NZ Politics

The infrastructure minister wants more private sector financing, such as public-private partnerships (PPPs), to pay for major projects.

In a speech to Local government New Zealand on Thursday night, Chris Bishop said he wanted government grant funding to become a last resort for councils.

"Infrastructure has to be paid for and at the moment, it's largely paid for by the Crown - which is taxpayers - or it's paid for by ratepayers. And what we're saying is that user-pays has a role to play here as well. Things like water metres, things like congestion pricing in our major cities and things like toll roads.

Analysis - "Boot camps" for young people who commit serious offending are coming back. The coalition government has promised to pilot "military-style academies" by the middle of the year - despite a wealth of international and New Zealand evidence that boot camps do not reduce reoffending.

It has been encouraging to see this evidence receive extensive media coverage and expert analysis. Less encouraging, however, has been the minister for children's reported rejection of expert advice that the boot camp model is flawed and ineffective.

So, why do we keep returning to interventions that don't work? For boot camps, there are at least three possible explanations.

First, they appeal to politicians who want to appear tough on crime, while also saying they are encouraging rehabilitation options.

Second, boot camps seem to have a strong appeal to common sense: people want to believe structure and military discipline can turn around young people's lives, and this belief outweighs contradicting evidence.

Third, boot camps can take different forms, so evidence of their ineffectiveness can be avoided by claiming, as the minister has, that improvements will be made this time.

This seems unlikely, however, when the core features that characterise boot camps - strong discipline in particular - are a main reason they don't work. To understand why, we need to look at the psychology of punishment and behaviour change.

A group of former workers at Manurewa Marae said private data from census forms was photocopied and entered into a database they believe was then used to target voters in the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate.

How did anyone think this was even remotely acceptable?

ACT leader David Seymour is playing down reported complaints from volunteers about his party's culture.

Last week, Stuff reported claims of volunteers leaving the party, expressing no confidence in the board and raising concerns about the party's treatment of women.

The reports said sources close to the party accused its campaign leadership of creating a "culture of fear".

But leader David Seymour has brushed off the reports, saying they are not representative of ACT as a whole.

Cutting part time workers' sick leave entitlements from the 10 days everyone currently gets to being pro-rated based on how much they work.

*** Also covid vaccines will apparently no longer be free for most people after this month.*** EDIT: this was circulating yesterday, but isn't true so that's good.

And this during the biggest covid wave in 18 months, where hospitals and schools are having to close or reduce capacity because so many staff are sick. What a bunch of ghouls.

A Ministry of Education official has admitted the alternative model for the government's free school lunch programme is unlikely to be as nutritious as the previous programme, RNZ understands.

The comments came in a webinar hui between the Ministry of Education and intermediate and high school principals, earlier this month.

Principal Sheree Garton, from Levin Intermediate School, asked a question about protein and carbohydrates required in the new meals - and was told the meals would not have the same nutrition standards and would be very unlikely to meet the same nutritional quality as the previous meals because of the cost - though nutrition would be a factor in looking for a new major supplier.

Budget Day 'carkoi' protests delayed traffic on Auckland and Tauranga motorways ahead of a hikoi on Parliament.

Protesters earlier took the roads to oppose government policies toward Māori, 'activating' for today's National Māori Action Day - and caused traffic delays around the country.

It's the second time Māori have mobilised on a national scale with the first hīkoi taking place last December.

The national protest coincides with today's budget announcements.

The Reserve Bank says that from 1 July, banks will only be able to lend about 20 percent of their new lending to owner-occupier borrowers with a debt-to-income ratio of more than six. That means, if your household earns a combined $100,000, your loan will be limited to $600,000.

Banks will only be able to lend 20 percent of lending to investors with a DTI of more than seven.

The rules won't apply to Kainga Ora loans, new builds or refinances.

At the same time, the bank will loosen the loan-to-value ratio (LVR) restrictions so that banks can lend 20 percent of their lending to owner-occupiers with deposits of less than 20 percent, from 15 percent at the moment, and 5 percent of lending can be done to property investors with equity or deposits of less than 30 percent, compared to 35 percent at present,

I am saying this unironically.

WAKE UP SHEEPLE!

Your tax dollars are going to John Key folks. This is how the privatisation of state housing is going.

A bill designed to give consumers more control over their data will be introduced into Parliament tomorrow, the minister of commerce and consumer affairs says.

Andrew Bayly says the Consumer and Product Data Bill will allow consumers to share their data, which will in turn allow banks, insurance, power and telecommunication companies to compete with each other.

Consumers would be able to compare products in real time, manage accounts across different providers simultaneously, and switch between providers seamlessly.

He said it would include penalties of up to $5 million for misuse by companies, and up to $1m for an individual who fraudulently used it.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said it was expected to be introduced at the end of last year when the draft was released in June.

The legislation will be applied gradually across the economy on a sector-by-sector basis, with banking the first sector to be designated.

Scams have been increasing in number and complexity with consumers here losing an estimated $200m a year.

Consumer NZ has said it would immediately prevent some scams, and had been in the United Kingdom for five years now.

Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has used her first “State of the Planet” speech to accuse the coalition Government of privileging lobbyists and the wealthy, at the expense of workers’ health and the environment.

Surely all these people losing decent paying jobs will have no impact on the economy right? Definitely not a recession right?

The important thing to keep in mind is that there is a significant proportion of the population that wants this and is going to vote for right wing parties in order to stop the "trans agenda"

Jones is a controversial force in the new Government, with his nakedly pro-mining stance criticised for being anti-environment. His meetings with industry heavyweights, including those in the commercial fishing sector, have led to accusations of conflicts of interest.

In one instance, Jones, also the Fisheries Minister, asked officials to develop a Cabinet paper on overhauling cameras on boats, after a request from a fishing boss who is one of his biggest campaign donors. Under the new Government, New Zealand has backed out of a proposal to restrict seamount trawling in the South Pacific.

"New Zealand will make a clear statement to the UN later this morning explaining its vote, indicating that while it supports enhancing Palestine's status at the UN, this does not amount to recognition of Palestinian statehood.

Cowards.

If there are any doubts this government is taking marching orders from the American right wing they can safely be put to bed.

More than 4000 people have already been laid off as a result of the austerity measures imposed by the NACTF government.

More austerity for the government. Lucky for all the people who lose their jobs the government is going to make them go to seminars before they do on the benefit.