The Public Service Commissioner says he didn't accept MBIE's chief executive's resignation because he didn't think it was proportionate. 

Parliament's Privileges Committee has agreed Ministry officials deliberately misled MPs over a cancelled border biometrics project, which had swallowed up at least $40 million taxpayer dollars. 

Sir Brian Roche says he declined Nic Blakeley's offer - and explained that he took ownership of the mistake and undertook the steps to remedy it. 

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The Public Service Commissioner says he didn't accept MBIE's chief executive's resignation because he didn't think it was proportionate.&nbsp;
Parliament's Privileges Committee has agreed Ministry officials deliberately misled MPs over a cancelled border biometrics project, which had swallowed up at least $40 million taxpayer dollars.&nbsp;
Sir Brian Roche says he declined Nic Blakeley's offer - and explained that he took ownership of the mistake and undertook the steps to remedy it.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Sir Brian Roche: Public Service Commissioner explains why he refused to accept Nic Blakeley's resignation from MBIE

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/03499ea0-cd6c-42e9-8917-b4b300606f71/transcript

Listen, if you somehow find yourself weirdly unconvinced that social media is bad for kids, just take a look at what Facebook and Instagram have done. It's huge.

Without actually admitting that kids get addicted to social media, they have effectively admitted it by promising to make changes to their platforms designed to break that addiction.

Now, this is part of that massive court case I've been updating you on for the past week or so. This is the one where 29 states have taken action against Meta, the parent company, in California. The case has only been going since last week and was set down for many weeks to come but Meta has called it to an end and settled to the tune of nearly US$18 billion, then promised these changes.

The changes are significant. Meta will upgrade its checks to stop 13 year olds from signing up and for kids aged between 13 and 17, their use will be limited. There will be a daily two-hour limit on the apps and, after that, the apps will shut down.

The apps will not open between midnight and 6am, which is basically there to stop kids using them secretly while their parents are asleep. The apps will not send notifications during school hours, so they do not distract kids, and there will be a complete ban on visible like counts and reaction numbers, along with a total ban on filters that mimic cosmetic surgery or alter facial structures.

Now, if that is not an admission that kids cannot help themselves on these things and that they affect mental health, I don't know what is. I don't know what other admission people are looking for.

The problem is Meta has only agreed to do this in the US. What now needs to happen is for these measures to be introduced in New Zealand and for every other social media provider to do the same thing here: TikTok and the whole lot of them.

If, and it is a big if, Meta does this properly, with integrity, and does not just pretend to introduce these safeguards for kids, this could actually be more effective than a social media ban in New Zealand. If Meta does this properly, it will be harder for kids to get around these restrictions than it would be to get around a ban.

There are a lot of ifs there. But if you are still not sure that social media is actually bad for kids, look at this. Meta would not settle for this amount of money and would not bring in safeguards that essentially admit guilt unless it was being forced into it by a court case that was going to do that anyway.

LISTEN ABOVE

Listen, if you somehow find yourself weirdly unconvinced that social media is bad for kids, just take a look at what Facebook and Instagram have done. It's huge.
Without actually admitting that kids get addicted to social media, they have effectively admitted it by promising to make changes to their platforms designed to break that addiction.
Now, this is part of that massive court case I've been updating you on for the past week or so. This is the one where 29 states have taken action against Meta, the parent company, in California. The case has only been going since last week and was set down for many weeks to come but Meta has called it to an end and settled to the tune of nearly US$18 billion, then promised these changes.
The changes are significant. Meta will upgrade its checks to stop 13 year olds from signing up and for kids aged between 13 and 17, their use will be limited. There will be a daily two-hour limit on the apps and, after that, the apps will shut down.
The apps will not open between midnight and 6am, which is basically there to stop kids using them secretly while their parents are asleep. The apps will not send notifications during school hours, so they do not distract kids, and there will be a complete ban on visible like counts and reaction numbers, along with a total ban on filters that mimic cosmetic surgery or alter facial structures.
Now, if that is not an admission that kids cannot help themselves on these things and that they affect mental health, I don't know what is. I don't know what other admission people are looking for.
The problem is Meta has only agreed to do this in the US. What now needs to happen is for these measures to be introduced in New Zealand and for every other social media provider to do the same thing here: TikTok and the whole lot of them.
If, and it is a big if, Meta does this properly, with integrity, and does not just pretend to introduce these safeguards for kids, this could actually be more effective than a social media ban in New Zealand. If Meta does this properly, it will be harder for kids to get around these restrictions than it would be to get around a ban.
There are a lot of ifs there. But if you are still not sure that social media is actually bad for kids, look at this. Meta would not settle for this amount of money and would not bring in safeguards that essentially admit guilt unless it was being forced into it by a court case that was going to do that anyway.
LISTEN ABOVE

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: This Meta outcome could be more efficient than a social media ban

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/19c5c89f-9761-42ff-82f1-b4b30072a0ae/transcript

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and former Green MP Gareth Hughes joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!

Should Sir Brian Roche have accepted Nic Blakeley's offer to resign? Do we think keeping him on as the head of MBIE was the right move? 

What do we make of Meta needing to pay a settlement over teen social media addiction? Do we think this is the right move? Do we need more regulations on this matter? 

Would we let our kids go alone on a city bus from the age of 7?

LISTEN ABOVE

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and former Green MP Gareth Hughes joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!
Should Sir Brian Roche have accepted Nic Blakeley's offer to resign? Do we think keeping him on as the head of MBIE was the right move?&nbsp;
What do we make of Meta needing to pay a settlement over teen social media addiction? Do we think this is the right move? Do we need more regulations on this matter?&nbsp;
Would we let our kids go alone on a city bus from the age of 7?
LISTEN ABOVE

The Huddle: Would we let our kids go alone on a city bus from the age of 7?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/1e420003-7cd3-43d2-8d31-b4b3007061ca/transcript

Porirua mayor's defending a trip to Western Sydney planned for November, calling the sister city relationship important. 

Anita Baker will travel to Blacktown for the inaugural Trans-Tasman Mayoral Cup, played between football teams from both cities. 

It'll cost ratepayers $2500 dollars in flights for Baker and a local kaumatua, with Blacktown's council providing accommodation.

Baker says she keeps costs low by not employing office staff - and managing rates rises. 

"We've had our sister city relationship with Blacktown for 42 years, so I think it's a reasonable expense." 

LISTEN ABOVE

Porirua mayor's defending a trip to Western Sydney planned for November, calling the sister city relationship important.&nbsp;
Anita Baker will travel to Blacktown for the inaugural Trans-Tasman Mayoral Cup, played between football teams from both cities.&nbsp;
It'll cost ratepayers $2500 dollars in flights for Baker and a local kaumatua, with Blacktown's council providing accommodation.
Baker says she keeps costs low by not employing office staff - and managing rates rises.&nbsp;
"We've had our sister city relationship with Blacktown for 42 years, so I think it's a reasonable expense."&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Anita Baker: Porirua mayor defends ratepayer-funded trip to Sydney for inaugural Trans-Tasman Mayoral Cup

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/2f6dfa39-ab1c-4d05-a195-b4b3006b9d19/transcript

Sir Brian Roche: Public Service Commissioner explains why he refused to accept Nic Blakeley's resignation from MBIE

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