Poor (and rather pathetic) Bomber

Written By: - Date published: 9:52 pm, December 8th, 2014 - 109 comments
Categories: admin, blogs, labour, The Standard - Tags:

I’d leave this over at The Daily Blog,  but I  have had problems getting comments published there that even suggest that Martyn Bradbury leads the left from the behind.

In an otherwise rather reasonable rant against media outlets, he said:-

The Standard is currently searching for a new direction as that voice of the Left, but their pathetic and limp criticism of Labour selling out on 24 hour surveillance shows that the leash around their neck from head office has tightened.

Yeah right. It is no secret that I think Martyn Bradbury has a fragile ego, is a teeny bit inexperienced at blogging and politics. No doubt he will harden up over the coming decades.

But it gets irritating when he doesn’t even read who the author of the post he referring to was.  That was a well written guest post by a long-time commenter. It got bounced around as a think piece in the author’s forums before it got posted for our commenters to have a look at. We like to have a look at different ideas before we have the usual post election review and get wound up for another 3 years of campaigning.

And us as a poodle of Labour?  This coming from the person who looked like being the paid mouthpiece of Internet Mana throughout the election? FFS…. They got even less than my low estimate. But for some reason, Martyn appears to think that he is the only legitimate voice of the left.

We’ve been getting complaints from Labour figures for the few last years. Because many authors and commenters have not nice in our opinions about them, with bloody good reason. Their performances haven’t been up to the standard we expect of them.

I did take some actions to prevent my opinions interfering in the NZLP’s leadership election. That was simply courtesy for the staff on the sharp end of the complaints during a very constrained time period of the leadership campaign.

But as it happens I’d just informed Tim Barnett on Friday evening that I’d be dropping my membership of the Labour party at the end of the year. I’d already told most of the authors that when I wrote a unpublished post “Is my membership of the NZLP effective?” on the 16th of November. That started with this..

As a side note, and largely as a direct result of the various whining and complaints from inside Labour party from people who haven’t read our about, I’ve decided that my duties in running this site and being a NZLP member are incompatible. It leads to the perception that this is a Labour party site rather than a labour movement site.

It has been quite clear for some time that the Labour party and some of its members have little or no idea about how social media operates in practice. As evidenced by some of the strange (and dislocated in time) people inside Labour who spent the leadership contest giving Tim Barnett grief by trying to complain to the NZ council about my opinions.

So I’ve decided that I will be soon dropping my membership of the Labour party to concentrate on this site and other social media work for the left. Hopefully it will help those complainants to start dealing with a changing world.

Besides, I’ve found over the years that most effective way to change the NZLP culture is to simply build systems that cause them to change in self-defense. I think that not being a member of the NZLP will allow me to do more for them and any other parties of the left – even when they don’t understand the need.

While that decision distressed Mike Smith, I think that it is a necessary step. Running this site with limited time, I can’t be bothered with wasting my time dealing with the egos of fools being punctured by people having opinions about them. Just as I can’t be bothered too much about the fragile ego of Bomber and his similar problems.

But back to the Bomber’s strange opinions…

With Scoop about to collapse next month,  The Standard, Public Address and Pundit are about to lose their largest revenue streams.

Oh dear, Bomber really has no idea how our site operates. Or how any of these sites operate. We haven’t really depended on advertising for most of the last year. I’d guess that nor has either of the other sites.

That Scoop has financial problems has been obvious for some time. Bomber gloating about it is a tad.. disgusting….

Personally I like dropping the size of the nut – the dollars and effort involved in running the site. It comes from my operations background. Rather than grandiose plans for expansion, I concentrate on figuring out how to run a bigger site with less effort and less money.

But since 2010, work has been interfering with my time to work on the site. So we wound up with increasing costs on running the site, which is why we allowed advertising. My personal objective has been to drop having any dependency on it at all.

In July, I finally wound up with several months of holiday pay after finishing my last job and before the next one. So our server costs dropped as I wangled the bugs out of the site and shifted to cheaper network bandwidth cost. The site went from costing close to $700 in July, to about $330 on election month (when our page views, visitor numbers and users doubled over the July figures) to $270 last month. It should hit $240 this month and my target is under $200.

So now we have an ability to triple the site volume without costing an extra cent. The bandwidth step went from 300GB/month (which we’d occasionally exceed post bug fixes) to 1000GB/mo.

Why $200/month? It is within the range that we were sustaining with personal donations back in 2009/10. Or by raising $3k from GetALittle a year seems trivial after some of the campaigns going on recently. And at that level, I could easily maintain the site myself without financial stress.

That isn’t Ad’s guest vision, but it is mine. They aren’t even incompatible visions.

Cost saving and developing social structure inside the site is a lot easier and a damn sight more interesting to me than being bothered running around raising money to go pro. If someone else wants to do it, then I’d probably help bootstrap it just as we did for many left blogs – including The Daily Blog.

But either way, I suspect that we’ll keep pushing our audience upwards. I’d also expect that Bomber will keep carping from his strange world.

109 comments on “Poor (and rather pathetic) Bomber ”

  1. Ray 1

    Well if you need money ask,as I for one would be quite happy to offer financial support as there needs to be a strong voice for the Left in the blog world
    Something Bomber ( despite his fantasies ) will never provide, it being all about him which is not how the Progressive future will unfold

    • lprent 1.1

      If we need, then I will.

      Just at present I’m using the incentive of paying for it myself to scrape those last few $20 off the monthly bill.

      I should have a spare week over xmas/new year by the look of it.

    • Bunji 1.2

      Donations towards running costs through the Donate button (on the right, just under Log In) are always appreciated…

      The rest of us authors don’t want to overdo the demands on what Lynn puts into the site… He does an amazing amount with the time he puts into it, without demanding his money as well…

  2. Chooky 2

    Hmmm…well imo, as a relative newcomer, this is a very good thought provoking Left blog site and a very well set out and user friendly site and i hope it continues

    ….i like the range of views….and even find the tr..ls entertaining …I also appreciate how much work must go into it…so thanks! (x million)….and hope it continues to flourish

    ….as for Bomber Bradbury….well i enjoy his sparky site too…but the Daily Blog isnt as user friendly and there are not the range of contributors from the flaxroots

    … imo both sites are VERY IMPORTANT for the Left voice and NZ democracy to counter the right wing corporate control of the msm and black ops PR blogs …so hope they can keep co-existing…

    (the Left is like families… you either love each other or hate each other but you are still family and generally you get over it…..also Bomber and Mana/Int have had a big hit over the Election so there are bound to be very bruised egos there…and of course the Labour Party also took a big hit…so more bruised egos…imo sometimes valuable contributions to the Left can be done outside party membership )

    • Colonial Rawshark 2.1

      imo sometimes valuable contributions to the Left can be done outside party membership )

      Yep you get it exactly

      IMO the role of the Left Movement is to make sure that the Parliametary Left get some proper backbone (lol) and don’t sell the people out to the capitalists at the first intersection – as both “democratic socialist” and “socialist” parties have done all too often in France, Spain, Greece, Italy, UK, etc.

      • greywarshark 2.1.1

        @ Colonial rawshark
        The ‘vertebrate’ left is to be conserved, and bred, the invertebrate type become a failed Darwinian experiment. The invertebrate type will die out owing to its failure to adapt to its changing environment, becoming gradually more odd and grotesque as the sports arise but crumble early because of mutation and partly, their unreconstructed condition.

    • greywarshark 2.2

      @ Chooky
      (the Left is like families… you either love each other or hate each other but you are still family and generally you get over it…
      I don’t much like your view of the left – if we are at loggerheads with love/hate relationships it weakens us.

      Understanding of differing view points is needed and people who are obssessed with a purist view of one aspect need to be talked down from the top of the building. Discussion and amelioration of extreme views, and willingness to bolster worthy but not strongly lobbied views, and attention to basic practical needs buried under emotional rhetoric will get diverse people and opinions close enough to make good policy.

      There shouldn’t be an attempt at consensus – that can be a way of repressing democratic opinion in an effort to effect a decision, rather than find one that has extra clauses in it to meet people’s reasonable concerns.

    • Kenat 2.3

      I’ve been highly critical of the failed IMP experiment on The Daily Blog and Bradbury (or someone) has resorted to deleting my comments without a word. No ad hom or other abuse required, just make a political argument that Bradbury doesn’t like and you risk being silenced. Frank Macskasy, if you’re reading this, I didn’t break off our recent debate, I was cut off because Bradbury just doesn’t want you to hear my arguments any more. That’s beyond pathetic. Someone that does that is no good for democracy.

  3. Red delusion 3

    Bombers nuts would not waste my time on his ranting nor the Labour Party.

  4. greywarshark 4

    That’s something to think about. Sounds strong, viable, and with the opportunity of new initiatives while keeping the format we know and love. Watch this space!

  5. batweka 5

    “but their pathetic and limp criticism of Labour selling out on 24 hour surveillance shows that the leash around their neck from head office has tightened”

    Not only is that disappointing to hear coming from Bradbury, it’s really fucking stupid. The line that the standard is controlled by the Labour party is now part of the Dirty Politics narrative that all blogs are the same, everyone does it, so there can’t be that much wrong with Slater or the SST etc.

    • lprent 5.1

      Yep.

      I’m rather tired of it from any source. I’m extremely disappointed in fools inside the NZLP who seem to think it is true. Why else would anyone run a complaint to the Labour party hierarchy. In that case I was willing to stand aside (twice) temporarily because TimB asked and it was a pretty critical time for the NZLP.

      It won’t happen again.

      I guess those are the kinds of fools that Slater tries to blackmail has had correspondence from.

      • batweka 5.1.1

        Do you mean you chose not to post on ts at that time, or chose not to be involved with party things?

        • lprent 5.1.1.1

          I chose to put a post in private and to hide a note where I was pretty blunt.

          The complaints (to me) appeared to be part of a deliberate campaign to use TS to disrupt the progress of the leadership election. Since I didn’t want to have the site used in that way, I pulled them back temporarily until after the campaign.

          I also considered that the same dickheads inside the NZLP would be likely to try the same thing again at some later date, and what my response should be.

          My instinct (as I’m sure most readers are aware) is to metaphorically eviscerate such perpetrators attacking the integrity and purpose of this site. These clowns managed to bring my membership of the NZLP into direct conflict with my duties running this site.

          Since I haven’t been involved organisationally inside of Labour since 2009, and haven’t volunteered for them since 2011 (just helped out a few individuals with their volunteer work), there really wasn’t any point in leaving a leverage point open for fools. Terminate the membership at the end of the year after warning the people who needed to know about it earlier.

          Since Bomber chose to be a idiot, a public announcement seemed prudent before the silly fool went off on one of his myth making rants.

    • Chooky 5.2

      @ batweka …quite frankly I DO think Labour sold out New Zealanders on UNWARRANTED 24 hour surveillance !

      …what is wrong with getting a warrant and accountability? …..this is a violation of New Zealanders’ rights!…. and it bodes ill for the future imo…sets NZ up for a stazi political police state

      “disappointing to hear coming from Bradbury”…give us a BREAK!….anyone who defends this core John Key rushed through policy is decidedly sus imo

      …Labour will Not be getting either of my votes because of this issue

      • Manuka AOR 5.2.1

        @chookster

        Yes. Andrew should not have compromised on that. He will get far more respect across all of NZ when he stands up to those who have this sick obsession with spying on Kiwis. When individuals stalk and spy on people, we can still clearly identify that behaviour as a disease, the product of sick minds. We should not be legitimising it for anyone at all. Andrew has to start saying “No.”

  6. adam 6

    I thought it was polite to leave aside attacks on the labour party whilst they were having their leadership debate. If for no other reason, why hand the nut bar Right a chance to put the knife in. Indeed why fan the flames and make life simple for the nut bars on the right wing of politics?

    Boomer was confusing through the election for me – On one hand, yes he did seem to support Internet Mana a lot, but he also had a bromance with Cunliffe. He also seemed somewhat uncomfortable with sections of Mana.

    Post election he’s got stranger – one one hand the digs you see this week from him, and supporting the line the standard does dirty politics for labour. And another odd fish calling Mana dead. That one is strange – the Internet Mana Waka is well and truly dead, it died a natural death 6 weeks after the election. A failed experiment, shit happens. Personally I thought it could have been good, if it had worked -it did not. So goodbye.

    Mana seems to me to be very much alive – they have returned to planning and organising. Seems someone is listening to what you said Lprent, about starting organising for the next election, just after the last one. Mana still has good membership numbers, and I personally think being out of parliament will be good for them. And for Hone in particular.

    • lprent 6.1

      Yeah, Mana is an interesting party because it does seem to have a ground level organisation in winnable electorates.

      The problem in Waiariki is that either Sykes or Labour’s candidate could probably win against national’s Maori party candidate Flavell, but not while the other is there. I suspect that Flavell only got in because of a split vote against him.

      Similarly the Maori party electorate vote in Te Tai Tokerau is the winning margin between Davis and Harawira

      If they can keep those organisations going until the next election and slowly campaign all of the time then it could get interesting.

      The Internet party seems pretty dead

      • phillip ure 6.1.1

        “..I suspect that Flavell only got in because of a split vote against him..”

        correct…

        ..that and other mmp-realities are under consideration..

        ..but those predicting the demise of mana..

        ..are being a tad ‘premature’..

    • The Al1en 6.2

      Did Bradbury finally get one right? Mana are like nz1st minus Winston’s ‘appeal’ and nothing without their main man. If hh went there’d be nothing left but a few die hard try hards and lots of wishful thinking.

      Still, they have three years to turn around and re-build that ‘movement’, to connect with more than 1.5% of voters they have and hope other parties gift hh his old seat back next election.
      Never say never and all that.

      • batweka 6.2.1

        You think Annette Sykes is a die hard try hard? 🙄

        • The Al1en 6.2.1.1

          Oh okay, if you like – A few die hard try hards… And Annette Sykes.

          But personally, I don’t think much of her at all.

          • adam 6.2.1.1.1

            What the hell his hh the al1en? Is that the new white power way of addressing another human being? No wonder the left can’t work together. I always though some of your comments had racist undertones – now I really think you are.

            • The Al1en 6.2.1.1.1.1

              “What the hell his hh the al1en? Is that the new white power way of addressing another human being?”

              Nothing white power about me or that statement, so piss off with the guilt by association rubbish.
              hh is hone, like dc is david cunliffe, ds is david shearer or jk john key. How hard was that to work out? And really it’s not very offensive, like calling someone a racist for no reason.

              “I always though some of your comments had racist undertones – now I really think you are.”

              Then you were wrong and still very much are.
              Seriously, where’s the racism in what I’ve wrote? I think you’re slinging shit in the hope some of it sticks. I won’t let that happen, obviously, because being falsely labelled racist by an internet fuckstick is one thing, having it spread about unchallenged is another.

              Looking forward to your response.

              • adam

                Who’s this Hone you’re talking about?

                Hone Hohepa writes some good stuff

                The Hone Heke tax is a good idea.

                Or would you been meaning Hone Pani Tamati Waka Nene Harawira?

                • The Al1en

                  I gave you the chance to respond sensibly and point out where I was racist. If your false claim is based on my using hh instead of hone harawira, then fuck off, you’re a knob mangler and not worth further discourse. I, as have many people here use acronyms all the time. If you weren’t, as I suspect, one of those die hard try hards it wouldn’t even register.

                  So I think mana is shit. It’s allowed, I can still even be left wing and say it. It’s politics. Unless you’re going to spring to the defence of dc, ds or jk, then yeah, piss off, knobster. And you call racism 🙄

                • The Al1en

                  “Who’s this Hone you’re talking about?”

                  I did a search of hone in the search bar up the top of this page. I gave up scrolling after after five pages, so I don’t know the total number of comments made by loads of different yet quite familiar names, but it seems there’s quite a few.
                  Seems hone, on the standard, is generally accepted as meaning hh, as hh is universally also (almost) taken to mean hone harawira.

                  Shall I wait for you to start a campaign of race ‘outing’ on all those who don’t use the full name? Or is it only white Englishmen you have it in for?
                  Wanker.

                  http://thestandard.org.nz/?s=hone&isopen=none&search_posts=true&search_comments=true&search_sortby=date

                  • greywarshark

                    the allen
                    Don’t be so sensitive. A simple I’m not a racist would have been enough. I think it might have been a moan about using initials and acronyms – it’s too common.

                    • The Al1en

                      I don’t believe I’m being overly sensitive responding to

                      “I always though some of your comments had racist undertones – now I really think you are.”

                      For using hh. And if it were about acronyms, which it obviously isn’t

                      “I think it might have been a moan about using initials and acronyms – it’s too common.”

                      adam shouldn’t really have opened with

                      “Is that the new white power way of addressing another human being?”

                      At the moment I think adam is a stroker, yet I’m happy to wait for his retraction and subsequent apology. I won’t hold my breath though. He doesn’t appear to have the class to accept he got it badly wrong.

                      I wouldn’t mind if he calls me for being a bore or an arsehole or whatever he can imagine for fun, it’s part of the internet way of life, but tagging others as racist without any form of insight or proof is just cowardly and cheap, and in my opinion, diminishes the good work done by anti groups all over the world.

                      So yeah, over to adam.

                    • adam

                      I do believe that grewarshark is right. A simple rebuttal would have serviced the issue dead. Me does think he protests too much.

                      You got the white power rib because, you talked like a glib know it all. Which is what oh so many of that type are like. Are your sore, because I pulled you up for your wee bit cultural imperialism? So harden up, it’s politics – you like to play hard – just remember you have to take it too. I don’t care if you hate mana, I don’t care if you are/not in love with social credit and I really don’t care for who you love in politics. One line, was all it took.

                      As for you request for a reasonable discussion – reasonable discussion does not begin with expletives.

                    • The Al1en

                      “I do believe that grewarshark is right. A simple rebuttal would have serviced the issue dead. Me does think he protests too much.”

                      I disagree. Crap comments like yours need a strong rebuttal. Especially when asked for proof and none is forthcoming.

                      “You got the white power rib because, you talked like a glib know it all.”

                      That’s your slant on it, and it’s still wrong to claim white power or race have one single thing to do with it. Using that logic it’s okay to call you a paedophile kiddie fiddler because you’re post shit like a dickhead. See how that doesn’t work yet?

                      “Are your sore, because I pulled you up for your wee bit cultural imperialism?”

                      Do you read what you post before you press submit? That’s just bollocks. Show me any cultural imperialism or stop implying there’s shit there when there isn’t. That’s twice now you’ve let your own inferiority complex get in the way of reasonable debate.

                      “So harden up, it’s politics – you like to play hard – just remember you have to take it too.”

                      Yeah, all fair in love and war and all that, except when you make shit up, then it’s just wankers having a wank fest. I’m all for the rough and tumble of the game and don’t cry and run off home with the ball when the game goes against me.
                      Ultimately In politics if you lie you lose. The end, loser.

                      “As for you request for a reasonable discussion – reasonable discussion does not begin with expletives.”

                      You had your chance at reasonable discussion and you blew it. You can now kiss my arse for all I care.
                      You’re on the defensive and changing goalposts as you go. If there’s one thing to be taken from your unfounded and as yet un-backed up accusation, I hope it’s how disingenuous and untrustworthy and unreliable a commenter you are, though I fear the no smoke without fire angle will unfairly taint me.

                      So to be clear then. I didn’t post anything racist at all, even though you said I did, and I was exhibiting cultural imperialism even though I wasn’t, and I’m probably still a racist because I defended myself with rightful passion.

                      Like I wrote, you don’t have the class to apologise for getting it wrong.
                      What a wanker.

                    • adam

                      I saw you talking rubbish and called you on it.

                      I believe what you said had a racist bent to it. I still do. You called the people in Mana a ” few die hard try hards and lots of wishful thinking”.

                      You also begrudgingly accepted Weka’s criticism, and then dissed Annette – out of hand. You still felt you could belittle all the other leaders in the Mana movement – out of hand. No constructive debate from you – just a dismissal – you will forgive me if I’m tired of that approach to Maori and Maori issues. It’s everywhere – why do you feel I have to put up with that level of political debate?

                      Indeed to fall into the same criticism I hear coming out of the right of this country ie: seat gifting, is just – well, you think it sounds reasonable, and that is what worried me.

                      Finally, You used names for everyone else, but Hone Harawira. In effect, It was the way you said it. Saying it’s a common acronym is soft excuse, in context. Why did you not use them all the way through, why only an acronym for the Maori Activist?

                      Look, language matters – and No I do not think you’re a racist. I do believe how you said it was, casually racist – An ingrain type of language, and rhetoric that’s so bloody everyday, it’s a pain in the ass. Popular culture carries this rubbish on. Try reading the Herald on Maori issues – it’s not pleasant.

                      So I’ll apologize if you think I called you a racist. I do not, nor and any moment do I believe you are a racist.

                      And I hope you feel you’re not a racist, because you’re not. Not even close.

                      Because, John Ansell there is a racist.

                    • The Al1en

                      Clearly you’re just a mana fan boy, die hard try a little. You have no right to lay racism at my door and your begrudging apology I’ll leave hanging, thanks.

                      I also think nz1st are shit, and the nats and act are shit and what is it? 2/3 of labour’s caucus. So what? You going to cry over it? I doubt it.

                      Adam, KMA. And if you need the acronym explained, tough shit.

  7. Murray Rawshark 7

    Bumbler is all about the role he thinks he has in history. He can’t write for shit and is basically a gossip columnist. He replaces analysis with wishful thinking and convinces himself of the reality of his delusions. I also hate the way TDB repeats the first paragraph.

    Bumbler is all about the role he thinks he has in history. He can’t write for shit and is basically a gossip columnist. He replaces analysis with wishful thinking and convinces himself of the reality of his delusions. I also hate the way TDB repeats the first paragraph.

    Having said that, there are some people there whose stuff I like to read. John Minto always, I wish he’d write here, and Keith Locke most of the time. A lot of the others seem to be latté socialists like Bumbler, too young and inexperienced to yet realise they’ll get things wrong from time to time.

    I hope Mana gets rid of him. I think he may have been the mover behind the Dotcom thing, which I suspect was designed to get a radio station for himself.

    As for TS, it has always been pretty obvious to me that it’s not a Labour Party vessel. I wouldn’t be here if it were.

    • TheContrarian 7.1

      ^This…..in particular, this: “Bumbler is all about the role he thinks he has in history. He can’t write for shit and is basically a gossip columnist. He replaces analysis with wishful thinking and convinces himself of the reality of his delusions.”

      So true

      • Chooky 7.1.1

        disagree…Bomber can fucking write, and better than most bloggers imo, and he is often VERY to the point …he brings a fresh , no pomposity, perspective ….he goes for the jugular and is not afraid of the blood splatter…he is NOT establishment…he is NOT careful and calls bullshit on the Right and hypocrisy of some on the Left

        …sure he isnt always fair to the Left …he is competitive like a younger sibling …he is no angel ( get over it…ignore it)

    • Morrissey 7.2

      You think Bomber’s blog is full of latté socialists? Hell, they’re all Greenwalds and Pilgers compared to the complacent twerps over at Russell Brown’s blog. Just last year, they were being manipulated in masterful fashion by the most cynical, and cleverest, right wing operant in the country…..

      http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-31122013/#comment-751356

      • Chooky 7.2.1

        +100 Morrissey…so TRUE!…..and I like Bombers short sparky no holds barred anti-establishment anti right wing Nactional John Key pieces …they are not always fair and i don’t always agree with them but often they are spot on!

        …he reminds me of a younger sister …super sharp, competitive and always out to ridicule pomposity , bullshit, call out lies and hypocrisy ….and poke the borax and undermine older siblings… this person may be annoying but nevertheless they are FUN and they have a very important role to play in Left wing journalism

        ( imo if you dont like him and his criticisms of the Left ignore him!..he has a lot to offer in the critique of the Right)

        …i will be very pissed off if I have to choose between the Standard and the Daily Blog…they both have their role …they should NOT be in competition

      • batweka 7.2.2

        yeah and the standard is fully of loonies and conspiracy theorists.

        So much for the idea of building a pan left movement then.

        • Morrissey 7.2.2.1

          yeah and the standard is fully [sic] of loonies and conspiracy theorists.

          There are some of those people here, of course, but they are few and far between. If you’re looking for loons and conspiracy theorists, you need to go to that discredited blog run by Blubberguts, and the equally discredited blog run by David Farrar.

          So much for the idea of building a pan left movement then.

          Internecine squabbling is a speciality of the left, as I’m sure you’re well aware.

          • batweka 7.2.2.1.1

            So Bomber does something stupid and some people here feel the need to point out in detail that him and his blog are useless. That’s not internecine squabbling, that’s just returning the stupid.

            TDB has an important partty to play in the left blogosphere. Sometimes they get things wrong. This week Bomber did something stupid. Let’s not turn this into a snarkfest about someone who is actually an ally.

            There are some of those people here, of course, but they are few and far between. If you’re looking for loons and conspiracy theorists, you need to go to that discredited blog run by Blubberguts, and the equally discredited blog run by David Farrar.

            Ok, so PA is full of middle class wankers, TDB is pompous, poorly written and run by an egomaniac, but the standard is full of intelligent lefties doing good works for all.

            Mote in one’s eye and all that.

            • tracey 7.2.2.1.1.1

              Plus 1

              Challenging and correcting his wrong statements is one thing but dow e really need a pissing contest?

              Let him do his thing. TS does its thing. And correct and challenge each other as needed.

            • lprent 7.2.2.1.1.2

              TDB has an important partty to play in the left blogosphere. Sometimes they get things wrong. This week Bomber did something stupid. Let’s not turn this into a snarkfest about someone who is actually an ally.

              Oh I agree with that. That is why they have their own tab on the feed (like Scoop politics). The sites that have somewhat less content and are of interest to the left are on the main feed, like Public address or Pundit.

              It is just that Bomber has a bad habit of running off with a bullshit theme and using it over and over again *unless* he gets pulled up hard and early. Bloody headstrong and inclined to think that myths are reality.

              But that is a lot easier for both of us than the next level of action. Getting him to unlearn a rote set of expressions could be very painful. For both of us.

              • batweka

                It makes sense to pull him up on that. I was just annoyed by the comments that were using it to have a general go at him. Seems unnecessary and counter productive.

            • Morrissey 7.2.2.1.1.3

              Nicely put, mon ami.

        • rhinocrates 7.2.2.2

          TS has many “rough diamonds” I’d say, which is why I like it – it means a broad appeal and an open door, which is what debate on the left needs, not carefully massaged and filtered media branding. Being called loonies by the likes of the idiotic “Iagreewithmatthew” Williams and his idol should be a mark of honour.

          I’m missing Queen of Thorns and Ghost Rider/Rogue Trooper – I hope that you’re doing well, wherever you are.

          The cliquey and navel-gazing complacency of a certain blog means that I have no interest in it any more.

    • Chooky 7.3

      @ Murray Rawshark ….totally disagree!…Bradbury is certainly NOT a “gossip columnist”!….he can write and better than most…his arguments are generally ( not always) concise and provocative …he gets to the nub of issues FAST….love or loathe what he has to say he is damned good !

      …those who say he is all about himself should take a good long hard look in the mirror and think about themselves and those mediocre wannabes they support

      …and btw I supported Mana and the Internet Party. I think Dotcom has been shafted by the right wing corporate bought msm and a sycophantic John Key Nactional Government to monopolistic Hollywood/USA corporate copyright takeover interests…if you cant see that you are a FOOL

      • Tiger Mountain 7.3.1

        Bomber is an interesting one alright, I would say to Martyn–be as bombastic and ‘once over lightly’ as you like–but don’t be surprised when others react accordingly.

        And to continue with the trivial, the TBD first para repeat (easily fixed) as described by Murray Rawshark drives me spare too.

        TBD has a good spread of writers and the one stop shop concept is too good to be sidelined by Bomber’s shenanigans. The writing is unrestrained and hardly ever boring as so many neat as a pin blogs are.

      • Murray Rawshark 7.3.2

        If you think the posts I have made in defence of Dotcom against his railroading mean I can’t see that he’s been shafted, it’s not me that’s the fool.

        • Chooky 7.3.2.1

          @ Murray Rawshark re “I hope Mana gets rid of him [Bradbury]. I think he may have been the mover behind the Dotcom thing, which I suspect was designed to get a radio station for himself.”

          Disagree!…imo a spurious attack on Bradbury’s motives! ….and there were other reasons why the Mana/Int…Dotcom “thing” did not come off…and it was nothing to do with Bradbury!….one of the main reasons was the concerted campaign by the msm against Dotcom and another was Labour joining with the Nacts to oust Harawira and thereby Mana/Int’s chances

          …no wonder Bradbury is mad at Labour

          • Murray Rawshark 7.3.2.1.1

            He’ll get over it. He’ll have more trouble getting over himself, like when he raved so enthusiastically about the appointment of Matt McCartney ensuring a Labour win in 2014.

            • Chooky 7.3.2.1.1.1

              i prefer optimism and enthusiasm to a deadening cynicism…and a kicking down of those who have tried …

              Bradbury and Harawira and Mana played political high stakes with Dotcom and Harre and the Internet Party on board ….it was an intelligent, audacious and bold move for a Mana Party which represents the most disadvantaged and those with the least voice in New Zealand society …it raised Mana’s profile and respect enormously…and they almost won!

              …. it was downed of course by the scurrilous right wing msm attacks on Dotcom and Harawira …and Labour’s disgraceful collusion with John Key Nactional to oust Hone Harawira from his seat.

              …nevertheless NZ is the better for having the likes of Bradbury, Dotcom, Harawira and Harre….and the teleconference with Amsterdam, Assange, Snowden and Greenwald was brilliant…it spoke of core issues of privacy from right wing spy network surveillance, internet freedom and democracy, and monopolistic corporate attempts to control copyright and the internet……issues which not only confront New Zealand but the world

              Bradbury is to be congratulated for being at the forefront of endorsing this public debate… and promoting the Mana/Internet Party.

          • tricledrown 7.3.2.1.2

            Dotcom was the master of his own downfall no one else every time he opened his mouth the whole left took a hit.
            Dotcom was well out of his depth politicaly.
            Hone’s was also the master of his own demise as well,His car accident flipancy etc along with Dotcom became toxic to swing voters!
            Nations TV ads hit the mark like a lazer guided bomb.
            While Labours ads were decidly amateur.
            The greens ad’s were better..
            National were able to create doubt with their wobbly dinghy ad’s Dotcom,Hone,Labour ‘s dithering,Peter’s track record!
            All played into National ‘s narrative.
            Had the left parties had a combined strategy,cooperated with similar policies,the election would have been different!

  8. burt 8

    A delusional lefty – I bet as well as trying to tell everyone else how to run their operation he also believes that even when socialism fails everywhere it’s tried that one more chance is all it needs and he knows how to make it work this time.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 8.1

      The Scandinavian nations – among others – are way ahead of him.

    • felix 8.2

      If we just persist with capitalism and its associated values a little bit longer it’s bound to start producing a fair and just society where the abundant resources of the earth are shared equally among its equal inhabitants.

      Just a little more hoarding and we promise, this time it will trickle down.

      • burt 8.2.1

        Good you acknowledge the failure of dogmatic adherence to an ideology that’s been proven to fail over and over again.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 8.2.1.1

          Social democracy hasn’t failed, and isn’t an ideology.

        • felix 8.2.1.2

          Sad that you still don’t, burt.

        • tricledrown 8.2.1.3

          Burt the dogwhistling dogmatic hypocrit!
          Dogma is not confined to the left Ironic aye Burt.
          Capitalist fundamentalism is no more sucessful than fundamentalist communism they end up being identical!

    • tracey 8.3

      Kind of like Douglas and Richardson who believe that their policies didnt work as well by way of trickle down, cos they werent given the chance to fully implement them…

    • adam 8.4

      Please burt put down the cracker pipe. If you can’t be bothered to realise socialism does work, and rather well actually. Or if you’re to lazy to read about the real world and real world results – like say MOST OF SOUTH AMERICA. then sorry for you burt, sorry for you.

      • nadis 8.4.1

        which countries in “most of south america”would you regard as working rather well actually?

        • Matthew Hooton 8.4.1.1

          And which have histories of socialism? Chile? Argentina?

          • Colonial Rawshark 8.4.1.1.1

            Nah, the US military/CIA fucked all of those. Killed quite a few South American leaders in the process.

  9. Puckish Rogue 9

    I guess the difference is different views (even views from the right) are allowed on this site whereas on TDB dissent will not be tolerated!

    • Chooky 9.1

      on the Daily Blog ..there is not the scope for commentator interaction and debate and squabbling …in this regard The Standard is a vastly superior site technologically speaking…and flaxroots democratically speaking ( thanks LPRENT for your skills )

      …on the Daily Blog …you can make a comment on the Post and agree/or disagree with another comments……plus you can do a thumbs up or down….but all comments are very much directed at the lead Post …so interaction is far more limited ( DTB is much more teacher/pupil style than on the Standard which is anarchistic wide ranging debate)

  10. ianmac 10

    Sometimes I watched Bombers panel discussions and thought that they were pretty good. Much better than Jim’s Panel anyway. Seems a pity that he has slipped off the pace.
    As a daily reader of The Standard I would certainly pay a sub instead of a newspaper sub. As a Superannuant I chose carefully and really appreciate the effort that Iprent puts in.

  11. Ad 11

    Cheers for the defence.

    Fully agree with your (restrained) response to Bomber.
    Personally I find his site too bitsy and jumbly to invite me. Plus the dialogue here seems to run with fluidity.

    I prefer the graphic and headline balance of Salon to the The Atlantic, for example.

    Taking a couple of months to fix programming bugs is heroic.
    I am very grateful for everything you do for this site LP.

  12. Jenny Kirk 12

    Like Chooky at (2) above, I’m a relative newcomer to this site, but as a Labour member and activist I’ve found it incredibly helpful in picking up on information I had no previous knowledge of, or in additional reasoning on why certain Labour policies (eg raising age of super) were unwarranted.

    As well as reinforcing my own ideas and opinions (which has been an extraordinarily useful and encouraging thing to happen in an age when it has appeared Labour could not shake off its neo-liberal approach to life in NZ).

    But I have NEVER looked on this as a Labour Party site – the range of views is too diverse, too critical of actions/views of certain Labour MPs – and I am surprised to find (if I understand Lprent correctly) that Labour people (MPs ?) have complained to the Party secretary about the site. I would have thought it obvious that this is a site entirely separate from the Party. The language is different for one thing …. ! And the diversity of opinion (including those of trolls) another !

    Long may it last ! and thanks to all who started it and keep it going.

  13. Marty 13

    Does size matter? It seems some think that audience size is proportional to being effective. I’m not sure this is the case. Let’s resist the urge to fix what isn’t actually broken. As for Bomber, it amazes me that there is anyone left that feels he is due any credibility after fouling his own nest so comprehensively. Picking fights with TS is yet another idiotic move.

  14. tracey 14

    Perhaps next time the media or hooton or slater suggest this is a WO for the left, lprent can release one of the LP hierarchies complaint letters tot he press…

  15. oarSum 15

    It’s high time the Left was ‘officially’ dissociated from Bradbury and his fragile yet astonishly, annoyingly persistent ego.
    I’ts a sad indictment of the mainstream media that they continue to exploit the sensationlist drivle from a spoilt, juvenile brat hiding inside an aging 40 year-old

    • Chooky 15.1

      …actually …sorry to disappoint all right wing tr..ls…i think Bomber Bradbury has quite a following on the left of the Left…i count myself as one

      • Maisie 15.1.1

        What exactly makes him ‘left of the left’? The fact that he mindlessly trumpets revolution as the solution to everything? I’m merely ‘left’ (no right wing troll me) but regard Bradbury as a worrying embarrassment.

  16. ghostwhowalksnz 16

    If you keep this up, Bomber will end up as the ‘lefts columnist” in the Sunday Herald.

    Havent replaced Matt Mccarten since he went to work for Cunliffe ( and Little)

  17. oarSum 17

    Bomber … is actually an ally
    In the battle for the biggest sound bite, pehaps
    Surely there are more important issues for the Left

    • lprent 17.1

      I’d agree. There are bigger issues. However the art of meme and myth making is pretty damn clear as well. That is what he was doing.

      However when anyone makes stupid comments about our site, regardless who the fool is, then they have a tendency to receive the savage side of my fingers. I have found that if I don’t call fools asserting incorrect ‘facts’ about the site, then I find that I have to waste more time later on dealing with them as they try to spread it.

      So I start escalate directly to harsh personal opinions to make the point penetrate foolish heads. Adding in a semi-random and completely over the top progression, because I’m not that interested in playing other people’s silly games. They take the risk on what happens to them when they make statements about the site that they cannot support.

      Bomber knows that, so I have to assume it was a deliberate attack. If he’d actually wanted to know, then all he had to do was email.

      Being polite about dumbarses intent on making myths with no basis in fact about others is something that there no point in being polite about.

  18. Molly 18

    Don’t mind TDB, or Bomber’s writing style. Don’t need to agree with all his points to understand that he is writing with complete honesty on his opinions etc. The more variety of sources for the left to access the better IMO.

    Also, his contributing authors are often very specific on issues, and like The Standard, that diversity of opinion and experience is valuable to understanding.

    Will keep accessing both, and any other left leaning blog that comes my way.

    On a selfish note, I’m hoping the readership of both continues to increase so that conversations with others become much more informed.

    I know that since friends and family have started reading TS and TDB, our political discussions have become much more emphatic and informative, so I’m flying the flag for both.

  19. Capn Insano 19

    Yes. I was a bit disappointed to see that snipe at this site in his article. I think it is unwarranted, particularly as I think it just adds to a public perception that the Left is fractious and dis-organised. Such public snipes like this could quite easily be latched onto by whalearse and co and possibly even certain tools in the media. So far it’s been my observation that within those keen to see National booted out there is quite a wide variety of personal beliefs and viewpoints so there is a challenge perhaps to bring it all together [that Herding Cats video springs to mind] but we should try and I think public petty attacks on another blog site don’t help.
    Personally I check both sites often and don’t have any particular preference [I do note the repetition thing on TDB though]. These sites are important to me for providing a narrative sorely missed on what passes for journalism in most of our mainstream media here at the moment and I’m very appreciative of the efforts involved in running them.

  20. greywarshark 20

    Interesting talk on radionz regarding our media. Tertiary research has shown about 50% ownership by financial institutions and private equity firms. If we can keep costs low and avoid getting in the sharks’ bellies that would be good.

    Gavin Ellis and Kathryn Ryan –
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/20160380

  21. esoteric pineapples 21

    I like The Standard AND I like the Daily Blog – they come from somewhat different perspectives which is GOOD. Hard for the blogs to see eye-to-eye sometimes but good for us readers. Give me the facts and arguments, I’ll make up my own mind.

    Without the two and a few other favourite blogs, I’d feel like New Zealand is totally full of Loony Tunes.

  22. surferboy 2 22

    I value TDB because Bomber has gone to the trouble of helping to share the insights of people like; Dr Wayne Hope, Proff Jane Kelsey, Chris Trotter, Marama Davidson, Selwyn Manning, Mathew Hooten(yuk), John Minto and many other worthy commentators on NZ politics. I think the negative comments on this thread are maybe one of penis envy and not based on reality.I also value very much TS so thank you for your important contribution to a lively NZ political discourse.

  23. Rodel 23

    Some people can speak well. Some can write well. Few can do both.

    I enjoy Bradbury’s writings but when he speaks, to me it’s just ranting and I turn off.
    He sounds like a fool but he writes powerfully.

    Now Cameron is in a completely different category.He…oh ..never mind…

  24. Orthodoxia 24

    I agree with iprent about keeping ts simple. Ad has good genuine points but is a little naive especially trying to get ts to be like Whaleoil. Ts is already of a higher standard in regards to layout, quality and quantity of posts and far more informed commentators (and for $200 a month!). I enjoy reading the uncluttered site compared to whaleoil which is poorly designed and who’s ads are pretty x-rated ( a sign they are in trouble).
    I think not being in the labour party is a wise move in maintaining ts with a independent voice.
    Perhaps like Wikipedia, each year ts has a fundraising drive then bases its next years budget on the result?
    Just a thought

  25. Orthodoxia 25

    I also forgot to say that I have enjoyed the daily blog, but Bomber has set himself up as a bit of a pundit. He got his predictions so wrong over the election that it is going to take some hard work from him to rebuild some credibility.

  26. millsy 26

    Bradbury can be a bit tedious and repetitive — kinda like a far left Mike Williams.

    Though his ideas about a Radio NZ 2 are interesting and deserve to be looked into further..

  27. SaveNZ 27

    I like the daily blog. The more non MSM views the better in my mind. I also like his choices of guest bloggers because you sure as hell aren’t hearing from them in the MSM rags. Left of center blogs have to look at the big picture and stop attacking each other. You don’t want to do a Labour Leadership public fist fight which dilute the much more important message of alternative content and ideas.

    • lprent 27.1

      Left of center blogs have to look at the big picture and stop attacking each other.

      Yes and…

      The bigger picture for me is the preservation of *this* site, an open dialogue on the left, and a open discussion on news, policies, and directions. I’m not interested in silo mentalities, ideological carping, or the convenient manufacturing of myths.

      I will occasionally respond to bomber when he attacks this site with myths he has made up. The same way that I respond to other bloggers and MSM. I also escalate the language and style to be clearly more offensive each time I have to do such a response.

      If bomber doesn’t want me to explain his deficiencies in more and more detail over time, then he should avoid attacking this site with no cause. At least have something better than ‘he feels like it because his readership is dropping at present’ – which is what I expect happened. We’re not here for him to use as a ladder beyond what we are willing and generous enough to provide already.

      If he does have a legitimate criticism, then he should provide quotes and links to what he is objecting to, rather than lying with blanket unsubstantiated statements. If, as in this case, he directly parroted Whaleoil and claimed that this independent blog site is run by the Labour party then I would expect some more justification than him apparently picking it out of his arse and waving that as proof.

      I’m not someone who plays those kinds of games for readership. If someone attacks me or whatever I am protecting without cause, then they can expect to take severe personal damage in return.

      I find it makes the arseholes of this world think twice before they do anything so stupid again.

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    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
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    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Progress continues apace on water storage
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