Point of Order: Buzz from the Beehive - 6/12/24

Today’s Friday – which means Winston must be in Auckland, sorting out the world’s problems with the Aussies

Foreign Minister Winston Peters has been earning his keep. Yesterday he announced he had completed his visit to New Caledonia, New Zealand’s closest neighbour. Today he has been engaged in talks with Australian big-wigs.

His trip to Nouméa took place this week following the postponement of a planned visit in May due to civil unrest.

Frédéric Grare: New Caledonia in turmoil

For France, the stakes are high. The reputational damage is already palpable in the region.

Last week, riots erupted in New Caledonia as France’s National Assembly debated a constitutional amendment aimed at enlarging electoral lists on the archipelago. The amendment proposal led to vast movements of protest in Noumea and further division within the population. On the day of the vote, it degenerated into violence. Shops, businesses and public infrastructure were damaged or destroyed and cars burned. Several people – six at the time of writing – were killed and many more wounded. France announced a state of emergency and dispatched extra security forces to New Caledonia, where operations to re-establish law and order are still going on.

Point of Order: Buzz from the Beehive - 28/5/24

Nicola Willis brings us up to date with state service job cuts – while Tamatha Paul (is this overkill?) rails against a blood bath

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has estimated the loss of around 2500 jobs from the public sector during the cost-saving since the general election last October.

Another 1150 vacancies in Government departments have been removed from the books and 500 are expected to go, she said during the post-Cabinet press conference yesterday (the last Cabinet meeting before the release of the Budget on Thursday).

Point of Order: Buzz from the Beehive - 21/5/24

A govt plane is headed for New Caledonia – here’s hoping the Kiwis stranded there get better service than the PM

Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed a New Zealand Government plane will head to riot-torn New Caledonia in the next hour in the first in a series of proposed flights to begin bringing New Zealanders home.

Point of Order: Buzz from the Beehive - 17/5/24

Seymour appeals to PPTA to call off meetings on charter schools – but does he seriously believe he can mollify their taniwha?

Associate Education Minister David Seymour is urging the PostPrimary Teachers Association to put learning ahead of ideology.

He wants the union leaders to call off their teachers meetings around the country where they hope to muster the strength to undo the government’s plans to establish several charter schools.