Dr Eric Crampton: Still no prudential regulation case around climate change

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change.

It makes little sense.

They've run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case.

John MacDonald: The Government is playing placebo politics

Have you ever heard of a placebo policy? That’s what this Three Strikes law is, and I don’t think bringing it back is going to make one bit of difference.

You’ll know what a placebo is when it comes to things like clinical trials where they give someone a sugar pill but tell them it’s medicine, and the person says ‘oh I feel much better, thanks’.

Eliora: At Last, It’s Coming Back to Bite Them in the Bum

Watch These Three Declarations Backfire

In March 2020, then Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told the country she had all the legislative means and enforcement powers to tell us what we could and couldn’t do. The doctors in New Zealand were told they must be positive about the Covid-19 vaccine. New Zealanders were told they must affirm the wishes of a child or young person wanting to change gender. Three forceful declarations.

David Farrar: A good win for Newsroom

Newsroom has won in the Court of Appeal over whether it can make available its video exposing the then practice of reverse uplifts because the foster parents were the wrong ethnicity.

A key quote:

Tuesday April 23, 2024 

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Professor Robert MacCulloch: Bizarre Claims

On Richard Prebble and Don Brash's Bizarre Claims about the link between Trade and Military Alliances

Last week, former ACT Party leader & Labour Minister, Richard Prebble, who reads this blog, wrote an opinion piece for Main Steam Media behemoth, the NZ Herald, with the blazing headline, "It is lunacy to join a military alliance aimed at our biggest trading partner". Don Brash, former National Party Leader & RBNZ Governor, together with Helen Clark, our former PM, have been writing articles with the same theme.

Point of Order: Buzz from the Beehive - 23/4/24

RMA reforms aim to ease stock-grazing rules and reduce farmers’ costs – but Taxpayers’ Union wants even more changes

Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken.

The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says they go much too far.

Mike’s Minute: Ideology is hijacking reality on climate

Surely we didn’t miss the irony on climate change?

On the day it's announced we have reduced our emissions now for three years in a row, so good on us, the very next day Transpower, the people who get the electricity into your lounge, tell us yet again that this Winter has issues and peak load and demand might be problematic.

Derek Mackie: Don't judge a book by its library data system

Most of us would agree that New Zealand has lost its mojo over the past 6 years and is an unhappier and more divisive place. 

We struggle to make a single thing on time and to budget anymore, other than a coffee, and the nation seems to be a dreary shadow of its former self. The state of our roads and the ever-present roadworks and traffic cones are a depressing symbol of our productive and social malaise. 

 I’m hoping our new Coalition government will turn things around and, to be fair, it’s still early days. Indeed, there have been lots of encouraging announcements of cancelled, race-riddled Labour policies like Three Waters and the Maori Health Authority. 

However, the Coalition's much trumpeted new Fast Track Approvals Bill has astoundingly taken a leaf out of Labour’s book and given iwi guaranteed representation on the “expert panels”. 

What the hell’s that all about? It's not what we voted for, or what the Coalition agreements assured us would happen. 

So, let’s hope the Coalition doesn't follow Labour’s submissions policy as well, and disregards any that criticise this blatantly racist provision 

Graeme Edgeler: The Waitangi Tribunal Summons; or the more things stay the same

This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than by them. Chhour is challenging a decision by the Waitangi Tribunal to issue a summons requiring her to give written evidence, as part of an inquiry into a government policy decision around Māori children in state care (the repeal of section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act).

Cam Slater: All At Sea For Labour

Peter Dunne writes at Newsroom about the problems facing Labour. They are plentiful but can be summed up into two main categories: nastiness and incompetence. Dunne starts with Chris Hipkins; after all, the buck is supposed to stop at the top.

Ele Lludemann: Bjorge brings calm to climate conversation

If climate change really was a crisis, we’d have fuel rationing, only essential travel would be permitted and cars wouldn’t have been racing around Taupo all weekend.

Climatising over climate change does a lot of harm and absolutely no good.

Bjorn Lomborg brings some much needed calm to the conversation:

David Farrar: A weak Three Strikes law

The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today.

The return is welcome in principle, but what is being proposed is actually pretty weak and even ineffective.

Heather du Plessis-Allan: Critics of Three Strikes law are missing the point

As promised the government's bringing back the Three Strikes law.

The Prime Minister and the Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today it’ll be in Cabinet by mid-year.

And they’re changing it just a wee bit. 

Brendan O'Neill: A howl of rage against civilisation

The orgy of bigotry at Columbia University heaps shame on America.

Hands down the worst take on the ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ that has taken over Columbia University in New York City for the past week is that students have always done things like this. Students have forever occupied buildings and quads to make a political point. Students have long agitated against war. Students often find themselves in the grip of passionate radical intensity. Look at the Vietnam era, says every columnist in Christendom, as if the Gaza camp were just another explosion of youthful anti-imperialism.

Breaking Views Update: Week of 21.4.24

Tuesday April 23, 2024 

News:
High court hearing challenge to Waitangi summons
Former Māori affairs minister Dover Samuels says a Waitangi Tribunal summons to the Children’s Minister is a breach of its constitutional position.

Mr Samuels says the tribunal tried something similar on him when he was minister 20 years ago, but backed off when he asked for a legal opinion.

Andrew Dickens: We need to put perspective on the current state of our economy

It is fair to say the country is not in a good place right now.

Job cuts dominate the headlines. A double-dip recession came true. Inflation is robbing us of our purchasing power.

Last week an IPSOS poll found that 60 percent of us think that New Zealand is in decline and 65 percent believe that the economy is rigged to benefit the rich and the powerful.

Mark Rickerby: Supermarket facial recognition failure

Supermarket facial recognition failure: why automated systems must put the human factor first

The incident of a woman misidentified by facial recognition technology at a Rotorua supermarket should have come as no surprise.

When Foodstuffs North Island announced its intention to trial this technology in February, as part of a strategy to combat retail crime, technology and privacy experts immediately raised concerns.

John MacDonald: Feels like big brother is being put in his place — and it's brilliant

It feels to me like big brother is being put in his place. And I think it’s brilliant.

Well, maybe not completely in his place. But we’re getting there, with this announcement by the Government that it’s going to make it easier for us to get loans and mortgages by giving banks and finance companies more flexibility to decide how they assess whether someone can afford a loan or not.

JC: You Wouldn’t Read About It

If anyone thinks Stuff producing the 6pm news bulletin on Three is the answer to viewers’ prayers they are dreaming. This is a marriage made in heaven if you want a continuation of the very reasons Newshub finds itself in the position it is in. If you were one hoping for a change of direction, by which viewing the news would be a more positive experience, then this is more likely to be a marriage made in hell. Imagine Tova O’Brien on our screens at dinner time. Regurgitation of the evening meal is a distinct possibility.