The wage gap and the Nats’ crediblity gap

Written By: - Date published: 5:01 pm, June 12th, 2008 - 32 comments
Categories: national, slippery, wages, workers' rights - Tags:

Remember when National was all about the wage gap, whinging about it every day? Heard them talk about it lately? The last mention we can find is three weeks ago. Has the issue suddenly gone away?

No, there is still a wage gap and solutions to it require serious debate. But National wasn’t talking about the wage gap because they had great solutions to present (tax cuts? well, we know that tax cuts cannot close the wage gap, only wage increases can), it was merely a stick to beat the Government with. That’s what the ‘New Zealand sucks’ campaign is all about.

So, rather than get drawn into an actual debate, National has dropped the issue and picked up another: trying to beat up a crisis over the hydro lake levels. Once again, National has no actual answer. It opposed the Government setting up the Electricity Commission, which created the reserve power plant at Whirinaki, and we don’t need more capacity now, we have 8500MW vs 6700MW peak demand. After several weeks of National attacks having a clean run, a serious debate on electricity is starting to develop and, as with the wage gap, National is being shown up as having no solutions.

Soon, it will be time to move on. Indeed, they haven’t mentioned lake levels since a half-hearted press release two days ago. Just wait, soon enough National will have another topic to beat up (my bet is crime) and the ‘New Zealand sucks’ campaign will be on again.

32 comments on “The wage gap and the Nats’ crediblity gap ”

  1. IrishBill 1

    National have been playing a hit and run public relations game for a few years now. It’s not a bad strategy for an opposition as the news-cycle moves so fast nowadays that by the time the facts are out the story is old news and there’s a new “scandal” to focus on. This PR tactic usually ends in a loss of credibility but so far the media don’t seem to be fatigued by National.

    If I was advising the government I would suggest they put a lot of resource into follow up. Actually contacting the journalist who ran the story and having a bit of a yarn about the story and the hit and run tactic once the dust settles is a good way of inoculating later attempts. It takes a lot of work but over a period of a few months you can render the tactic useless.

    I really don’t think Labour have enough PR people who are willing to approach journalists and do this in the way it needs to be done. They are too focused on big picture “brand” work. Call me old fashioned but I don’t think “branding” is any substitute for just wandering down to the gallery and having a yarn every so often and I think a failure to do so can put a party at risk of seeming out of touch and arrogant in the eyes of the people that they rely on to communicate their stories.

  2. Chris 2

    The beautiful irony about National’s govt. bashing over restricted electricity supply is, if they had their way, there would be no accountable body because it would be under private control and the only accountability would be the “market” and its shareholders. It is only because the control of supply is in public hands and accountable directly to the government (and by proxy the people) that National are even able to blame the govt. from atop their gilded high horse. I’ll bet this irony is lost on them…

  3. ants 3

    Its pretty easy to come up with ammo against Labour when everything in the country is falling apart at the seams:

    Crime, education, health, roading, power, OECD ranking, wages, manufacturing, interest rates, exchange rate (AU,EU), number of beneficiaries (WFF), etc etc.

    National would be silly not to have shots at these easy targets – in fact, Labour would do and have done the same so I don’t see any problems with this.

  4. polaris 4

    Chris – got evidence for that?

    SP – where do you source your 8500 MW vs 6700 MW at peak demand claim? That doesn’t seem to mesh with what people in the industry is saying. If that’s correct, why is the emergency back up plant at Whirinaki running full bore (with diesel so expensive that it sets the market price very high)… why don’t we just use the extra capacity first?

    Did you see Parker’s claim that emissions from electricity have gone down since 2000 when they’ve actually gone up – Farrar fisked that pretty good.

    Finally in relation to no solutions haven’t the Nats been banging on about reforming the RMA to allow more renewable generation? In fact your good friends at Kiwiblogblog even mentioned this in a recent speech Gerry Brownlee gave – see http://kiwiblogblog.wordpress.com/2008/04/29/credit-to-gerry/

  5. polaris. We’re not running the hydro dams at full capacity because it hasn’t been raining. They’re conserving the water. The capcity is there but if we use hydro capacity at full now we risk running out of water to drive them. You know, what this whole issue is about?

    Over the long-term emission are falling. they obviously rise at present when we’re conserving water for hydro by using thermal.

    And, weakening the RMA isn’t a solution because a) they haven’t said how they would weaken it b) the minister already has and uses call-in powers c) capacity isn’t a problem so why would having more power plants solve it?

  6. Tane 6

    Ants – so many half-truths and flat out lies that have been refuted over and over again on this site. People like you are the reason National gets away with its hollow lines.

  7. randal 7

    The nats are in big time damage control at the moment. a) they know they are not going to win the election and b) its showing up in actions like JOhn Carters little outburst. They are in meltdown mode.

  8. Rex Widerstrom 8

    What IrishBill said. However oppositions have been doing exactly this as long as I’ve been actively involved in media and politics and probably well before.

    Sadly it’s the only way to feed the media these days. A (non-political) example… I’m doing PR for a group affected by the liquidation of a certain company. That company went through a voluntary administration only 4 years ago in which creditors (including staff) were forced to accept 0 cents in the dollar or see it fold and fight over the entrails.

    However when I tried to raise this history with most journos the response I got was universally a variant of “we don’t recall that, we haven’t got time to go research it (or even read the documentation you’ve offered us), and we don’t care. Just give us the ‘he said’ for our typical ‘he said / she said’ piece”.

    So the story runs with nil context, nil investigation, nil analysis.

    For once we can’t blame the pollies. They’re only giving the media what it demands. Till we demand better from our media (or the blogs rise up and take over the world!) then ADD reportage is what we’re stuck with.

  9. johndoe 9

    God, you are so silly. Low wage levels are a strategic concern, meaning it is a theme that goes on and on, and lakes are rather more immediate in their capacity to affect all of us in the immediate future. Of course energy gets more daily attention. national.org.nz/MediaReleases.aspx?S=49

  10. Pascal's bookie 10

    johndoe. I’m waiting to see how John Key plans on making Australian wages drop. Is that still the strategic plan?

    I couldn’t see anything about it over at the mess of a site you failed at linking to though.

    The Strategic Wages Gap (sounds so cold war nostalgic) doesn’t seem to be anywhere on the front page. So maybe it’s not a theme that goes on and on for the Nats. It’s just one that went on and the seemed to fall into a policy black hole. Which is the point of this post.

    Perhaps we check the latest release from the Labour & Industrial Relations Spokeswoman. She’ll be on top of National party policy for this strategic issue that just goes on and on. Nope.

    Looks like this post isn’t so silly after all. It looks like it was spot on. The Nats go on about things, but don’t have any policy to share with us. Or even with their spokespeople. Perhaps if we formed a lobby group with a swanky name they’d tell us their policy.

  11. Disengaged 11

    SP: “We’re not running the hydro dams at full capacity because it hasn’t been raining. They’re conserving the water. The capcity is there but if we use hydro capacity at full now we risk running out of water to drive them.”

    Huh? So there is no need to worry about New Zealand’s power generation because we have plenty of capacity, but we can’t use it because we don’t have the water. Isn’t that like a taxi driver saying I’m not worried about the price of petrol because my car has a large petrol tank, but I can’t drive you to the airport because I can’t afford to fill it?

  12. Matthew Pilott 12

    Disengaged – think of it as the difference between the power output of your car, and the petrol remaining to generate that power output.
    We have plenty of car power (our max output is enough to deal with NZ’s peak demand) but we’re running low on gas (hydro lake levels are low) so we need to conserve petrol (not use the water – unlike the car example, we have an alternative to keep that power level up – peaking stations such as Whirinaki).

    Building power stations will provide peak capacity for drought years, but that’s about it (find me a capitalist who’d do that!); in normal years they’d be extraneous.

    Whirinaki is running full-bore to conserve that hydro water – but I expect this will all pass without too much disruption – we have TWICE the capacity of 1992! I’ll be gormed if the media would point that out, but hey, their typical scaremongering serves a purpose in this case.

  13. outofbed 13

    disengaged no it isn’t

  14. T-Rex 14

    Disengaged – more like saying “oil supply limitations aren’t going to have an impact on transport in nz, because we have lots of cars”. The problem is, as you say, one of energy reserve, not power reserve.

    Hopefully the rain hits this weekend.

  15. T-Rex 15

    Heh – Sorry Matt, happened again. Serves me right for spending too long looking up data.

    I haven’t found anything that actually SAYS how new generation capacity goes through approval. As far as I know, any generator is free to add more capacity. Can anyone confirm that?

    ECNZ says nothing about restricting generation. Which, if true, means that everyone whining about how the govt has let this “crisis” come about should really just shut up.

  16. T-Rex 16

    People who should especially shut up:

    That moron Gerry Brownlee – He is whinging on about how the govt has let a crisis develop, how whirinaki is burning too much fuel, and how regulation is the problem. At the same time, his party is opposing the ETS (which is the main investment driver AWAY from generation that burns lots of fuel), and he’s ignoring the fact that the only reason we have a whirinaki peaking plant to avert a crisis is BECAUSE of regulation. The only mechanism the govt could even theoretically have to avert shortages is to regulate more heavily. Gerry Brownlee, you suck.

    Graham Sydney – You’re a great artist, but pardon me if I don’t pay an awful lot of attention to your views on the relative merits of nuclear vs wind energy, you tunnel visioned NIMBY.

  17. T-Rex 17

    Apologies for the 4th post in a row, and partial threadjacking (though this certainly does create a credibility issue for national)…

    Not that I’m treating this as gospel, but http://www.alliance.org.nz/2008/06/08/free-market-electricity-model-fails-as-power-cuts-loom-in-depths-of-winter/

    Sounds like it is, indeed, the free market that’s responsible for the shortage of generation. Which is what I thought.

    Once again – Gerry Brownlee, you are a git. The company you keep – likewise.

  18. T-Rex 18

    Finally – http://www.stuff.co.nz/4576736a13.html

    Woooowwwwww…. it sounds like the electricity market is pretty much like every other economic entity. Don’t make twice as much if doing so will result in selling it all at half the price. Pretty obvious really I guess…

    Dear stupid people in general. Please stop being stupid. I know it’s a little harder, and doesn’t allow quite so much righteous indignation, but it really is better! Even if our latest energy policy means you have to have a few cold showers this year, it’s finally got us moving in the right direction and will save us a BUNDLE in years to come. As well as ensuring security of supply for… well… forever really, that being the point of sustainable resource use.

  19. polaris 19

    SP – still waiting on a source for your 8,500 vs 6,700. Having that much capacity don’t matter much if you have to have conservation campaigns in June to make sure you get through the winter. So your capacity argument is bunkum.

    In relation to emissions from electricity – actually they’re not, as DPF’s post demonstrates. There’s been a 38% increase since 2000, so Parker was totally wrong. There’s been a 138% increase (or so) since 1990…. so not even in the long-term. Are you going to admit your error or not?

    In relation to the RMA
    a) yes they have – take a look at http://www.national.org.nz/Article.aspx?ArticleID=12069 for starters but also Nick Smith’s speeches as well
    b) The minister has already reformed the RMA? news to me. When?
    c)capacity is clearly a problem; there has been a failure of generation growth to keep up with demand.

  20. Razorlight 20

    Remember when National was all about the wage gap, whinging about it every day? Heard them talk about it lately?

    Remember when Labour was all about closing the gaps, and taking New Zealand back into the top half of the OECD? Heard them talk about it lately?

  21. T-Rex 21

    Polaris,

    Emissions – So what? At the time most of that capacity was built National was denying climate change even existed! At any rate, it was a decision made by the generation providers under the deregulated model National implemented, and because there was no ETS to guide their thinking. National opposes the ETS that will change this state of affairs.
    But yes, if parker said that electricity sector emissions have dropped under Labours watch then he’s wrong, but if Brownlee is pretending things would have been any different under National he’s lying like a filthy weasel. The only difference under National would have been a total lack of progress on the climate change issue.

    a) You’re right. In fact, that almost sounds like policy. I’ll have a think about its merits and get back to you.
    b) no idea
    c) Capacity is NOT a problem, hydro availability is the problem. It is not the governments fault it isn’t raining, nor does the government have a means of forcing generators to develop reserve for dry years. This is because of deregulation decisions NATIONAL MADE.
    It’s worth remembering that the only reason we’re not in a crisis right now is BECAUSE of the thermal power stations Brownlee is bitching about. Hey, that’s consistent with the govts position on thermal to ensure security of supply.
    Finally – WE’RE NOT ACTUALLY IN A CRISIS. Lake levels are low, and the contingency plans for such an event are being followed.

  22. BeShakey 22

    I’m sure a lot of other people saw it as well, but David Caygill made a number of good points when interviewed about this last week:

    The lake levels are NOT lower than they were in 1992, the inflows ARE.

    We are now much better able to manage situations like this, and the situation is being better managed.

    The increase in domestic power usage isn’t unforseen (he had a great quote, managing to keep straightfaced, (paraphrasing) ‘Yes Rordan, but we did forsee the increase in power use around this time of the year, it happens regularly and is referred to as “Winter”‘.

    While it is impossible to rule out power cuts, they would happen if there was minimal rain for months (in winter) around the hydro lakes, and there was a failure in the system.

    When he was asked whether he felt the EC needed anymore tools or authority he said no.

    Clearly, not an idea situation, but I’ll put good money on their not being power cuts, and that Gerry will just say that it was pure luck that it rained in winter.

  23. mike 23

    “a) they know they are not going to win the election”

    Randal – Centre bet have the next NZ Prime Minister odds @ $3.10 for Helen Clark and $1.35 for John Key.

    Centre bet have never picked wrong in this option. I think the old mare is dog tucker and the young colt will bolt in.

    If you are so so sure of youreslf have some balls and throw a lazy hundy on the old nags beak.

  24. T-rex 24

    “Gerry will just say that it was pure luck that it rained in winter.”

    No doubt. I mean come on – rain in winter??? Chance in a freakin MILLION!

    Polaris – in that Brownlee speech, did you notice how he failed to mention that National opposed the ETS? You know, that little bit of legislation that attaches a price to emissions from power generation and in doing so gives a significant competitive advantage to renewable sources such as wind. Wonder why he left that out…

  25. T-rex 25

    Mike – I’m not remotely confident HC will be the next prime minister. I just know that Nationals points of differentiation largely suck, their track record sucks, and their “young colt” is little more than an empty branding exercise.

    Which is why it doesn’t bother me that much when John Key suffers ad hominem attacks. Fight the battle with the tools of the day afterall – the battleground was well described in ‘sods article the other day.

    If you’re going to campaign on a brand rather than policy, expect the brand to be attacked.

  26. BeShakey 26

    mike – basic logic – the fact that they haven’t made a wrong pick doesn’t mean they won’t (otherwise me winning big on the first few spins on the roulette will would mean I’m guaranteed to win all night).

    Plus, depending on what you mean by ‘this option’ they have mispicked election results, although I’ll be the first to admit they have a pretty good record in this regard. I’d also be interested to know what they mean by ‘win the election’ how well do the aussies actually understand MMP, given that our own media frequently fail to get it. The odds of National getting a greater portion of the votes seems to me to be much greater than the odds of them forming the next government.

    And surely it isn’t a big surprise to you or anyone else that the Nats are favoured, even Labour admits they have a lot of work to do, but I doubt there are many people with even a passing knowledge of gambling that would say, with those odds, on an event four months away, that the less likely option is guaranteed not to happen (or even that it won’t be the most likely option closer to the date).

  27. polaris 27

    T-Rex: national doesn’t oppose an ETS that puts a price on carbon, in principle. it opposes, from what I understand, the current ETS.

  28. T-rex 28

    Polaris – Well yes, that’s what they’re saying, but in the present climate (ahahah) they’re unlikely to say anything else.

    ALL the major emitters are saying that. “Oh no, we totally agree that there needs to be some sort of emissions trading scheme because global warming is terrible and everyone needs to do their part &c &c, we’re just not sure this one is quite right and we’d like to wait longer to make sure it’s perfect”.

    Translation – “We’re awfully happy with the status quo, and will do our damndest to retain it as long as possible”.

    It’s the oldest delaying tactic in the book. Just ask Telecom. “Oh no, we support unbundling completely and only want to deliver the best service to NZ’ers”. Hey, Theresa, your explicit role for the next x years is to make damned sure this unbundling thing takes as long as humanly possible

  29. Jarvis Pink 29

    “Centre bet have never picked wrong in this option. I think the old mare is dog tucker and the young colt will bolt in.”

    Centrebet puts early odds on Brash

    Brash Firms as PM Betting Favourite After Debate

  30. bill brown 30

    Jarvis,

    That doesn’t count ’cause the lefties stole that election. 🙂

Links to post

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-28T22:19:48+00:00