If labou greens tpm, and National act both ruled Winston out, but neither party got to 61 seats, and Winston held the balance could a government be formed without nzf?
Sure. It is a minority government. Very common in NZ.
Ultimately politics in NZ is largely governed by legislation, and that doesn’t change much. Apart from the finance side, ie raising taxes and spending. The budget (ie supply) legislation are the only acts that actually have to pass parliament a at least once per year. The tax legislation can largely be left to roll over.
Most of our governments since 1996 have been minority governments. They usually have confidence and supply agreements with other parties in parliament to pass supply legislation. But that isn’t necessary. It could just be a simple trade off at budget time to get sufficient support to pass supply.
For a government to be formed, following a general election, it must be able to command the support of the majority of MPs in the House of Representatives.[45] This entails having their confidence and the ability to pass supply bills. While it is rare for a single party to have an outright majority, coalitions may be formed between parties,[46] and even a party or coalition with a minority of seats can form a government by maintaining confidence and supply from minor parties.[47] Parties in government are said to have a “mandate” from voters and authority to implement manifestos (although this view has been criticised as being simplistic when applied to coalition arrangements).[48]
Between 1996 and 2020, neither National nor Labour had an absolute majority in Parliament, and for all but two of those years a minority government ruled (however, every government has been led by one or other of the two main parties).[120]
Most of the parliaments since 1996 have been coalitions, 2020 being the only exception. All except for (?) 1996 had confidence and supply agreements with other parties. Usually with an ability to withdraw at any point.
The scenario you’re pointing to is effectively the normal.
Of course forcing kiwis to go back to the general election to elect legislators, which not passing supply bills would trigger, is very unlikely to favour intransigent parties or politicians. I’d expect that politicians who did force unnecessary elections or even impede Parliament in legislating would typically get the bums rush either as a electorate seat or as a party vote. That is pretty much what has happened whenever something like that has occurred.
So there is a lot of pressure on politicians to pass supply bills and confidence legislation.
"Most of the parliaments since 1996 have been coalitions, 2020 being the only exception."
So telling. Labour's landslide victory in 2020 has now had its consequences….
Three ministers in the past two months alone have been relieved of their portfolios and two of them resigned from parliament. The third is still there but demoted to the back benches. While their 'misdeeds' did not constitute serious miscarriages of conduct (although one is facing a police charge likely to cop a solid fine), together they have brought the government’s reputation into disrepute. A level of arrogance was clearly evident in all three cases.
The moral of the story: it is better not to win an election by a massive landslide.
"Kiri Allen is a text book example of serious misconduct."
That was the intention of my bracketed comment so we are on the same page.
I still have compassion for her though. I can just imagine the shit she has had to put up with over the years… not to mention the cancer and the shock of a broken relationship.
I think the issue is whether we can have a minority government with no C/S agreement. Afaik, that hasn't happened before. I assume it's technically possible, but is it likely? Does this come down to the Governor General agreeing that the minority govt with no C/S would be stable enough?
Hard to see NZF offering a L/G coalition C/S. Maybe they would offer N/ACT? But who knows with Peters.
I'm not following. Do you mean a N minority govt with C/S from both ACT and NZF? i.e. Peters' play is he will only offer C/S if Nat refuse ACT a coalition deal
Yes. His play is to rule out giving c and s to a NACT coalition (and Seymour knows it). Thus attract votes from centrists who do not want ACT in government.
ie take votes from National to NZF, making a Nat/Act coalition unable to have 61+ seats.
Act wants Nat to rule out NZF because they don't want those centrist populists to constrain Act to keep draining votes from National and hopefully driving National into oblivion (eventually).
National wants the option to pick and choose, because they would like to pull nutbar votes so that they remain as the coalition lead into the future. It is hard to see any other basis for National apart from a small-conservatism focus.
In 2005 Winston's excuse for supporting Clark was indeed a "Mexican stand-off" like that.
And that's why "rule in/out" is meaningless. Would a party force another election? No, because they would lose votes for sure. So in the end they deal.
At a possible 60-60 somebody would have to cave rather than face the voters.
NZF could try and negotiate an abstention agreement e.g. Nat/ACT 58, NZF 7, all others 55. So, minority government 58-55.
I'm no constitutional lawyer, but in those circumstances the G-G should probably say "keep talking". With no majority, the government would be at risk of falling as soon as NZF members object to the first budget or major legislation.
(Parties have abstained in the past – like the Greens – but only after a majority has already been found).
Winston and his army of the dead – resurrected and wheeled out at every election- is quite happy to simply stuff up anything to do with National since the winebox affair. He only needs to take votes away from them and ACT to be victorious. And he will. He siphons off whoever thinks he's talking their language and it changes at every election. He's like a puppet master… and there's no show without punch
Asked if National must rule Peters out, or he would not sit around the Cabinet table with National either, Seymour set it in stone:
“Yeah, I think that's pretty clear. There's no way that you're going to solve the problems that New Zealand needs to solve when you've got someone who's had so many chances and screwed it up so many times before.”
The move puts National’s king into check. Christopher Luxon’s resolute refusal to rule out WWW (Working With Winston) risks making him look impotent if National’s only real path to power – Seymour – has made the move for him.
This game of bluff & double-bluff will keep folks guessing awhile. Nobody will believe any transient position is durable – the trick is to fool enough people into believing the political leader means what they say at the time. Impressions are ephemeral but they seem to have sufficient currency for tactical effect.
The joke would be on Luxon and Seymour if they came up with the same situation as in 2017.
It is a risky business putting all your cards on the table earlier than you need to.
I don't think NZ First will actually get back into parliament this time but on the other hand you can never completely count out Winston, he's been out before and has come back. Enough uncertainty to get National's blood pressure rising a bit.
It is a risky business putting all your cards on the table earlier than you need to.
Yes risky and not sensible in my view.
It makes me wonder why the parties have ruled out coalitions with this or that party and presumably they think by doing this it gives them the high ground, moral or otherwise. In the ACT case I think it is is to nudge the Nats into wondering if they should position themselves as centrists/rightists or rightists.
Another point about ruling things out now and then being faced with a possibly sensible and interesting coalition chance that to make a move gives the MSM easy pickings to divert…
ie
‘you said on XYZ that you were not going to enter into a coalition, now you are……..
did you mislead voters/supporters?
And on it goes…..
Remember that Luxon is still polling lower than Judith Collins was …so no matter what the Nats are saying about coalitions it's a long long way from any of those 2 parties being a done deal yet.
Interviewers keep taking this "rule out" nonsense at face value, instead of asking the only question that really matters:
"If National, ACT and NZF have 61+ seats, do you deal or not deal?"
For all 3 leaders the answer is "deal". The precise terms of the deal would be up for debate but even having talks would make "rule out" meaningless.
If you're in the room talking, then by definition you don't "rule out". Everything else is dishonest posturing, and if political reporters don't understand that, they're in the wrong job.
See 2005 if you've forgotten. No bauble, no way = nice bauble, thank you.
Unfortunately, NZ is far more like the US in terms of the economic position of it's two main parties – Robert Reich in an interesting piece in todays Guardian nails the political consensus in NZ pefectly:
In National party circles, the monied interests have preached the snake oil of supply-side economics, which legitimized giant tax cuts going mostly to the rich and large corporations.
Those tax cuts have fueled giant profits in the biggest firms and financial institutions, and stoked a surge in wealth for the rich but did literally nothing for average working people. Nothing trickled down.
In Labour party circles, the monied interests have used neoliberalism – which has called for deregulation, privatization, free trade and the domination of finance over the economy. This orthodoxy pervades the Ardern/Hipkins administrations. The result was similar to that of supply-side economics: wealth surged to the top, but average working people remained stuck in the mud.
NZ has nothing like the Movimiento Sumar or a populist left wing politician like Diaz. We've got two parties whose fundamental approach amounts to National and ACT wanting to strengthen plutocratic crony capitalism and Labour whose sole aim is a desire to administer plutocratic crony capitalism in a way that is a bit better for everyone else.
Labour's political strategy has been to present as the alternative National Party in accord with the formula that Helen Clark implemented successfully. Her success was due to rapport with her Nat-voting parents.
Simulations are extremely powerful in mass-psychology, so one can credit Labour with a degree of political sophistication in using one. Problem is, usage has driven down it's poll rating in a more or less continuous slide since the last election.
Causal explanation of this effect requires focus on results – something of a fatal flaw for Labour. Their vision of the future remains Twyfordian…
I was more focused on whether National's vote holds up when Luxon's poor media performances, and anti worker policies are amplified during the election campaign.
"So…. What happened? During the last weeks of the campaign, the media finally and belatedly turned its attention away from the failings of the government. The arrogant gaffes by the PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo began to occur in the media spotlight:"
National can see it’s chances of winning the election shrinking by the day as a result of their duplicity. But when they lose, which lesson will they learn?
Given the choice, the Maori Party would undoubtedly end up supporting a Labour-led government. Even if the MPs would prefer National, they will be taking the decision to their people – people who have never, ever supported a National government
It is, quite simply, the most complex management position known as it is non-specialist. JK is a specialist financier and, in that position, is probably quite good but as PM he’s going to be far out of his depth as his knowledge of everything else won’t measure up
Quotes from the Standard in the lead up to the 2008 election. Lets not make the same mistake as we did in 2008 where it was assumed Key would get demolished in the debates by Clark, and National's support would collapse in the capaign.
It didn't and it won't in 2023. This is going to be a close election.
I really like Reich and it's great that a former labour secretary gets to see US labour strengthened again in his professional lifetime.
But it's not reasonable to compare the New Zealand economy to that of the United States.
New Zealand over the last three years has had one of the largest and deepest government interventions by the state into the economy in the developed world. Particularly as a percentage of GDP and as a percentage of state income. Our version of 'mailing cheques' was to both secure wages and support all businesses at the same time.
If you look at Labour's investment into energy transition in Fonterra, Synlait and Glenbrook Steel, they have taken the equivalent of the CO2 production of all cars in the South Island into electricity. These kinds of intervention matter far more than in the United States because our company size is far more concentrated.
Doing a beatdown of this Labour government is shooting ducks in a barrel. But comparing our scale and specificity of government economic management to that of Biden's isn't effective.
I think that Labour's crisis management has been extremely effective – you only have to look at the catastrophe engulfing the average Joe in the UK to realise how well protected our people have been when compared to the raging incompetence and corruption of the UK Tories.
But I think it stands that Labour's interventions are seen as entirely crisi driven deviations from an absolute establishment lock step on supply side/neoliberal economics. What I'd like to see from Labour is the courage to frankly break some of the self-imposed monetrist rules that have dominated NZ economically for the last forty years.
The key political appeal of the Movimiento Sumar is is offers an alternative to orthodoxy that isn't fascist adjacent. The ideal party for that sort of economic break in NZ should be the Greens, but they are far too easily distracted by fighting their end of the culture wars and engaging in performative common room Marxism to be credible on economic matters.
The ideal party for that sort of economic break in NZ should be the Greens
That's my vision from 32 years ago, which prompted me to join their economic policy working group. The only notable improvement on the basis we laid for the GP came from Russel Norman's framing: green shoots as symbols for a resilient economy.
Each business emerging from sustainability praxis applied in the neolib context is a working example of how to do the transition. Ongoing failure of the GP to inform the voters is due to factors you mention plus innate idiocy of the MPs.
European Greens seem to much more interested in deep organising and broad based activism than NZ Greens, who to be fair are as addicted to exactly the same sort of elite consensus, elite cadre politics as all the other parties.
But what it really amounts to typical NZ senior management. Asleep at the wheel, unaware of what is happening, and completely reactive.
It takes a reputationally damaging scandal of dude re-writing contracted copy to bring changes to online news oversight. It takes a road tragedy for dangerous roads – flagged for years in reports as needing fixing – to be upgraded. it takes someone going troppo with a weapon for changes to occur in mental health. It goes on and on in this country.
None of this would particularly matter if the people at the top were ever held accountable. But they never are. Theses people draw obscene salaries and bloviate for ever about "leadership" and "vision" and never deliver anything or prevent anything.
That is what really grates – taking huge salaries to be teflon dick suckers who dodge their responsibilities.
Certainly Chair Walden's reaction was far more measured talking about the affected reporter than CE Thompson who just went off at him when the news broke.
Yeah, I've made that point myself often enough too. Accountability is a taboo notion and has long been the bedrock reality-aversion upon which National and Labour have developed their collusion strategy.
Commentators here seem to prefer the delusional sideshow of apparent competition between the two; small things amuse small minds. Yet the essence of democracy lies in consensual decision-making even when tribal. You can see how their collusion has become multi-generational as soon as you discern the pattern of accountability-evasion that the left & right share in common.
The control system's puppeteering of left & right keeps kiddie voters enthralled. Thrall is the old anglo-saxon word for slave. Leftists & rightists are slaves to the system while believing they have freedom to choose their future.
Gotta say the political poll analysis is pretty damn poor atm. Lots of noise about leaders etc and not much looking at the left right split.
Currently the right side is polling in the region of 48% which seems to be the high watermark to me given that's about as good as it got during peak John Key the only difference between then and now is that a good sized chunk of the right vote have shifted over to ACT. This will potentially shunt NZ much further to the right than would be typical under previous National led governments. Potentially Act emerges from here on out as a genuine coalition partner moving forward with a decent chunk of embedded vote similar to the Greens.
The left vote is shifting around a bit between the minor parties but Labour are going to have to work pretty hard to get some vote back off National to push them back down closer to 30%. But by no means impossible.
The real risk I can see is that the torrent of negative commentary will result in Labour turnout falling away which would make a Nat Act coalition much more likely.
You're making the right point but glossing over the differential. Last night my quick count showed a left/right differential of around 10% – other commentators ought to run their own check on that.
That leftists have recently alienated so many floating centrists seems rather astonishing and I'm not surprised nobody onsite here has explained how they did it…
Alienation of floating voters occurs over time, with or without cause.
Some might say a lot has happened in this 6 years (mosque killings – hate speech law debate, White Island, the pandemic*, exposure of our health system issues, disruption of the global supply chain*, our property market economy still continuing to fail to deliver affordable homes, war in Europe*, the arrival of super power conflict in our region, social conservatives born again in defence of cisgender womenkind, climate change getting real*, National/ACT/NZF playing fear of the Tiriti and UNDRIP card.
And then the return of inflation* and the pain resulting from economic orthodoxy management.
Does incrementalism offer reassurance in such a time?
Does incrementalism offer reassurance in such a time?
Not to me, but I can see it reassuring most voters. Stasis in mass psychology is evident in normalcy. When the world surrounding you presents alarming changes, the typical mainstreamer pretends all is good. Then it gets down to the real/surreal ratio within the mind of each voter.
It's realistic to see a potential in most humans to get real when their survival necessitates a change of stance in the general direction of getting a grip on things. Complacency shifts them away from that grounding into popular delusions. Neolib hegemony is prolonged by masses taking refuge in normalcy. Safety in numbers they think. We ought to be pragmatic & accept their natural idiocy as realistic to the extent that incrementalism reassures them. Incremental changes seem adaptable to them…
The reaction on my social media to Luxon's embracing of Chinese money was astonishing. Sinophobia is a really big thing in NZ. And that is Labour's challenge. Whenever NACT's policies are discussed the public recoils from them. But our media is addicted to big house court politics and gossip, so prefers a succession of "scandals" where they can interview the dire array of the usual suspects and talking heads that pass for opinion in this country and demonstrate how savvy they are to discussing policies.
So Labour need to cut out the opportunites for a feckless media hungry for a scandal and a narrative to literally make shit up amongst themselves and focus hard on policy. They also need to come up with some sort of decent electoral lolly – offering themselves to the electorate as the party of fiscal prudence will see then annihilated at the polls, because it is impossible to shift the dial on the zombie media narrative that National are better economic managers.
The real risk I can see is that the torrent of negative commentary will result in Labour turnout falling away which would make a Nat Act coalition much more likely.
Pretty sure that's the plan from some in media, hears looking at you Newshub
The second chart gives an estimate of the split between groupings – neither reach 50%, and uncertainty may mean the groups are closer (or further apart) than in the table. The "Other" category is above 5%, but none of NZ First, TOP or New Conservatives appear close to the threshold themselves
Former Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has alleged there is a $20 billion hole in the Government’s revenue as a result of the weakening economy… Act leader David Seymour put out his own press statement alleging the hole was closer to $30b – a figure Robertson also denied.
Doesn't matter how big the real/imaginary pothole is. Govt can manufacture imaginary money to fill it whenever they feel like it, which then becomes real the instant they use it – quantitative easing is now a traditional option.
I try to illuminate deeper dimensions of situations. Seems necessary when so many others just go with the superficial aspects. There are times when superficialities are relevant & informative enough to be the communal focus but there's often shared value in going deeper instead – or as well.
My political agenda trended towards deep Green after originating in 1968 (self-awareness, identity formation). Communal context makes that view essential for survival now. Leftists are gradually figuring this out but since most Greens are a paler shade we have a spectrum in play…
The crux of that is how well the simulation (deployment of the pothole theory of economic credibility) works as a political ploy. Gamesters use a ploy if they believe it makes them competititive.
So the two rightist dinosaurs, young & old, compete with each other to see who can utter the loudest roar. Quants impress folks, and the largest number used is the most effective. Big is Good. That's why Mitre 10 Mega used it as focus slogan in their long corporate ad campaign earlier this century.
Labour thinks like this too but must mask it to seem different to the right – thus Grant refusing to measure the size of the (real/imaginal) pothole in his budgeting & spending plan for govt services.
The forecast deficit for the next 3 years was $18B, but there has been a decline in company tax revenue. So the Treasury pre election update is impacted.
It's not a hole in revenue, it's an increase in forecast deficit for the three years ahead because of the decline in company tax revenue.
Low end figures Peters (18+2) and high end Seymour (18+ 2+10).
Department heads were recently with the Finance Minister presumably to look at spending priorities/management thereof – to assist the returning/incoming government.
Frank you ask how Labour has offended the middle 10% That assumes they have!!
This small mind sees money being spent by the right to blow up Law and Order. National using media to magnify, and Act supporting the gun lobby. What an unholy alliance making people fearful.
The media have allowed Luxon a fairly painless ride, and now he has Mary Lambie giving him actor polish. Polishing a turd seems to be a practice of the right, looking at some of their members. sarc Pun intended.
What are you doing Frank? Showing intellectual superiority? Or just bloody stirring?
This election is critical, and yes our choices are not what we hoped, but incremental changes stick, and the dial has been moved in spite of moaning and outright bloody denials by some. We need unity, not egos throwing rocks from the sideline.
The one thing that will sink us is infighting, white anting and failure to look at the goals as people carry out inquisitions about supposed failure and spend energy examining their own navels. Also refusing to see how markets are now impacting our budget and receipts blaming Labour for a world downturn.
There is a price to pay for our support of workers through supporting businesses through covid to keep employment up. Business took advantage. Profits soared.
Every time workers make small progress the rules of Capitalism bite. Worse it wants more carbon based living, so we are battling that moar roads mentality.
We are all tired, but there have been massive wins. We need to list those and what is in the pipeline.
This election is too important to lose, and those saying Labour and National "are the same" after all that has gone down and been dealt with in the last 6 years should be ashamed. That is such superficial rubbish.
National would have let covid rip, they probably would have let mycoplasma bovis become endemic, they would not have improve workers conditions and pay. Abortion would still be a crime, and medical cannabis a dream. Housing would be stymied by covenants and Councils, and health run down for Private take overs, as would education.
Those saying both are the same side of one coin can p…. off. I prefer the kinder face.
Labour Green Ti Parti Maori, unite in the face of self seeking evil. Believe we can change the outcome. It is not ordained by the Upper Room. Voters vote like your life depends on it… as it well may.
No worries Patricia. Just to explain what I wrote in 4.1 a little more, I see that significant gap that has opened in recent months between the leftist parties & the rightist parties as being due to lack of resonance in the minds of floaters – due to leftist parties not directing their marketing strategies at those voters.
The left assumes floaters are susceptible to leftist values which is partially true – however floaters seem to me more susceptible to a compelling positive alternative. It's a marketing psych thing. You know how Ad has once or twice presented a persuasive list of progressive accomplishments of the past two terms? Good evidence to the credit of Labour/Greens I thought – but never commented here to that effect since I see it as irrelevant to the floater psyche.
Hipkins, responding to poll subsidence in recent months, keeps implying that they'll get around to marketing one day soon. Maybe, and it may even work. Likewise the Greens. However I suspect too little too late. I do try to help – by pointing out what the two leftist parties continue to do wrong in the hope that the word will spread until they realise they need to do it better. Can't fix it when their complacency makes them believe they're already doing the right thing…
it's a lazy, self-serving political analysis that imo does indeed play into people not voting. I see it from people who say they don't have anyone to vote for, as if voting is about personal gratification. Maybe they feel less alone if other people don't vote too.
It's an leftie own goal and ignorant af about the real world impacts. On climate alone it's absolutely insane.
" I see it from people who say they don't have anyone to vote for, as if voting is about personal gratification. "
Speaking for myself (and from what I have been told by those close to me) the contrary is true….the gratification sought is a better society/run country, and the offers all fall far short.
If all the offers are detrimental why would any sane person vote FOR them?
Not at all….it is little to ask, but it may take some vision and competence to deliver…something that has been missing from our so called leadership for far too long.
Encourage circular business relationships, where the outputs of one business are the inputs to another business, and engage in planning for the future siting of such businesses near/next to each other where appropriate and practical. (1.18)
Promote a fair competitive environment for Aotearoa New Zealand businesses that removes outright competition with products and services from countries with poor human and worker rights records and with poor environmental practices. (2.1)
Retain or impose tariffs, quotas or bans where useful to prevent unfair competition caused by unjust or unsustainable production practices in the country of origin. (4.1)
Strengthen controls on foreign investment in Aotearoa New Zealand to minimise the negative effects of speculative and other non-productive foreign investment. (4.5)
because sometimes we vote for the least worse option to stop the much worse option gaining power.
Strategically, it's easier to shift NZ politics to something better from a centre left govt than from a RW one. Additionally, a centre left government does good things even if it's not enough.
Speaking for myself (and from what I have been told by those close to me) the contrary is true….the gratification sought is a better society/run country…
Same. I'm constantly surprised by the people for whom a good cultural fit or sense of belonging is a prerequisite for voting at all.
I didn't suggest that at all. Just explain your thinking Pat, it gets tedious otherwise and you know I have little patience for people making shit up about my views.
When compromise is seen as a dirty word, Politics becomes impossible, because that is what it is, a compromise, and as it deals with humans it will never be perfect. So very painful for a perfectionist.
Occasionally I get asked what the difference between the nats and labour is , my basic answer is national always make the rich richer and take away workers rights, labour trust to fix both those things
It will be a tight and volatile election, all parties seem to fighting for their existence in one form or another. Winston won’t work with NZ Labour, Seymour won’t work with Winston, Baldrick might work with Winston. David Parker and Robbo are not impressed with the Cap’n’s tacking…Let's hope that old wish prevails…NZF get 4.9%. And that the various fruitcake parties like Matt King’s Democracy NZ waste a few % of votes also.
The strategic approach would have been Labour/Green/TPM all supporting fairer tax policy, and laying it out for the electorate. Cap’n blew, it so it is all on. I have been opposing dirty, filthy, tories since Muldoon, so one more campaign won’t bother me, but it just such a waste of energy in what should be “a land of plenty.”
If Labour/Green/TPM are more than NACT then it is good that NZF get 4.9%. But otherwise NZF at 5.0% might prevent a NACT government (Peters preference is a National minority government with c and s from both ACT and NZF).
Yes, subtle difference, and on how much influence Act has with National. This election campaign has been going by proxy means since COVID and the occupation of Parliament grounds really.
The far right Heritage Foundation created a platform for Trump that plots an authoritarian take-over of the country.
Donald Trump nearly destroyed American democracy in his first term in office. If he is reelected, he plans to try to finish the job. This isn’t a matter of speculation; it’s a virtual certainty.
[…]
The specific goals of the project are discussed in great detail in the ninth edition of the Heritage Foundation’s Mandate for Leadership. First published in 1981, the Mandate is designed to serve as a guide for conservative governance, and is updated periodically, usually at the outset of each presidential administration. The current version totals some 920 pages.
If you lack the stomach to plow through the entire tome, you can turn to a two-page preface written by Paul Dans, Project 2025’s director who served as the Trump Administration’s Chief of Staff for the Office of Personnel Management. Dans outlines the project’s four basic objectives, which he calls its “four pillars.” These are: the development of a broad “policy agenda” for the next rightwing President to implement; the construction of a “personnel database” to assist the President in making staffing decisions; the creation of a “Presidential Academy” to train the next set of high-level government appointees; and a “Playbook” for the first 180 days of the next administration.
One of the project’s more disturbing aims is to bring all federal agencies under direct presidential control, ending the operational independence not only of the Department of Justice and the FBI, but also the Federal Reserve, which oversees the banking industry and regulates interest rates; the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which oversees television, radio, and the Internet; and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which enforces antitrust and consumer protection laws.
A blend of irony & paradox. The deep-state myth is potent enough to serve as alt-reality. Trump as social justice warrior is the operational image used. Freedom fighter is a trad button to push in the psyche – the difference to Che is Don uses money not gun. So that agenda which brought Reagan to power is the dark side of the paradox, in which the Jungian shadow makes the user act just like the opposing threat…
Yesterday was World Overshoot day. New Zealand's country specific Overshoot date was in April.
Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year.
that deserves a post. My problem is I don't understand why people believe that this year's cost of living crisis is more important. Do they not believe that we are in dire straights with climate and ecology?
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Asia Pacific Report A score of Palestine solidarity protesters draped themselves in white shrouds with mock blood in a sombre “die-in” demonstration at Te Komitanga Square — the heart of Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city — today as speakers urged people to take a stronger boycott against Israeli products. The ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Tackling violence against women will be the sole agenda item for a national cabinet meeting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has convened for Wednesday. The meeting, held remotely, follows thousands of Australians attending rallies across ...
The protest outside the White House correspondents’ dinner hotel. Image: Anatolu video screenshot APR More than two dozen Palestinian journalists had called for a boycott of the dinner, writing an open letter urging their American colleagues not to attend. “You have a unique responsibility to speak truth to power and ...
“Our exporters should, therefore, be deeply concerned that the Fast-track Approvals Bill was not assessed for consistency with any of our free trade commitments prior to being introduced to the House,” says Gary Taylor, Chief Executive of the Environmental ...
NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff is calling on all political parties to support the new Member’s Bill from Labour’s workplace relations and safety spokesperson Camilla Belich MP that would ensure negligent companies are held accountable when their employees ...
A historian with an uncanny track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go very wrong for him. ...
A historian with a track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go wrong for him. ...
Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own.Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...
Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300941951/act-categorically-rules-out-working-with-winston-peters-and-nz-first
Theoretical question?
If labou greens tpm, and National act both ruled Winston out, but neither party got to 61 seats, and Winston held the balance could a government be formed without nzf?
Sure. It is a minority government. Very common in NZ.
Ultimately politics in NZ is largely governed by legislation, and that doesn’t change much. Apart from the finance side, ie raising taxes and spending. The budget (ie supply) legislation are the only acts that actually have to pass parliament a at least once per year. The tax legislation can largely be left to roll over.
Most of our governments since 1996 have been minority governments. They usually have confidence and supply agreements with other parties in parliament to pass supply legislation. But that isn’t necessary. It could just be a simple trade off at budget time to get sufficient support to pass supply.
Wikipedia
Most of the parliaments since 1996 have been coalitions, 2020 being the only exception. All except for (?) 1996 had confidence and supply agreements with other parties. Usually with an ability to withdraw at any point.
The scenario you’re pointing to is effectively the normal.
Of course forcing kiwis to go back to the general election to elect legislators, which not passing supply bills would trigger, is very unlikely to favour intransigent parties or politicians. I’d expect that politicians who did force unnecessary elections or even impede Parliament in legislating would typically get the bums rush either as a electorate seat or as a party vote. That is pretty much what has happened whenever something like that has occurred.
So there is a lot of pressure on politicians to pass supply bills and confidence legislation.
So telling. Labour's landslide victory in 2020 has now had its consequences….
Three ministers in the past two months alone have been relieved of their portfolios and two of them resigned from parliament. The third is still there but demoted to the back benches. While their 'misdeeds' did not constitute serious miscarriages of conduct (although one is facing a police charge likely to cop a solid fine), together they have brought the government’s reputation into disrepute. A level of arrogance was clearly evident in all three cases.
The moral of the story: it is better not to win an election by a massive landslide.
Cmon, Kiri Allen is a text book example of serious misconduct.
Worse than bashing a 13 yr old…?
Or worse than being a former mercenary/killer for hire…?
Get a grip with yr serious misconduct claims…
Wot would you call those two examples above…?
The usual Tory MP…
Oh wait I forgot what the name of someone who misleads the country and uses the name of a dead child – fraud?
"Kiri Allen is a text book example of serious misconduct."
That was the intention of my bracketed comment so we are on the same page.
I still have compassion for her though. I can just imagine the shit she has had to put up with over the years… not to mention the cancer and the shock of a broken relationship.
I think the issue is whether we can have a minority government with no C/S agreement. Afaik, that hasn't happened before. I assume it's technically possible, but is it likely? Does this come down to the Governor General agreeing that the minority govt with no C/S would be stable enough?
Hard to see NZF offering a L/G coalition C/S. Maybe they would offer N/ACT? But who knows with Peters.
I think NZF's gambit is to offer a National minority government c and s, but not a NACT one.
Why would National take that rather than a N minority govt with ACT C/S? Seems risking from Peters.
Er, because they would need both (ACT and NZF) to have a majority.
I'm not following. Do you mean a N minority govt with C/S from both ACT and NZF? i.e. Peters' play is he will only offer C/S if Nat refuse ACT a coalition deal
Yes. His play is to rule out giving c and s to a NACT coalition (and Seymour knows it). Thus attract votes from centrists who do not want ACT in government.
ie take votes from National to NZF, making a Nat/Act coalition unable to have 61+ seats.
Act wants Nat to rule out NZF because they don't want those centrist populists to constrain Act to keep draining votes from National and hopefully driving National into oblivion (eventually).
National wants the option to pick and choose, because they would like to pull nutbar votes so that they remain as the coalition lead into the future. It is hard to see any other basis for National apart from a small-conservatism focus.
Yip what nact get 60 seats but no one will give them confidence and supply
In 2005 Winston's excuse for supporting Clark was indeed a "Mexican stand-off" like that.
And that's why "rule in/out" is meaningless. Would a party force another election? No, because they would lose votes for sure. So in the end they deal.
At a possible 60-60 somebody would have to cave rather than face the voters.
NZF could try and negotiate an abstention agreement e.g. Nat/ACT 58, NZF 7, all others 55. So, minority government 58-55.
I'm no constitutional lawyer, but in those circumstances the G-G should probably say "keep talking". With no majority, the government would be at risk of falling as soon as NZF members object to the first budget or major legislation.
(Parties have abstained in the past – like the Greens – but only after a majority has already been found).
ok, but in that situation it could also be a L/NZF minority govt with C/S from TPM and GP as needed (depending on numbers)?
Peters would go with the larger party that has the most seats? Or the largest coalition?
He would go with the party that would give him the biggest pile of baubles.
As in 1996 with National, 2005 with Labour and 2017 with Labour again. Most seats? Largest coalition? Nah. Whoever gives him the most for his votes.
Winston and his army of the dead – resurrected and wheeled out at every election- is quite happy to simply stuff up anything to do with National since the winebox affair. He only needs to take votes away from them and ACT to be victorious. And he will. He siphons off whoever thinks he's talking their language and it changes at every election. He's like a puppet master… and there's no show without punch
Tova has framed it well:
This game of bluff & double-bluff will keep folks guessing awhile. Nobody will believe any transient position is durable – the trick is to fool enough people into believing the political leader means what they say at the time. Impressions are ephemeral but they seem to have sufficient currency for tactical effect.
The joke would be on Luxon and Seymour if they came up with the same situation as in 2017.
It is a risky business putting all your cards on the table earlier than you need to.
I don't think NZ First will actually get back into parliament this time but on the other hand you can never completely count out Winston, he's been out before and has come back. Enough uncertainty to get National's blood pressure rising a bit.
Yes risky and not sensible in my view.
It makes me wonder why the parties have ruled out coalitions with this or that party and presumably they think by doing this it gives them the high ground, moral or otherwise. In the ACT case I think it is is to nudge the Nats into wondering if they should position themselves as centrists/rightists or rightists.
Another point about ruling things out now and then being faced with a possibly sensible and interesting coalition chance that to make a move gives the MSM easy pickings to divert…
ie
‘you said on XYZ that you were not going to enter into a coalition, now you are……..
did you mislead voters/supporters?
And on it goes…..
Oh yes, the media positively LOVE the rule-in rule-out game. Lisa Owens spends most of her time on air doing it.
I think it is merely tiresome and distracting people from policy.
Remember that Luxon is still polling lower than Judith Collins was …so no matter what the Nats are saying about coalitions it's a long long way from any of those 2 parties being a done deal yet.
Interviewers keep taking this "rule out" nonsense at face value, instead of asking the only question that really matters:
"If National, ACT and NZF have 61+ seats, do you deal or not deal?"
For all 3 leaders the answer is "deal". The precise terms of the deal would be up for debate but even having talks would make "rule out" meaningless.
If you're in the room talking, then by definition you don't "rule out". Everything else is dishonest posturing, and if political reporters don't understand that, they're in the wrong job.
See 2005 if you've forgotten. No bauble, no way = nice bauble, thank you.
Interesting piece by Gordon Campbell on result of Spanish election and possible relevance here.
A bit old . apologies if someone has linked previously .
http://werewolf.co.nz/2023/07/gordon-campbell-on-the-lessons-from-spains-election/
Unfortunately, NZ is far more like the US in terms of the economic position of it's two main parties – Robert Reich in an interesting piece in todays Guardian nails the political consensus in NZ pefectly:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/02/bidenomics-is-working-which-means-biden-and-the-democrats-may-win-too
To paraphrase:
In National party circles, the monied interests have preached the snake oil of supply-side economics, which legitimized giant tax cuts going mostly to the rich and large corporations.
Those tax cuts have fueled giant profits in the biggest firms and financial institutions, and stoked a surge in wealth for the rich but did literally nothing for average working people. Nothing trickled down.
In Labour party circles, the monied interests have used neoliberalism – which has called for deregulation, privatization, free trade and the domination of finance over the economy. This orthodoxy pervades the Ardern/Hipkins administrations. The result was similar to that of supply-side economics: wealth surged to the top, but average working people remained stuck in the mud.
NZ has nothing like the Movimiento Sumar or a populist left wing politician like Diaz. We've got two parties whose fundamental approach amounts to National and ACT wanting to strengthen plutocratic crony capitalism and Labour whose sole aim is a desire to administer plutocratic crony capitalism in a way that is a bit better for everyone else.
Labour's political strategy has been to present as the alternative National Party in accord with the formula that Helen Clark implemented successfully. Her success was due to rapport with her Nat-voting parents.
Simulations are extremely powerful in mass-psychology, so one can credit Labour with a degree of political sophistication in using one. Problem is, usage has driven down it's poll rating in a more or less continuous slide since the last election.
Causal explanation of this effect requires focus on results – something of a fatal flaw for Labour. Their vision of the future remains Twyfordian…
I was more focused on whether National's vote holds up when Luxon's poor media performances, and anti worker policies are amplified during the election campaign.
"So…. What happened? During the last weeks of the campaign, the media finally and belatedly turned its attention away from the failings of the government. The arrogant gaffes by the PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo began to occur in the media spotlight:"
Luxon's coming from a pretty low base so its not out of the question that he manages to do better than expected and improve his personal numbers.
Quotes from the Standard in the lead up to the 2008 election. Lets not make the same mistake as we did in 2008 where it was assumed Key would get demolished in the debates by Clark, and National's support would collapse in the capaign.
It didn't and it won't in 2023. This is going to be a close election.
I really like Reich and it's great that a former labour secretary gets to see US labour strengthened again in his professional lifetime.
But it's not reasonable to compare the New Zealand economy to that of the United States.
New Zealand over the last three years has had one of the largest and deepest government interventions by the state into the economy in the developed world. Particularly as a percentage of GDP and as a percentage of state income. Our version of 'mailing cheques' was to both secure wages and support all businesses at the same time.
If you look at Labour's investment into energy transition in Fonterra, Synlait and Glenbrook Steel, they have taken the equivalent of the CO2 production of all cars in the South Island into electricity. These kinds of intervention matter far more than in the United States because our company size is far more concentrated.
Doing a beatdown of this Labour government is shooting ducks in a barrel. But comparing our scale and specificity of government economic management to that of Biden's isn't effective.
I think that Labour's crisis management has been extremely effective – you only have to look at the catastrophe engulfing the average Joe in the UK to realise how well protected our people have been when compared to the raging incompetence and corruption of the UK Tories.
But I think it stands that Labour's interventions are seen as entirely crisi driven deviations from an absolute establishment lock step on supply side/neoliberal economics. What I'd like to see from Labour is the courage to frankly break some of the self-imposed monetrist rules that have dominated NZ economically for the last forty years.
The key political appeal of the Movimiento Sumar is is offers an alternative to orthodoxy that isn't fascist adjacent. The ideal party for that sort of economic break in NZ should be the Greens, but they are far too easily distracted by fighting their end of the culture wars and engaging in performative common room Marxism to be credible on economic matters.
Yes I certainly agree that we are well and truly ideologically stuck.
The ideal party for that sort of economic break in NZ should be the Greens
That's my vision from 32 years ago, which prompted me to join their economic policy working group. The only notable improvement on the basis we laid for the GP came from Russel Norman's framing: green shoots as symbols for a resilient economy.
Each business emerging from sustainability praxis applied in the neolib context is a working example of how to do the transition. Ongoing failure of the GP to inform the voters is due to factors you mention plus innate idiocy of the MPs.
Sumar includes the Spanish Green party (Verde) and Diaz has said the she "wants to become the first green president of Spain".
Sorry can't reference this….I'm on my phone about to get on plane.
European Greens seem to much more interested in deep organising and broad based activism than NZ Greens, who to be fair are as addicted to exactly the same sort of elite consensus, elite cadre politics as all the other parties.
But the Greens have very different policies which I am sure they will push for if they were to be in a Lab 31 Gr 12 TPM 5 coalition.
You know, you can talk bucketloads about this RNZ online editing fiasco.
But what it really amounts to typical NZ senior management. Asleep at the wheel, unaware of what is happening, and completely reactive.
It takes a reputationally damaging scandal of dude re-writing contracted copy to bring changes to online news oversight. It takes a road tragedy for dangerous roads – flagged for years in reports as needing fixing – to be upgraded. it takes someone going troppo with a weapon for changes to occur in mental health. It goes on and on in this country.
None of this would particularly matter if the people at the top were ever held accountable. But they never are. Theses people draw obscene salaries and bloviate for ever about "leadership" and "vision" and never deliver anything or prevent anything.
That is what really grates – taking huge salaries to be teflon dick suckers who dodge their responsibilities.
Certainly Chair Walden's reaction was far more measured talking about the affected reporter than CE Thompson who just went off at him when the news broke.
It's Thompson that needs to go out of this.
Yeah, I've made that point myself often enough too. Accountability is a taboo notion and has long been the bedrock reality-aversion upon which National and Labour have developed their collusion strategy.
Commentators here seem to prefer the delusional sideshow of apparent competition between the two; small things amuse small minds. Yet the essence of democracy lies in consensual decision-making even when tribal. You can see how their collusion has become multi-generational as soon as you discern the pattern of accountability-evasion that the left & right share in common.
The control system's puppeteering of left & right keeps kiddie voters enthralled. Thrall is the old anglo-saxon word for slave. Leftists & rightists are slaves to the system while believing they have freedom to choose their future.
Gotta say the political poll analysis is pretty damn poor atm. Lots of noise about leaders etc and not much looking at the left right split.
Currently the right side is polling in the region of 48% which seems to be the high watermark to me given that's about as good as it got during peak John Key the only difference between then and now is that a good sized chunk of the right vote have shifted over to ACT. This will potentially shunt NZ much further to the right than would be typical under previous National led governments. Potentially Act emerges from here on out as a genuine coalition partner moving forward with a decent chunk of embedded vote similar to the Greens.
The left vote is shifting around a bit between the minor parties but Labour are going to have to work pretty hard to get some vote back off National to push them back down closer to 30%. But by no means impossible.
The real risk I can see is that the torrent of negative commentary will result in Labour turnout falling away which would make a Nat Act coalition much more likely.
You're making the right point but glossing over the differential. Last night my quick count showed a left/right differential of around 10% – other commentators ought to run their own check on that.
That leftists have recently alienated so many floating centrists seems rather astonishing and I'm not surprised nobody onsite here has explained how they did it…
Alienation of floating voters occurs over time, with or without cause.
Some might say a lot has happened in this 6 years (mosque killings – hate speech law debate, White Island, the pandemic*, exposure of our health system issues, disruption of the global supply chain*, our property market economy still continuing to fail to deliver affordable homes, war in Europe*, the arrival of super power conflict in our region, social conservatives born again in defence of cisgender womenkind, climate change getting real*, National/ACT/NZF playing fear of the Tiriti and UNDRIP card.
And then the return of inflation* and the pain resulting from economic orthodoxy management.
Does incrementalism offer reassurance in such a time?
Does incrementalism offer reassurance in such a time?
Not to me, but I can see it reassuring most voters. Stasis in mass psychology is evident in normalcy. When the world surrounding you presents alarming changes, the typical mainstreamer pretends all is good. Then it gets down to the real/surreal ratio within the mind of each voter.
It's realistic to see a potential in most humans to get real when their survival necessitates a change of stance in the general direction of getting a grip on things. Complacency shifts them away from that grounding into popular delusions. Neolib hegemony is prolonged by masses taking refuge in normalcy. Safety in numbers they think. We ought to be pragmatic & accept their natural idiocy as realistic to the extent that incrementalism reassures them. Incremental changes seem adaptable to them…
The reaction on my social media to Luxon's embracing of Chinese money was astonishing. Sinophobia is a really big thing in NZ. And that is Labour's challenge. Whenever NACT's policies are discussed the public recoils from them. But our media is addicted to big house court politics and gossip, so prefers a succession of "scandals" where they can interview the dire array of the usual suspects and talking heads that pass for opinion in this country and demonstrate how savvy they are to discussing policies.
So Labour need to cut out the opportunites for a feckless media hungry for a scandal and a narrative to literally make shit up amongst themselves and focus hard on policy. They also need to come up with some sort of decent electoral lolly – offering themselves to the electorate as the party of fiscal prudence will see then annihilated at the polls, because it is impossible to shift the dial on the zombie media narrative that National are better economic managers.
Pretty sure that's the plan from some in media, hears looking at you Newshub
Perhaps you are looking for this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2023_New_Zealand_general_election
The second chart gives an estimate of the split between groupings – neither reach 50%, and uncertainty may mean the groups are closer (or further apart) than in the table. The "Other" category is above 5%, but none of NZ First, TOP or New Conservatives appear close to the threshold themselves
Grant has driven his neolib economy into a budgetary pot-hole, but he's refusing to say how big it is: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/public-service-bosses-called-in-as-government-accounts-plunge-deeper-into-the-red/CKEBIEWIAFA5TBOUCMFXR4YK3Y/
Doesn't matter how big the real/imaginary pothole is. Govt can manufacture imaginary money to fill it whenever they feel like it, which then becomes real the instant they use it – quantitative easing is now a traditional option.
Whats your agenda here DF ?
I try to illuminate deeper dimensions of situations. Seems necessary when so many others just go with the superficial aspects. There are times when superficialities are relevant & informative enough to be the communal focus but there's often shared value in going deeper instead – or as well.
My political agenda trended towards deep Green after originating in 1968 (self-awareness, identity formation). Communal context makes that view essential for survival now. Leftists are gradually figuring this out but since most Greens are a paler shade we have a spectrum in play…
Well…thats as maybe. Hard to say really.
Anyway, I'm actually meaning your linking to a Herald article….specifically some "allegations" by Peters and Seymour.
The crux of that is how well the simulation (deployment of the pothole theory of economic credibility) works as a political ploy. Gamesters use a ploy if they believe it makes them competititive.
So the two rightist dinosaurs, young & old, compete with each other to see who can utter the loudest roar. Quants impress folks, and the largest number used is the most effective. Big is Good. That's why Mitre 10 Mega used it as focus slogan in their long corporate ad campaign earlier this century.
Labour thinks like this too but must mask it to seem different to the right – thus Grant refusing to measure the size of the (real/imaginal) pothole in his budgeting & spending plan for govt services.
It's formally released by Treasury pre election.
The forecast deficit for the next 3 years was $18B, but there has been a decline in company tax revenue. So the Treasury pre election update is impacted.
It's not a hole in revenue, it's an increase in forecast deficit for the three years ahead because of the decline in company tax revenue.
Low end figures Peters (18+2) and high end Seymour (18+ 2+10).
Department heads were recently with the Finance Minister presumably to look at spending priorities/management thereof – to assist the returning/incoming government.
Frank you ask how Labour has offended the middle 10% That assumes they have!!
This small mind sees money being spent by the right to blow up Law and Order. National using media to magnify, and Act supporting the gun lobby. What an unholy alliance making people fearful.
The media have allowed Luxon a fairly painless ride, and now he has Mary Lambie giving him actor polish. Polishing a turd seems to be a practice of the right, looking at some of their members. sarc Pun intended.
What are you doing Frank? Showing intellectual superiority? Or just bloody stirring?
This election is critical, and yes our choices are not what we hoped, but incremental changes stick, and the dial has been moved in spite of moaning and outright bloody denials by some. We need unity, not egos throwing rocks from the sideline.
The one thing that will sink us is infighting, white anting and failure to look at the goals as people carry out inquisitions about supposed failure and spend energy examining their own navels. Also refusing to see how markets are now impacting our budget and receipts blaming Labour for a world downturn.
There is a price to pay for our support of workers through supporting businesses through covid to keep employment up. Business took advantage. Profits soared.
Every time workers make small progress the rules of Capitalism bite. Worse it wants more carbon based living, so we are battling that moar roads mentality.
We are all tired, but there have been massive wins. We need to list those and what is in the pipeline.
This election is too important to lose, and those saying Labour and National "are the same" after all that has gone down and been dealt with in the last 6 years should be ashamed. That is such superficial rubbish.
National would have let covid rip, they probably would have let mycoplasma bovis become endemic, they would not have improve workers conditions and pay. Abortion would still be a crime, and medical cannabis a dream. Housing would be stymied by covenants and Councils, and health run down for Private take overs, as would education.
Those saying both are the same side of one coin can p…. off. I prefer the kinder face.
Labour Green Ti Parti Maori, unite in the face of self seeking evil. Believe we can change the outcome. It is not ordained by the Upper Room. Voters vote like your life depends on it… as it well may.
And onya PB ! The anti-Labour/Green doomers and white-anters are all about this. If not defeatist. Its great you listed some of what Labour have done.
The aforesaid anti's would just prefer to ignore all of that.
Frank you ask how Labour has offended the middle 10% That assumes they have!!
Bremner I scanned my comment (#5) and found no such question!!
Sorry Dennis, that was a mistake with your name. 10% see 4.1
and … we don't need stirring, we need everyone on board, to win this. use your intellect to help with that.
No worries Patricia. Just to explain what I wrote in 4.1 a little more, I see that significant gap that has opened in recent months between the leftist parties & the rightist parties as being due to lack of resonance in the minds of floaters – due to leftist parties not directing their marketing strategies at those voters.
The left assumes floaters are susceptible to leftist values which is partially true – however floaters seem to me more susceptible to a compelling positive alternative. It's a marketing psych thing. You know how Ad has once or twice presented a persuasive list of progressive accomplishments of the past two terms? Good evidence to the credit of Labour/Greens I thought – but never commented here to that effect since I see it as irrelevant to the floater psyche.
Hipkins, responding to poll subsidence in recent months, keeps implying that they'll get around to marketing one day soon. Maybe, and it may even work. Likewise the Greens. However I suspect too little too late. I do try to help – by pointing out what the two leftist parties continue to do wrong in the hope that the word will spread until they realise they need to do it better. Can't fix it when their complacency makes them believe they're already doing the right thing…
What are you doing Frank? Showing intellectual superiority? Or just bloody stirring?
Bremner, what if I'm doing both simultaneously? Are you going to argue that doing so ain't the kiwi way?? Can't see that catching on…
I agree with you PB…… there are far too many people, including lefties on TS, who complain that Lab and Nats are virtually the same-simply not true.
it's a lazy, self-serving political analysis that imo does indeed play into people not voting. I see it from people who say they don't have anyone to vote for, as if voting is about personal gratification. Maybe they feel less alone if other people don't vote too.
It's an leftie own goal and ignorant af about the real world impacts. On climate alone it's absolutely insane.
" I see it from people who say they don't have anyone to vote for, as if voting is about personal gratification. "
Speaking for myself (and from what I have been told by those close to me) the contrary is true….the gratification sought is a better society/run country, and the offers all fall far short.
If all the offers are detrimental why would any sane person vote FOR them?
So tell us what you would like? I have tried to ascertain your position? “detrimental?”
I have stated what I'd like…an improved society/country.
The problem appears to be that the methods proposed fail that test
Pat, I'd like what you'd like.
In your opinion, what are "the methods" that might deliver "an improved society/country", and/or is "the problem" insoluble?
The methods broadly…
Compressed incomes
Increased taxation (with one eye on investment/liquidity)
Increased autarky (with the understanding complete autarky not desirable/possible)
Public ownership (broadly) of infrastructure.
Not much to ask
Could get behind all those broad methods, but it's a lot to ask.
Not at all….it is little to ask, but it may take some vision and competence to deliver…something that has been missing from our so called leadership for far too long.
Some policies that may align with your desired methods:
https://www.greens.org.nz/economic_policy
https://www.greens.org.nz/sustainable_business_policy
https://www.greens.org.nz/housing_policy
https://www.greens.org.nz/trade_and_foreign_investment_policy
[@arkie@8:21 pm]
Could get behind all those policies.
Some may suggest those policies lack vision – not me though.
because sometimes we vote for the least worse option to stop the much worse option gaining power.
Strategically, it's easier to shift NZ politics to something better from a centre left govt than from a RW one. Additionally, a centre left government does good things even if it's not enough.
Same. I'm constantly surprised by the people for whom a good cultural fit or sense of belonging is a prerequisite for voting at all.
What is the least worse option when all the options are appalling?
I can't afford that kind of purity test. If you can't bring yourself to vote GP, TPM, or Labour, what are you even doing thinking about politics.
You suggest that because the product is inferior the possibilities should be dismissed?….no wonder our politics are where they are.
I didn't suggest that at all. Just explain your thinking Pat, it gets tedious otherwise and you know I have little patience for people making shit up about my views.
here we go again…if you are going to make statements have the courage to stand behind them….I have been perfectly clear.
what did you mean by possibilities?
When compromise is seen as a dirty word, Politics becomes impossible, because that is what it is, a compromise, and as it deals with humans it will never be perfect. So very painful for a perfectionist.
Only problem with your argument Patricia is I am far from a perfectionist….but I know the the difference between wheat and chaff.
If wheat is needed, chaff dosnt factor
Occasionally I get asked what the difference between the nats and labour is , my basic answer is national always make the rich richer and take away workers rights, labour trust to fix both those things
!00% bwaghorn
Cap’n Chippy should be regretting that tax call of his by now…
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/top/493726/week-in-politics-hipkins-makes-a-captain-s-call-as-labour-slides-in-the-polls
I revisit it in terms of recent polling…https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/08/newshub-reid-research-poll-results-nearly-half-of-kiwis-don-t-trust-christopher-luxon-chris-hipkins-trust-ranking-sliding-too.html
It will be a tight and volatile election, all parties seem to fighting for their existence in one form or another. Winston won’t work with NZ Labour, Seymour won’t work with Winston, Baldrick might work with Winston. David Parker and Robbo are not impressed with the Cap’n’s tacking…Let's hope that old wish prevails…NZF get 4.9%. And that the various fruitcake parties like Matt King’s Democracy NZ waste a few % of votes also.
The strategic approach would have been Labour/Green/TPM all supporting fairer tax policy, and laying it out for the electorate. Cap’n blew, it so it is all on. I have been opposing dirty, filthy, tories since Muldoon, so one more campaign won’t bother me, but it just such a waste of energy in what should be “a land of plenty.”
If Labour/Green/TPM are more than NACT then it is good that NZF get 4.9%. But otherwise NZF at 5.0% might prevent a NACT government (Peters preference is a National minority government with c and s from both ACT and NZF).
Yes, subtle difference, and on how much influence Act has with National. This election campaign has been going by proxy means since COVID and the occupation of Parliament grounds really.
They have plans.
The far right Heritage Foundation created a platform for Trump that plots an authoritarian take-over of the country.
Donald Trump nearly destroyed American democracy in his first term in office. If he is reelected, he plans to try to finish the job. This isn’t a matter of speculation; it’s a virtual certainty.
[…]
The specific goals of the project are discussed in great detail in the ninth edition of the Heritage Foundation’s Mandate for Leadership. First published in 1981, the Mandate is designed to serve as a guide for conservative governance, and is updated periodically, usually at the outset of each presidential administration. The current version totals some 920 pages.
If you lack the stomach to plow through the entire tome, you can turn to a two-page preface written by Paul Dans, Project 2025’s director who served as the Trump Administration’s Chief of Staff for the Office of Personnel Management. Dans outlines the project’s four basic objectives, which he calls its “four pillars.” These are: the development of a broad “policy agenda” for the next rightwing President to implement; the construction of a “personnel database” to assist the President in making staffing decisions; the creation of a “Presidential Academy” to train the next set of high-level government appointees; and a “Playbook” for the first 180 days of the next administration.
One of the project’s more disturbing aims is to bring all federal agencies under direct presidential control, ending the operational independence not only of the Department of Justice and the FBI, but also the Federal Reserve, which oversees the banking industry and regulates interest rates; the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which oversees television, radio, and the Internet; and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which enforces antitrust and consumer protection laws.
https://www.alternet.org/unequal-justice-trump-2024-democracy/
https://thf_media.s3.amazonaws.com/project2025/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf
A blend of irony & paradox. The deep-state myth is potent enough to serve as alt-reality. Trump as social justice warrior is the operational image used. Freedom fighter is a trad button to push in the psyche – the difference to Che is Don uses money not gun. So that agenda which brought Reagan to power is the dark side of the paradox, in which the Jungian shadow makes the user act just like the opposing threat…
Trump did it with the judges, as women in the USA discovered.
A copy of Israel's current actions?
Cogent points indeed Patricia and ianmac.
Yesterday was World Overshoot day. New Zealand's country specific Overshoot date was in April.
https://www.overshootday.org/
We cannot continue like this is we hope to have a livable planet for future generations. Action needs to be taken yesterday. Party vote Green.
that deserves a post. My problem is I don't understand why people believe that this year's cost of living crisis is more important. Do they not believe that we are in dire straights with climate and ecology?
Yes and a reminder about circular economy ideas
And stop eating animals…and the bye-products from this most cruel/environmental vandalism diet…
😎