1.1.1.1.2
              9 February 2014 at 7:01 am

              She should have bitten the bullet and cut back numbers, instead of losing our rights, in some calculated risk strategy.

              She should have gone with ending free movement between NZ and Australia, for the sake of ensuring that some people who’ve effectively emigrated aren’t inconvenienced? That, if you don’t mind me saying so, is completely fucking nuts.

  3. irascible 3
    8 February 2014 at 11:17 am

    Key and Abbot would have spent more time on the Cricket World Cup rather than substantive issues as neither has any connection with reality preferring to spent the taxpayers’ monies on bread and circuses or playing impersonating playing golf with celebrities.

  4. Will@Welly 4
    8 February 2014 at 12:18 pm

    Old slippery had something else in his mouth last night, and it wouldn’t have been a vegemite sandwiche.
    Tony would have been happy – “Chow time, Johnny!! Eat that.”

  5. alwyn 5
    8 February 2014 at 1:21 pm

    You should be pleased Micky.
    Key is obviously taking lessons from your party’s beloved leader Cunliffe.
    You remember how Shearer (remember him?) scrapped the policy idea of getting rid of GST on food and vegetables?
    And then you will remember that Cunliffe announced it again as being his own brilliant idea, and had the gall to claim it gave him about a billion and a half extra to throw at other things.
    At least Cunliffe isn’t going back on his word when he attacks the Australian policies on New Zealander’s who live there not getting benefits. He hasn’t got a previous record on the subject as he was very, very quiet when the Government of which he was a member applauded their removal back in 2001.

    • mickysavage 5.1
      8 February 2014 at 1:31 pm

      Urban myth Alwyn. This is from TV3 in March 2013.

      Labour is considering going back on one of its major election promises – GST-free fresh fruit and vegetables.
      It says it has to prioritise, but the tax break would be the third major policy the party’s scrapped since the last election, if they go back on it – and the Government says it’s impossible to know what Labour now stands for.
      “If we can’t afford policies then they will have to go. GST off fresh fruit and veg is one thing we’re looking at,” says Labour leader David Shearer.

      http://www.3news.co.nz/Labour-gone-cold-on-GST-free-food/tabid/1607/articleID/291736/Default.aspx

      Notice Shearer said Labour was looking at getting rid of it, and not that Labour was getting rid of it.

      • alwyn 5.1.1
        9 February 2014 at 9:28 am

        You presumably understand the rules of the Labour Party, and I would have to say that I don’t generally waste my time reading them.
        However my understanding of them says that the policy of the party is developed by the various regional committees and is then decided at the annual conference. It then requires that the election manifesto must be in line with the policy.
        How, therefore, can Cunliffe unilaterally say that he is scrapping the committment to remove GST from Food and Vegetables? He doesn’t have the ability to do that if he is following the rules of the party does he?
        Shearer said, according to you, that Labour was looking at getting rid of it. He appears to be following the rules. Cunliffe says that they ARE getting rid of it. When was the party policy finalised in the way the rules appear to require?
        Are we to assume that Cunliffe was lying when he said it was being scrapped, as the only thing he could do was to campaign to scrap it?

        • mickysavage 5.1.1.1
          9 February 2014 at 9:48 am

          So which is it Alwyn? Did Cunliffe just announce again an already agreed position or is he unilaterally changing party policy?

          • alwyn 5.1.1.1.1
            9 February 2014 at 10:12 am

            I don’t know, but it surely must be one of them.
            Originally I thought he was merely re-announcing an already agreed position. That is what I said in the original comment.
            You have pointed out in your reply that that is not the case, and that Shearer had only said that it would be discussed.
            There appear to be only two options. The first is that the subject was discussed, and agreed. In that case Cunliffe must have been merely confirming an already agreed policy change. The second one is that he is, as he claims, making new policy, which appears to be in breach of the party rules as it appears he doesn’t have the right to do that.
            You are much closer to the Labour Party, I imagine, than I am. In that case can you advise me as to which of these two options is the correct one? I have had a look at the Labour Party policy and manifesto statements and I can’t see it anywhere in those.

            • mickysavage 5.1.1.1.1.1
              9 February 2014 at 10:14 am

              I was interested Alwyn because you chose to criticise Cunliffe for one thing and then for something which is completely different. Do you often criticise people when you have no factual basis for doing so?

              • alwyn …
                9 February 2014 at 11:17 am

                Am I to be limited to criticising Cunliffe for only one offence? What an amazing rule.

                I said that Key, whom you criticise for his announcement, was merely behaving in the same way as Cunliffe. Key of course didn’t actually claim he had developed anything new. What he said was that the Liberal Government in Australia was going to implement a policy change that the previous Australian Labour Government had agreed to but never implemented. As commenters on this site have regularly pointed out an action by one Government cannot bind its successor. Key is being very sensible to reconfirm the new Governments intentions.

                I proposed that this was very similar to Cunliffe’s claims about GST. You say that the statements by Shearer (to discuss) and Cunliffe (to scrap) were not the same.
                This made me curious as to how the Labour Party does agree on policy. As far as I can see the MPs, and even the leader, don’t set the policy. That role is one for the various policy committees and the annual conference. It is this that lead me to question, therefore, how a unilateral announcement of policy by Cunliffe could possibly be in conformity with the Labour Party rules?
                As far as I can see I do have a factual basis to criticise him. I repeat, can you please explain how I have misinterpreted the rules that are supposed to govern his party?

            • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1.1.1.1.2
              9 February 2014 at 10:23 am

              Can’t you? With Cunliffe’s speech front and centre, you can’t see any reference to stuff that’s in the speech?

              That’s some epic bias you’ve got going on there.

              • alwyn …
                9 February 2014 at 11:19 am

                With your statement right in front of me I am quite unable to understand what on earth you are talking about. Can you please clarify your thoughts for my edification.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1.1.2
          9 February 2014 at 9:58 am

          Obviously Labour activists are all fired up about this flagrant breach of protocol, but they’re keeping very, very quiet about it. That’s the only possible interpretation of the facts. No, wait…

  6. Meg 6
    8 February 2014 at 1:44 pm

    John got played. He got a tiny concession, and just wait, shortly will follow a backlash against kiwis and our exports to oz. John Key has been made a fool and he isn’t even aware of it.

    • felix 6.1
      8 February 2014 at 2:46 pm

      Bullshit “Meg”.

      John got no concession whatsoever, and he knew he wouldn’t, and he didn’t even try because he doesn’t give a fuck.

      He didn’t get played, he played NZ.

  7. Meg 7
    8 February 2014 at 3:51 pm

    Well considering the slight change in rules by the Abbott government, yes Key got something. So you are wrong on that account.

    As for getting played, Key thinks he got kiwis living over in Oz this great thing, so he got played. But I will say if he got this just to push in the nz media, then I will only agree he is trying to play kiwis. But pity for john he is losing his shine and he is not as clever as he thinks.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 7.1
      8 February 2014 at 4:11 pm

      You know what he thinks eh?

      If he is trying to play Kiwis, how can he get played by something that happens to Kiwis? Is he a player or not? If he’s a player, it’s the spin that counts, not the result.

      I think he’s a player, and that any intimacy between him and Abbot was about how to play this with their respective electorates, and little else.

      • Meg 7.1.1
        8 February 2014 at 4:18 pm

        You are free to think what ever you like in an equal society. Equality for all is a good thing.

        John is not as clever as everyone thinks. He just has very good advisors I believe he thinks he got this great deal for kiwis in Oz and Abbott is thinking ” What a twit this guy is”.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 7.1.1.1
          9 February 2014 at 10:02 am

          So he got something, he got played, he’s a player, his advisors are the real players, but they failed to see any of this coming, and Tony Abbott thinks he’s a twit.

          That’s all perfectly clear now. I’m glad you explained it.

        • SHG (not Colonial Viper) 7.1.1.2
          9 February 2014 at 10:30 am

          What Tony Abbott thinks is “thank Christ this guy isn’t an Australian citizen, or I’d be out of a job”. It’s a running joke of the “hahahaha that’s funny but no we’re totally serious” variety in the Liberal Party.

    • SHG (not Colonial Viper) 7.2
      9 February 2014 at 10:59 am

      I think what’s more important is the combo “of the 600,000 kiwis in Australia, how many feel like John Key has done something important for them, and of that group how many are eligible to vote in the next NZ election?”

  8. nadis 8
    8 February 2014 at 4:31 pm

    Whether the Aussie supermarkets use or don’t use NZ produced goods has nothing do with CER. CER sets the import rules under which goods from NZ can be imported into Aus (and vice versa). It has no impact on whether a corporate then buys those goods.

    What I have never understood is that when the Australian Government put in those restrictions on welfare, student loans etc, the government of the day (Labour) and every government since (National) didn’t make the same changes.

  9. Tracey 9
    8 February 2014 at 7:24 pm

    Abott gets to do nothing. In return key gets to go to g20. What was the win for nz again?

  10. Tanz 10
    8 February 2014 at 8:49 pm

    Key doesn’t care, it doesn’t affect him none of it ever does or ever will. Banker, heartless.

  11. SHG (not Colonial Viper) 11
    9 February 2014 at 10:21 am

    Abbott and the LNC won the last election on a platform of “if Labor for it, we agin’ it”. The new government is actively cancelling Labor programs and reversing Labor legislation.

    For John Key to get the new Australian government to implement a policy change that was agreed to to by the last Labor government strikes me as quite an achievement.

  12. Bob 12
    10 February 2014 at 1:02 pm

    “The point that really irks is that the language used suggests that Key has achieved something when he has clearly not”, maybe he was just letting David Cunliffe know…… here is a David Cunliffe press release from 6 February 2014

    MEDIA STATEMENT
    “It’s estimated around 100,000 Kiwis living across the ditch can’t access student loans, emergency housing, disability insurance, or social security benefits.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • The PM promises tax relief in the Budget – but will it be enough to satisfy the Taxpayers’ Union...
    Buzz from the Beehive The promise of tax relief loomed large in his considerations when  the PM delivered a pre-Budget speech to the Auckland Business Chamber. The job back in Wellington is getting government spending back under control, he said, bandying figures which show that in per capita terms, the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 days ago

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

  • At a glance – What ended the Little ice Age?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Talking Reo with the PM
    “The thing is,” Chris Luxon says, leaning forward to make his point, “this has always been my thing.”“This goes all the way back to the first multinational I worked for. I was saying exactly the same thing back then. The name of our business needs to be more clear; people ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 days ago

  • DJ Fred Again – Assurance report received
    "On the 27th of March, I sought assurances from the Chief Executive, Department of Internal Affairs, that the Department’s correct processes and policies had been followed in regards to a passport application which received media attention,” says Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden.  “I raised my concerns after being ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours 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
    17 hours ago

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

  • Craig Stobo appointed as chair of FMA
    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly today announced the appointment of Craig Stobo as the new chair of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). Mr Stobo takes over from Mark Todd, whose term expired at the end of April. Mr Stobo’s appointment is for a five-year term. “The FMA plays ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 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
    19 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
    1 day 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    5 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
    5 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
    7 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
    1 week ago

  • $571 million for Defence pay and projects
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