Point of Order: Buzz from the Beehive - 4/10/24

Casey Costello (at long last) shows the information which she regarded as superior to the advice which Treasury gave her

Point of Order waited patiently for it to be posted on the Beehive website.

But no. Associate Health Minister Casey Costello has released her “independent advice” on heated tobacco products, but – at time of writing – she has not yet posted it on the official government website.

Dr Michael Johnston: A new approach to funding school property?

It has been reported that the Minister is considering public-private partnerships to build schools. In fact, though, all school builds are effectively public-private partnerships. The Ministry always contracts private construction firms to build schools. The real issue is the nature of the contracts.

The business-as-usual approach is for the Ministry to pay for builds up front. But an alternative, used by the Key government to build eleven schools, gives Government more certainty over the cost of school builds over their lifespan.

Point of Order: Buzz from the Beehive - 26/3/24

The PM baulks at cyber grilling but Collins is not so shy – and McCully is given a job by the Minister he mentored

China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department.

Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning Report – he would not even confirm that ministerial statements were in the offing.

Point of Order: Buzz from the Beehive - 27-2-24

No, it isn’t a surprise – the government is disestablishing the Māori Health Authority (just as it pledged before the election)

The mainstream news media have been grimly auguring this news for the past few days under headings such as…

• Axing Māori Health Authority before hearing ‘disrespectful’ — expert (One News);
• Coalition Government to forge ahead with repeal of smokefree laws, Māori Health Authority this week (NZ Herald); and
• The Waitangi Tribunal’s losing battle (RNZ).

This afternoon the government’s official website affirmed it.