The Bull Ring

𝕃𝕚𝕟𝕜 𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕙𝕖𝕕 𝕓𝕖𝕥𝕨𝕖𝕖𝕟 ℂ𝕠𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝔾𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕟𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕠𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕔𝕠 𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕦𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕪 𝔸 𝕘𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕡 𝕠𝕗 𝕡𝕦𝕓𝕝𝕚𝕔 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕥𝕙 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕤 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕔𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕤𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕪 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕒𝕗𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕗𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕 𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕪 𝕤𝕚𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕖𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕣𝕙𝕖𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕔 𝕦𝕤𝕖𝕕 𝕓𝕪 𝕥𝕠𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕔𝕠 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℂ𝕠𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟. P ublic health Professor Janet Hoek, alongside co-authors from the University of Otago, released an  article documenting possible channels of influence  and similarities between the rhetoric used by the Coalition Government and the tobacco lobby.     They say it "makes it timely to remind politicians of their" obligations under the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).   FCTC includes clauses to protect policymaking from tobacco industry interference - which has been ratif

  Chlöe Swarbrick understood to be considering Green Party leadership bid Chlöe Swarbrick is expected to make clear her intentions this week. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick is understood to be actively considering throwing her hat in the ring to be the party's new co-leader. James Shaw on Tuesday announced he would step down from the job in March. Nominations for the co-leadership opened for two weeks on Wednesday and any Green Party member or MP can put their name forward. As yet, no-one has announced they are running for the job, which was expected to filled by the 10 March. Swarbrick was the most likely contender and was understood to be considering her options. She was expected to make clear her intentions this week. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/508029/chloe-swarbrick-understood-to-be-considering-green-party-leadership-bid  

  Prime Minister Christopher Luxon corrects himself on Gaza statement Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Just hours after Police Minister Mark Mitchell was forced to correct the record in Parliament, the Prime Minister has had to do the same. During Question Time on Wednesday, Christopher Luxon was answering questions from Green Party co-leader James Shaw on the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) ruling that Israel must prevent acts of genocide in Gaza. "What actions is the government taking to meet its obligations under Article 1 of the Genocide Convention in light of the recent ruling by the ICJ that found a plausible risk of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza?" Shaw asked. "It was a provisional finding, and it wasn't a plausible risk," Luxon responded. A number of MPs can be heard saying "yes it was" to Luxon. "Go read it, Chris. Have a read," said Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson. L

ℕ𝕖𝕨 ℤ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕'𝕤 𝕤𝕔𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕤𝕝𝕚𝕡𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥 ℂ𝕠𝕣𝕣𝕦𝕡𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕖𝕡𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕀𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕩 𝔸𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕠𝕒 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕗𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕟 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕕 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕘𝕝𝕠𝕓𝕒𝕝 𝕔𝕠𝕣𝕣𝕦𝕡𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤, 𝕒𝕔𝕔𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕠 𝕋𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕤𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕪 𝕀𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝'𝕤 𝕟𝕖𝕨𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕣𝕖𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕥. N ew Zealand fell two places in the 2023 Corruptions Perceptions Index (CPI) published on Tuesday, behind Denmark and Finland. We haven't been placed third since 2012. The CPI gathers data from people in 180 countries and territories on how people perceive corruption in their country's public service.  New Zealand scored 85 out of 100 in the CPI. Higher scores mean lower perceived corruption. . . 'Complacency is not an option' Anne Tolley, chair of Transparency International NZ and a former National MP, said despite our low levels of corruption, "

ℍ𝕠𝕨 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕙𝕖𝕝𝕝 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕃𝕦𝕩𝕠𝕟 𝕘𝕠𝕥 𝕙𝕚𝕞𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕗 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕞𝕖𝕤𝕤? 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝 𝕪𝕖𝕒𝕣 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕠𝕟𝕝𝕪 𝕛𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕓𝕖𝕘𝕦𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕡𝕒𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕕 𝕚𝕥𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕗 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕣𝕟𝕖𝕣. I t’s quite difficult to nail that sweet spot between not racist enough, and too racist. But, kudos to them, ACT have nailed it. They’ll get their Treaty ‘debate’ over the coming months, with enough race-baiting to satisfy the base. Then, National will kill the proposed treaty principles bill, ensuring the Right aren’t robbed of that particular lightning-rod cause. Answered prayers are often the most dangerous, after all. . . It’s bizarre to grant a coalition partner with just 8% of the vote the ability to rewrite the country’s founding document (without bothering to ask the other signatories), and thus ignite a destructive and ultimately pointless debate. But, that aside, the

𝕄𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣-𝕚𝕟-𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℙ𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝕄𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕒 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕝𝕖𝕥𝕖 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕞𝕓𝕝𝕖𝕤 𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕒 𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕚𝕟 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕝𝕚𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 ℚ𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟙𝟙 - ℍ𝕠𝕟 𝔾𝕚𝕟𝕟𝕪 𝔸𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕖𝕟 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕄𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕠𝕗 ℙ𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕖 . . 𝕎𝕚𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕟 ℙ𝕖𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕠𝕟 𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕣𝕦𝕚𝕥𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕌ℕℝ𝕎𝔸 𝕗𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘   𝕄𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣-𝕚𝕟-𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕖 𝕃𝕦𝕩𝕠𝕟 𝕠𝕟 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝕟𝕦𝕞𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕤     The Minister-in-charge is walking back on comments made in parliament on Tuesday by the police minister Mark Mitchell that it would take three years not two to recruit 500 extra police officers. Minister-in-charge Christopher Luxon spoke to Corin Dann.   . . 𝕃𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕒𝕔𝕔𝕦𝕤𝕖𝕤 𝕘𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕒 𝕓𝕣𝕠𝕜𝕖𝕟 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕖 𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝕟𝕦𝕞𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕤 Labour says the government has broken a pr

𝔽𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕥 𝕃𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝕊𝕖𝕣𝕧𝕚𝕔𝕖𝕤 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕗𝕒𝕔𝕖 𝕔𝕦𝕥𝕤 - 𝕋𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕠𝕝𝕒 𝕎𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕤 𝔽𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕥-𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝕤𝕖𝕣𝕧𝕚𝕔𝕖𝕤 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕗𝕒𝕔𝕖 𝕔𝕦𝕥-𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕜𝕤 𝕒𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕘𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕟 𝕒 𝕓𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕕𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕒𝕣𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕦𝕒𝕝 𝕡𝕦𝕓𝕝𝕚𝕔 𝕤𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕠𝕣 𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕠𝕗 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕒𝕔𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨𝕝𝕖𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕕. B ut Nicola Willis said the chief executives of government departments were expected to use "good judgement" when proposing where savings could be made. Thirty-nine government departments or agency chief executives were asked in December to suggest annual savings or either 6.5 or 7.5 percent. . . Treasury  confirmed on Friday the chief executives could suggest cuts to both departmental and non-departmental funding . Departmental funding is spent on an agency's core business and

𝔾𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕟 ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕪 ℂ𝕠-𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕁𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕨 𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕤 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕝𝕚𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕖𝕣 ℂ𝕝𝕚𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕖 ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕖 𝕄𝕚𝕟𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕁𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕨 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕤 𝕔𝕠-𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕟 ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕪. H owever, Shaw will remain in politics for "the time being", he confirmed in a statement on Tuesday.   Shaw, who first entered politics in 2011, survived two co- leadership challenges by fellow party members in 2021 and 2022.  He said on Tuesday he'd remain in Parliament to support fellow Green MP Julie Anne Genter's Bill of Rights (Right to Sustainable Environment)  Amendment Bill. Shaw said it was "the privilege of my lifetime" to serve as New Zealand's Climate Change Minister under the previous two Governments.   "It has been an honour to serve alongside my co-leader, Hon Marama Davidson, her predecessor Metiria Turei and an extraordinary caucus of Green MPs, staff, party officials and v