Podcasts about Velden

In the year of growth, Nicola Willis has presented a growth budget. But does the Investment Boost initiative, which speeds up depreciation for businesses, promise the kind of growth that the economy needs? In this special Spinoff pod for budget day, Toby Manhire asks Bernard Hickey for his take on the headline changes, and whether or not David Seymour's earlier commentary that his colleague Brooke van Velden had “saved the budget” through its controversial and hurried changes to the pay equiry scheme, has been proven true. Plus: what are the cumulative impacts of the changes to KiwiSaver and Best Start, as compared to the SuperGold cohort? And how much did the global political and economic volatility influence the documents published today? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Questions to Ministers CAMERON BREWER to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has she seen on the Government's fiscal position? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? CATHERINE WEDD to the Minister for Infrastructure: What recent reports has he seen about New Zealand's Infrastructure Pipeline? JENNY MARCROFT to the Minister for Rail: What recent announcements has the Government made regarding rail? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she agree with Hon Brooke van Velden that "the Government, under Minister Nicola Willis' pay equity reset, suggested that the funded sector would not be funded by the Government for pay equity"; if so, how much was set aside in Budget 2024 for the funded sector pay equity claims? SAM UFFINDELL to the Minister of Health: What recent announcements has he made on delivering new and improved urgent and after-hours services? Hon JAN TINETTI to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Does she stand by her statement that "the Government, under Minister Nicola Willis' pay equity reset, suggested that the funded sector would not be funded by the Government for pay equity"; if not, why not? Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? DEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME to the Minister of Education: Does she stand by all her statements and actions relating to pay equity? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? DANA KIRKPATRICK to the Associate Minister of Housing: What recent announcements has he made about building social housing?

"I've seen some bad times in this house, but this is one of the lowest I've ever seen. When you go to that sort of standard of language, nothing's beneath you after that, is it?" That was Winston Peters yesterday after his coalition colleague, Brooke van Velden, used the c-word in parliament. And I'm with him 100%. He said he was disgusted that the word was said in Parliament, and he was disgusted that the word was used in a newspaper article at the weekend – which is why it came up for discussion yesterday. And the timing of it was interesting, because just hours after the c-bomb went off, it was announced that the co-leaders of Te Pati Māori have been suspended for three weeks, and one of their MPs suspended for a week. This is in relation to them getting out of their seats in Parliament and doing the haka as a protest against David Seymour's Treaty Principles Bill. The part of it that actually got them in strife wasn't the haka, it was the two-finger gun salute given to David Seymour while they were out of their seats. If you were to ask me: “What's worse? The two-finger gun salute in Parliament or an MP using the c-word in Parliament?” I would say that the bad language is way worse. Hands down. And if you were to ask me: “What's worse? MPs doing a haka in Parliament or an MP using the c-word in Parliament?” Same. The bad language is way worse than that too. I'm not defending the Māori Party MPs, because what they did is not the kind of thing I expect in Parliament. At the time, I thought it was a great piece of theatrics, but it's not appropriate. Just like I'm not going to defend Green MP Julie Anne Genter crossing the floor that time to go nuts at Matt Doocey. That didn't meet my expectations of parliamentary behaviour either. Which is why I think that ACT party deputy leader Brooke van Velden has to be hauled over the coals. Even though she, reportedly, had permission from the Clerk of the House. And why I agree with Winston Peters and with Judith Collins who have both been saying since yesterday afternoon that we have reached a new low. That behaviour in Parliament has reached a new low. It's believed that van Velden is the first MP to intentionally use the c-word in the House. This was when she was replying to a question from Labour about the Government's pay equity changes. Or, more to the point, a question referring to the opinion article at the weekend about the pay equity row, where the writer used the c-word. I don't know why Labour even brought it up, when it seems to have been silent about the derogatory nature of the article. I thought the article itself was appalling, but the writer seems to have gotten away with it because her employer is backing her to the hilt. But that doesn't mean that Parliament should turn a blind eye. I wasn't impressed with Speaker Gerry Brownlee's handling of things yesterday. Not once did he interrupt van Velden, only saying afterwards that it might have been better to refrain from using the word. Saying “more discretion” could have been used. The wet bus ticket treatment from the Speaker doesn't give me much hope that standards in Parliament are going to improve. I know people have been saying forever that parliamentarians behave badly but I think Parliament needs to up its game big time. That is where laws are made. Parliament is where we look-to for leadership. And this is probably a bit old school, but Parliament sets the standard for society. Some people say it should reflect society, but I say it should set the benchmark, and our politicians should show us what a civil society looks like. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A sweary few days in politics has raised questions about the use of the C word. Minister Brooke van Velden dropped the verbal grenade in Parliament in protest over the slur being directed at her and other female ministers in a newspaper column about rushed changes to pay equity laws. Keith Montgomery from the University of Auckland linguistics department spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden has dropped the c-bomb in Parliament in protest over the slur being directed at her and other female ministers in a newspaper column. It's thought to be the first time the word has been recorded in the debating chamber. It comes after a Sunday Star-Times opinion piece used the word in connection to female ministers overhauling the pay equity scheme.

Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden says she used the c-word in the House on Wednesday as a way of sticking up for herself and other ministers. Political editor Jo Moir spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden dropped the c-bomb in Parliament on Wednesday, the use of the word was in protest to the word being directed at her and other female ministers in a newspaper column by journalist Andrea Vance in the Sunday Star Times. University of Canterbury senior law lecturer Cassandra Mudgway spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

In today's episode, the co-leaders of Te Pāti Māori face a three-week suspension from Parliament after the Privileges Committee deemed a haka performed in the house could have been intimidating to members, Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden says she used the c-word in the House on Wednesday as a way of sticking up for herself and other ministers, and Wellington author Damien Wilkins has taken out the main fiction prize at this year's Ockham Book Awards.

Brooke van Velden is defending what seems to be an unprecedented use of the c-word in Parliament during an explosive debate. Lillian Hanly reports.

Questions to Ministers DANA KIRKPATRICK to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has she seen on the Government's fiscal position? LAURA McCLURE to the Associate Minister of Education: What recent announcements has he made regarding school attendance? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? SAM UFFINDELL to the Minister of Transport: What announcements has he made regarding the Government's crackdown on drunk drivers? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she agree with Christopher Luxon, when describing FamilyBoost, that "Our view is it doesn't cost much more to administer"; if so, how much has been spent on administering the scheme relative to the amount paid out? Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? RAWIRI WAITITI to the Minister for Maori Development: Does he stand by his statement that "Over the past 50 years, the Tribunal has made significant contributions to the Maori Crown relationship and informed the settlement of both historical and contemporary Treaty claims impacting generations of whanau across the country"? Hon JAN TINETTI to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Does she agree with Andrea Vance, who said about the Equal Pay Amendment Bill, "It is a curious feminist moment, isn't it? Six girlbosses - Willis, her hype-squad Judith Collins, Erica Stanford, Louise Upston, Nicola Grigg, and Brooke van Velden - all united in a historic act of economic backhanding other women"; if not, how is unilaterally stopping 33 pay equity claims not a historic act of economic backhanding other women? Dr HAMISH CAMPBELL to the Minister of Immigration: What update can she provide about the recent changes to the Active Investor Plus Visa to attract more global investment to New Zealand? CAMILLA BELICH to the Minister for the Public Service: What impact will recent changes to the Equal Pay Act 1972 have on public sector workers, particularly women? TIM VAN DE MOLEN to the Minister for Veterans: What investments is the Government making to support veterans in Budget 2025? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions?

The Workplace Relations Minister's defending saying the C-word in Parliament, while lashing out over an opinion piece opposing her pay equity policy. In the Sunday Star Times, Andrea Vance referred to senior Cabinet ministers as girl-bosses and a hype squad, and said the policy used 'girl math'. Quoting it in Parliament, Brooke van Velden herself used the extreme swear-word - saying she's standing up for MPs. Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls unpacked the whole saga - and explained how it backfired on the opposition. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT's Brooke van Velden is not apologising for using the c-word in the House today. The Workplace Relations Minister said it after a question from Labour that referenced an opinion piece in The Post that used it in relation to a group of female ministers. She delivered a strong rebuke - and criticised Labour for bringing it up in the House. She says she stands by saying it. "I wanted to stand up for myself and stand up for all the female Cabinet ministers - that it's not okay that we have misogynistic abuse and it's not okay that it was brought into the Chamber." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 14 May 2025, Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden speaks to Heather after using the c-word in Parliament in protest against what she says are misogynist attacks by Labour. Green Party co-leader Chloe Swarbrick defends her Budget alternative - including free GP and dentist visits, a wealth tax and inheritance tax and a private jet tax. Northland principal Pat Newman on what would really help to get truant kids back to school. Plus, former Finance Minister Steven Joyce on why he supports free vaccines for over 65s and his future as a NZME board chair. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, David Farrar from Kiwiblog and Curia and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Green Party has unveiled their alternative Budget - what do we make of it? How laughable are these ideas? Brooke van Velden made history in Parliament today by dropping the c-bomb to call out Labour for referencing the Andrea Vance column. Was this the right move? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, what a to-do. The image of Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters slumped in the House, head in his hands, summed it up really. Brooke van Velden dropped the C-bomb in the house, quoting a Stuff article whose author used the word in criticising the government's decision to amend the pay equity legislation. The coalition's female MPs are angry that Labour MPs, particularly the female MPs, have not condemned the journalist's use of the word, which was used as a derogatory in the article. Judith Collins, head of the Privileges Committee, was on with Mike Hosking this morning, ostensibly to talk about the suspension of three Te Pati Māori MPs for their haka in the House, but during the chat she deplored the decline of standards in the House. “There's a lack of civility now and it's not acceptable, and I feel that the comments of the print journalist in the Sunday Star Times this last Sunday was one of the lowest points I think I've seen in 23 years. That and what happened on the 14th of November in Parliament. It's just the sort of behaviour towards each other that is despicable. So I'd say to Brooke, you know I wouldn't use the word myself, but I did feel that she at least stood up for herself and for all the rest of us, and I am waiting for someone of the left persuasion in our Parliament, one MP, just one, to come out and say it's not okay to attack people just because you don't agree with what they do.” I think she'll be waiting a while. Karen Chhour has been consistently attacked by Labour MPs and Te Pati Māori MPs, really for just for being a Māori woman who has the temerity to be an ACT Party MP. And to be fair, when Jacinda Ardern and her preschool daughter were receiving violent threats —violent sexual threats, some of them very real and credible threats— there wasn't a universal condemnation of the abuse from National and ACT. Certainly Judith Collins, when she was the opposition leader, said she did not want to see Jacinda Ardern threatened when she visited Auckland in 2021 after the three-month lockdown. She said I don't want to see anything happen to the Prime Minister or have her threatened in any way. I think it's not good for our democracy and also it is not right for people to do that to each other, which is true, and good on her for saying that. But at the same time, it's hardly a universal, strident condemnation of the threats that the Prime Minister of the time was getting. We were discussing this before the show, one of our colleagues said politicians need to be better otherwise people will just give up. They'll look at the carry on, they'll read the stories and think I'm not going to vote. I argued that there are House of Representatives – they are us, to borrow a phrase. Abuse of MPs on every level increased in 2022, 98% of them reported receiving some kind of harassment. Women were considerably more likely to face abuse on most counts than male politicians. Abuse increased across 11 of the 12 different mediums, with social media overtaking emails, faxes and letters as the most prominent. That came from us. That's men and women, normally erstwhile, law-abiding, God-fearing people who suddenly became more strident. It was a result of societal factors, of lockdowns, of decisions made that had an enormous impact on people's lives and livelihoods and families. And there will be people who will never forget what happened. It can't be undone. But that all resulted in extremes, in the use of language and the vehemence of our opinions and our tribalism. I had a public Facebook page for years. I think in the in the seven or eight years I had it before Covid, I blocked two people. Once Covid started, I just got rid of it because it's why would you be a sitting duck? When I first heard about the death threats against Jacinda Ardern, I thought, well, who hasn't had them? You know that is not normal. That's not a normal response. The days of Socratic discourse are long gone. So does that mean we have to give up, my colleague asked, that we have no expectations of our MPs? No. But I think before we ask anything of our MPs, we look at ourselves. I was thinking about that this morning. Can I call out the Principles Federation representative and say before you start looking at the government, how about you call out the poor parents who send their kids to school unable to hold a pen and not toilet trained? Whose fault is that? That is the parents. Can I say that? Absolutely I can. Should I mimic her voice while I'm saying that? No, I shouldn't. Talkback's a robust forum. It's a bit like Parliament, people get heat up. We're allowed to have opinions. We should have differing opinions, but before I'm going to ask anything of our MPs, before I ask anything of my fellow journalists, I'll have a look in the mirror and check myself out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister's keeping a cool head, despite being the subject of some colourful language in yesterday's papers. The Post's Andrea Vance wrote a column on Sunday levelling the c-word at Nicola Willis - as well as Judith Collins, Louise Upston, Nicola Grigg, Brooke van Velden and Erica Stanford in response to the Government's pay equity changes. Nicola Willis says she's used to criticism and insults as part of politics, but she's voiced concerns about the implications for other women. "I always think about other young women who want to go into politics, and I don't want them to think that it's okay to have their gender weaponised against them - and I don't want any young women to think there's a difference between girl maths and boy maths. It's called maths." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's bad news, really, and it's been coming and I think I've had my head in the sand for some time. I've been wanting things to get better quickly. I've wanted things to move out from grindy-ness, and a lack of fun, and excess, and nonsense. It's just been for four years of long, slow grind, it seems. Well, Matthew Hooton's opinion piece in the New Zealand Herald has laid it out starkly, unequivocally, in no uncertain terms. The grindy times are here for a long time, as he says. Brooke van Velden's constitutionally dubious and deeply unpopular legislation to amend the Equal Pay Act and more bold moves like it, are now unavoidable, whether they take the form of massive spending cuts, much higher taxes, or most likely, he says both. And the reason? Successive governments have been on a massive jolly, and now we, and successive generations have to pay for it. As Hooton reminds us, Treasury began formerly warning in 2006, about the looming fiscal challenges after 2030. It expected future governments would follow the responsible fiscal management of the Bolger, Shipley, and Clark governments, that they would maintain surpluses, pay back debt, put aside cash for a rainy day. Had we heeded the advice and followed the blueprint, we would be 15% of GDP in the black this year. Instead, the Key-English and Ardern-Hipkins Governments went on a 15-year spending spree, putting us 23% of GDP in the red, despite the Super Fund's returns on investments exceeding expectations. You can say what about the Canterbury quake, the GFC, and Covid? You can say all of that. But he's quite right. Successive governments have had to recover from crises, but they've also used that time to have a spend up, to push through expensive legislation and policies, of their choosing, of their ideology, while at the same time having to fork out billions in damage recovery. So, the four years of grindy times are going to be nothing in comparison to what we are going to see. There's more with this came from. Thanks to the Key-English and Ardern-Hipkins legacy, we're nearly 40% of GDP, or more than $170 billion, behind where Helen Clark, Winston Peters, and Sir Michael Cullen planned back in 2006, just as baby boomers retire and health costs start to explode. He says and argues without radical policy change, there is no plausible scenario that doesn't lead to eventual financial and social collapse. I urge you to read it and have a look and see what you think. That is why Labour's well-intentioned and accurately costed ill thought-out legislation is being scrapped. That is why superannuation and healthcare costs will be put under the microscope as costs balloon. And that is why I would argue, National and Labour need to work together to get us out of this mess. Treasury warned of the fiscal challenges in 2006. They warned of them again in a 2012 post-election briefing to John Key, the papers stressed again as baby boomers move into retirement, New Zealand's 65 and over population is projected to grow nearly four times more quickly than the total population, and consequently there'll be a rapid rise in health, aged care, and New Zealand super costs. Treasury said the fiscal challenge is considerable. There is no way to avoid making trade-offs. Given the potential economic and social instability that could result from any uncertainty about these trade-offs, we think it's crucial that effort be made to build broad public consensus on the way forward. And that's where we are today. The trade-offs are starting but there's no consensus, because it's just been sprung on us. Well, it hasn't been sprung on us. Treasury have been warning of this for some time, and we have ignored it as voters and the parties have ignored it. Both National and Labour are at fault, but we voters are to blame as well. We can't just stand there saying, “oh, we're victims we didn't know”. Would we have elected any party to government that laid out the grim prognosis for New Zealand Inc. and spelled out the tough measures we would need to take to recover? If Christopher Luxon had stood there in 2023 and said, we're in a real mess and it goes way beyond Hipkins and Robertson, Ardern and Robertson. It goes back a lot further than that and we are going to have to cut the equal pay amendment legislation, we're going to have to raise the age of superannuation, as every other western country we measure ourselves against has done, we're going to have to look long and hard at healthcare, we're have to look long and hard at welfare payments, and we're probably going to have to scrap some of them because we're in a deep, deep fiscal hole. Would we have said thank you so much for spelling it out. We're going to vote National back in to do these austere and tough measures that we need to recover so that we've got a country for our grandchildren. I doubt it. We are just as much to blame. The party is well and truly over, and it has been for some time. We've just borrowed to keep it going and buried our heads in the sand, turned up the music so we don't hear the creaking and the groaning of the economy as it struggles to keep the party going. It's time we all grew up. And it's time both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition worked together to try and keep the country together while we work our way out of this mess. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government's radical overhaul of pay equity laws is having its final reading in Parliament, with opposition parties fuming that the controversial reforms are being rail-roaded through under urgency. Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden on Tuesday announced the government will raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued when making a pay equity claim. Nick James filed this report from Parliament.

Questions to Ministers NANCY LU to the Minister of Finance: What are the Government's fiscal intentions and objectives? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? DAN BIDOIS to the Minister of Transport: What announcements has he made regarding rapid transit in Auckland? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI to the Minister for Women: Does she agree with the statement on the Ministry for Women website that "The majority (80%) of the gender pay gap is driven by harder to measure factors like conscious and unconscious bias and differences in choices and behaviours"; if so, how has this shaped her advocacy? CARL BATES to the Minister of Justice: How is the Government progressing with its plan to restore law and order? Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she agree with Associate Finance Minister David Seymour that "I actually think that Brooke van Velden has saved the taxpayer billions. She's saved the Budget for the Government"; if so, what are the savings from the changes to pay equity? Dr VANESSA WEENINK to the Minister for Mental Health: What recent announcement has he made about supporting Women's Refuge through the Mental Health and Addiction Innovation Fund? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? Hon JAN TINETTI to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Does she agree with Thomas Coughlan of the New Zealand Herald, who said about her changes to pay equity legislation that "It is deeply wrong that Parliament can take away that work in a matter of hours"; if not, why not? MARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI to the Minister for Children: Does she stand by her statement that "increased reporting also shows that people feel like they can report their concerns to Oranga Tamariki or other government agencies and that these reports are being captured and actioned"? TANYA UNKOVICH to the Minister for Regional Development: What reports has he seen on regional development in Northland?

Next time I hear one of our government politicians banging on about New Zealand being the first country in the world to give women the vote, it will sound very hollow. Because while that might be something to crow about, what the Government's doing in relation to equal pay for women, isn't. You've got to, at the very least, give Brooke van Velden credit for taking one for the team yesterday and announcing that the Government is pulling the plug on any current pay equity claims and making it harder for any future claims to get through. And that's exactly what it's going to do. We know that because not only is the Workplace Relations Minister saying that the pay equity rules are “muddied and unclear”, the Prime Minister is also saying that these changes could save the Government “billions of dollars”. That's because the majority of the women affected by this are government workers. But they won't be the only ones. There may be some people who like the sound of saving billions of dollars. Probably most of them blokes. But I'm picking the majority of people will find that kind of sales job appalling. I do. Especially when these changes aren't going through the usual processes. There's no select committee process. Within hours of Brooke van Velden making the announcement, it was all underway under urgency. And it's going to mean that current pay equity claims in the system will be dropped and must be started again under the new rules, which are going to make the whole thing tougher and save us billions. The government's reasoning —or the reasoning it's talking about publicly, anyway— is that pay equity claims have been going through without what it describes as “strong evidence”. Apparently, after the announcement, ACT MPs were crowing that Brooke van Velden had single-handedly rescued this month's budget with these changes. National MPs pushed-backed on that. With Finance Minister Nicola Willis fronting media —flanked by fellow female National MPs Judith Collins, Erica Stanford, Louise Upston and Nicola Grigg— denying that this is being done to balance the Government's books. She said that the Government believes in the principle of pay equity when women can prove that they have been disadvantaged. She said: "What this is about is ensuring we are clear, transparent, and fair to ensure that where those claims are made they relate to gender-based discrimination and that other issues to do with pay and working conditions are raised during the normal employment relations process." Which is a fair and reasonable thing to say. But what isn't fair and reasonable is the way the Government is going about this – leaving out the select committee process and rushing it through. Until the Government can convince me otherwise, I'm believing the ACT MPs who obviously think that this is all about saving money and nothing more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just when I thought the issue of pay parity couldn't get any more confusing, the Government has made it so. Yesterday, the coalition government moved under urgency in Parliament to raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued when making a pay equity claim. Under the new legislation, any current claims would be stopped and need to restart under the new higher threshold to show genuine gender discrimination and make sure the comparator settings were right. So 33 current claims will be stopped as a result. ACT's deputy leader and Minister for Workplace Relations Brooke Van Velden, the architect of the bill, said she supported pay equity, but the legislation introduced back in 2020 was problematic. “At the moment, people can choose a comparator for sex-based discrimination across the entire workforce. We're saying let's start firstly at home. If you can find people within your own employer, that would be a good starting point. If that comparison can't be made with a similar employer, that comparison's not there within your industry, if you can't find one there you've got to stop.” Which all sounds perfectly reasonable, because I've always thought how on earth do you compare completely different occupations? As van Velden told Parliament, Health New Zealand admin and clerical staff, as an example, have been compared to mechanical engineers. Health New Zealand librarians have been compared to transport engineers and Oranga Tamariki's social workers have been compared to air traffic controllers. I can't get my head around that at all. Equally, van Velden makes an interesting case about how wide-ranging and unwieldy claims can be drawing in vast numbers of employers. But the Government is moving or has moved so quickly, there's no Select Committee on the bill and as Thomas Coughlan points out in the Herald, officials didn't have time to write up a regulatory impact statement – which is an irony considering the changes were made by Brooke van Velden who is responsible for creating the regulatory impact statement. So before MPs vote on a bill they can have a look at the regulatory impact statement. How much is it going to cost? What are the effects? What are the wide-ranging impacts of introducing this legislation? They don't have that, and didn't have that when they went to vote last night. And as Thomas Coughlan concludes in his piece in the Herald, if the government cannot publish official papers that explain why this is a good idea, the public can be forgiven for concluding this is because it isn't one. It's the optics for me. Absolute optics. How can National champion pay parity in 2020 and champion the very legislation that they're now amending, and then say no, it's unworkable, unsustainable? They actually thought it was a jolly good idea in 2017. National began the process of amending the equal pay legislation in 2016. There's excerpts from speeches to Parliament back in 2020 when the equal pay legislation was introduced doing the rounds on Facebook, and quotes Nicola Willis saying this was a process National kicked off in the last government. “A bill was drafted, things were ready to go, and then there was a change of government – that's when Labour and New Zealand First formed the coalition. So my colleague Denise Lee, who believes very passionately in the concept of equal pay and pay equity, took a member's bill to this Parliament to progress pay equity in the absence of the new government where National had left off.” So she's taken credit for legislation that she now says is unsustainable and un-workable. How can you do that? Well, you can do that when you've got a bloody great hole in your budget, can't you? Yesterday, she said what this is about is ensuring we're clear, transparent and fair to ensure that where those claims are made, they relate to gender based discrimination and that other issues to do with pay and working conditions are raised during the normal employment relations process. So either the bill that that she worked so assiduously on and took credit for in 2020 was drafted poorly, or she's completely changed her mind about its workability. Or they didn't see through what the implications might be? And again, when you pass bills under urgency, which that was in 2020 and which this is now, you get those gaps because you don't have time to look at the far-reaching consequences – remember, there's no regulatory impact statement. So it was passed under urgency in 2020. Maggie Barry, at the time a National MP, harrumphed about it and said, for heaven's sake with Covid going on, we're passing this under urgency, this is a nonsense. But she still voted for it, as did National. And now they're saying it's unsustainable and unworkable. What this looks like is National stepping back from legislation they worked on, recommended and pushed through the House, and in fact took credit for it when it passed, so they can balance their books. It gives their critics all sorts of opportunities to lambast the government for stealing from the poorest paid workers to give rebates to wealthy landlords and tax cuts to the wealthy pricks. I actually happen to agree with the restrictions that Brooke van Velden is imposing, I think that they make sense. But it's a unique gift that this government has to make something right look so very, very wrong. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 6 May 2025, a dicey call from the Government... today scrapping all current pay equity claims and overhauling the system. Workplace Relations Brooke van Velden tells Heather the move will save billions. The former boss of Facebook New Zealand Stephen Scheeler reacts to National's plan to ban social media for under 16s. Victoria University law students will have to do their upcoming three hour exams by hand - because the university can't shut down AI on their laptops. Plus, the Huddle gets fiery on pay equity and Ministers using emails. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

That decision today to stop all those pay equity claims is ballsy - I mean, you know, ballsy is good - and I think I lean towards thinking this is the right thing to do. Those pay equity claims have been a bit random. I don't know if you know how this works, but basically, if people can prove that they're underpaid because they work in women-dominated jobs, then they can get a pay rise. And how they prove this is by finding men who are doing a similar job and then showing that there is a difference in pay. But the problem is, it really isn't. It isn't comparing apples with apples, it's often apples with oranges. For example, librarians. Librarians are currently trying to get a pay rise by comparing themselves to traffic engineers. Now, no disrespect whatsoever to librarians, but the Dewey Decimal System is not that hard. I'm pretty sure that most of us could learn to do it and become librarians in about 20 minutes flat. I think it takes a little bit longer to train up as an engineer who specializes in designing and planning and constructing and operating and maintaining a transport system. And the same goes with the admin health staff who are trying to compare themselves to mechanical engineers, and the same goes with the social workers who are trying to compare themselves to air traffic controllers. You can see the trouble here, right? Now, from what I understand, what Brooke van Velden has done today is going to save the country billions of dollars - in the Budget that we're getting in 2 weeks' time. Apparently, this is one of, if not the single biggest savings in the Budget. And apparently over 4 years, it counts for something higher than $10 billion. That is a significant amount of money. And as we know, the country is financially stuffed. However, someone will pay for this, and it's going to be the Government. They will be punished for this in political capital in the years to come, because this attack basically writes itself. Heartless Government takes money from underpaid working women - and that is why it is so ballsy, because the pay equity system is clearly, when you look at the detail, deeply flawed. I mean, it's a lovely idea, let's pay women more, but the system that we use to do that is deeply, deeply flawed and obviously needs this overhaul - but the politics of it is gonna be very, very rough. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is urgently pushing through new legislation - lifting the threshold for pay-equity claims based on gender discrimination. The Bill has already passed its first reading supported by all coalition parties and Parliament's moved swiftly onto the second. These changes have prompted plenty of backlash, but Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden says there was an appetite for these changes. "It became clear to me at the end of last year that there was appetite within my Cabinet to do this - and I think it's pretty clear that there was an impetus, so that's what's making the change." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just yesterday, Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden announced a series of radical changes to New Zealand's Pay Equity Legislation. The changes would increase the pay equity claims of gender-discrimination from 60-70% and adjust the comparators to make sure claims met standards that Brooke Van Velden has described as “Genuine” and Sustainable for employers. This would cause all 33 current pending claims representing thousands of workers in the care industry and health sector to be dropped. Subsequently, a number of unions and Women's groups have condemned the government's changes and have vowed to protest outside parliament in opposition to them. Oto spoke to Rachel Mackintosh, Assistant National Secretary for E tū Union, to discuss Brooke Van Velden's changes to Pay Equity Laws and how they will impact Women Workers

Vandaag is het de dag van de arbeid, voor zowel Duitsland als Frankrijk een vrije dag én nog altijd een dag waarop veel mensen daar de straat opgaan. Toch is dat in Nederland niet het geval. Waarom is dat eigenlijk? En bij wie staan we vandaag stil als we het hebben over 'de arbeider'?Te gast: Vakbondshistoricus Sjaak van der Velden. 

Welkom bij deze speciale aflevering van de Leaders in Finance podcast, opgenomen direct na het Leaders in Finance Pensioen Event 2025. Deze aflevering namen we op in Soesterberg, bij het Kontakt Der Kontinenten, een uur na afloop van het event. Aan tafel zitten: Parcifal van Overbeek, (Dagvoorzitter & voorzitter divisie Pensioen & Leven, Achmea) Leon de Looff (CEO, Keylane), Hildegard Elgersma (Partner CFO Consulting en Sectorleider Pensioenen, EY), en Gerard van Olphen (Voorzitter RvC de Volksbank, Vicevoorzitter RvC a.s.r., Voorzitter RvC Mollie, voormalig RvB APG). Samen reflecteren zij op de dag. Wat viel hen op? Wat inspireerde hen? En welke inzichten nemen zij mee naar morgen? Van scenario's na de Wtp-transitie tot communicatie-uitdagingen, en van innovatie tot internationale perspectieven—alles kwam langs. Enjoy!   *** De Leaders in Finance podcast wordt mede mogelijk gemaakt door Kayak, EY, MeDirect, en Roland Berger.     *** Volg Leaders in Finance via Linkedin.     *** Op de hoogte blijven van Leaders in Finance? Abonneer je dan op de nieuwsbrief.     ***  Vragen, suggesties of feedback? Graag! Via e-mail: info@leadersinfinance.nl   *** Eerdere gasten bij de Leaders in Finance podcast waren onder andere: Klaas Knot (President DNB), Robert Swaak (CEO ABN AMRO), Frank Elderson (directie ECB), David Knibbe (CEO NN), Janine Vos (RvB Rabobank), Jos Baeten (CEO ASR), Nadine Klokke (CEO Knab), Gita Salden (CEO BNG Bank),  Annerie Vreugdenhil (CIO ING), Geert Lippens (CEO BNP Paribas NL), Karien van Gennip (CEO VGZ), Maarten Edixhoven (CEO Van Lanschot Kempen), Jeroen Rijpkema (CEO Triodos), Chantal Vergouw (CEO Interpolis), Simone Huis in ‘t Veld (CEO Euronext), Nout Wellink (ex DNB), Onno Ruding (ex minister van financiën), Maurice Oostendorp en Martijn Gribnau (CEOs Volksbank), Olaf Sleijpen (Director DNB), Allegra van Hövell-Patrizi (CEO Aegon NL), Yoram Schwarz (CEO Movir), Laura van Geest (Bestuursvoorzitter AFM) Katja Kok (CEO Van Lanschot CH), Ali Niknam (CEO bunq), Nick Bortot (CEO BUX), Matthijs Bierman (MD Triodos NL), Peter Paul de Vries (CEO Value8), Barbara Baarsma (CEO Rabo Carbon Bank), Jan van Rutte (Commissaris PGGM, BNG Bank, vml CFO ABN AMRO), Marguerite Soeteman-Reijnen (Chair Aon Holdings), Annemarie Jorritsma (o.a. Voorzitter NVP), Lidwin van Velden (CEO Waterschapsbank), Don Ginsel (CEO Holland Fintech), Mary Pieterse-Bloem (Professor Erasmus), Jan-Willem van der Schoot (CEO Mastercard NL), Tjeerd Bosklopper (CEO NN NL), Joanne Kellermann (Chair PFZW), Steven Maijoor (Chair ESMA), Radboud Vlaar (CEO Finch Capital), Karin van Baardwijk (CEO Robeco) en Annette Mosman (CEO APG).     

In ‘De top van Nederland’ heeft presentator Thomas van Zijl een uitgebreid gesprek met Lidwin van Velden topvrouw van de Nederlandse Waterschapsbank. Over NWB Bank De Nederlandse Waterschapsbank is betrokken bij vrijwel elk project in Nederland waar gesleuteld wordt aan dijken, verduurzaming van sociale woningbouw en vernieuwing van waterzuivering. Over Thomas van Zijl Thomas van Zijl is financieel journalist en presentator bij BNR. Hij presenteert dagelijks ‘BNR Zakendoen’, het Nederlandse radioprogramma voor economisch nieuws en zakelijk inzicht, waar 'De top van Nederland’ onderdeel van is. Ook is hij een van de makers van de podcast ‘Onder curatoren’. Abonneer je op de podcast Ga naar ‘De top van Nederland’ en abonneer je op de podcast, ook te beluisteren via Apple Podcast en Spotify. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by Eline van der Velden, founder and CEO of Particle 6 – an AI-first production company shaking up the world of digital video. With a background in both physics and performance, Eline shares how her unique career path has shaped Particle 6's groundbreaking approach to content creation using artificial intelligence.From slashing production costs by 60% to creating AI-generated scripted content and short-form dramas, Eline reveals how she and her team are applying cutting-edge tools like Sora, DeepSeek, and ElevenLabs across the entire production pipeline. She also discusses the rise of AI-driven characters, the shift in industry roles, and why traditional production models need urgent reinvention.Whether you're a TV producer feeling overwhelmed by tech, or a digital-first creator eager to push the limits of storytelling, this episode is packed with practical insight, inspiration, and bold predictions about the future of our industry.Sign up for The Drop newsletterSupport the showSubscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videosFollow us on LinkedInConnect with Justin on LinkedINTellyCast videos on YouTubeTellyCast websiteTellyCast instaTellyCast TwitterTellyCast TikTok

For their weekly catchup w/ the Green Party's Ricardo Menendez-March, Oto spoke to him about Brooke van Velden's changes to the health and safety at work act, The recent controversies over comments made by Greens MPs Tamatha Paul and Benjamin Doyle and The Greens' call to scrap government changes to early childhood care. For this week's Green Desk, Producer Leilani speaks to the Hospital Manager at BirdCare Aotearoa; a rehabilitation hospital for native birds, Pooja Dorle, about how to care for a sick or injured bird. Producer Liam, and News and Editorial Director, Joel, also attended their EcoFest workshop to check out the hospital, prior to their next event on the 6th of April. Thanks to Ecofest 2025! Tuesday Wire Host, Castor, speaks to the Movement Building and Advocacy Director for Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand, Lisa Woods, about new research showing many are concerned for social cohesion in the country. For this week's Get Action! Oto spoke to Clinical Psychologist Dr Kumari Valentine about a petition to the government to roll back plans to introduce a new associate Psychology role. And he spoke to Rachel Mackintosh, Assistant National Secretary at E Tū, about a poll they conducted showing opposition to the government's plan to cut living wage requirements for a number of professions.

Brooke van Velden says she's fixing unclear laws - on landowner liability for accidents on their land. The Workplace Relations Minister's announced changes to health and safety laws to make it clear the responsibility lies organisers of activities. The landowners of Whakaari/White Island were prosecuted after the 2019 eruption. EMA workplace safety manager Paul Jarvie says many companies were hit hard during the eruption fallout - and there's been industry concerns ever since. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The war on road cones has ratcheted up, with the coalition government setting up a hotline for people to report the overzealous use of road cones and no, it's not an April Fool's joke. The hotline is part of a first tranche of measures introduced by Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden, designed to reform the country's health and safety laws so businesses can focus on the necessary and the essential - not on the “senseless and superfluous” as Brooke van Velden told Mike Hosking this morning. “One of the things I heard from travelling from Whangarei to Bluff, talking to small business and workers, was that most of them don't know what to do to comply. We're going to make it a lot clearer, so you only need to focus on your critical risks. Things that will actually cause people harm, rather than posters saying warning hot water or warning here is a staircase. We've got to bring some common sense back to New Zealand and to business. “A lot of it is companies finding they're spending a lot of money on over compliance because they are fearful of prosecution. You know, and we've heard it even in the case of traffic management that sometimes some companies are spending nearly half of their project cost on temporary traffic management. So, we're bringing some common sense back and saying look, in some cases you're doing too much and in some cases, we need to focus less on the paperwork and making sure that WorkSafe has a paper trail and more on how you actually reduce harm in your workplace. Let's go back to what you can recognise as things that could cause death or serious illness and injury and not sweat the small stuff.” So businesses will now only notify WorkSafe when significant events occur, such as death, serious injury, and illness, which is a good thing. I remember coming out of the studio door a couple of years ago and a bit of loose metal cut the top of my foot. Not seriously, I required a Band-Aid, not stitches, but I had to fill out a workplace health and safety form. It was an incident. However, the Opposition spokesperson Jan Tinetti says the Government is weakening workplace health and safety reforms and is being reckless. She says health and safety is not a political game, and everyone must get home safely. And whenever I think of the words “getting home safely”, I think of Jahden Nelson. The 28-year-old scaffolder had to have both of his arms amputated after a metal pole he was carrying touched a live overhead power line. The workplace he'd been working on had been given a Close Approach Consent – that's required when work is being done near overhead power lines. The consent required the crew that put up the scaffolding to be the same crew that took it down for safety reasons, so they knew where the power lines were, they knew they were live – it makes sense. However, WorkSafe found none of the four man dismantling crew, including Jahden, had been involved at the outset. The initial crew received a safety briefing – not the dismantling crew. So the company was sentenced, and the fine was reduced to nothing because they couldn't pay it. And you know, ultimately it doesn't really matter what sort of fine they got or what sort of punishment they got because Jahden's the one who is living without his arms. A 28-year-old man, fit, strong, healthy, goes to work, spends six months in hospital, his life has changed forever because some numpty didn't bother to assess the critical risk and tell the dismantling crew ‘make sure the overhead power lines are switched off'. Or you don't go near them, or they're insulated. And that, I guess, is what Brooke van Velden is talking about, that if firms are focused on the critical risk factors involved in the business it makes much more sense than saying be careful of the Zip, the water's hot. We have an absolutely shocking record of work-related deaths. An estimated 10,000 people, men, women, and, in some cases, children have died from occupational ill health or workplace fatalities since 2010 – in 15 years, 10,000 people have died. And then you've got people like Jahden: didn't die. Has his life changed? You betcha. 420,000 people were injured at work. So I think some of these dumb rules came as a result of people just desperate to ensure that workers went to work and came home safely. I think they were trying everything, throwing everything at it. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has data from 2022, and it allows comparison between countries that use a risk management framework, which we've done since Pike River since 2010. According to this, almost three times as many people die at work in New Zealand than in the UK. So more rules, the word soup, hasn't made us safer. What will? What is it going to take to prevent the deaths of 10,000 more people over the next 15 years and having 420,000 people's lives changed - some irrevocably? Fewer rules and thinking for yourself? Well, that was a very laissez-faire attitude – that was the she'll be right attitude that some of the old timers still have. Surely there's got to be a balance between the she'll be right and the word soup. There's got to be a happy medium that sees workers go to work and come home safe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For their weekly catchup w/ the Green Party's Ricardo Menendez-March, Oto spoke to him about Brooke van Velden's changes to the health and safety at work act, The recent controversies over comments made by Greens MPs Tamatha Paul and Benjamin Doyle and The Greens' call to scrap government changes to early childhood care. For this week's Green Desk, Producer Leilani speaks to the Hospital Manager at BirdCare Aotearoa; a rehabilitation hospital for native birds, Pooja Dorle, about how to care for a sick or injured bird. Producer Liam, and News and Editorial Director, Joel, also attended their EcoFest workshop to check out the hospital, prior to their next event on the 6th of April. Thanks to Ecofest 2025! Tuesday Wire Host, Castor, speaks to the Movement Building and Advocacy Director for Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand, Lisa Woods, about new research showing many are concerned for social cohesion in the country. For this week's Get Action! Oto spoke to Clinical Psychologist Dr Kumari Valentine about a petition to the government to roll back plans to introduce a new associate Psychology role. And he spoke to Rachel Mackintosh, Assistant National Secretary at E Tū, about a poll they conducted showing opposition to the government's plan to cut living wage requirements for a number of professions.

A pledge to "bring back common-sense" to New Zealand's approach to workplace health and safety. The Government confirms small businesses will only need to manage risks relating to death or serious injury to reduce compliance costs. It's also planning a telephone hotline to report excess road cone use. Minister-in-Charge, Brooke van Velden told Mike Hosking most companies are happy with the core of the Workplace Safety Act, but don't know how to comply. She says the Government will clarify it so businesses can focus on its critical risks, rather than posters warning of a hot water tap or staircase. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Small businesses will have less health and safety obligations under new reforms. Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden has revealed her first changes to the Health and Safety at Work Act. She says small businesses will only need to manage risks relating to death or serious injury to reduce compliance costs. BusinessNZ Chief Executive Katherine Rich says it will bring a sigh of relief from small businesses - who are able to just focus on their success. "Safety is still paramount, but what we're seeing here is a clarification of what the responsibilities are." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some are struggling to see the point of the Government's face-lift to workplace health and safety obligations. Minister-in-Charge, Brooke van Velden confirms small businesses will only need to manage risks relating to death or serious injury – to reduce compliance costs. Institute of Safety Management Chair Mike Cosman told Andrew Dickens multiple things the Government's painted as an issue are imaginary. He says there's no current requirement to report minor injuries or have signage for minor risks. Cosman believes the Government's created a myth and is now congratulating itself for cracking that. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Small businesses will have less health and safety obligations under new reforms. Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden has revealed her first changes to the Health and Safety at Work Act. She says small businesses will only need to manage risks relating to death or serious injury to reduce compliance costs. BusinessNZ Chief Executive Katherine Rich says it will bring a sigh of relief from small businesses - who are able to just focus on their success. "Safety is still paramount, but what we're seeing here is a clarification of what the responsibilities are." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"I approached the word 'heritage' from two directions; there is what we receive, 'inherit', (and what we in turn leave) - an imperative to consider how we care for leave behind what we hold precious. But heritage can also indicate efforts to retain what has, realistically, been lost - a simulacrum, second-hand experience. In the context of this project, how much better to protect and experience the real thing. In this track I explored both, using the recording unadulterated and via various resampling techniques." Yellowstone coyotes reimagined by de Velden. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world's most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage

Dit is de gehele uitzending van dr Kelder en Co van zaterdag 22 maart, op de dag van de anti-racisme demonstratie. Daarom een programma over activisme en hoop. We bellen met Kamerlid Ulysse Ellian van de VVD over de klagende gedetineerde. René Cuperus (van Clingendael) legt uit waar de Nederlandse middenmoot is gebleven. Onze jonge dr. Susanne van der Velden ontrafelt het succes van ASML.  En dr. Joke Hermsen heeft een boek geschreven getiteld 'Tijd is Hoop' en legt uit wat hoop is.   

Trump's USA is officially under totalitarian rule, disregarding Federal Judges orders, deporting anyone that he disagrees with, and those that disagree with him, and detaining foreigners entering the country legally without cause.Erica is kept out of the loop of critical information under her portfolio, regarding school lunch programme provider Libelle's liquidation.Brooke van Velden has said a big fat "Hell no" to TAB's attempt to pay $150m to pass favourable legislation in the name of helping the govt's budget.=================================Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of ⁠⁠#BHN⁠⁠ www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews⁠=================================Merch available at www.BHNShop.nz Like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter.@patbrittenden @Chewie_NZFollow us on BlueskyPat @patbrittenden.bsky.socialChewie @chewienz.bsky.socialEmily @iamprettyawesome.bsky.socialMagenta @xkaosmagex.bsky.social

Olympic silver medalist Lisa Darmanin sits down with Spain SailGP Team Strategist Nicole van der Velden in the latest episode of One on One!

Deze reeks extra afleveringen van de Leaders in Finance podcast richt zich op pensioenen, met specifieke aandacht voor de Wet toekomst pensioenen (Wtp). Zo kunnen leiders in de financiële sector zich informeren over de praktische uitvoering van de Wtp en alle vraagstukken die daarbij komen kijken. In deze aflevering is Jelle Strikwerda te gast. Hij promoveerde in december 2024 aan de Universiteit Utrecht op het onderzoek ‘Meer dan getallen - Hoe communicatie kan bijdragen aan pensioenkeuzebegeleiding' en is sinds maart 2024 werkzaam bij Wijzer in Geldzaken als PR-adviseur en content specialist.   *** Ter info: https://www.wijzeringeldzaken.nl https://www.weekvanhetgeld.nl https://www.wijzeringeldzaken.nl/pensioen3daagse   ***  De extra afleveringen over de Wet Toekomst Pensioenen van Leaders in Finance worden mede mogelijk gemaakt door Welten Groep.   De Leaders in Finance podcast wordt mede mogelijk gemaakt door Kayak, EY, MeDirect, en Roland Berger.     *** Volg Leaders in Finance via Linkedin.     *** Op de hoogte blijven van Leaders in Finance? Abonneer je dan op de nieuwsbrief.     ***  Vragen, suggesties of feedback? Graag! Via email: info@leadersinfinance.nl   *** Eerdere gasten bij de Leaders in Finance podcast waren onder andere: Klaas Knot (President DNB), Robert Swaak (CEO ABN AMRO), Frank Elderson (directie ECB), David Knibbe (CEO NN), Janine Vos (RvB Rabobank), Jos Baeten (CEO ASR), Nadine Klokke (CEO Knab), Gita Salden (CEO BNG Bank),  Annerie Vreugdenhil (CIO ING), Geert Lippens (CEO BNP Paribas NL), Karien van Gennip (CEO VGZ), Maarten Edixhoven (CEO Van Lanschot Kempen), Jeroen Rijpkema (CEO Triodos), Chantal Vergouw (CEO Interpolis), Simone Huis in ‘t Veld (CEO Euronext), Nout Wellink (ex DNB), Onno Ruding (ex minister van financiën), Maurice Oostendorp en Martijn Gribnau (CEOs Volksbank), Olaf Sleijpen (Director DNB), Allegra van Hövell-Patrizi (CEO Aegon NL), Yoram Schwarz (CEO Movir), Laura van Geest (Bestuursvoorzitter AFM) Katja Kok (CEO Van Lanschot CH), Ali Niknam (CEO bunq), Nick Bortot (CEO BUX), Matthijs Bierman (MD Triodos NL), Peter Paul de Vries (CEO Value8), Barbara Baarsma (CEO Rabo Carbon Bank), Jan van Rutte (Commissaris PGGM, BNG Bank, vml CFO ABN AMRO), Marguerite Soeteman-Reijnen (Chair Aon Holdings), Annemarie Jorritsma (o.a. Voorzitter NVP), Lidwin van Velden (CEO Waterschapsbank), Don Ginsel (CEO Holland Fintech), Mary Pieterse-Bloem (Professor Erasmus), Jan-Willem van der Schoot (CEO Mastercard NL), Tjeerd Bosklopper (CEO NN NL), Joanne Kellermann (Chair PFZW), Steven Maijoor (Chair ESMA), Radboud Vlaar (CEO Finch Capital), Karin van Baardwijk (CEO Robeco) en Annette Mosman (CEO APG).       

Questions to Ministers TAKUTAI TARSH KEMP to the Minister for Economic Growth: Will she ensure that her proposal to scrap the living wage requirement in Government contracts for cleaning, catering, and security guard services will not result in pay cuts for these workers? PAULO GARCIA to the Minister of Revenue: What recent announcements has he made on the foreign investment fund rules? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? TEANAU TUIONO to the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries: What steps, if any, has he taken to guard against regulatory capture of the Ministry for Primary Industries by New Zealand's commercial fishing sector? Hon GINNY ANDERSEN to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Does she agree with Brooke van Velden's statement, "I think a lot of people in New Zealand do live on minimum wage and we have to allow people to make ends meet"; if so, how many Government contractors are currently paid the minimum wage? KATIE NIMON to the Associate Minister of Health: What recent announcements has he made on refreshing New Zealand's eating disorders strategy? STEVE ABEL to the Minister of Agriculture: Does he agree that trade access to overseas markets is a key component of protecting the export performance of New Zealand's agricultural sector? DAVID MacLEOD to the Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing: What is the Government doing to support small businesses and manufacturers? TANGI UTIKERE to the Minister for Rail: Has the Government received any alternative proposals for the procurement of new Cook Strait ferries from the private sector; if so, how many? JENNY MARCROFT to the Associate Minister of Health: What recent announcements has she made regarding upgrades to New Zealand's air ambulance fleet? MILES ANDERSON to the Minister for Hunting and Fishing: What work has the Government done to support the hunting and fishing community? ARENA WILLIAMS to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: How will the Government back up its promise to ensure fair prices for Kiwi consumers?

SkyCity and the TAB have complained there won't be a level playing field when the new regulations for online gambling kick in. The Government is set to auction off 15 online casino licences - and both local and international companies will be allowed to bid on the licences. Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says it's important proper regulations are put in place. "We are enabling people to play safely in a regulated market - which is not the case at the moment. But we are also not trying to restrict it so much that we're not actually channelling people into that market." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tracklist: Be Right There - Diplo, Sleepy Tom How Deep Is Your Love - Calvin Harris, Disciples, Chris Lake Heart of Glass - Gisele, Bob Sinclar I Loved You - Blonde, Melissa Steel You've Been Joyride - Rihanna, Kesha (PTSD ENERGY Mix) I Wish We Could Be Together - Martijn ten Velden, Gabry Ponte, Daddy DJ, LUM!X (PTSD ENERGY Mix) What Is Work - Lil Jon, Fasters At Work (PTSD ENERGY Mix) I'm Good (Blue) - David Guetta, Bebe Rexha, Stage Cola Song - Inna, J Balvin Getting Nasty - KCB, Lady Lauryn Believe - Acraze,  Galantis, Goodboys

Dive into the sound of Martijn ten Velden, the Dutch DJ and producer thriving in Brazil's vibrant music scene. Known for his deep, melodic grooves, Martijn delivers an exclusive session featuring fresh tracks, including his latest release on Redolent Music. 'I Just Wanna Go' & ' Balneario'. Let his seamless blend of house and tech take you on a journey of pure musical bliss.  Mario Bianco - Ikigai (Madmotormiquel and Lorie Remix) Franky Wah & Robin M - Maasai Gespona & Djolee - Surdo WhoMadeWho & Blue Hawaii - Kiss Me Hard (Adem Ten Remix) A.s.o.m and Lemitz ft. Lizwi - Lisan Al Gai Lasanta, Andreatens, Guzman - Mi Vida Sohno - Tiki Martijn Ten Velden - I Just Wanna Go Toprak Baris - Jump Get It Done - DSF Jonathan Touch - Kotok Erdi Irmak - Lost Tales (Alex Gaivan Remix)

"I have very fond memories of watching thunderstorms as a child; memories which are almost certainly coloured in far too brightly, busier and with more detail than there actually was.  "I took this recording on a similar journey; starting with the original sound of a single thunder clap and embroidering it, elaborating on it until it sounded as luminous as I remember the thunderstorms from my childhood."   Prescott Valley thumderstorm reimagined by de Velden.

Employers are in favour of ACT's plan to allow them to withhold pay for workers on partial strikes. Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden wants to reverse a previous Government move which prevented pay being docked if workers continued to do some work during a strike. Currently pay can only be withheld during a full strike. Employers and Manufacturers Association Head of Advocacy Alan McDonald told Heather du Plessis Allan the current rules aren't working. He says they campaigned against the 2018 change out of fear it would lead to more strikes, and it has. McDonald says workers have the right to withhold their labour, so employers should have the right to withhold their pay. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On November 19th, 2010 a coal mining accident in Pike River Mine resulted in a methane explosion claiming the lives of 29 miners on the site. Now as the ten year anniversary has come and gone, the minister of Workplace relations, ACT MP Brooke van Velden read a statement commenorating the miners who have passed.  This comes after the minsters' actions on health and safety failed to understand the lessons of Pike River, the reduction of serious injuries and death at work, the harsh realities of workers needing safety standards.  Producer Yesenia spoke to Savage, Director of Organusations at E Tū about the core messages workers have for the ministry of Health, the high number of deaths occuring in a singular day and where the Work and Safety Act of 2015 could be improved ro reflect workers vitality. 

Peter van der Velden joins Matt Cohen to discuss the dynamic changes within the life sciences sector and venture capital at large. He highlights the success factors in life sciences as a high-performing asset class and discusses the role of Canadian pension funds in supporting innovation. The episode also covers the transformative potential of GLP-1 drugs and AI's impact on drug discovery and medical technology.And John Ruffolo is back to talk about the US elections and tech news. (Note: this was recorded before the election on 11/5/24).About Peter van der Velden:Peter van der Velden is the Founder and Managing General Partner of Lumira Ventures, a top Canadian life sciences venture capital firm he established in 2007 following a management buyout of MDS Capital. At Lumira, he focuses on biotech and medtech investments, with multiple high-profile exits involving acquisitions by major pharmaceutical companies.Prior to Lumira, Peter served as President and CEO of MDS Capital, Canada's oldest life sciences VC firm. He has also founded and led Fusion Capital, an investment bank for Canadian tech ventures, and worked as Managing Director at Bedford Capital, a private equity boutique.Peter began his career in venture capital in 1988 at Vencap Equities and later held roles in business development at Hyal Pharmaceuticals and Taurus Capital. He holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business and an MSc in Pathology and a BSc in Life Sciences from Queen's University.In this episode, we discuss:News with John Ruffolo(1:26) – Super Micro Computer Stock Decline(4:00) – Canadian Perspective on U.S. Elections(6:45) – Decline of Mainstream Media and Rise of Alternative Platforms(11:41) – VCs Backing Multiple Competing LLMs(17:20) – Potential AI Mergers and Acquisitions in 2025Interview with Peter van der Velden(19:48) – Peter's Role at Lumira Ventures(21:03) – Transformation in Venture Capital and Life Sciences(24:05) – Life Sciences Outperformance as an Asset Class(27:48) – Canadian Pension Funds and Venture Capital(31:20) – Case Study: Histosonics and Pension Fund Support(35:25) – Quebec's Leadership in Supporting Local Innovation(37:00) – Challenges in Advocating for Canadian Venture Capital(46:16) – GLP-1 Drugs and Their Transformative Potential(49:19) – Industries Disrupted by GLP-1 Innovations(52:00) – AI's Role in Drug Discovery and MedtechFast Favorites * Favorite Podcast: Acquired and All In* Favorite Tech Gadget: NotebookLM.google* Favorite Trend: Rationality returning to the venture market* Favorite Life Lesson: "Never give up"Follow Matt Cohen and Tank Talks here!Podcast production support provided by Agentbee.ai This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com