Breaking Views Update: Week of 25.2.24

Saturday March 2, 2024 

News;
ACT Congratulates Wayne Brown On Review Of Woke Procurement
“The Auckland Mayor’s move to review woke procurement policies should prompt other councils – and central government – to do the same,” says ACT Local Government spokesman Cameron Luxton.

“ACT believes the purpose of government procurement is to deliver quality public services at the best possible value for money. It’s as simple as that.

David Farrar: Banning tourists is not the answer

The Herald reports:

About $16.5 million will have been spent by June on what to do about over-tourism in Milford Sound, but Tourism minister Matt Doocey says the work has been, at times, “incoherent”. Are we about to see very little change after so much money over more than seven years? derek cheng reports. …

Ele Ludemann: Labour’s legacy – high food prices

World Vision highlights steep increases in food prices:

New Zealand experienced a 56% increase in the cost of a food basket*, with the price in 2023 coming in at NZ$78.32 compared with NZ$50.16 in 2022. . .

World Vision’s Head of Advocacy and Justice, Rebekah Armstrong, says the report highlights the need for investment in strong and resilient food systems both here and overseas. . .

Kerre Woodham: Christopher Luxon isn't leading by example

This annoys me because I shouldn't have to be talking about it, and because in the scheme of things, given what the country is facing, there are far, far bigger fish to fry.

However, it speaks to an attitude, and it speaks to leading by example, and it speaks to having an understanding of what people, ordinary people, people who might be losing their jobs, people who might be losing their homes, people who are struggling to keep hold of their business, it speaks to what they are going through.

John MacDonald: More proof that local government is broken

We’re about one month away from the halfway mark in the current term of the Christchurch City Council and its latest residents survey is a shocker.

For starters, people do seem to be very happy with things like libraries, recreation services, rubbish collection. All that stuff. People, generally, are also pretty happy with things like the reliability of the water supply.

Friday March 1, 2024 

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Point of Order: Buzz from the Beehive - 1/3/24

Govt is gunning for gangs – but McKee reckons some Firearms Prohibition Orders could be lifted much earlier than 10 years

Having sorted out the war criminals and terrorists with a series of foreign affairs announcements yesterday, the government today confirmed its plans to allow police to search gang members, their vehicles and homes at any time using court-authorised firearms prohibition orders (FPOs).

Suze: Remember the New Civil Registration System Promised in 2022?

A virtual chocolate fish to the first person to come up with an estimate of the amount of money squandered on the DIA’s poorly managed systems update.

In August 2022 we were promised a new system of recording births, deaths and marriages. It was supposed to be more efficient, secure, and reliable than the current system and was set to go live late this year.

David Farrar: Shearer says Ginny Andersen divorced from reality

The Herald reports:

A former Labour leader believes Labour MP Ginny Andersen's claims about Mark Mitchell's past as a private security contractor are “divorced from reality” and encouraged her to speak with the police Minister to better understand the nature of the work.

Mike's Minute: The gender pay gap is water cooler chat

If you want to laugh, have a look at the shambles that unfolded this week in Australia as a result of the new law that makes companies publish their gender pay gaps.

It turns out there is one, in some industries it's worse than others and it proves what those of us who have argued against such measures were right all along.

Ele Ludemann: What’s the cost of slow roads?

It used to take us an easy hour and a half to get from home to Dunedin.

If traffic was light with no hold-ups we could get get there in a little more than an hour and a quarter.

That was then, now is a different and much more frustrating story.

Dr James Kierstead: The Greek miracle

Late last year, I taught my final course for Victoria University of Wellington, guiding 19 young Kiwis around Greece for the Classics field trip. The trip offered plenty of food for thought (not to mention food) for anyone interested (and how could you not be?) in the stupendous artistic and intellectual achievements of the ancient Greeks. But it also got me thinking about Greece in the present.

When I first travelled to Greece, as a Classics-drunk schoolboy, in the year 2000, Athens seemed like an affront to my expectations: dirty, smog-choked, and above all, chaotic.

Alwyn Poole: Why this data publish by the NZ Herald is SO IMPORTANT

For many years in NZ schools have fudged their data. There used to be something called participation data that was, frankly, gamed to the point of being fraudulent.

The previous National government hit that on the head.

In February schools publish their “roll” data which does not account for all of the students who have left school prior to the relevant cohort. Some schools with apparent reputations will have lost 30% or more of their students before they turn 17. It is a much higher proportion for Maori and Pasifika students in those schools.

David Farrar: Tarrant’s online footprint

Radio NZ report:

In March and August 2018, up to a year before he attacked two christchurch mosques, Brenton Tarrant posted publicly online that he planned to do so. Until now, these statements have not been identified.

Dr Michael Bassett: Urgent action required now over TV One

With the news that TV 3 is soon to close its doors, the need for TV One to be brought up to a satisfactory standard has become urgent. In its current state, it is little more than a bulletin board for left-wing reporters and programmers who make up TV One’s staff.

Since it seems that Melissa Lee, the Broadcasting Minister, hasn’t spoken to TV One’s Chief Executive, or if she has, the CEO has no intention of taking any notice, it is to the Prime Minister that our desire for an improvement in journalistic standards should be directed.

Net Zero Watch: Apple pulls the plug & kills its electric car

 

In this newsletter:

1) Apple kills its electric car after 10 years development
The New York Times, 27 February 2024
 
2) Mercedes Benz ditches plan to sell only EVs by 2030
Business Insider, 23 February 2024

Professor Robert MacCulloch: Strongly left wing media

Economics 101 explains why Newshub Bankrupted - it was the fault of its own journalists who should recognize they were the architects of their own demise

A thousand books and papers in economics and business strategy are about the topic of product differentiation - ensuring that what you sell is different from others in order to build your own customer base you can make money from. On that note, David Farrar at Kiwiblog did a survey to work out how right or left-leaning are our major media outlets.

Dr Oliver Hartwich: NZ Uni's bold bet on a political vice-chancellor

When universities appoint vice-chancellors, they do not just pick a chief executive. They choose their academic leaders, who understand the value of research, teaching, and engagement with the public.

When universities appoint vice-chancellors, they do not just pick a chief executive. They choose their academic leaders, who understand the value of research, teaching, and engagement with the public.

John MacDonald: Newshub's demise no free ride for TVNZ

Surprised but not surprised. That’s what I’ve been saying to people who have asked me how I feel about the closure of Newshub.

They announced it yesterday and they’re doing the two-week consultation thing. But we all know that’s not going to change anything.

Thursday February 29, 2024 

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