ACT’s dodgy backroom deals?
Written By:
- Date published:
3:43 pm, March 5th, 2009 - 63 comments
Categories: act, law and "order" -
Tags: back benches, Rodney Hide, three strikes, tvnz7
This is interesting. From the Greens’ Metiria Turei:
Last night on TVNZ7’s political show Backbenches, Rodney Hide commented that ACT had supported the Whanganui [Gang Insignia] Bill to “get Three Strikes through”.
In 2006 Mr Hide was positively sneering at Chester Borrows attempt to ban gang patches. Now it seems ACT has done a backroom deal with National, exchanging the party’s own principles to advance its legislative agenda,” said Mrs Turei.
The Three Strikes Bill has already had its first reading, so one can only assume that when Mr Hide says ‘get Three Strikes through’ he means National will support ACT in passing the Bill into law.
Of course, at this stage any speculation about a quid pro quo on the three strikes bill is just that, but it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen ACT, and Rodney Hide in particular, engaging in grubby backroom deals to advance their agenda.
You’ve also got to wonder what National must be thinking if it’s agreed to push through a law that breaches the Bill of Rights Act just so it can tell gang members in Whanganui what they can wear.
Hopefully the media will be asking some questions.
63 comments on “ACT’s dodgy backroom deals? ”
- Comments are now closed
- Comments are now closed
CommentsOpinions
Recent Comments
FeedsPartyGovtMedia
- Fact brief – Do the 31,000 signatures of the OISM Petition Project invalidate the scientific c...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Do the 31,000 signatures of the OISM Petition Project invalidate the scientific consensus on climate change? Climatologists made up only 0.1% of signatories ...13 hours ago - A culture of cruelty.
In the 1980s and early 1990s when I wrote about Argentine and South American authoritarianism, I borrowed the phrase “cultura del miedo” (culture of fear) from Juan Corradi, Guillermo O’Donnell, Norberto Lechner and others to characterise the social anomaly that exists in a country ruled by a state terror regime ...16 hours ago - Northern Australia: fortress, gateway and resource powerhouse
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...22 hours ago - Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to April 26
Chris Bishop has unveiled plans for new roads in Tauranga, Auckland and Northland that will cost up to a combined $10 billion. Photo: Lynn GrievesonLong stories short from Aotearoa political economy around housing, poverty and climate in the week to Saturday, April 26:Chris Bishop ploughed ahead this week with spending ...23 hours ago - Debt Is A Form Of Government Control
Unless you've been living under a rock, you would have noticed that New Zealand’s government, under the guise of economic stewardship, is tightening the screws on its citizens, and using debt as a tool of control. This isn’t just a conspiracy theory whispered in pub corners...it’s backed by hard data ...1 day ago - The 2025 Budget in a World of Trade Warfare
The budget runup is far from easy.Budget 2025 day is Thursday 22 May. About a month earlier in a normal year, the macroeconomic forecasts would be completed (the fiscal ones would still be tidying up) and the main policy decisions would have been made (but there would still be a ...2 days ago - EGU2025 – Presentation about our translation activities
As mentioned in the recently published prolog to EGU2025 article, I submitted an abstract to talk about some of our translation activities and the challenges we have been facing with those. This blog post is a "companion article" to that presentation in session EOS4.3 Geoethics and Global Anthropogenic Change: Geoscience for Policy, ...2 days ago
- The drums of war revisited
On 25 April 2021, I published an internal all-staff Anzac Day message. I did so as the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs, which is responsible for Australia’s civil defence, and its resilience in ...2 days ago
- Cameron Slater’s New Website: Same Old Defamation
You’ve likely noticed that the disgraced blogger of Whale Oil Beef Hooked infamy, Cameron Slater, is still slithering around the internet, peddling his bile on a shiny new blogsite calling itself The Good Oil. If you thought bankruptcy, defamation rulings, and a near-fatal health scare would teach this idiot a ...2 days ago
- David Seymour’s Atlas Network Receiving Unwanted Attention
The Atlas Network, a sprawling web of libertarian think tanks funded by fossil fuel barons and corporate elites, has sunk its claws into New Zealand’s political landscape. At the forefront of this insidious influence is David Seymour, the ACT Party leader, whose ties to Atlas run deep.With the National Party’s ...2 days ago
- Nicola Willis To Blame For Family Boost Debacle
Nicola Willis, National’s supposed Finance Minister, has delivered another policy failure with the Family Boost scheme, a childcare rebate that was big on promises but has been very small on delivery. Only 56,000 families have signed up, a far cry from the 130,000 Willis personally championed in National’s campaign. This ...2 days ago
- Editors’ pick: ‘On the value of military service’
This article was first published on 7 February 2025. In January, I crossed the milestone of 24 years of service in two militaries—the British and Australian armies. It is fair to say that I am ...2 days ago
- Rest easy, my friend.
He shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.Age shall not weary him, nor the years condemn.At the going down of the sun and in the morningI will remember him.My mate Keith died yesterday, peacefully in the early hours. My dear friend in Rotorua, whom I’ve been ...2 days ago - The Hoon around the week to April 25
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: on news New Zealand abstained from a vote on a global shipping levy on climate emissions and downgraded the importance ...2 days ago - The Men Commenting on Lorde
Hi,In case you missed it, New Zealand icon Lorde has a new single out. It’s called “What Was That”, and has a very low key music video that was filmed around her impromptu performance in New York’s Washington Square Park. When police shut down the initial popup, one of my ...2 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2025
Open access notables Internal variability effect doped by climate change drove the 2023 marine heat extreme in the North Atlantic, Guinaldo et al., Communications Earth & Environment The year 2023 shattered numerous heat records both globally and regionally. We here focus on the drivers of the unprecedented warm sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies which started in ...3 days ago
- Military denial: the basis of deterrence, and of response if deterrence fails
A strategy of denial is now the cornerstone concept for Australia’s National Defence Strategy. The term’s use as an overarching guide to defence policy, however, has led to some confusion on what it actually means ...3 days ago
- Fiscal failure
The IMF’s twice-yearly World Economic Outlook and Fiscal Monitor publications have come out in the last couple of days. If there is gloom in the GDP numbers (eg this chart for the advanced countries, and we don’t score a lot better on the comparable one for the 2019 to ...3 days ago - Climate Change: Fucking the ETS again
For a while, it looked like the government had unfucked the ETS, at least insofar as unit settings were concerned. They had to be forced into it by a court case, but at least it got done, and when National came to power, it learned the lesson (and then fucked ...3 days ago - What’s secret? When is it secret? Well, that’s complicated
The argument over US officials’ misuse of secure but non-governmental messaging platform Signal falls into two camps. Either it is a gross error that undermines national security, or it is a bit of a blunder ...3 days ago
- Today’s Headlines: David Seymour’s ECE Risks & Coalition Government Lies
Cost of living ~1/3 of Kiwis needed help with food as cost of living pressures continue to increase - turning to friends, family, food banks or Work and Income in the past year, to find food. 40% of Kiwis also said they felt schemes offered little or no benefit, according ...3 days ago - Is The NZ Media Awards Sponsored By a Conspiracy Theorist?
Hi,Perhaps in 2025 it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the CEO and owner of Voyager Internet — the major sponsor of the New Zealand Media Awards — has taken to sharing a variety of Anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish conspiracy theories to his 1.2 million followers.This included sharing a post from ...3 days ago - Australia-India defence cooperation should be about more than navies
In the sprint to deepen Australia-India defence cooperation, navy links have shot ahead of ties between the two countries’ air forces and armies. That’s largely a good thing: maritime security is at the heart of ...3 days ago
- When in Rome
'Cause you and me, were meant to be,Walking free, in harmony,One fine day, we'll fly away,Don't you know that Rome wasn't built in a day?Songwriters: Paul David Godfrey / Ross Godfrey / Skye Edwards.I was half expecting to see photos this morning of National Party supporters with wads of cotton ...3 days ago - Thursday 24 April
The PSA says a settlement with Health New Zealand over the agency’s proposed restructure of its Data and Digital and Pacific Health teams has saved around 200 roles from being cut. A third of New Zealanders have needed help accessing food in the past year, according to Consumer NZ, and ...3 days ago - John Campbell Investigates Brian Tamaki’s Destiny Church
John Campbell’s Under His Command, a five-part TVNZ+ investigation series starting today, rips the veil off Destiny Church, exposing the rot festering under Brian Tamaki’s self-proclaimed apostolic throne. This isn’t just a church; it’s a fiefdom, built on fear, manipulation, and a trail of scandals that make your stomach churn. ...3 days ago
- Decrypting tomorrow’s threats: critical infrastructure needs post-quantum protection today
Some argue we still have time, since quantum computing capable of breaking today’s encryption is a decade or more away. But breakthrough capabilities, especially in domains tied to strategic advantage, rarely follow predictable timelines. Just ...3 days ago
- Inside my quest for a climate-friendly bank
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Pearl Marvell (Photo credit: Pearl Marvell. Image credit: Samantha Harrington. Dollar bill vector image: by pch.vector on Freepik) Igrew up knowing that when you had extra money, you put it under a bed, stashed it in a book or a clock, or, ...3 days ago
- Winston Peters Has Lost The Plot
The political petrified piece of wood, Winston Peters, who refuses to retire gracefully, has had an eventful couple of weeks peddling transphobia, pushing bigoted policies, undertaking his unrelenting war on wokeness and slinging vile accusations like calling Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick a “groomer”.At 80, the hypocritical NZ First leader’s latest ...3 days ago
- The one who left
It's raining in Cockermouth and we're following our host up the stairs. We’re telling her it’s a lovely building and she’s explaining that it used to be a pub and a nightclub and a backpackers, but no more.There were floods in 2009 and 2015 along the main street, huge floods, ...3 days ago - Gordon Campbell On The Trump Upside, And Peters Persecution Of Trans People
A recurring aspect of the Trump tariff coverage is that it normalises – or even sanctifies – a status quo that in many respects has been a disaster for working class families. No doubt, Donald Trump is an uncertainty machine that is tanking the stock market and the growth prospects ...3 days ago - Is Mark Mitchell a racist?
The National Party’s Minister of Police, Corrections, and Ethnic Communities (irony alert) has stumbled into yet another racist quagmire, proving that when it comes to bigotry, the right wing’s playbook is as predictable as it is vile. This time, Mitchell’s office reposted an Instagram reel falsely claiming that Te Pāti ...4 days ago
- Australian statecraft must restore the link between deterrence and non-proliferation to survive in t...
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...4 days ago
- J.K. Rowling – Arsehole of the Week
In a world crying out for empathy, J.K. Rowling has once again proven she’s more interested in stoking division than building bridges. The once-beloved author of Harry Potter has cemented her place as this week’s Arsehole of the Week, a title earned through her relentless, tone-deaf crusade against transgender rights. ...4 days ago
- The rotten, unaccountable crown
Between 1950 and 1993 the New Zealand government tortured and abused up to 250,000 children in residential care facilities. They then proceeded to cover it up in order to minimise their liability, dragging out cases, slandering their victims and ultimately denying redress. In its final report, the Inquiry into Abuse ...4 days ago
- To prepare for future threats, treat health security as national security
Health security is often seen as a peripheral security domain, and as a problem that is difficult to address. These perceptions weaken our capacity to respond to borderless threats. With the wind back of Covid-19 ...4 days ago
- What’s on the Label -vs- What’s in the Tin.
Would our political parties pass muster under the Fair Trading Act?WHAT IF OUR POLITICAL PARTIES were subject to the Fair Trading Act? What if they, like the nation’s businesses, were prohibited from misleading their consumers – i.e. the voters – about the nature, characteristics, suitability, or quantity of the products ...4 days ago - Simeon Brown Doesn’t Consider Abortion To Be Healthcare As Services Scaled Back
Rod EmmersonThank you to my subscribers and readers - you make it all possible. Tui.Subscribe nowSix updates today from around the world and locally here in Aoteaora New Zealand -1. RFK Jnr’s Autism CrusadeAmerica plans to create a registry of people with autism in the United States. RFK Jr’s department ...4 days ago - Another Munich crisis? Understanding the limits of policymaking by analogy
We see it often enough. A democracy deals with an authoritarian state, and those who oppose concessions cite the lesson of Munich 1938: make none to dictators; take a firm stand. And so we hear ...4 days ago
- Wednesday 23 April
370 perioperative nurses working at Auckland City Hospital, Starship Hospital and Greenlane Clinical Centre will strike for two hours on 1 May – the same day senior doctors are striking. This is part of nationwide events to mark May Day on 1 May, including rallies outside public hospitals, organised by ...4 days ago
- Auckland character rules stop building on 20,000 sections
Character protections for Auckland’s villas have stymied past development. Now moves afoot to strip character protection from a bunch of inner-city villas. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories shortest from our political economy on Wednesday, April 23:Special Character Areas designed to protect villas are stopping 20,000 sites near Auckland’s ...4 days ago - AI is changing Indo-Pacific naval operations
Artificial intelligence is poised to significantly transform the Indo-Pacific maritime security landscape. It offers unprecedented situational awareness, decision-making speed and operational flexibility. But without clear rules, shared norms and mechanisms for risk reduction, AI could ...4 days ago
- What is a Man?
For what is a man, what has he got?If not himself, then he has naughtTo say the things he truly feelsAnd not the words of one who kneelsThe record showsI took the blowsAnd did it my wayLyrics: Paul Anka.Morena folks, before we discuss Winston’s latest salvo in NZ First’s War ...4 days ago - Britain recasts AUKUS for a new era
Britain once risked a reputation as the weak link in the trilateral AUKUS partnership. But now the appointment of an empowered senior official to drive the project forward and a new burst of British parliamentary ...5 days ago
- Australia’s basic-metals problem: old plants and subsidised Chinese competition
Australia’s ability to produce basic metals, including copper, lead, zinc, nickel and construction steel, is in jeopardy, with ageing plants struggling against Chinese competition. The multinational commodities company Trafigura has put its Australian operations under ...5 days ago
- Rob Campbell – Public Private Partnerships: What a Good Idea! OR ‘There will be no free...
There have been recent PPP debacles, both in New Zealand (think Transmission Gully) and globally, with numerous examples across both Australia and Britain of failed projects and extensive litigation by government agencies seeking redress for the failures.Rob Campbell is one of New Zealand’s sharpest critics of PPPs noting that; "There ...5 days ago - RB spending: the Board and the Minister
On Twitter on Saturday I indicated that there had been a mistake in my post from last Thursday in which I attempted to step through the Reserve Bank Funding Agreement issues. Making mistakes (there are two) is annoying and I don’t fully understand how I did it (probably too much ...5 days ago
- Indonesia needs to rethink its approach to military drones
Indonesia’s armed forces still have a lot of work to do in making proper use of drones. Two major challenges are pilot training and achieving interoperability between the services. Another is overcoming a predilection for ...5 days ago
- Help Stop the Gaza Genocide Through Activism
As a living breathing human being, you’ve likely seen the heart-wrenching images from Gaza...homes reduced to rubble, children burnt to cinders, families displaced, and a death toll that’s beyond comprehension. What is going on in Gaza is most definitely a genocide, the suffering is real, and it’s easy to feel ...5 days ago
- Willis ignores new Global Financial & Trade Crisis
Donald Trump, who has called the Chair of the Federal Reserve “a major loser”. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories shortest from our political economy on Tuesday, April 22:US markets slump after Donald Trump threatens the Fed’s independence. China warns its trading partners not to side with the US. Trump says some ...5 days ago - One of the Good Ones
5 days ago - AI is reshaping security, and the intelligence review sets good direction
The 2024 Independent Intelligence Review found the NIC to be highly capable and performing well. So, it is not a surprise that most of the 67 recommendations are incremental adjustments and small but nevertheless important ...5 days ago
- A worse-than-current-policy world?
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink The world has made real progress toward tacking climate change in recent years, with spending on clean energy technologies skyrocketing from hundreds of billions to trillions of dollars globally over the past decade, and global CO2 emissions plateauing. This has contributed to a reassessment of ...5 days ago
- “An A-Grade Teacher’s Pet”
Hi,I’ve been having a peaceful month of what I’d call “existential dread”, even more aware than usual that — at some point — this all ends.It was very specifically triggered by watching Pantheon, an animated sci-fi show that I’m filing away with all-time greats like Six Feet Under, Watchmen and ...5 days ago - Gordon Campbell On Papal Picks, And India As A Defence Ally
Once the formalities of honouring the late Pope wrap up in two to three weeks time, the conclave of Cardinals will go into seclusion. Some 253 of the current College of Cardinals can take part in the debate over choosing the next Pope, but only 138 of them are below ...5 days ago
- The National Party’s Prison Pipeline Ruining New Zealand
The National Party government is doubling down on a grim, regressive vision for the future: more prisons, more prisoners, and a society fractured by policies that punish rather than heal. This isn’t just a misstep; it’s a deliberate lurch toward a dystopian future where incarceration is the answer to every ...6 days ago
- Don Brash’s NZME Power Grab Must Be Rejected
6 days ago
- 2025 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #16
A listing of 28 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 13, 2025 thru Sat, April 19, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. The formatting is a ...7 days ago
- The “perfect storm” National can use to consolidate slash’n’burn policy is here…
“What I’d say to you is…” our Prime Minister might typically begin a sentence, when he’s about to obfuscate and attempt to derail the question you really, really want him to answer properly (even once would be okay, Christopher). Questions such as “Why is a literal election promise over ...7 days ago - Economic Futures – Climate Change and Modernity
Ruth IrwinExponential Economic growth is the driver of Ecological degradation. It is driven by CO2 greenhouse gas emissions through fossil fuel extraction and burning for the plethora of polluting industries. Extreme weather disasters and Climate change will continue to get worse because governments subscribe to the current global economic system, ...7 days ago
- Winning Together
A man on telly tries to tell me what is realBut it's alright, I like the way that feelsAnd everybody singsWe are evolving from night to morningAnd I wanna believe in somethingWriter: Adam Duritz.The world is changing rapidly, over the last year or so, it has been out with the ...7 days ago - My Food Bag’s Cecilia Robinson Courts Your Money For Health
MFB Co-Founder Cecilia Robinson runs Tend HealthcareSummary:Kieran McAnulty calls out National on healthcare lies and says Health Minister Simeon Brown is “dishonest and disingenuous” (video below)McAnulty says negotiation with doctors is standard practice, but this level of disrespect is not, especially when we need and want our valued doctors.National’s $20bn ...7 days ago - The Case Against Chris Luxon Remaining PM
Chris Luxon’s tenure as New Zealand’s Prime Minister has been a masterclass in incompetence, marked by coalition chaos, economic lethargy, verbal gaffes, and a moral compass that seems to point wherever political expediency lies. The former Air New Zealand CEO (how could we forget?) was sold as a steady hand, ...7 days ago
- Cameron Slater’s Creepy Fixation On Jacinda Ardern
Has anybody else noticed Cameron Slater still obsessing over Jacinda Ardern? The disgraced Whale Oil blogger seems to have made it his life’s mission to shadow the former Prime Minister of New Zealand like some unhinged stalker lurking in the digital bushes.The man’s obsession with Ardern isn't just unhealthy...it’s downright ...1 week ago
- Fact brief – Is climate change a net benefit for society?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is climate change a net benefit for society? Human-caused climate change has been a net detriment to society as measured by loss of ...1 week ago
- National’s Water Done Well Will Cost Ratepayers More
When the National Party hastily announced its “Local Water Done Well” policy, they touted it as the great saviour of New Zealand’s crumbling water infrastructure. But as time goes by it's looking more and more like a planning and fiscal lame duck...and one that’s going to cost ratepayers far more ...1 week ago
- Trump’s Tariff Tantrum Is Causing Economic Chaos
Donald Trump, the orange-hued oligarch, is back at it again, wielding tariffs like a mob boss swinging a lead pipe. His latest economic edict; slapping hefty tariffs on imports from China, Mexico, and Canada, has the stench of a protectionist shakedown, cooked up in the fevered minds of his sycophantic ...1 week ago
- The ‘China’ challenge: now a multi-generational test for Australian strategy
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...1 week ago
- White Rabbit
One pill makes you largerAnd one pill makes you smallAnd the ones that mother gives youDon't do anything at allGo ask AliceWhen she's ten feet tallSongwriter: Grace Wing Slick.Morena, all, and a happy Bicycle Day to you.Today is an unofficial celebration of the dawning of the psychedelic era, commemorating the ...1 week ago - Why Has The World Forgotten About Hollywood?
It’s only been a few months since the Hollywood fires tore through Los Angeles, leaving a trail of devastation, numerous deaths, over 10,000 homes reduced to rubble, and a once glorious film industry on its knees. The Palisades and Eaton fires, fueled by climate-driven dry winds, didn’t just burn houses; ...1 week ago
- Viennese Refugees Who Changed the Way We Think
Four eighty-year-old books which are still vitally relevant today. Between 1942 and 1945, four refugees from Vienna each published a ground-breaking – seminal – book.* They left their country after Austria was taken over by fascists in 1934 and by Nazi Germany in 1938. Previously they had lived in ‘Red ...1 week ago - Disputationes adversus astrologiam divinatricem, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1496): A Complete...
Good Friday, 18th April, 2025: I can at last unveil the Secret Non-Fiction Project. The first complete Latin-to-English translation of Giovanni Pico della Mirandola’s twelve-book Disputationes adversus astrologiam divinatricem (Disputations Against Divinatory Astrology). Amounting to some 174,000 words, total. Some context is probably in order. Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463-1494) ...1 week ago - Hamish Campbell Lied About His Links With Two By Twos Cult
National MP Hamish Campbell's pathetic attempt to downplay his deep ties to and involvement in the Two by Twos...a secretive religious sect under FBI and NZ Police investigation for child sexual abuse...isn’t just a misstep; it’s a calculated lie that insults the intelligence of every Kiwi voter.Campbell’s claim of being ...1 week ago
- Is Shane Jones The Most Corrupt Politician in New Zealand?
New Zealand First’s Shane Jones has long styled himself as the “Prince of the Provinces,” a champion of regional development and economic growth. But beneath the bluster lies a troubling pattern of behaviour that reeks of cronyism and corruption, undermining the very democracy he claims to serve. Recent revelations and ...1 week ago
- Good Friday
Give me one reason to stay hereAnd I'll turn right back aroundGive me one reason to stay hereAnd I'll turn right back aroundSaid I don't want to leave you lonelyYou got to make me change my mindSongwriters: Tracy Chapman.Morena, and Happy Easter, whether that means to you. Hot cross buns, ...1 week ago
.jpg){kind=link}
- Education Should be Led by Experts-Not Economists
Te Pāti Māori are appalled by Cabinet's decision to agree to 15 recommendations to the Early Childhood Education (ECE) sector following the regulatory review by the Ministry of Regulation. We emphasise the need to prioritise tamariki Māori in Early Childhood Education, conducted by education experts- not economists. “Our mokopuna deserve ...3 days ago
- Release: Govt’s flagship cost of living policy a failure
After promising $250 a fortnight to many families, the Government has been forced to admit just a couple hundred families are receiving it. ...3 days ago - Release: Transparency needed on changes to early childhood education
The Government is putting children at risk in early childhood education (ECE) by proposing to loosen the requirement for qualified teachers. ...3 days ago
- Release: Govt funding needed to combat invasive seaweed
The Government must support Northland hapū who have resorted to rakes and buckets to try to control a devastating invasive seaweed that threatens the local economy and environment. ...5 days ago
- New Zealand First Introduces Bill Defining ‘Woman’ and ‘Man’ in Law
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill that would ensure the biological definition of a woman and man are defined in law. “This is not about being anti-anyone or anti-anything. This is about ensuring we as a country focus on the facts of biology and protect the ...5 days ago - Release: Labour marks the passing of Pope Francis
Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins joins those mourning the passing of Pope Francis. ...5 days ago
- Release: Boot camps blog post fails to provide clarity
After stonewalling requests for information on boot camps, the Government has now offered up a blog post right before Easter weekend rather than provide clarity on the pilot. ...1 week ago
- Release: Inflation rises and families feel the squeeze
Inflation is rising again and it’s landing hardest on families already stretched thin. ...1 week ago
- Release: Govt doesn’t know how to fund new hospitals
The Government’s health infrastructure plan is big on promises but coy on where the money is coming from. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: $10 million for only 215 students in charter schools
David Seymour is pouring $10 million into charter schools that only have 215 students enrolled. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Food prices further stretching the family budget
Families already stretched by rising costs will struggle with the news food prices are going up again. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Mental health staff and patients at risk without plan
More people could be harmed if Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey does not guarantee to protect patients and workers as the Police withdraw from supporting mental health call outs. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Driver licensing proposal doesn’t put safety first
The Government’s proposal to change driver licensing rules is a mixed bag of sensible and careless. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Students struggling as Govt sits on hands
The Government is continuing to sit on its hands as students struggle to pay rent due to delays with StudyLink. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: More must be done to stop children going hungry
More children are going hungry and statistics showing children in material hardship continue to get worse. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens continue to call for Pacific Visa Waiver
The Green Party recognises the extension of visa allowances for our Pacific whānau as a step in the right direction but continues to call for a Pacific Visa Waiver. ...2 weeks ago - More children going hungry under Coalition govt
The Government yesterday released its annual child poverty statistics, and by its own admission, more tamariki across Aotearoa are now living in material hardship. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Longer wait for treatment under National
New Zealanders have waited longer to get an appointment with a specialist and to get elective surgery under the National Government. ...2 weeks ago
- Ka mate te Pire- Ka ora te mana o Te Tiriti o Waitangi me te iwi Māori
Today, Te Pāti Māori join the motu in celebration as the Treaty Principles Bill is voted down at its second reading. “From the beginning, this Bill was never welcome in this House,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader, Rawiri Waititi. “Our response to the first reading was one of protest: protesting ...2 weeks ago
- Chris Hipkins speech: Treaty Principles Bill second reading
Normally, when I rise in this House to speak on a bill, I say it's a great privilege to speak on the bill. That is not the case today. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: End to the Treaty Principles Bill, but challenges remain ahead for Aotearoa
Ka mate te pire I te rā neiThe bill dies today ...2 weeks ago
- Ka mate te Pire, ka ora Te Tiriti o Waitangi – Treaty Principles Bill dead, Te Tiriti o Waitangi m...
The Green Party is proud to have voted down the Coalition Government’s Treaty Principles Bill, an archaic piece of legislation that sought to attack the nation’s founding agreement. ...2 weeks ago
- Member’s Bill an opportunity for climate action
A Member’s Bill in the name of Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter which aims to stop coal mining, the Crown Minerals (Prohibition of Mining) Amendment Bill, has been pulled from Parliament’s ‘biscuit tin’ today. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Bill to make trading laws fairer passes first hurdle
Labour MP Kieran McAnulty’s Members Bill to make the law simpler and fairer for businesses operating on Easter, Anzac and Christmas Days has passed its first reading after a conscience vote in Parliament. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Reserve Bank acts while Govt shrugs
Nicola Willis continues to sit on her hands amid a global economic crisis, leaving the Reserve Bank to act for New Zealanders who are worried about their jobs, mortgages, and KiwiSaver. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Property Law Amendment Bill pulled from ballot
A Bill to protect first home buyers and others from bad faith property vendors has been drawn from the Member’s Ballot. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: More children at risk of losing family connections
Karen Chhour is proposing to scrap Oranga Tamariki targets which aim to connect more children under state care with family and their culture. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: David Parker made a difference – Hipkins
The Labour Leader today acknowledged and celebrated David Parker’s 23-year contribution to the Labour Party and to Parliament. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: David Parker to step down from Parliament
Long-serving Labour MP and former Minister David Parker has today announced his intention to leave Parliament. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Flaws in Govt’s climate strategy will cost us money
The Government’s plan to achieve our climate goals falls short, and will cost New Zealanders money and jobs. ...3 weeks ago
- Green Party differing view on the Treaty Principles Bill
Read the Green Party's differing view on the Treaty Principles Bill, prepared by Tamatha Paul. ...3 weeks ago
No feed items found.
- Auckland councillor wants mayor to pressure government over building consents in flood-prone areas
The mayoral candidate says continuing to build on flood-prone land will be disastrous. ...1 hour ago - An Ode to .. Lord Winston
To sleep, perchance to dreamIn the shadowy chambers of Lord Winston,The great clock strikes thirteen.All remains untouched, covered with dust,As it has done since the 1970s,In a simple world where boys were boys,Ladies were mini-skirted and compliant ladies,And Italian law students ruled the streetsIn their wide lapel zoot suits.King Lux ...4 hours ago - Election Diary: Albanese promises around-the-clock health line, with leaders to hold rallies in Vict...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will launch another push on health on Sunday, announcing a re-elected Labor government would set up a free around-the-clock 1800MEDICARE advice line and afterhours GP telehealth service. The service would ...5 hours ago - Homage paid to Pope Francis at NZ street theatre rally for Palestine
Asia Pacific Report Activists for Palestine paid homage to Pope Francis in Aotearoa New Zealand today for his humility, care for marginalised in the world, and his courageous solidarity with the besieged people of Gaza at a street theatre rally just hours before his funeral in Rome. He was remembered ...5 hours ago
- Ministry of Regulation salaries continue to top average $150K one year on
David Seymour says the salaries at the Regulation Ministry are going down slightly, but Labour's Duncan Webb calls it a 'vanity ministry'. ...17 hours ago
- ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 26, 2025
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 26, 2025. 80 years after Benito Mussolini’s death, what can democracies today learn from his fascist rise?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Sharpe, Associate Professor in Philosophy, Australian Catholic University Hitler and Mussolini ...18 hours ago
- 80 years after Benito Mussolini’s death, what can democracies today learn from his fascist rise?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Sharpe, Associate Professor in Philosophy, Australian Catholic University Hitler and Mussolini in Munich, Germany, June 18, 1940. Everett Collection/Shutterstock This Monday marks 80 years since Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was killed in an Italian village towards the end of the Second ...19 hours ago
- Samoan nun tells of ‘like a blur’ awesome meeting with Pope Francis
By Susana Suisuiki, RNZ Pacific presenter The doors of St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican have now been closed and the coffin sealed, ahead of preparations for tonight’s funeral of Pope Francis. The Vatican says a quarter of a million people have paid respects to Pope Francis in the last ...20 hours ago
- Samoan nun tells of ‘like a blur’ awesome meeting with Pope Francis
By Susana Suisuiki, RNZ Pacific presenter The doors of St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican have now been closed and the coffin sealed, ahead of preparations for tonight’s funeral of Pope Francis. The Vatican says a quarter of a million people have paid respects to Pope Francis in the last ...20 hours ago
- Reward for revealing netball’s forgotten past
Once or twice a week, Dr Margaret Henley rolls up the door on a windowless storage locker in central Auckland, pulls her plastic chair up to a picnic table and sifts through the history of netball in New Zealand.She works alongside netball archivist and statistician Todd Miller, together trawling through ...1 day ago
- The secret diary of .. the Dann-Peters interview
Corin DannThe time is 7:36am on Wednesday, April 23, and you’re listening to Morning Report, New Zealand’s voice of the educated left on good incomes. I’m joined now by acting Prime Minister Winston Peters. Good morning Mr Peters.Winston PetersIt was, until I saw you. I much prefer your brother.Corin DannLiam ...1 day ago
- The ‘atom smasher’ of Auckland University
When Professor David Krofcheck got an email congratulating him on winning the Oscar of the science world, he dismissed it as a hoax.“I thought it was a scam, I thought it was a phishing email,” recalls Krofcheck, nuclear physicist at Auckland University.“Yeah right, I’ve won the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in ...1 day ago
- The Weekend: The sound of silence
Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was. I’ve been re-watching Girls lately, the HBO classic that perfectly captures millennial women in the most painful way. I highly recommend it especially if you haven’t watched it before. Every character on the show is deeply flawed and frustrating in their own ...1 day ago - When terrestrial television feels like a holiday
With the double-header long weekend comes a welcome chance to escape streaming slop, writes Alex Casey. Over Easter I texted my husband Joe a sentence that perhaps nobody in human history has ever texted: “hurry up geostorm is starting”. No punctuation, no capitalisation, not because I was trying to ...1 day ago
- The Māori who discovered Europe
April 27 is Moehanga Day, the anniversary of the day in 1806 when Ngāpuhi warrior Moehanga became the first Māori to visit England. This is his story. The wooden ship sailed down the River Thames, past smoke stacks and brick factories, until it reached a wharf in industrial south London. ...1 day ago
- George Eliot and Daniel Kalderimis and me: on the healing power of Middlemarch
Heidi Thomson on how her husband’s illness and Daniel Kalderimis’s book Zest have enhanced her understanding of George Eliot’s great novel. Sometimes a book finds you at just the right time. In early December my husband John had a stroke. At the time we were both reading George Eliot’s Middlemarch, ...1 day ago
- ‘Absolutely sending it’: When Marlon Williams partied on the 6pm news
The musician, actor and star of upcoming documentary Marlon Williams: Ngā Ao E Rua – Two Worlds takes us through his life in television. Musician Marlon Williams has been on our My Life in TV wish list ever since he revealed during his My Boy tour that he wrote ‘Thinking ...1 day ago
- Anzac weekend short story: Toxic, by Michelle Duff
When she walked dripping into the lounge, hair wet from the shower, she took one look at Hamish and dropped her towel.He was holding her phone.—How long has it been going on for?His blue eyes blazed. She wanted to pluck them out and blow on them gently, cool them off. ...1 day ago
- Kiwi citizens’ assembly succeeds in ‘experiment’ to find climate solutions
A citizens’ assembly of 100 Porirua locals has provided the city council with more than a dozen recommendations about how to tackle climate change and make sure the region is resilient to worsening extreme weather events.Ranging from expanding access to renewable energy and incentivising the planting of native trees through ...1 day ago
- Mika Hervel: Deliberating on a future for democracy in NZ
Comment: Democracy globally is in crisis. Around the world we are seeing the rise of nationalism and declining trust in democratic institutions. Politicians, even in Aotearoa, undermine the authority of core institutions like the media and the courts, which are critical for a functioning democracy. To live well together, in ...1 day ago
- Winner of Rod Oram Memorial Essay Prize walks (and rides) the talk
Journalist Rod Oram, who died last year, would have been delighted to see the commitment to addressing climate change shown by the 23-year-old winner of a prize established in his memory.Mika Hervel, a student at Victoria University of Wellington, is today named winner of the Rod Oram Memorial Essay Prize, ...1 day ago
- Israel’s endgame for tormented Gaza is political and physical erasure
COMMENTARY: By Nour Odeh There was faint hope that efforts to achieve a ceasefire deal in Gaza would succeed. That hope is now all but gone, offering 2.1 million tormented and starved Palestinians dismal prospects for the days and weeks ahead. Last Saturday, the Israeli Prime Minister once again affirmed ...1 day ago
- Trump signs ‘deeply dangerous’ order to fast-track deep sea mining
An ocean conservation non-profit has condemned the United States President’s latest executive order aimed at boosting the deep sea mining industry. President Donald Trump issued the “Unleashing America’s offshore critical minerals and resources” order on Thursday, directing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to allow deep sea mining. The ...1 day ago
- Watch: Luxon’s Anzac Day speeches at Gallipoli, Chunuk Bair
The prime minister says the name Gallipoli is etched into New Zealand's national identity. ...1 day ago
- Election Diary: Dutton tops list of most distrusted, amid deepening voter cynicism about political l...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In this election, voters are more distrustful than ever of politicians, and the political heroes of 2022 have fallen from grace, swept from favour by independent players. A Roy Morgan survey has found, for ...2 days ago
- Pacific editor welcomes US court ruling in favour of Radio Free Asia
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor The former head of BenarNews’ Pacific bureau says a United States court ruling this week ordering the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) to release congressionally approved funding to Radio Free Asia and its subsidiaries “makes us very happy”. However, Stefan Armbruster, who has ...2 days ago
- Watch: Luxon’s Anzac Day speech marks 110 years since Gallipoli landing
The prime minister says the name Gallipoli is etched into New Zealand's national identity. ...2 days ago
- ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 25, 2025
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 25, 2025. Labor takes large leads in YouGov and Morgan polls as surge continuesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and ...2 days ago
- Labor takes large leads in YouGov and Morgan polls as surge continues
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne With just eight days until the May 3 federal election, and with in-person early voting well under way, Labor has taken a ...2 days ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending April 25
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Butter by Asako Yuzuki (Fourth Estate, $35) Fictionalised true crime for foodies. 2 Sunrise on ...2 days ago
- Beating malaria: what can be done with shrinking funds and rising threats
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Taneshka Kruger, UP ISMC: Project Manager and Coordinator, University of Pretoria Healthcare in Africa faces a perfect storm: high rates of infectious diseases like malaria and HIV, a rise in non-communicable diseases, and dwindling foreign aid. In 2021, nearly half of ...2 days ago
- The best things from Australia and Aotearoa to watch this weekend
Australia and New Zealand join forces once more to bring you the best films and TV shows to watch this weekend. This Anzac Day, our free-to-air TV channels will screen a variety of commemorative coverage. At 11am, TVNZ1 has live coverage of the Anzac Day National Commemorative Service in Wellington. ...2 days ago
- Lest we forget? The shame of our two-tier veteran system
Our laws are leaving many veterans who served after 1974 out in the cold. I know, because I’m one of them. This Sunday Essay was made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. First published in 2024. As I write this story, I am in constant pain. My hands ...2 days ago
- Cross-party hope for anti-trafficking legislation
An MP fighting for anti-trafficking legislation says it is hard for prosecutors to take cases to court - but he is hopeful his bill will turn the tide. ...2 days ago
- Bestselling books at Anzac weekend
NONFICTION1 No Words for This by Ali Mau (HarperCollins, $39.99)
2 Everyday Comfort Food by Vanya Insull (Allen & Unwin, $39.99)
3 Three Wee Bookshops at the End of the World by Ruth Shaw (Allen & Unwin, $39.99)2 days ago- Governor-General’s Anzac Day Dawn Service Address
This Anzac Day marks 110 years since the Gallipoli landings by soldiers in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps - the ANZACS. It signalled the beginning of a campaign that was to take the lives of so many of our young men - and would devastate the ...2 days ago- New Zealand’s role in the mass deportation of Koreans from post-WWII Japan
The violent deportation of migrants is not new, and New Zealand forces had a hand in such a regime after World War II, writes historian Scott Hamilton. The world is watching the new Trump government wage a war against migrants it deems illegal. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials and ...2 days ago- David Hill: Seize the day
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view. This Sunday Essay was made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell. First published in 2022. The high school’s head girl and ...2 days ago- The Friday Poem: ‘Te Hono ki Īhipa’ by Aperahama Hurihanganui
A new poem by Aperahama Hurihanganui, about the name of Aperahama and Abby Hauraki’s three-year-old son, Te Hono ki Īhipa (which translates to ‘The Connection to Egypt’). Te Hono ki Īhipa what’s in a name? te hono – the connection to your tīpuna, valiant soldiers of the 28th Māori Battalion ...2 days ago- Daily crossword, Friday 25 April
The post Daily crossword, Friday 25 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 days ago - Governor-General’s Anzac Day Dawn Service Address
Annette King was trying to push this in the house. I just don’t think her attempts worked very well.
Today in the House, Michael Cullen donated a supplementary question to Rodney so that he could clarify. Rodney said thankyou very much then used his free question to ask an unrelated question to Min of Corrections.
Yeah that was weird. When Cullen goes, its going to be a huge blow to Labour. And I don’t know if Labour understands how important Mallard is for them now and in the future. Perhaps, they should treat him better than they are currently. It should have worked. Kings questions to Collins, they just didn’t. Which is strange, because I consider King’s ability as a political to be stellar and her ability to deflect questions was extremely good. But so far, since in opposition her performance hasn’t been good.
Hopefully the media will be asking some questions.
You’re dreaming.
Hopefully the media will be asking some questions.
Don’t hope, it’s bad for you.
Proverbs 13:12 – Hope deferred makes the heart sick
Check out what Mulholland thinks of it:
ACT Shits on Freedom of Expression with other supporters (lindsay, MikeE) sounding off against it.
Yep, there’s trouble brewing alright.
Between that and this I’m gonna run out of popcorn.
Thank goodness for schadenfreude.Which it appears is the word of the moment. We’re not at war humour levels yet, but give it a matter of time.
Labour had a terrible record on human rights last time around. You could tell it was bad, because most of the time they had National voting with them to take rights away from ordinary citizens. Now we have Phil “Hardline” Goff steering the ship, we can’t expect any real change or opposition to these laws.
No different to the back room deal Winston Peters had with the last government. Do you expect politicians to have principles & honor these days ? Life is all about compromises, I guess this u-turn (flip flop) etc is one of them for Rodney & co.
No different to the back room deal Winston Peters had with the last government.
That’s what I find so hypocritical, after all Rodney’s moralising over the Peters fiasco last year he’s found to be engaging in the same kind of grubby politics himself.
Labour supported this at one time, and now they don’t.
I also found this comment pretty amusing “Ms Turei says ordinary citizens will suffer if the ban goes ahead.” I see losers walking around this gang patches, not ordinary citizens.
Btw, it’s spelled “Wanganui”
I spell it ‘Whanganui’. And by the way, “EverlastingFire”? wtf? Who calls themselves that?
Btw, it’s spelled “Wanganui
Only to those people who are and have refused to be culterally sensitive for the last 100 or so years.
WHANGANUI
Just another righting the wrong
Just because the other side does it, doesn’t make it alright.
” * Goebbels was in favor of free speech for views he liked. So was Stalin. If you’re in favor of free speech, then you’re in favor of freedom of speech precisely for views you despise. Otherwise, you’re not in favor of free speech.
o Noam Chomsky, Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (1992).”
IrishBill: Dad, you are banned.
check out the bit when this came out at BB last night. about three quarters of the way through chapter 2 of the episode http://tvnzondemand.co.nz/content/back_benches/ondemand_video_skin?tab=&sb=date-descending&e=back_benches_s2_ep2#ep_back_benches_s2_ep2
He’s an angry man.
So when Labour do back room deals (and deny it) then that is fine – Rodney admits dealing and you find your daily Whing.
Deals are a reality of politics. I am sure there will be many more – including dare I say it deals with Labour. Personally I hope the Nats never deal anything with Labour – just starve them of oxygen for the next 12 years – but reality is that in order to get legislation through deals will be done. In fact when deals aren’t done it is probably a sign the Government is tired and arrogant and then deserves to be tossed out by the people (just like Labour became so arrogant and tired and were well tossed out by the people) –
That and Mike Williams buggered it all up for labour with his obsession with John Key
monty, so Labour was doing dirty deals but doing dirty deals is ok now but not doing dirty deals is bad because it show’s your’e tired and arrogant, as did the dirty deal allegedly made at the end of laobur’s term with Winston?
Sounds complicated.
IrishBill: and they’re done dirt cheap. Sorry couldn’t help myself.
Actually isn’t wheeling and dealing how MMP works?
And the flow on from a Ban the Patches could be very dangerous. Is it the patch that is harmful or the behaviour of the wearer? The first case before a judge could be interesting.
Was Cullens and Labours ass spanked today!!!! When offered the opportunity by Cullen to explain the imagined ‘backroom deal’, once Anette King actually managed to ask the correct person, Rodney Hide shits on labour and asks a totally different question that goes on to prove how his bill is better and would have saved lives.
Hon Dr Michael Cullen: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I inform the House that the Labour Party is prepared to make one of its supplementary questions available to Mr Hide, if he would care to ask a question.
Hon Rodney Hide: First of all, may I beg the indulgence of the House to thank Michael Cullen for that—
Mr SPEAKER: The member must ask his question.
Hon Rodney Hide: Can the Minister confirm that if “three strikes and you’re out’ had been in place, 78 New Zealanders would be alive now rather than their having been killed, which is what happened under the previous Government’s law and order legislation?
Hon JUDITH COLLINS: Certainly, if those offenders had been incarcerated, then, clearly, those 78 New Zealanders would now be alive.
Where’s her evidence? Cause there isn’t any that three strikes laws save more lives.
Collins thinks it’s simple – more people in prison means less crime, cause they’re locked up – as if that was the only consideration, and murderous crime was not a dependent variable of a range of factors affecting criminal activity. Munter. Phil Goff is a munter too.
This will cost us huge amounts which could be spent on crime prevention and rehabilitation that really does save lives.
More people will die needlessly, and that is a tragedy.
Locking the worst of the recidivists up is crime prevention.
“Where’s her evidence? Cause there isn’t any that three strikes laws save more lives.”
So what are you saying here? That the scumbags will break out of prison after they’ve committed their third strike, to commit murders?
Mate I don’t want to break out the crayons for you, but their are more than 77 families of people killed by people who wouldn’t have been, had three strikes law been on the books in the last few decades.
Won’t save lives my arse.
Those who have studied the effect of three strikes laws on violent crime have found no significant positive relationship.
To quote just one study: “three-strikes in California had no discernible positive or negative effects in terms of crime”
Is that so hard for you to understand?
There are some positive papers (particularly from the late 90s), more which state no effect on violent crime and some negative (that various crimes escalated). Hardly a stellar record. When compared to non-3strikes states, US states that used these laws saw no comparative decrease in violent crime. Some did much worse.
Here’s a tip, if you want to be informed about things, use Google Scholar. It’s free, and not particularly hard to use.
While ACT’s law is somewhat different, Collins cannot claim with confidence that this law will result in less murders and violent crime. Yes, those in prison cannot commit these crimes while they are there, but to ignore all other factors as Collins does is just idiocy. I expect it from people on the internet to say this stupid shit, but not her… well, come to think of it, yes her.
I agree to an extent. Yes there are many factors which make up crime. As a society we can not afford to ignore these. However there are bad eggs out there. We would be safer if they are in prison.
Just because we take an approach of getting tough on the recidivist threats in our society, it doesn’t follow that we ignore the causes of crime or the progression of crimes in their seriousness.
By “more than 77 families” do you mean 78 families?
Brilliant.
Hide gets a free question and all he could think of was a question which had already been asked (and answered) only minutes earlier.
What a waste. What a dick.
Felix
I think that the opposite is true, Hide gets given a question by labour, and seeks to rub their nose in it. Pretty much flying his colours and showing what ship they are attached to.
Poor move by labour and one I suspect they will not be in hurry to repeat
Of course you think that. You’re a moron.
And you are a fuckwit.
This is great. Like the old days. Felix, make a sex joke about his Mum.
[lprent: I’m sure that inciting is offensive in my eyes]
Ah I remember those days like it were just yesterday. But no, I’m not going near his Mum.
Which as it happens is the usual response she elicits.
[lprent: Bad bad boy…..]
sweetdisorder: If some kind person gave you a few dollars to buy a pie because you were broke, and you went off and drank it all, would you:
a. Think how clever you were to fool the giver
b. Think what a loser the giver was
c. Think that you could get away with it again
d. Think that you yourself was a dishonest cheating louse.
Ianmac
I assume you are drawing a parable to the events in parliament today.
Your fable would assume that you know the other person was broke.
Rodney’s not broke. Just morally bankrupt.
Is that how you say “I disagree with him”?
Rodney is one of the most principled people I know.
I thought this was about Act throwing its principles out the window. That is if you believe they had any principles to begin with.
Wow you guys still really haven’t come to grips with losing the election have you? You are in permanent attack mode but aren’t very good at it.
Had ACT thrown its toys out of the cot here and stuck to principle, you would be jumping up and down at it as proof positive of a disunited government.
Instead ACT decided it wanted to get some of its promises in place, and that to do so some horsetrading needed to occur. It’s not rocket science guys but you act as if it is an abomination.
But that’s exactly the point, Mike.
You can either sell out your principles for the sake of pragmatism or sell out the government for the sake of principle – but you can’t do both.
So far it seems the pragmatic route is being taken, not the principled one.
Only if they never escape or are paroled, and even a life sentence only lasts 20 years.
Mike – So you admit they haven’t stuck to their principles – so in other words Wodney is unprincipled.
Act – The conservative party.
No Rodney is principled. If you want to read between the lines, read this – he is smart because he was able to achieve something important for ACT voters. That he had to swallow a rat to do so does not make him unprincipled.
Think of it this way. Your options are:
a) Do not horsetrade. You don’t get what you wanted but you don’t have to give something up also.
b) Horsetrade and get a policy win, the benefits of which outweigh the drawbacks of what you had to give up.
I think anyone in the business of achieving things for their constituency would look at option b as preferable. Indeed many people would view you as unprincipled for not seizing the opportunity when presented. You guys laugh at the Libertarianz for being principled because they won’t achieve anything. Now you are laughing at pragmatism – I think you’re just suffering from losing the election. You know your job is to criticise but you haven’t quite figured out how to do it yet – and there is no consistency to your outbursts.
BTW – writing Wodney is about as pathetic as writing Klark.
Sorry QtR,
Did respond but in moderation. Think I know why so will repost the substantive part of my comment and hope one of the moderators will fix up the rest when they see I haven’t been outlandish…
No Rodney is principled. If you want to read between the lines, read this – he is smart because he was able to achieve something important for ACT voters. That he had to swallow a rat to do so does not make him unprincipled.
Think of it this way. Your options are:
a) Do not horsetrade. You don’t get what you wanted but you don’t have to give something up also.
b) Horsetrade and get a policy win, the benefits of which outweigh the drawbacks of what you had to give up.
I think anyone in the business of achieving things for their constituency would look at option b as preferable. Indeed many people would view you as unprincipled for not seizing the opportunity when presented. You guys laugh at the Libertarianz for being principled because they won’t achieve anything. Now you are laughing at pragmatism – I think you’re just suffering from losing the election. You know your job is to criticise but you haven’t quite figured out how to do it yet – and there is no consistency to your outbursts.
No, we’re laughing because you’re behaving pragmatically but still talking principles.
Pass the popcorn please.
Glad you’re enjoying the show. Tell you what – this government stuff is much better than opposition and using laughing as your weapon. At the end of the day it is still our laws getting passed – not yours. Laugh all you like, it’s all you can do 🙂
And they had the temerity to call the left arrogant. This all bodes well for 2011.
1. What we’re talking about here is National’s law being passed, not yours – one which you guys have been very vocal about opposing.
2. What makes you think I want to pass laws, Mike? I’ll leave that to you authoritarians thanks.
Quite right. Oughtn’t you be saying repeal laws, Mike?
Yep fair call – repeal laws. Plenty of stupid ones there.
So Mike , seems the only ACT laws getting passed are the gimpy reactionary tory ones. Be honest. ACT’s reason for being is the economic neo liberal stuff.
You hooked up with the SST ’cause they had a mailing list and a fan base of disgruntled one issue voters that you could buy with a number 5 list spot. Shock horror, the embarrassment ends up in parliament. And here you are defending all this pants.
Yes there is a liberal argument for strong law enforcement. But not when there are lots of illiberal laws on the books. You”ve got to get rid of those first, otherwise you’re just an authoritarian. Now you’re banning clothing for fuck sake. How’s the drug decriminalisation looking?
I remember election before last getting a leaflet from Franks, that I wish I hadn’t binned, banging on about how ACT would defend my freedom of religion which he though was being oppressed by civil unions. There was something about gun rights as well. A big issue in Newtown I assure you. Can’t believe he got so badly spanked. Campaign might’ve worked better in Alabama. Just sayin’.
Of course , that was when ACT was trying to wheedle the hunting-shooting-fishing vote, and the Christians on the QT. They’ve been kicked to the curb now, and you’ve got all these lock’em up and starve ’em peeps. Classy.
What are going to do in a few years, before anyone has got their third strike yet, and there is a shock horror crime from someone that the SST wants locked up forever?
Can you assure us that the criteria for a strike won’t be loosened? After all, there will always be a victim the SST can point to and say “They would have been spared if we weren’t so soft”.
Your SST mates aren’t going to go away mate, and you’ve got them thinking they’re winners. Thanks for that. “Classic Liberal”.
That’s the deal you’ve made, and what have the Liberals in ACT got out of it?
You could start with that bloody ridiculous one that you guys voted for the other day – the one which Heather Roy said was
and
and
And then ACT dropped their principles, bent over and voted in favour.
– the reACTionary party
Here’s a wee suggestion for the Standardistas – every time on these threads that a tory finally admits defeat by resorting to “we won, nyah nyah nyah”, post a wee red flag (a la trademe) after his comment. Maybe colour-coded for “achievement” – “limit met” perhaps, or the “reductio ad masturbatum” badge. (pity burt’s away, he’d be a gold member in no time)
IrishBill – Not really. Many of the left still believe that somehow National stole the election. And still believe that Labour with allies was meant to have a fourth term. Even now the left seem to blind and accuse the media of not performing its job and National undergoing some huge PR exercise. When really its a National Party that hasn’t done too much wrong. Until the left has a hard look at themselves and why they’re in opposition now. Its hard to see why John Key and National won’t get a second term or even a third term.
The sad thing is. From 1999-2003 Labour did extraordinary while National did really badly. And yet the left itWhat its doself in many ways fell apart with the Alliance going and Labour for some reason refusing to work properly with the Greens. The left could have established themselves as the natural government. But Key has the opportunity and more importantly the ability to prevent that from happening. While, the left scorn the relationship between the Maori party and National. Its the type of relationship Helen Clark could never seem to do with her natural allies such as the Greens and the Alliance. Instead she spurned them and later the Maori party for fake relationships with United Future and New Zealand First.
Do they actually believe that, or were they venting? And if so, how are you going to prove it? Take a poll?
I would have preferred Labour had a fourth term, but I don’t think anyone was robbed, and I don’t know anyone who does.
Good luck making it last- National is increasingly looking like it believes that the centre ground is for getting into government, (and that it doesn’t matter once the coalition ink is dry) and seems to have no problem embarrassing the Maori Party by making them unnecessarily vote for its tax cuts that hurt the majority of Maori.
I’ve been one of those consistently saying that Labour wasn’t “entitled” to the support of the Maori Party, (And likewise for the Greens) but I still can’t see how you’d argue that National’s relationship with the Maori Party is anything to be envious about. Getting someone onside with your coalition is easy- it’s keeping them there after the election and not losing votes for “your side” in the next one that’s the hard part, where Labour actually has a track record to some decree and National does not.
“Backroom deal” the term is so synonymous with labour it’s not funny.
I agree ginga – labour are in real trouble in the house when Cullen goes
Ari – Because Tax is an issue of confidence and supply. Both National and the Maori Party felt they needed to sign a confidence and supply agreement even though they could have had a different agreement. But because the Maori party signed such an agreement they had to support the legislation.
mike – They still have Trevor Mallard. Who while a prick, certainly has great ability in the house. The only thing is Labour didn’t wish for him to return to the front bench. Indeed, one almost wonders why Mallard remains in the party.
Because Tax is an issue of confidence and supply.
I don’t think you know what c & s means.
For the sake of all of us I hope Nact+MP do a good job of governing.
At the same time I hope that they stuff up in a very public way.
Left brain. Right brain. No brain. Contradictory and confused am I. 🙂
“Left brain. Right brain. No brain.”
I know a dodgy doctor who can give you a real cheap lobotomy Ian.
Just hope the lobotomy’s not going to be funded by ACC cause if the doctor screws up and leaves you with some brains you won’t be able to put in a medical misadventure claim.
act is supposed to be the party of the civil society
well why dont they do something about the uncivil noise blight being perpetrated on new zealanders by petulant snotty ignorant boy wacers and their noisy uncivil cars or is that just too much for wodney and wodger to compwehend