Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: New fishing quotas in effect today, it’s not to late to vote so go and sort it out, and Shane Jones vows revenge after gentle reprimand. New fishing catch limits come into effect today, particularly targeting the under-threat tarakihi. The details of that threatened status were … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Shane Jones says the quiet bit out loud to forestry industry, massive marches take place against climate inaction, and pharmacists fear Chemist Warehouse wipeout. Cabinet minister and NZ First MP Shane Jones has allegedly been caught saying the quiet bit out loud again. The NZ Herald’s David Fisher … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Treasury calls in police after claims their system was hacked, protesters against coal get mayoral support, and massive teacher strike today. Last night, political journalism twitter was nothing but a steady stream of shocked emojis. And the reason for that was a series of dramatic developments in … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Dramatic video released in logging truck company case, tiny bit more room to move on govt debt, and primary teachers have residency rejected over low pay. A court released a dramatic video in an ongoing drama that goes to the heart of power relations in the … Read more
Economist Eric Crampton on the primary school maths and abuse of the official information act underpinning Shane Jones’ provincial growth fund. It seemed a simple enough question. It was, really. So why did it take more than two months to get an answer under the Official Information Act? On 5 February, MBIE’s head of the … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Harder look coming at the provincial growth fund, rents in Auckland City way up this year, and the long hunt for Louisa Akavi unpacked. The Auditor-General will be placing an increased focus and scrutiny on the spending of the Provincial Growth Fund, reports Business Desk. There will … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Christchurch mosque attack accused to appear in court, threats made against Muslim prayer for ANZAC service, and tense hearings on gun law reforms. The police have confirmed they will be charging the man accused of carrying out the Christchurch mosque attack over every single person killed. The NZ … Read more
With the possible exception of Phil Twyford, no minister has generated more headlines over the current government’s term than Shane Jones. And a lot of them aren’t good headlines at all. So how does he keep surviving? The charmed career of Shane Jones continued on breezily this week. Despite opening up yet another target around … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Shareholders approve of sale of TradeMe to private equity firm, family ties between Shane Jones and logging boss, and Newsroom journalists detained in Fiji. TradeMe shareholders have given overwhelming backing to a takeover offer from a British private equity firm called Apax Partners, reports Business Desk. It’s the … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Landfills in focus after pair of disasters, new firearms laws to be streamlined through Parliament, and generational conflict over climate change in Thames. A pair of recent stories have shown that what gets put in landfills doesn’t ever really go away. Over and above the widely-covered crisis in recycling, … Read more
The ‘Finchy’ of the UK original sitcom is full of himself, makes vulgar jokes and routinely crosses the line of acceptable decorum. Yet somehow, he never gets in real trouble. Sound familiar, asks Liam Hehir Shane Jones, the Minister for Regional Economic Development, is embroiled in questions over funding for a Northland tourism venture in … Read more
Shane Jones is under pressure over a Provincial Growth Fund conflict of interest. He’s attempted to turn defence into attack with typical immodesty, even comparing himself to one of NZ’s top sportsmen and launching a bizarre ‘bunny boiler’ slur on a journalist, writes Guyon Espiner Shane Jones likened himself to Sonny Bill Williams on Morning Report this … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Another NZ First minister accused of using funding for votes, police refer donation complaint up to Serious Fraud Office, and Ihumātao development opponents march. Defence minister Ron Mark has appeared to pitch for votes from a veterans group, in exchange for funding he has secured … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Measles cases surge in Canterbury, Vodafone reportedly outsourcing jobs to India, and Shane Jones says Kupe facility funding story is a beat up. Measles cases are surging in Canterbury, and there are warnings that the highly infectious disease is now “circulating widely in our community.” The local DHB said late … Read more
The Shane Jones led scheme offers an incredible opportunity to invest in a sustainable future for people living in New Zealand’s regions, but at this rate it will be remembered as a byword for flawed ecnomic development policy, write Alex Penk and Julian Wood of the Maxim Institute What do the words “Think Big” bring … Read more
Broken promises, paying more for less… National MP Chris Bishop draws parallels between the doomed Fyre Festival and the Labour government. I’ve just got back from my honeymoon (it was great, thanks for asking). Browsing idly one night on my iPad, I noticed that Netflix had a new documentary called Fyre. I’d vaguely heard the … Read more
Stuart Nash may be the minister on paper, but, argues Greenpeace’s Russel Norman, NZ First’s Shane Jones increasingly appears to be the tail wagging the fish. What’s that thing people say? You don’t know what you’ve got until they’re gone. Strangely I’m starting to feel that way about National’s former minister for primary industries. Bring back … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Fishing proposals hook controversy from those outside industry, provincial growth fund slow to create jobs, and Waitangi Dildo Thrower hit with trespass notice. A major overhaul of the way New Zealand’s fishing industry works has been proposed in a discussion paper put out by the government. Minister … Read more
This week Air New Zealand announced that they would be pulling their divisive “It’s Kiwi Safety” video from their in-flight safety briefing. The Spinoff asked Kiwis from all walks of life to pay their respects. A former flight attendant: “I was there in the early stages of Air New Zealand trying to be ‘out there’ … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Two major threats loom for the tourism industry, fair pay agreement working group comes back, and Shane Jones and Russel Norman go to war over trawling. For two major of reasons, the tourism industry could be about to hit some severe headwinds. It’s an enormous sector of … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: British PM a few hours away from vote on her future, government quietly debating compensation for coastal property owners, and Google makes Millane case blunder. UPDATE – 10.02am NZT: Theresa May has won the vote of no-confidence against her, by a margin of 200-117. The word ‘omnishambles’ … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Karel Sroubek’s mother speaks out, Fonterra abandons quantity target in favour of quality, and striking court workers warned they’re risking injustices happening. The mother of convicted drug smuggler Karel Sroubek has spoken out about her sons case, in a remarkable and dramatic interview. Mila (first name only … Read more
For many years NZ First’s Shane Jones was one of Labour’s most reliably pro-business MPs. Yet today he presents as an anti-corporate crusader. Branko Marcetic assesses his record and asks whether supporters should trust his dramatic conversion. The metamorphosis of a butterfly is one of nature’s great miracles. A caterpillar, growing too big for its … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Wally Haumaha appointment inquiry report comes back clean, primary and secondary teachers to mull united front, and how will Rocket Lab make money? The long awaited report from the inquiry into the appointment of Wally Haumaha as deputy police commissioner has come back. It clears police and … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: ERA hits out at teacher demands ahead of strike, police want new terrorism powers, and Supreme Court makes big call on prisoner voting. The week of rolling primary teachers strikes begins today, with teachers under pressure after a rebuke from the Employment Relations Authority. Radio NZ reports the … Read more
It’s being called the most pure MMP government in history. Does that just mean Winston Peters’ party gets to pull swifties on Jacinda Ardern whenever they feel like it? Coalition governments, by their very nature, require compromises and negotiations. But over 2018, it has seemed like NZ First have been doing a lot more negotiation, … Read more
The prime minister faces a cluster of challenges from her coalition partner and from within her own party. As she heads for Nauru, Ardern needs to figure out what’s gone missing, writes Guyon Espiner of RNZ. Momentum, clarity and cohesion are essential check-in items for a happy travelling government but right now they are three items … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Winston Peters goes at it on the radio, nurses go back to the bargaining table, and Trump and Putin agree that the FBI is wrong. Acting PM Winston Peters went on Newstalk ZB for a long form interview with Leighton Smith yesterday, and there was no … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Where to now for striking nurses? 1080 dumped in a National Park, and former National MP brought in to justice reform group. The nurses strike has come and gone without any serious reported incidents, but it is unclear what will happen from here. Nurses who spoke to Newstalk … Read more