PM Christopher Luxon discusses Northland's economic potential with iwi and Māori trusts
Luxon was accompanied by Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith, Māori Crown Relations and Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka, and Northland MP Grant McCallum.
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44 minutes ago
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The Secret Diary of .. the United Nations letters
MONDAY Dear United Nations How are you? Good I hope. My name is David Seymour, and I write to you as the de facto Prime Minister of New Zealand, a trading post in the South Seas governed by the Atlas Project. What we do here is our own damned business and that includes the way we treat our natives, which is with manifest kindness unless they get uppity. One of your officials has criticised my Regulatory Standards Bill for its approach to indigenous affairs. I don't appreciate it. The irony is that I'm indigenous. I can trace my whakapapa directly back to Ayn Rand. We don't like strangers in these parts and I'll thank you to shut your face. TUESDAY Dear United Nations I hope this letter finds you well. My name is Christopher Luxon, and I write to you as the CEO of New Zealand, a private equity company with a duty of care towards the sorted. I am writing to express my utmost respect for the work you do at the United Nations and to clarify a matter concerning communication that may have arisen. It has come to my attention that some individuals have been reaching out to you, claiming to act on my behalf without the proper authorisation. I wish to emphasise that these communications do not reflect my views or intentions. I value integrity and transparency in all my dealings, and I am committed to ensuring that any correspondence from me is sent directly and officially. If there are any queries or concerns regarding these unauthorised communications, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. It is important to me that our correspondence is clear and accurate, free from misunderstanding or misrepresentation. This letter was not written by AI. WEDNESDAY Dear United Nations Long version: This is Winston Peters. You know who I am. Okay. Listen. An idiot recently wrote you a letter in regard to criticisms from a UN official. He claimed to be running the show in New Zealand. He is not running the show. I am running the show. I have always been running the show. I am the show. The letter that clown sent to you isn't worth the paper it's written on. It's worthless. It's junk. Don't even worry about it or give it a second thought. I know the guy who sent it. He's a weak, spineless character who trembles like a jellyfish every time you go near him. He floats away if you poke him with a stick. I like poking him with a stick. It's something that passes the time. You'll know all about the need for amusements when you get to my age. If you get to my age. There are no guarantees in this life. No one ever gave me anything. I fought for what I have. I'm still fighting. I'll go down fighting. What time is it? I need to go down for a nap. A man needs his sleep. I find mornings are best but afternoons are good too and let's not discount the evenings. Alright. Let's leave it at that. Short version: This is Winston Peters. Don't bother reading any correspondence from Christopher Luxon. ZZZ. THURSDAY Dear United Nations Kia ora, as we say in New Zealand. My name is Chris Hipkins, and I am a close personal friend and former colleague of Jacinda Ardern. You will have received letters from the three leaders of our coalition Government. The previous government was headed by myself, after I replaced Jacinda Ardern. The letters confirm what everyone already thinks in New Zealand, that most days it seems Christopher Luxon isn't in charge of his own government, and that David Seymour and Winston Peters do what they like. Jacinda Ardern knows all about them. She has probably mentioned me to you. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you want my opinion on New Zealand affairs. The days are long and I don't have a lot on my plate. I expect it's much the same for Jacinda Ardern. FRIDAY Dear Messrs Seymour, Luxon, and Peters My name is Albert K. Barume, the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples. I wish to amend my remarks concerning the Regulatory Standards Bill. I had previously remarked, 'I am preoccupied that the bill threatens Māori-specific laws that address structural inequalities in matters relating to, for example, land, language and environmental stewardship, and because it seems to impose a monocultural legal standard, marginalising Māori as legal subjects without respecting their own governance frameworks'. I wish to amend the letter. Strike 'seems to'.
Otago Daily Times
3 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
The secret diary of...the letters to the United Nations
MONDAY Dear United Nations How are you? Good I hope. My name is David Seymour, and I write to you as the de facto prime minister of New Zealand, a trading post in the South Seas governed by the Atlas Project. What we do here is our own damned business and that includes the way we treat our natives, which is with manifest kindness unless they get uppity. One of your officials has criticised my Regulatory Standards Bill for its approach to indigenous affairs. I don't appreciate it. The irony is that I'm indigenous. I can trace my whakapapa directly back to Ayn Rand. We don't like strangers in these parts and I'll thank you to shut your face. TUESDAY Dear United Nations I hope this letter finds you well. My name is Christopher Luxon, and I write to you as the CEO of New Zealand, a private equity company with a duty of care towards the sorted. I am writing to express my utmost respect for the work you do at the United Nations and to clarify a matter concerning communication that may have arisen. It has come to my attention that some individuals have been reaching out to you, claiming to act on my behalf without the proper authorisation. I wish to emphasise that these communications do not reflect my views or intentions. I value integrity and transparency in all my dealings, and I am committed to ensuring that any correspondence from me is sent directly and officially. If there are any queries or concerns regarding these unauthorised communications, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. It is important to me that our correspondence is clear and accurate, free from misunderstanding or misrepresentation. This letter was not written by AI. WEDNESDAY Dear United Nations Long version: This is Winston Peters. You know who I am. OK. Listen. An idiot recently wrote you a letter in regard to criticisms from a UN official. He claimed to be running the show in New Zealand. He is not running the show. I am running the show. I have always been running the show. I am the show. The letter that clown sent to you isn't worth the paper it's written on. It's worthless. It's junk. Don't even worry about it or give it a second thought. I know the guy who sent it. He's a weak, spineless character who trembles like a jellyfish every time you go near him. He floats away if you poke him with a stick. I like poking him with a stick. It's something that passes the time. You'll know all about the need for amusements when you get to my age. If you get to my age. There are no guarantees in this life. No-one ever gave me anything. I fought for what I have. I'm still fighting. I'll go down fighting. What time is it? I need to go down for a nap. A man needs his sleep. I find mornings are best but afternoons are good too and let's not discount the evenings. All right. Let's leave it at that. Short version: This is Winston Peters. Don't bother reading any correspondence from Christopher Luxon. ZZZ. THURSDAY Dear United Nations Kia ora, as we say in New Zealand. My name is Chris Hipkins, and I am a close personal friend and former colleague of Jacinda Ardern. You will have received letters from the three leaders of our coalition government. The previous government was headed by myself, after I replaced Jacinda Ardern. The letters confirm what everyone already thinks in New Zealand, that most days it seems Christopher Luxon isn't in charge of his own government, and that David Seymour and Winston Peters do what they like. Jacinda Ardern knows all about them. She has probably mentioned me to you. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you want my opinion on New Zealand affairs. The days are long and I don't have a lot on my plate. I expect it's much the same for Jacinda Ardern. FRIDAY Dear Messrs Seymour, Luxon, and Peters My name is Albert K. Barume, the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples. I wish to amend my remarks concerning the Regulatory Standards Bill. I had previously remarked, "I am preoccupied that the Bill threatens Māori-specific laws that address structural inequalities in matters relating to, for example, land, language and environmental stewardship, and because it seems to impose a monocultural legal standard, marginalising Māori as legal subjects without respecting their own governance frameworks". I wish to amend the letter. Strike "seems to".
Otago Daily Times
3 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Voting on the pressing issues
As Dunedin prepares for the local body elections, voters have the opportunity to choose local politicians who align with their expectations of the future for Dunedin. While many issues are currently in the spotlight, such as the cost of living, flooding, and housing, these are often closely connected to climate change and sustainability — even if that link isn't always made explicit. There have been a number of reports that find an explicit relationship between the cost of living and climate change impacts. Earlier this year The Australia Institute released a report that found a direct connection between the rising cost of living and the climate crisis, now and into the future. The report identified that the particular sectors to be hit hardest will be insurance premiums, food prices and energy costs. And indeed the more the temperature rises, the worse conditions will get, that means that more weather events will increase insurance premiums and disrupt food production, pushing up costs further. However, much of today's public discourse relies on divisive sound bites that pit immediate concerns against longer-term global challenges such as climate change. This framing creates a false dichotomy. In reality, we can no longer afford to treat climate change as separate from the pressing issues we face — it is deeply interconnected with how we live, work, and make decisions on this planet. This is where I would listen carefully during the local body electioneering. For example, the adaptation report released this week from the Independent Reference Group on Climate Adaptation noted that we need a proactive approach to climate adaptation. The report concluded with three main points: There needs to be increased access to risk information and early planning because New Zealanders need clear, accessible information about natural hazard risks and planned responses to make informed decisions. Early understanding enables individuals, communities and businesses to reduce future costs through proactive planning and risk mitigation. There should be fair and targeted funding for risk reduction. A broad ''beneficiary pays'' principle should guide funding, where those who benefit most contribute more. It is suggested that central government should invest where national or Crown interests are at stake, and help support vulnerable communities with limited capacity to pay. People (and businesses) are going to need to take individual responsibility. People should understand and take responsibility for the risks they face, with property values and insurance costs reflecting changing climate risks. Long-term public buyouts should not be expected, though government should support those in hardship. Māori must be resourced and empowered to make their own local adaptation decisions. Consequently, considering the above recommendations and when thinking about local government actions in this space, consider: 1. How local government candidates prioritise making climate and natural hazard risk data accessible and understandable to the public. This includes supporting initiatives for open data, improved hazard mapping and clear communication strategies. How candidates commit to transparency and proactive public engagement on risk information — not just during emergencies, but in planning and development decisions. 2. How candidates explain how they intend to fund adaptation measures. The ''beneficiary pays'' principle suggests ratepayers, developers and beneficiaries of infrastructure should contribute, but it would be good to understand candidates' positions on the role of council advocacy for central government support, especially where community capacity is limited. Ask how candidates plan to balance fairness, fiscal responsibility and investment in resilience, especially for vulnerable areas. 3. How local leaders treat climate risk when discussing land-use decisions, property valuations and infrastructure planning. Ask for candidates to give their position on development in high-risk areas, managed retreat and the role of insurance and housing affordability in adaptation. Understand what might be the support shown for iwi/hapū leadership and resourcing for Māori-led adaptation. Voters should assess whether candidates recognise that long-term public buyouts are unsustainable and that adaptation will require behavioural, policy and market change. The coming local elections are a chance to assess whether candidates are ready to govern in an era where climate change is not a distant threat, but a defining consideration in local decision-making. Only by actively understanding the connections between climate change and the other key pressing issues can elected representatives on council begin to build a sustainable and resilient future for all people and businesses in our city. Sara Walton is a professor at the Otago Business School, University of Otago. Each week in this column writers addresses issues of sustainability.
