The Standard line: crime

Written By: - Date published: 9:27 am, October 20th, 2008 - 39 comments
Categories: crime, The Standard line - Tags:

So, you’re talking with someone about politics and they say something really dumb and wrong and you know it’s wrong but you don’t have the arguments and facts at your fingertips to make a decisive point. That’s where our election series, The Standard line, comes in. The info you need in bite-size form. Today, crime:

Points:
– Crime is down. When Labour came to power, there were 1200 offences reported per 10,000 people, each year. Now there are 1000.
– There were 8,000 fewer crimes in total reported last year than 1999 and 25,000 more were solved.
– The crime figures we hear about are only reported crimes. The evidence is that reporting of crime is up because of public awareness campaigns and because cell-phones making reporting crimes immediately easier. We know two types of crimes that always have nearly 100% reporting – homicides and burglaries (you can’t claim insurance if you don’t report a burgulary to the Police). Homicides are down 10% per capita, burglaries are down 18%. 
– reported violent crime is up but the experts say this is due to higher reporting of family violence. The number of violent street crimes actually fell 1% last year. Reported violent offences were up 30%. Think about it: is it credible that violence within families actually went up that much in one year for no reason even while homicides and street violence went down? No.
-Family violence has long been under-reported and in the last year there has been a strong campaign to get people to report family violence – that is the explanation for the increase in reporting.
-The entire increase in violent crimes and sexual crimes since Labour came to power comes from higher reporting of family violence. 
-while every violent crime is bad, it is worth noting that there is less than 1 violent crime per 100 people a year.

39 comments on “The Standard line: crime ”

  1. KK 1

    “rpeorting crimes immdeiately” ??

    I still argue that Nanny Key with his bootcamps provide the answer.

  2. Anita 2

    The entire increase in violent crimes and sexual crimes since Labour came to power comes from higher reporting of family violence.

    Can you remind me where the evidence for that is? I struggle to believe it’s true for sexual crimes I’m sure I saw something which said the increase was due in part of increased reporting of date rape, again a reporting increase but not family violence.

  3. Ianmac 3

    Murder is a subset of Homicide. There are about 50-60 murders per year and have been for a very long time. (But ask your neighbour how many murders they think happen and they usually say 2-300! Media?)
    (Homicides include manslaughter, infanticide and I was sure suicide but can’t prove the latter. The rate in the1970’s was 120. The rate currently is around 80. But can’t find my sources.)

  4. MikeE 4

    “- Crime is down. When Labour came to power, there were 1200 offences reported per 10,000 people, each year. Now there are 1000.”

    Incorrect, reported crime is down. This could mean that crime is down, or it could mean that people simply aren’t reporting crime. Is this violent crime? property crime, or meaningless stuff like pot offenses?

    “- There were 8,000 fewer crimes in total reported last year than 1999 and 25,000 more were solved.”

    Again, is this less crime happening or being reported? Are they solving more violent crime? burglaries? or just locking up more people for smoking pot? When my car was broken into I was told not to bother reporting it. When I was assualted the cops did nothign about it untill it ended up on the blogs and pressure was put on MPs in Wellington.

    “- The crime figures we hear about are only reported crimes. The evidence is that reporting of crime is up because of public awareness campaigns and because cell-phones making rpeorting crimes immdeiately easier. We know two types of crimes that always have nearly 100% reporting – homicides and burglaries (you can’t claim insurance if you don’t report a burgulary to the Police). Homicides are down 10% per capita, burglaries are down 18%. ”

    People won’t bother reporting crimes if the excess is higher than what is stolen/damaged. We had stuff stolen from our place in Kingsland (100m from Clarks electorate office) and didn’t bother reporting it, as the excess on what was stolen (cell phone) was higher than the value. This is all to common – for businesses, a lot of shoplifting is never reported, this doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. Same goes with domestic violence.

    “- reported violent crime is up but the experts say this is due to higher reporting of family violence. The number of violent street crimes actually fell 1% last year. Reported violent offences were up 30%. Think about it: is it credible that violence within families actually went up that much in one year for no reason even while homicides and street violence went down? No.”

    So more people are reporting family violence, this is good, but are people reporting car thefts? Shoplifting? Vandalism etc?

    “-Family violence has long been under-reported and in the last year there has been a strong campaign to get people to report family violence – that is the explanation for the increase in reporting.”

    Again see above, there seems to be some hard core head in the sand behavior going on.

    You’re arguments seem to revolve around the idea that if the stats are good, its because of Labour’s policy and leadership, but it they are bad its not their faut (Annette King blaming it on the full moon, or Rogernomics!) – you can’t have it both ways. Myself, I just blame it on the individual criminals.

    What would I like to see:

    – Increased effort on solving violent and property crime
    – Goal of Justice and protecting individuals, not punishment, or revenge
    – Move away from policing victimless crimes, such as those caught with cannabis or BZP

    Unfortunately it seems like Labour are going the opposite way… The other parties are ofering alternatives that at least focus on the first and hopefully 2nd points, it would be nice if we had a major party take on the third point.

  5. While most of the points on this list are fairly true, you need citations, otherwise this just comes across as opinion – there are quite a few I’d like to see substantiated before I accept them. I know this takes ages, but if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing properly.

    Not all burglaries are reported. Small property crimes are often unreported because the excess and no-claims bonus outweigh anything that might be gained through an insurance claim.

  6. anita. the stats table builder, you can look at scene for location of the crime, ‘dwelling’ is an approximation for family violence, apparently the police have better figures but i’ve not seen them.

    ianmac, correct murder is a subset of homicides. strangely, the homicide category in the stats includes attempted murder – so my figures are murders and manslaughters combined.

  7. Anita 7

    SP,

    No no, anything but the stats table builder… back in half an hour 🙂

  8. randal 8

    the argument shoudl be how much crime is there in new zealand relative to our size and the incidence of crime on other countries of the same type. otherwise this is just an exercise in futility for numbskulls to flap their gums over every three years.

  9. Anita 9

    SP,

    Ok, I restrained myself and didn’t get distracted by other cool stats 🙂

    Sexual crimes committed in a dwelling could include:
    * sexual assault within the context of family violence
    * date rape in ones own house or the person one was dating
    * sexual assault by a burglar or other intruder

    So I don’t think that is evidence that it’s increased reporting of family violence that’s raising sexual violence stats. It also doesn’t sound right to me, much of the effort to increase reporting about sexual violence has been about acquaintance rape (date rape and similar).

  10. Ianmac 10

    MikeE said:”Incorrect, reported crime is down. This could mean that crime is down, or it could mean that people simply aren’t reporting crime. Is this violent crime? property crime, or meaningless stuff like pot offenses?”
    Mike. If crime is not being reported how do you know that crime is worse? Would your point be valid this year? Well it must have been valid for decades, so we must be working from the same base. That is; the figures available, in order to make judgements.
    randal: The nearest available to compare countries is the rate per 10,000. Unfortunately the data gathered in other countries varies. I think that in USA a multiple murder is classed as one event. In NZ the number of each victim is counted as separate stat. (Even in NZ the way the Stats were collated has changed in the last decade.)

  11. randal 11

    ianmac…so whats the guts. is crime more prevalent in new zealand than elsewhere or are we just “average” to mediocre?

  12. Ianmac 12

    Where does NZ sit? It does suggest that we are more violent over a long term than other comparable countries . (IMO the insistence on the right to hit kids is a reflection of that. Over 80 countries in Europe have banned hitting kids. The most recent in Germany where a flat ban was enacted. No reaction. In NZ???)
    Because the effectiveness of crime prevention and detection vary from country to country it becomes hard to compare apples with peaches. I am proud of our Police Force.

  13. Felix 13

    Sorry for the off topic but I just saw this and had a chuckle.

    Back on topic:

    Crime is bad but nothing anyone says about it in election season is ever worth listening to.

    I say get on with your life and enjoy it and stop being so scared of everything.

  14. higherstandard 14

    Felix

    “Crime is bad but nothing anyone says about it in election season is ever worth listening to.”

    Yup pretty much

  15. vto 15

    agreed too. violent crime on the tv news could be eased up on though – sheesh, it’s impossible to watch the news with the kids now because it is loaded with violence and yuck. 2c

  16. randal 16

    well why dont yu write a letter to yor MP and to the televison staion instead of bleating about it in here. I really dont care what you do in the privacy of your own home

  17. vto 17

    you get out of the wrong side of bed today wandal?

  18. randal 18

    whats it to you scumbag?

  19. sean 19

    Ha ha ha – you’ve devoted a complete article to apologies for why things are actually better than everyone thinks they are.

    Keep the stuttering apologies coming lads – I always wondered what a Policy Analyst is – now I know.

  20. higherstandard 20

    Put Randal into the “do not engage with” box – he’s either one of the saddest little abuse generators in the blogosphere or a sociology student completing a thesis on the responses to mindless comments a lefty blog.

    Either way I suggest you leave to his own devices.

  21. vto 21

    well randal you have been on the warpath today that is what

  22. randal 22

    why dont you trolls address the question. You will do anything rather than adress the question. and the question is why is Johny Keys in New Zealand after working for three organisations that have bordered on the criminal and have brought the international banking system to a standstill and yet you support him. Trying to attack me for telling the world what sort of people you are is just doging the issue. Address the question.

  23. vto 23

    randal that’s not the question on this thread you egg. and for the record i have not attacked you, merely defended myself AGAIN.

    anyway, if you are so concerned about near-criminal behaviour in govt, how about the question of the standards of governance taken on by Clark’s govt as exhibited by keeping a proven perjurer on baubles. poor. so very poor.

    re your question about Key’s role in the meltdown – financial products were not the reason for this meltdown, merely one of many components.

  24. Akldnut 24

    vto – It may not be the question on this thread but its one that I’d like to know, and also while we’re at it why does he keep flipping on so many things that he says? or why he can’t answer a straight question with a straight answer. Ok I know it’s the way politions work but he has taken it way past the reasonable to the extreme, to the stage when even his own party dont know what he’s up to at times.

  25. randal 25

    vto its idiots like you who continue to support geeks like keys and minimise his actions that makes the new zealand situation much more dangerous. wake up or do you specailise in abetting financial malfeasance?

  26. Akldnut 26

    Notice how English has been glaringly out of sight since the Pita Sharples (Maori Party) flip.

  27. vto 27

    randal I think you misunderstand the situation and lack an understanding of the human nature. Which also explains why you can turn a complete blind eye to Peters and his perjury.

    Re Key – I don’t have the detailed knowledge of whether any criminal wrongdoing was undertaken in his role at various ‘banks’. Best ask Key. If there was wrongdoing then the price should be paid. But merely workng in such an area is not an immediate guilty judgment – ex`cept on talkback radio. Perhaps try your luck there.

    Anyway, for what its worth there are some fair questions raised about Key as akldnut outlines. But they aint enough to turn me around to Clark – while the left has many policy areas I agree with I will not be supporting her because I do not like her style of governance (supreme court imposition, retrospective legislation, EFA imposition, Peters and OG matters, etc). And I do not believe her policies are sufficient to lift NZ. She is a socialist and her policies are limited to achieving those ends only.

  28. randal 28

    vto I understand completey what you are doing. you are filling up this space with barely literate maunderings to confuse people and to cause them to go elsewhere. in other words you are just a troll. You are just like keys who uses long strings of words that have no coherence and mean nothing.

  29. vto 29

    randal you are starting to sound hollow. that the best you got?

  30. The Realist 30

    hhm, while I accept that reported crime is down, I still don’t believe crime itself is. I also don’t know whether there is 100% reporting of homicides and burglaries either. While homicides are probably pretty likely to be accurate, there is a large amount of burglaries that don’t get report as the household doesn’t have insurance, or its too low to worry about, or in a lot of cases its not worth the effort.

    Also a lot of minor crime has dropped in part due to lower employment, better social conditions but also better security (alarms, locks etc) while violent crime has gone the other way. And its not due to domestic violence.

    These days you are just as likey to get a hiding at the same time as your wallet gets nicked. It also not just the media beating it up.

    I can think recently of a number of crimes that were of a major nature in West Auckland recently that recieved next to no coverage in the press.

  31. randal 31

    zip ah dee doo dah, zip a dee day, my oh my its just a wonderful day. except for the whining right whingers who fill up this blog with their logorhea…blettchhhh!!!

  32. vto 32

    randal
    in a mangle

  33. The Realist
    “hhm, while I accept that reported crime is down, I still don’t believe crime itself is.”

    That’s because fear of crime correlates with media reporting of crime, not actual levels. Crime is so infrequent and your unable to be every where at once. Your only gauge of the level of crime very occasionally when yourself or someone around you is a victim of crime this is very sporadic how ever. One burglary and an assult amongst your friends last year and 4 such offenses this year does not mean crime has doubled, but you’d sure as hell think its out of control.

    The other place you find out about crime is the news where “if it bleeds it leads”. Media reporting of crime is heavily asymmetric. Sure as hell you’ll hear about it if there’s 3 murders in a month, but no way is it news when theres no murders for 3 months.

  34. The Realist 34

    killingnthenameof,

    no back to my original point, in that the media don’t report a lot of crime. Crime isn’t infrequent, or maybe it is where you live.

    I deal with a lot of people of all types of areas and socio economic classes and they all tell me that crime is up….

    As a rule I ignore the meida’s take on crime. It swings from one pole to the other. The big issue I see is that the people must impacted by crime and those most likely to vote Labour so it makes no sense to try and convince them of what they seem isn’t completely true.

  35. “no back to my original point, in that the media don’t report a lot of crime. Crime isn’t infrequent, or maybe it is where you live”

    Reported crime is going down, media coverage of reported crime is going up.

    I’m talking serious crime here (There’s a hell of a lot of blasphemy these days, and a lot of people around me download music and I’ve been known to keep the odd movie recorded off t.v. for longer than a week). Thousands of cars pass me each day, quite a few (Like hundreds of them) more of them are smaller cars these days, I can legitimately conclude that there’s more small cars on the road. How ever if i was lucky enough to see 2 Porsche’s in a day, I wouldn’t conclude that Porsche ownership is up.

    Crime is infrequent enough that individual anecdotal reports cannot give an accurate picture of what crime is doing. Especially in the current media environment.

    “I deal with a lot of people of all types of areas and socio economic classes and they all tell me that crime is up .”

    Again, peoples fear of crime, perception of crime levels (which someone around here pointed out are way worse, some times by a multiple of 2 or 3 on crimes that have very very little under reporting) correlates to the level of media reporting of crime.

    There is some academic merit to an argument that reported crime levels are not a good measure for real crime levels, how ever the people making that argument would say individual anecdotal reports of crime are even less reliable for estimating the real level.

    The point I’m trying to make is that an assault involving blood, guts, Maoris, gangs, weapons and a whole lot of media attention creates a much higher increase in peoples perception of levels of crime than a drunken punch up on a Friday night. The are each 1 assault, how ever the first one would get headline of a national paper claiming crime is out of control. where as the second woudl be lucky to rate a mention in the any paper at all.

  36. Hoolian 36

    This is total nonsense.

    First, at the very mention of “the Standard line”, people will associate it with this blog and instantly anything else said will lose credibility. Why do people always laugh when I say “But I saw it on the Standard?” anyway?

    Secondly, this is crap.

    Pierson feels some continuous urge to protect perpetrators of violent crime by making outlandish comments on how it’s dropping.

    Case in point:
    “while every violent crime is bad, it is worth noting that there is less than 1 violent crime per 100 people a year.”

    Phew, after nine years of Labour “getting tough on crime”, only 1 little old lady is being violently assaulted/murdered per 100, per year. Well, thank goodness for that. I’m grateful that other parties aren’t so laissez-faire about violent actions against innocent members of society.

    “The evidence is that reporting of crime is up because of public awareness campaigns and because cell-phones making reporting crimes immediately easier.”

    Where is this evidence? It’s an assumption (a HUGE assumption) that doesn’t add up. Whenever any “non-Labour” party/organisation release statistics about the rise in crime, Pierson argues that its actually just a rise in reporting, and then rejects any question that his own manufactured ‘statistics’ could be anything other than an honest reflection of New Zealand.

    Following “the Standard line” there is no decrease in crime, just a decline in reporting. People are no longer reporting crime and “the evidence is that reporting of crime is DOWN”. Sounds unlikely? Diddums. I’m just following the “the Standard line”.

    [lprent: If you are able to read, then I’d suggest looking at the links to the statistics and the reports from the police that are in the reports. Most of the material quoted comes straight from the police report. Most of the other organisations you’re talking about cherry pick the crime stats for things that they can point up as being a problem. That makes headlines.

    Good news doesn’t, so they don’t read all of the figures or the commentary by the police. Now you are doing the same thing – I guess that says everything about your reading abilities doesn’t it..]

  37. Ianmac 37

    Hoolian: With all your bluster all you do is abuse the messenger. Can you prove beyond reasonable doubt that violent crime is up? All you are doing is lamenting that violence exists. Yes agreed. But is it getting worse? Statistics are really the only thing you can argue about. Conjecture, political spin, anecdotes, media over- reporting is not evidence.
    How many murders are committed in NZ each year? Guess?
    How much better/worse than 5 or 10 or 20 years ago?

  38. Hoolian 38

    If you are able to read, then I’d suggest looking at the links to the statistics and the reports from the police that are in the reports. Most of the material quoted comes straight from the police report.

    Unless my eyes are failing me, I can’t see any reference to any police report nor do I see any links. Am I going blind or are you just wrong? Hmm, I’m leaning towards the latter.

    Most of the other organisations you’re talking about cherry pick the crime stats for things that they can point up as being a problem.

    Absolutely right. The Standard is a godsend and all other organisations (as numerous and politically diverse as they may be) are all wrong, wrong, wrong. It couldn’t be that the Standard has been caught cherry picking crime stats for things they can point up in pursuit of their own ideology.

    With all your bluster all you do is abuse the messenger. Can you prove beyond reasonable doubt that violent crime is up?

    Statistics are hard fact, but they can be bent and swung to support political ideology (as I suspect is happening right here). Besides, since when was reasonable doubt a perquisite on this site? More often than not, we revert to gossip and hearsay as hard fact. Reason is to be left at the door.

    Conjecture, political spin, anecdotes, media over- reporting is not evidence.

    Agreed. That was my point.

  39. Ben R 39

    “Crime is bad but nothing anyone says about it in election season is ever worth listening to.

    I say get on with your life and enjoy it and stop being so scared of everything.”

    Perhaps not, but you could say this about a lot of issues during the election that don’t directly affect you. Not so easy if you’re an Indian shopkeeper in South Auckland.

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    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$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
    4 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
    4 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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 ...
    6 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
    6 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
    6 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 ...
    6 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
    6 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

  • 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
    6 hours 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
    11 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
    13 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
    14 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
    1 day 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
    6 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
    6 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
    6 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
  • 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
  • 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 ...
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    7 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. ...
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  • Trustee tax change welcomed
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  • Minister’s Ramadan message
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  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
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  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
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