Point of Order: Buzz from the Beehive - 22/7/24

Karen Chhour can cobble whatever words she likes, but the media are sure to stick to “boot camp”

The government’s official website today serves as much as a ministerial travel guide as a record of governmental decisions.

Oliver Harwich: Bridges to Ukraine

International junkets for public servants are not my cup of tea. But I will make an exception for the New Zealand Transport Agency, Waka Kotahi. Let’s send their infrastructure team to Ukraine.

Waka Kotahi’s trip will not be about showing solidarity with Ukraine. That is what politicians do. Justin Trudeau just visited Kyiv, so maybe Jacinda Ardern will soon follow.

Waka Kotahi will not share lessons from its ‘Road to Zero’ campaign with the Ukrainian government, either. President Zelensky would probably not spend $10,000 on two large red prop ‘zeros’ as Waka Kotahi has just done.

No, Waka Kotahi’s trip to Ukraine will focus on learning about infrastructure delivery.

Yes, you read that right.

Mike Butler: A new look at old roads, bridges, swamps

The biggest story of 19th century New Zealand is not missionaries, muskets, and the sovereignty wars, according to historian John McLean, it was the physical building of the country.

Sweat and toil – the building of New Zealand, tells the story of the building of New Zealand’s roads, bridges, railways, tunnels, viaducts, wharves, docks, lighthouses, tramways, telegraph, as well as massive reclamations as well as the draining of swamps.

Mclean did his Master’s thesis in history on the building of the Otira tunnel through the Southern Alps.