Launch of Drinking Liberally NZ

Written By: - Date published: 12:17 pm, May 15th, 2008 - 67 comments
Categories: activism - Tags: ,

If you’re down in Wellington and of the Left, you’ve probably heard people talking about Drinking Liberally New Zealand. Drinking Liberally is an international network that grew out of the US, where people from throughout the Left, greenies, union-types, feminists, anarchists, Labourites, and everyone else, get together at a bar in their town, have a drink, listen to a speech from a guest speaker, and talk about politics and ways we can work together.

Drinking Liberally New Zealand is launching on Wednesday next week (the 21st) from about 6pm at the Southern Cross. It’s fantastic to have Nandor Tanczos as the first guest speaker and it should be a really good time.

So if you’re wanting to find a way to get more active in politics or you’re like me and you’re active but you keep on hearing about all this other great work other people are doing and thinking ‘man, we could do some great stuff together’, then come along on Wednesday. It’s totally non-partisan and relaxed; it’s about having a good time and building ties. Hope to see you there (I’ll be the one with the beard, not it that that narrows things down much).

What: Launch of Drinking Liberally New Zealand

Who: Guest speaker Nandor Tanczos, lefties galore

Where: Southern Cross, Abel Smith St, in the garden bar

When: From 6pm, Wednesday, 21st May

Join the mail list: here.

67 comments on “Launch of Drinking Liberally NZ ”

  1. Lyn 1

    Is there something like this in Auckland? Or any thought of starting it?

  2. Sam Dixon 2

    So, it’s bascially a chance to meet people who are active and maybe doing stuff you are intersted in but whom you don’t know? And maybe get some kind of cooperation happening?

    Sounds like a good idea. Is this what the right call senergy?

  3. Patrick 3

    This sounds like a great idea, sadly I’m busy next Wednesday but hopefully it will become a regular event!

  4. polaris 4

    “Synergy” maybe, probably not “senergy”.

  5. There’s no Auckland branch yet. – I haven’t had much to do with the organisational side of getting it set up here in Welly but the guys said it was pretty straightforward. Drinking Liberally US has some software for planning and stuff they give you.

    If you, or anyone else is interested in being part of setting it up in Auckland, flick me an email at the thestandardnz@gmail.com

  6. Sam.

    Yeah for some people it’s a way to network, for others it might just be a chance to have a good time in like-minded company and have a chat with people about issues they care about.

  7. Phil 7

    If you’re of a centre-right persuasion and looking for something similar, you can’t really go wrong with http://www.youngnats.org.nz/

  8. Phil 8

    It should be pointed out that political action groups or public forums held in bars tend to be very bad places to pick up a date…

    The green party “I only date green guys” t-shirts with the lovely ladies (wearing one size too small?) is false advertising on the same scale as the Lynx ad’s

  9. Patrick 9

    Thanks for the link Phil. I found the page on the Young Nat’s executive particularly enlightening. What a diverse bunch of people. I’m so glad that the minority that is white upper-middle class males finally have proper representation.

  10. Benodic 10

    Great idea, I’ll try to make it along. This is just what the left needs.

  11. Macky 11

    Isn’t Farrar a life member of the Young Nats? ‘uff said.

    See you there Steve.

  12. I’d love to show up but I fear it’ll attract psycho-righties like Whale’s creepy mate playing spot the leftie. Given the fact people know my name and the threats I’ve had made against my personal safety I simply wouldn’t feel safe…

  13. MikeE 13

    Does drinking liberally support liberalisation of drinking laws?

    [Drinking Liberally has no political positions whatsoever. It is purely a forum.]

  14. Billy 14

    What did Michael Laws say about the Young Nats? He’d never seen a group of people more in need of a bl*wjob?

    Captcha: the apr “Scull quantities”

  15. Billy 15

    “apt”

  16. Phil 16

    AFAIK, membership isn’t withdrawn, there is only a restriction on signing up before you get ‘old’. So I guess Farrar still counts…

    Anyway, by all accounts he’s actually a good sort once you get a couple of beers in him, but I’m not convinced he’d make a decent wingman.

  17. Saw the US version on Faux News recently, and it looked a little lame. If you know much about American political culture, being a left-liberal is almost an underground thing in many places (think Kansas), so that was hardly surprising.

    We already have a bunch of lefties meeting at Galbraiths of a Friday, but it is a pretty popular time at NZ’s best brew pub…

  18. Ah, there you go Lyn – talk to jafapete.

    You mean Fox News didn’t give glowing coverage of a bunch of lefties getting together? Shock! 😉

  19. mike 19

    “Given the fact people know my name and the threats I’ve had made against my personal safety I simply wouldn’t feel safe ”

    I think you might be taking yourself a bit too seriously Sod.

  20. higherstandard 20

    Yes Patrick – almost as diverse as the posters on this site – at least there is one woman on their executive.

  21. I think you might be taking yourself a bit too seriously Sod.

    You’re not the one clearing threats out of your inbox on a regular basis mike.

  22. HS. Bro. Don’t go attacking the writers of this blog like that, it’s not necessary.

    We have writers an incredibly diverse range of backgrounds – men, women, different ethnicities, sexualities, ages, political leanings, an array of different jobs from business owners. fellas straight out of uni, people whose highest qualification is bursary, people with multiple degrees, all kinds of professional backgrounds, people who grew up in an array of family settings and different sectors of society, people who have never been politically active before and people who have been around the traps for years.

    Our commentators represent an even broader array of people throughout our society and from abroad.

    So don’t you come on this site and say we’re like those privileged, ‘entitled’, little toryboys.

  23. It would be cool if you could come ‘sod.

    Don’t worry about the tories, they’re all talk.

  24. Billy 24

    “So don’t you come on this site and say we’re like those privileged, ‘entitled’, little toryboys.”

    Telling little piece of bile.

  25. higherstandard 25

    Billy

    Isn’t it though !

    Steve always reverts to ‘Bro’ when he’s peeved

  26. Did you see the pics that the youngnats had up last election? Have you met them? All rich, paheka, born to rule, male, kids, studying finance but don’t need a student loan becuase daddy’s paying for it – they have no empathy or understanding of what most people’s lifes are like yet they feel themselves destined to rule.

    I am not like them, nor are my fellow standardistas. We are diverse and we embrace diversity.

  27. They are born to rule??? Oh shit. I thought I was. I wonder if I can get my deposit back on that crown and throne set…

  28. Matthew Pilott 28

    Well, I do like to drink, er, liberally. On occasion. Did you all know Tuesday can be an occasion?

  29. higherstandard 29

    Steve

    Glad to know you embrace diversity and have such empathy and understanding of other people Steve at the moment though you appear to be a bile spitting lunatic

  30. HS. Nah I called you bro because I like you and you had crossed a line that I didn’t want to see you crossing. Where I come from, Bro’s what you call a mate. You’re one of the best commentators we have here and I said bro, as a shorthand for ‘bro, you crossed a line in calling me and my fellow standardistas undiverse like the toryboys’ because you don’t know us, you don’t know our backgrounds, our genders, our sexualities, our ethnicities.

    And I’m proud that I get to write with such a diverse group of people who all truly believe in social and economic justice, and I was genuinely insulted by your remark.

  31. Ari 31

    Mmm. Maybe I might trot over. It’s always awesome to hear from Nandor.

  32. higherstandard 32

    You’re right Steve I don’t no the backgroung and proclivities of you and your fellow posters apart from your leaning to the left which you’re all very up front about .

    However your assumption that you know the backgrounds, sexualities, ethnicities and proclivities of the young Nats is bizzarre – I can oly assume you had a bad experience with one or more of them.

  33. higherstandard 33

    Feck must spell check !!

    captcha To pharmacist – bizarre I am off down to the hospital pharmacy !

  34. F*&k, I’d love to come over but I live in Rag town, way out in the wops.
    I met Nandor a while ago and he is smart and honest.
    If you guys want me to give me a presentation about 911 just let me know, all I need is a bed and food. HS and Billy are invited.
    By the way did you know that most 911 thruthers are republicans and two time Bush voters?

  35. Billy 35

    Careful, ev, it might be a trap.

  36. Patrick 36

    higherstandard – you might want to take a look at the page I referenced, sure it doesn’t go into detail about their sexual preferences, but it does have a bit of background about the Young Nat executive. That is what I based my comment on.

    I particularly enjoyed this from their FAQ page:

    Are the Young Nats all male?

    No definitely not. Yes, the Executive members at the moment happen to be male, but the Young Nats as a whole are not. There are plenty of women involved in Young Nats, including the one writing this answer. We believe in electing people based on merit not gender, and women have previously held positions right throughout all levels of the Young Nats.

    So yeah, they wouldn’t mind electing more woman, if only any of them were any good. Well, I for one am glad that the Young Nats take this issue so seriously. ffs, if I were a female Nat supporter I would be seriously offended.

  37. oh by the way, I love drinking liberally.
    Did you know that while you can use just about anything in Holland, you cannot distil your own.
    Guess what, you can here. I love NZ

  38. Billy you’re a jerk, but quit possibly a loveable one.
    I don’t know until I meet you.
    And by the way; just because you’re paranoid, it doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.

  39. higherstandard 39

    Pat I might be getting on a bit but one of the young Nats executive does appear to be a woman !

    Eve – thanks for the invitation but it’s not my cup of tea I’d also suggest that most 911 ‘truthers’ as you call them probably make up the vast amount of all Americans both of the left and right persuasion

  40. Patrick 40

    hs – and how is their ethnic diversity looking? Do they have any representation from Maori? Anyone who isn’t white? No, they just have a token female, that should shut those pesky liberals up.

  41. HS, I am sorry to read your message.
    I thought you where the kind of person who was keen on staying informed of everything of real importance.

  42. higherstandard 42

    Pat

    I’m sure if they had an appropriate Maori, or a Lesbian Mongolian amputee, etc etc etc who wanted to be on the executive they could be if a position came up.

    Your remind me of the lunacy we have to put up with in the Health System wherein every time we open a new ward or surgical unit every lobby group and ethnicity have to have their say and perform a blessing.

  43. you’ve got it backwards HS. The young nats’ lack of diversity isn’t being criticised as an evil in itself but is being pointed to as a indicative symptom of the narrowness of the agenda they represent and thus their lack of ability to speak representatively on behalf of a broader section of society (as a political movement should be able to do).

    Captcha: “cycle Hoffman” – steal that book… and then ride away…

  44. Patrick 44

    Yeah it’s really terrible when communities want to be involved in things like the health system isn’t it. I don’t see why they can’t just buy their health care at market rates.

    The fact is, I think it’s pretty ridiculous that one of the two major parties only represents such a narrow view of New Zealand.

  45. lprent 45

    Galbraiths is ok. But I have to go under a pseudonym otherwise the room clears. Seems like the political types don’t like talking systems, computers and general tech all that much. 🙂

    Actually I’m too anti-social to turn up. It is like being a doctor – everyone has a sick system somewhere.

  46. Patrick 46

    I feel your pain Lynn! It used to be as simple as telling people how to reset their iPods, but recently it’s been getting as full on as: “Soooo… what do you know about The Linux?”.

    I should just pretend that I’m a policy analyst.

  47. lprent 47

    Ummmmm… Don’t think that works either. I’ve seen policy people surrounded – for some reason people seem to think that they have some kind of influence.

    Something boring. Accountant (nah everyone has tax problems – not just the righties), lawyer (nope), businessman (how many crackpot ideas do you hear a day), teacher (umm bloody parents), …. I have it

    Librarian!

    One of my hassles is that I know a hell of a lot about computers and almost everything else. Being a vicarious reader & getting a bit over the top with degrees does that to you. It is rare to hear conversations about things I didn’t know when I was in my 20’s or 30’s. But you have to say that the beer is good at Galbraiths, and a bit of alcohol is good at shutting down the higher brain functions. (But it makes writing code a bit harder later on).

  48. Billy 48

    Go with real estate agent, lprent. Apparently, pretending to be a real estate agent is all the rage…

  49. lprent 49

    Billy: In the current housing market? You have to be kidding. They’ll surround you trying to find out how to offload the mortgage.

  50. Or politely ask you to leave…

  51. randal 51

    hey hs did ya get ya thorazine down at the pharmacy…chill out dude.

  52. randal 52

    hey hs again if they wanted a certified moron they would get someone like you!!!!!!! make that exactly like you…hahahahahaha

    [lprent: That was over the bounds – did you forget which blog site you were on?]

  53. higherstandard 53

    Sadly no Randal

    I’m neither young nor a moron, you on the other hand appear to fit one of those categories.

  54. Ruth 54

    Lyn said ‘Actually I’m too anti-social to turn up’

    Same here! The thought of having to make conversation with people I don’t know sends my anxiety levels off the Richter Scale…so I often say I’ll come to events and then not turn up…which isn’t a good look.

  55. Ari 55

    Just to check- the drinking part is optional, right? 😉

  56. If it was a Labour-run thing the drinking would be complusory.

    If it was Green-run, drinking would be banned.

    But the idea is that it’s a meeting place and forum for all on the left, so, drinking is voluntary.

    Ruth. Don’t be scared. We met once and you struck me as a perfectly socialable type.

  57. lprent 57

    Ari: Drinking is always optional. But the beer at Galbraiths is very good. I’m sure that there must be beer in wellington as well (it is in the suburbs a bit 🙂 ).

    Ruth: I find meeting people is interesting. After I figure out what they’re likely to say next, the amusement value wanes and it starts getting boring. But thats me – over-educated and arrogant (to paraphrase my namesake). As a general rule I find the more people together, the lower the average intelligence level. Yawn – I think thats a reaction to being at a meeting this evening…

    Thats why I like programming – a guaranteed 30% learning curve every year. I’m sure in this day and age someone would want me on drugs for hyper behavior in my youth.

    captcha: scare recessions
    sounds like the news today

  58. Matthew Pilott 58

    Not that it’s all about the drinking or anything, but…

    http://www.thecross.co.nz/menus/beers

    Billy and ‘sod, please note the god-awful misplaced apostrophe in “Tuatara Ardennes”. Ardenne does not own the beer, FFS! If it were my family, such a misplaced apostrophe would be enough to ensure a veto of the venue.

    That aside, it’s a damn good beer.

  59. Lew 59

    The irony of having a rasta launching a drinking-and-arguing club is truly awesome.

    In my very limited experience out drinking with Standardistas, there’s a fair diversity of opinion. And it’s always interesting to see if people talk as big in public as they do on the interwebs.

    A double-header with this and Back Benches looks like it might be the ticket.

    L

  60. Can I bring my Toby Keith Cd’s?

  61. Phil 61

    Steve’s comment back up the thread…

    “Did you see the pics that the youngnats had up last election? Have you met them? All rich, paheka, born to rule, male, kids, studying finance but don’t need a student loan becuase daddy’s paying for it – they have no empathy or understanding of what most people’s lifes are like yet they feel themselves destined to rule.”

    Bullshit. As a former Young Nat who loosely fits about half of those classifications, and doesn’t at all fit into the other half, I can tell you that there is more ‘we have a right to rule’ drivel coming from posts and comments on TheStandard than anything that was ever spawned in YN’s.

  62. Steve:

    In regards to the comments “All rich All rich, paheka, born to rule, male, kids, studying finance but don’t need a student loan becuase daddy’s paying for it”

    Dont you find that a bit bigoted and what is wrong with studying finance?

    Imagine if someone here wrote, that “Labour supporters from South Auckland are mostly Unemployed Samoan immigrants, who dont feel like working and believe that whitey owes them a house”

    Your comment is just as bigoted.

  63. When im back up in wellington, I shall definatetl pop my head in..

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

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 hour ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
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