The Big Mo

Written By: - Date published: 11:49 am, October 8th, 2023 - 48 comments
Categories: act, election 2023, labour, national, same old national - Tags:

This is a scene from West Wing about that all important attribute in campaigns, momentum in the polls.

For a long time this campaign has looked, at least superficially, like a foregone conclusion.  National and Act’s polling was far too good.  They had far too much money.  And Labour’s vote was declining.

With recent polls showing a reversal of Labour’s fortunes and with Act crashing things are turning around.  And with doubts about the accuracy of the polls, shown by the results in 2020 and 2005, anything can happen.

I did some door knocking yesterday.  Some of the people I spoke to were very negative about Labour.  It is not difficult to understand why, the country has been through a one in one hundred year pandemic, an economic downturn due to overseas factors and has been hit by really wild weather.  We are all grumpy.

And National with its huge war chest and incessantly negative advertising is doing its best to bring everyone down.  It must be really hard on your mental health to be negative 95% of the time.

On the doorstep however there was real incredulity at National’s tax plans and its deceptive advertising about the size of its tax cuts.  People are reviewing what they are going to do.

This election is not over.  With an undecided figure of 10% anything is possible.

And Christopher Luxon raising the possibility of a further election is an unbelievable show of weakness.

Do the right thing and get three of your family or friends to vote.  The country’s future depends on it.

48 comments on “The Big Mo ”

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  1. SapphireGem 1
    8 October 2023 at 12:20 pm

    Mickey, I agree that National raising the possibility of a second election is a sign of desperation and chaos.

    Grant Robertson's comment on it is apt: “National’s campaign is falling apart and Christopher Luxon’s bad judgment has been sorely exposed."

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/election-2023-christopher-luxon-grilled-by-northland-residents-on-national-working-with-winston-peters/FQFK77KHPZH2RETYPH74YMJOYM/

    As an aside, I am a bit fed up with the "we are all grumpy" narrative – I'm not shooting you as the messenger of the feedback you've received while door-knocking; I am saying that instead of being grumpy, perhaps people could be adopt an attitude of appreciation and gratitude for the fact that through excellent leadership and stewardship during said one in one hundred year pandemic, this Government implemented a response that saved 20,000 lives. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/499516/new-zealand-s-covid-19-response-saved-20-000-lives-research

    People need to understand that if they feel grumpy now, they are going to get grumpier still if they vote in National, who will instate a scam tax plan, benefit their wealthy mates, make life even easier for landlords, screw over tenants, and further disadvantage the most at-risk and vulnerable people in society. Then, people will have a lot more to feel grumpier about!

  2. observer 2
    8 October 2023 at 12:26 pm

    That Herald link tells us everything anyone needs to know about the emptiness of Luxon, and the bluster strategy:

    "Starting his day at a Kerikeri retirement village, Luxon was asked by resident Rhonda Blackie about how he would cope with Peters.

    The National leader immediately trotted out his usual comments – his preference for a National/Act government, how he’ll call Peters if he has to – so much so that he talked over Blackie a few times.

    Once able to speak, Blackie asked how would he cope if he was unable to avoid working with Peters.

    “I’ll make it work,” Luxon replied.

    Blackie later told reporters she felt a bit “over-talked”."

    (italics added)

    So, as long as nobody else questions, criticises, or even talks, he's fine. What a joke.

    • SapphireGem 2.1
      8 October 2023 at 12:33 pm

      Luxon tries to steamroll and bamboozle people through waffling and evasively darting this way and that – anything to avoid giving a straight answer to a direct question.

    • SapphireGem 2.2
      8 October 2023 at 12:36 pm

      Luxon sounding more all over the show by the second: “It's up to the New Zealand people to decide, the voter is never wrong. And if they decide that they’re putting them back in Parliament, then I will find a way to make that work as best as I possibly can.

      “But the real risk is he hasn’t gone with National in 27 years, and we all remember 2017.”

      He said his preference was a “strong, stable National government”, his second preference was to just work with ACT, and his third preference “and only then will I pick up the phone.

      Luxon added, “no guarantees” to his third preference." From https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300984763/nz-election-2023-live-winston-hasnt-gone-with-national-in-27-years-luxon-warns

      • Bearded Git 2.2.1
        8 October 2023 at 1:39 pm

        Agree Sapphire. Luxon is floundering, and the more he flounders the more he talks …waffles….which makes it worse.

        We only need 2-3 per cent of people to see through him and swap sides for things to get very interesting

  3. Mike the Lefty 3
    8 October 2023 at 12:51 pm

    A week away from D Day, I would have to admit that I still think the left's chances of retaining power are slim, but there are certainly signs that National is starting to realise just what a mess it is headed for it wins the most seats and has to cobble together a coalition of back stabbers, conspiracy theorists and board room execs.

    Hipkins has no alternative but to go for National's throat and show the people what kind of Thieve's Guild administration awaits them should National and its squabbling underlings win. National is starting to crack under the strain and there should be no pity shown by Labour, The Greens and Te Pati Maori.

  4. Thinker 4
    8 October 2023 at 3:09 pm

    TBH, this is the first election where I'm dismayed at the lack of a cohesive vision by all/any of the major parties.

    I'll pick on National, but I'm afraid I could have chosen any one of them, where during the midst of a world economic slowdown, war in Eastern Europe and a local economy that is drifting close to recession and they are campaigning on increasing speed limits.

    ACT talks a lot, but seems to me saying a lot of "Will Rogers" type statements (like his Guy Fawkes rant) rather than espousing a cohesive policy to position Aotearoa New Zealand in a niche position on the world's trade map, which is the only way we can truly aspire to be one of the world's leading economies.

    All of them seem to be offering their own grab bag of this and that, masquerading as policy, designed to catch the eye of the swinging voter. None I can see has a sound cohesive vision for this country's direction, broken down into goals, objectives and a set of policies designed to take the country in that cohesive direction.

    This year, more than before we were sucked down into the quicksand of the covid crisis and the wars overseas, I'm looking for governance that is more about growing the size of the pie than it is about arguing how to divide up the pie that we already have.

    So we should be stopping mining and oil exploration licenses. Good. So we should cut back on farming’s contribution to climate change. Good. But, what SHOULD we be doing to build a sustainable future? In what sectors do we have an advantage, globally, and how are we going to build this country’s ability to seize them?

    Growing the pie helps us all. Dividing up the pie only serves to make some of us winners at the expense of the others.

    BTW, I voted on 2nd October. I'm still supportive of the values I've held for many years and it was easy to vote for what in my opinion is the best of the bunch. But, a generation ago, when I was starting out in the workforce, Graham Crocombe and others produced a book designed to be a guide to building on New Zealand's competitive advantages and I'm still waiting for a party to either adopt that vision or create one like it. https://www.amazon.com.au/Upgrading-New-Zealands-Competitive-Advantage/dp/0195582241

  5. SPC 5
    8 October 2023 at 4:42 pm

    The best hope and the one that NACT and its mates are wary of

    1.National requires NZF confidence and supply to govern

    2.ACT fears NZF will only back a National minority government.

    3.A three way deal would take months to work out and might not last.

    is NZF walking away from a NACT regime and offering confidence and supply to a Labour led minority government (blocking certain policies), rather than be forced into a new election for not accepting NACT perfidity.

    Peters has been through the Bolger-Shipley period, he will have learnt. The no waka jumping rule is there for a reason.

    Labour needs to get above 30% and get National below 35 or below.

    Greens and TPM need to be 5% or more above ACT.

    Then L/G/TPM are above NACT.

    If the centre wants NZF to block an extreme NACT government good, but even better if having an alternative there with significant levels of support.

    (the sad thing is that with no polls in the final week, if it does close and a LG/TPM was possible, those in the centre will not know that when they vote).

    • weka 5.1
      8 October 2023 at 5:34 pm

      are there no more polls?

    • weka 5.2
      8 October 2023 at 5:39 pm

      is NZF walking away from a NACT regime and offering confidence and supply to a Labour led minority government (blocking certain policies), rather than be forced into a new election for not accepting NACT perfidity.

      do you mean L/G/TPM with NZF c/s?

      why would Peters do that rather than L/NZF and G/TPM c/s?

      The thing everyone seems to be missing is that the Greens aren't a done deal. It's up to the negotiating team to bring proposals to the membership, and then the membership votes via delegates on which to accept/reject.

      The big question for me is why the Greens would give c/s to a coalition that had outright climate deniers in it. And if it were the other way around, the NZF c/s option, can you really see Peters doing that?

      • SPC 5.2.1
        8 October 2023 at 5:55 pm

        do you mean L/G/TPM with NZF c/s?

        No NZF offering c and s to a Labour led minority government without TPM or Greens.

        If a National government failed, the first move by NZF would be to install another party to try and form a functional government – it would do this by confidence and supply (Greens and TPM would do the same).

        The range of options with National Act and NZF with a National led government also exist with a Labour led one, as per Greens, TPM and NZF.

        At this point, NZF has signalled they will support National and not Labour, that does not survive the fall of a National led government.

        • mikesh 5.2.1.1
          8 October 2023 at 7:15 pm

          If a National government failed, the first move by NZF would be to install another party to try and form a functional government – it would do this by confidence and supply (Greens and TPM would do the same).

          If this happened Hipkins should do what Harold Wilson did when, with a very narrow majority, the party that he led was first elected: govern for a short period and then call a snap election to try and increase his majority, having first of all put before the electorate a credible program. It worked for Wilson, but in our case the left would need to come together to develop a worthwhile vision to put before the electorate.

          • SPC 5.2.1.1.1
            8 October 2023 at 7:28 pm

            Sure, I'd like to Hipkins start on that now before the election …

            by saying the first policy concession they might make to form a coalition government with Greens would be to adopt their 3% cap on any rent increase and look at windfall profit taxation regimes on larger companies with limited market place competition (banks and supermarkets).

            • Ngungukai 5.2.1.1.1.1
              8 October 2023 at 8:19 pm

              Labour are not really promoting their main policy points as far as I am aware, or maybe I am not listening properly. I shudder thinking what a NACT Coalition is going to do to this country and I can't see a NACT First Coalition coming to fruition, hell will freeze over b4 that happens.

        • weka 5.2.1.2
          8 October 2023 at 8:25 pm

          ok, so Labour with a 36 MP minority government, and NZF guaranteeing the budget each year but free to vote how they want otherwise?

          Won't NACT and NZF just out vote the Labour govt on legislation even with the Greens and TPM mostly voting with them?

          Don’t think you could run a government with only 36 MPs

          • SPC 5.2.1.2.1
            8 October 2023 at 9:01 pm

            Don’t think you could run a government with only 36 MPs

            You could with confidence and supply from NZF.

            That NZF would not support a NACT coalition, or a L/G/TPM one, is a given.

            There is a precedent, National was a minority government that ran on support agreements 2008-2017.

            Support agreements would be complicated as NZF would veto some policies of Labour, and some that Labour would agree with Greens and TPM in return for the guarantee of c and s.

            • weka 5.2.1.2.1.1
              8 October 2023 at 10:10 pm

              afaik, C/S simply means that NZF agrees to vote for the budget. If you're talking about NZF MPs being Ministers, that's a coalition agreement (or similar), not just c/s.

              There is a precedent, National was a minority government that ran on support agreements 2008-2017.

              Yeah, but they had 58 seats. The issue with 36 seats is if NZ was confident it would work. As I said, Labour would be outnumbered on legislation a lot.

              • weka …
                8 October 2023 at 10:11 pm

                outside chance, but if NZF dropped below 5%, the left could conceivably govern.

              • SPC …
                8 October 2023 at 10:53 pm

                If you're talking about NZF MPs being Ministers, that's a coalition agreement (or similar), not just c/s.

                No I did not do that, because Peters has said he would not form a government with Labour and Hipkins has said the same.

                Yes a minority could be outvoted on legislation. So. It would be hard to do so in areas of confidence and supply though …

  6. Corey 6
    8 October 2023 at 5:00 pm

    I personally am a wee bit over the media and activist narrative that the country is grumpy, we're not we're tired and cynical and don't believe a word the polis say, and why should we?

    Excluding 2005 and 2017, every election since 1999 has resulted in a majority for left block or right block parties, all promising change and all once elected disappointing their voters by offering crumbs and merely managing the downward spiral of nz living standards.

    2011,2014 and 2020 saw majority or close to majority govt and again nothing changes. We elect them, they stop listening to us for 2.5 years and then put their faces and billboards and adds telling how much they love us, rinse and repeat.

    The problems we face today in housing, health, education, wages, tax policy, infrastructure and environment have all been caused by decades of short term leadership from both the left and the right blocks.

    National had 9 years of near majority govt and all they achieved for their voters was asset sales, tax cuts funded by gst rises and tax increases every single year and third way centrism.

    In 2020, the most important election in generations, 60% of kiwis voted for left wing parties.

    Once given that support, instead of much needed universal programs, social democratic housing and infrastructure programs or basic tax reform, we got billions of dollars spent on backroom bureaucratic restructurings that noone understood wanted, asked for, voted on and didn't pay for a single nurse, doctor or teacher to be employed or trained.

    The best the left could do with historic support in the most import electoral cycle in generations were milktoast worker reforms, a couple crumbs to beneficiaries, bare minimum wage increases, half priced busses and prescription charges and toothless supermarket and environment reforms and a pathetic number of state house builds being hailed as the second coming of christ.

    Hilariously or heartbreakingly Labour 6 like National 5 and Labour 5 before them thought by doing as little as possible they wouldn't alienate support, but by doing as little as possible they guaranteed they'd lose support.

    When 60% of the country votes for a collection of left wing parties promising major reforms to the status quo after a global shared sacrifice and all we get are internal tweaks and crumbs and two popular leaders who loved nz so much that even they gave up and skipped country, you get a tired, gloomy and cynical electorate.

    Labour and National can't even crack a combined 70% anymore.

    Neither major party will do any soul searching or change in any meaningful way if they lose.

    Can anyone seriously see Labour's excessively upper middle class caucus of lawyers, teachers and student politicians seriously asking themselves why they can't connect with the poor, working class and lower middle class voters the party was created to represent? Let alone actually having a couple working class candidates?

    Not in a million years. Not when half the party membership have dreams of being mps and the only way to be a candidate is to kiss arse and never criticize the party's flaws. You'll never get serious self reflection from professional politicos or wannabe politicos

    If we have a hung parliament it'll be hilarious. It'll mean the people want the parties in parliament to compromise and work together and if parliament can't work together and takes us to to an early election…

    Then you'll see an angry electorate, a plague on all your houses and every party in parliament will be punished for making us all sit through another three months of seeing rich pricks in blue yellow red green black burgundy and teal ties on billboards talk down to us, lie to us and pretend to be working for us.

    I hate national and act and hope they lose but if they do win, for the sake of our democracy I hope they keep their promises to their voters, nothing kills a democracy quicker than apathy.

    But let's be real, Luxon will be another third way status quoer just like Lange, Bolger, Shipley, Clark, Key, English and Ardern and Hipkins.

    We're not voting on ideas or policies or even leadership, we're voting on whose best to manage NZ Inc, sorry I mean the downward spiral of nz living standards

    • Ngungukai 6.1
      8 October 2023 at 5:59 pm

      NZ has definitely been on a steady downward spiral for the past 30-40 years under both National & Labour.

    • UncookedSelachimorpha 6.2
      9 October 2023 at 4:18 am

      Agree with almost everything Corey says here.

      The original post betrays some of Labour's attitude problem.

      Some of the people I spoke to were very negative about Labour. It is not difficult to understand why, the country has been through a one in one hundred year pandemic, an economic downturn due to overseas factors and has been hit by really wild weather.

      People are smart enough to know those are largely outside of NZ control. People I speak to are outraged by Labour's absolute rejection of any serious move to reduce inequality and hardship, despite growing public support for this. To Labour, words like "inequality" and "class" must never be mentioned – instead just useless managerial stuff from people who seem to have zero idea what life is like for most New Zealanders.

  7. Muttonbird 7
    8 October 2023 at 8:42 pm

    Why is door knocking a thing? I see all parties do it more or less but it seems like an extraordinary waste of human resources. It also creates potential for abuse.

    When you're struggling just to get to work, to be at work, to keep the kids fed, to pay $400/month for power, to attend to your wider family's problems, to keep the landlord's agent happy, to create hope and guidance for the young ones and to set them on a better course that your own…

    …that last thing you want is a placard waving idiot walking up your (your landlord's, sorry) driveway.

    Seriously, fuck off already.

    • Ad 7.1
      8 October 2023 at 9:18 pm

      For the obviously uninitiated like yourself, in our system you win power by getting votes.

      The conversion rate of contact to actual vote is really, really high with knocking on doors with people you know haven't voted and know will likely vote for your person and party.

      You would know this if you had been in an actual strong electorate campaign.

      This part of the campaign has zero, zero to do with your bleeding heart sonatas, and everything with just getting the votes.

      • Muttonbird 7.1.1
        8 October 2023 at 9:59 pm

        Yesteryear thinking. But do have a comfortable retirement, won't you?

        • weka 7.1.1.1
          8 October 2023 at 10:14 pm

          it's actually very effective. It's about getting out the vote of people who are likely to vote for you. Parties have lists they work from, it's not like you're knocking on every random door.

        • SapphireGem 7.1.1.2
          8 October 2023 at 10:27 pm

          Your disdain for door-knocking is evident, but your opinion doesn't alter the fact that it works, hence why parties invest a lot of resources in doing it.

        • newsense 7.1.1.3
          9 October 2023 at 12:07 am

          Some democracies don’t allow door knocking. Easy to do some comparisons.

        • Mike the Lefty 7.1.1.4
          9 October 2023 at 9:17 am

          Door knocking was great once when the internet wasn't even dreamt about and telephones were not mobile.

          Its effectiveness in the modern technology era is probably now fairly limited but I think it is more important that a candidate is SEEN doing it because it implies he/she is willing to work hard for success and that resonates with some voters, particularly older ones.

          • Belladonna 7.1.1.4.1
            9 October 2023 at 10:42 pm

            I've had several door-knocking episodes during this election campaign – I gather from a range of different parties. I 'gather' since I've never actually been home when the door-knocking goes on – during business hours, when I'm at work.
            I just return to another electioneering pamphlet, with a photocopied signature stuck inside the door.

            I guess, since I've collected nearly the whole set (only TPM is missing), I fall into the possible-to-persuade category for all 4 parties main parties + NZF.

    • SapphireGem 7.2
      8 October 2023 at 9:28 pm

      Parties do it because the personal touch works. Parties wouldn’t sink so much resource and manpower into going door-to-door if it didn’t work.

  8. Ad 8
    9 October 2023 at 9:06 am

    I cannot understand why after RNZ gave him a free 20 minutes this morning, Luxon gave me even less inspirational lift than Hilary Clinton's DNC opening. Just so banal.

    • observer 8.1
      9 October 2023 at 9:10 am

      "What I'm saying to you, let me be clear, look, I've been clear, what I'm saying to you is …"

      I didn't listen to it. Don't need to, the script never changes.

  9. Ad 9
    9 October 2023 at 9:51 am

    It is particularly weird by I have woken up with more optimism for our side of politics into the medium term than I have in a long time. Part of it was spending the weekend in Dunedin surrounded by humane people who can talk about more than real estate, tourism and road engineering. Dunedin people just make me feel good to be alive.

  10. observer 10
    9 October 2023 at 10:03 am

    Oh, I was wrong. Luxon did say something in that RNZ interview … something totally contradictory:

    "Told that Seymour had again raised the possibility of a cross-party arrangement and that the referendum on Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles was ACT's top issue Luxon again repeated that the National-ACT government would offer strong stable government. He also ruled out a referendum on the treaty, saying it would be "divisive" for the country."

    Luxon defends National claims around hung Parliament, a fresh election | RNZ News

    So to sum up:

    1) Luxon rules out what ACT want most

    2) Luxon says they're gonna be fine together, best buds

    He really does just open his mouth and not even listen to what he says.

    • SapphireGem 10.1
      9 October 2023 at 10:18 am

      Luxon is used to opening his mouth and talking at length, taking all the oxygen in the room, and bamboozling people, making them feel like they've been spun around in a circle and left dizzy and confused. This is also how Key operated—the art of rambling on without saying anything of substance and/or contradicting himself.

      This may have worked at Air New Zealand; however, in the lead-up to an election, where a leader's every word is scrutinised, Luxon's strategy of raving relentlessly and filling airspace is not working and is in fact revealing his inexperience and the chaos and incoherence in his head and his party.

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    The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Poll results and Waitangi Tribunal report go unmentioned on the Beehive website – where racing tru...
    Buzz  from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example.  This shows National down ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Listening To The Traffic.
    It Takes A Train To Cry: Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.
    Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Ending The Quest.
    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    2 days ago

  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – 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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    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 Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    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 ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago

  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • 25
    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 ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
    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? ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Policing protests.
    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 → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago

  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    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. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago

  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • More tax for less
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Real News vs Fake News.
    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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Cutting the Public Service
    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 ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    5 days ago

  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • This is how I roll over
    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 ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – 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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • One Night Only!
    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. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago

  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    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 ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    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 ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago

  • “That's how I roll”
    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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago

  • “Comity” versus the rule of law
    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 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
    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 ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago

  • Water is at the heart of farmers’ struggle to survive in Benin
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére Sosou Market 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • At a time of media turmoil, Melissa had nothing to proclaim as Minister – and now she has been dem...
    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 ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago

  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago

  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government saves access to medicines
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.    “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Pharmac Chair appointed
    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. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
    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, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Diplomacy needed more than ever
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
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