Assessing the contenders’ campaigns

Written By: - Date published: 7:18 am, September 12th, 2013 - 101 comments
Categories: david cunliffe, grant robertson, leadership, Shane Jones - Tags:

With the Labour leadership race all but over and the votes now coming in, let’s have a look at how the contenders fared against their objectives:

Robertson had to show some flare, show he’s more than an affable apparatchik, that he’s capable of wowing crowds and raising his profile: Not achieved

What happened to Robertson? You just didn’t see him. He couldn’t outshine either Cunliffe or Jones. Sure, he came out with decent policies – the same ones as Cunliffe – but, otherwise he faded into the background. That didn’t work for Shearer.

Jones had to show he had some real depth under the bravado and not start saying weird things under pressure: Not achieved

Yeah, he’s got the one-liners but what’s behind them? He talks about getting the 800,000 non-votes back to vote Labour… but has no actual plan to this other than being ‘un-PC’ (which, if you ask me is the new PC). And he says mad stuff.

Cunliffe had to show he that he can meter his charismatic side to avoid gaffes and that he was genuinely something different from the B Team that’s led Labour since Clark: Achieved.

The media tried to make hay out of a couple of small comments but, nah, it was a gaffe-free campaign. The way he stood by the standard of conduct he had set is in contrast to the vacillating of Goff, the weakness of Shearer, and Key’s blind eye. And he offers a real, genuine, credible economic vision that unashamedly contrasts with National.

101 comments on “Assessing the contenders’ campaigns ”

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  1. Craig GlenEden 1
    12 September 2013 at 8:17 am

    This campaign has pretty much gone the way I thought.
    Jones proved he is a goon that can spin a yarn with a few funnies but ultimately he’s a lot of ego.

    Robertson nice enough guy, intelligent, solid minister material, but he’s the benefiter of the ABC group. When push comes to shove he hasn’t got the fortitude to keep his team in line, and he dosnt because it suits his cause.
    His supporters amongst the Mps are the same people who didn’t want members to have a say in a leadership contest. These are the people who do things in their own interest e.g. the Clare Curran’s of the Party they will say and do anything to get what’s best for their future and to hell with the greater good.

    Cunliffe and I preference this by saying I am a supporter and was from the beginning. He’s Charismatic, a great communicator, solid understanding of economics and progressive policy sometimes he’s a little over the top, but is the only option to beat Key and National.
    His campaign has been strong positive and inclusive.
    Im not sure who is going to win I think it will be close with only one element thats going to stop the Labour Party being in the next Government and that element is the ABC ers.

    • Sue 1.1
      12 September 2013 at 8:45 am

      +1

      The ABC ers need to move on.

      • Tangee 1.1.1
        12 September 2013 at 9:25 am

        They need to drop out altogether they have cost us the last election and wasted time on the Shearer experiment and still they go against the public by supporting Robertson who trails Jones in the important polls.

        • Sufi Safari 1.1.1.1
          13 September 2013 at 12:17 am

          they have cost us the last election…

          Rubbish. The first term in opposition always rounds off with the pathos of another election loss. Opposition is a steep learning curve for any party.

          But there were things that cost us party vote. None of those things were about people trying to undermine David Cunliffe. Plenty of them were from people trying to undermine Phil. Carter was a force unto himself, but the constant leaks about the leadership were almost certainly from Cunliffe and his cabal, working with their eyes fixed firmly on the day after the election. Those actions cost Labour good MPs.

          still they go against the public by supporting Robertson…

          You’re treading a dangerous path suggesting the caucus should do whatever the polls tell them to do. You’re also misrepresenting the polls by calling them important. And you seem to be trying to deny the caucus any agency in this election. Expecting the caucus to blindly back the perceived majority favourite (whether that perception comes from flawed polls or the comments section of the Standard) ignores the fact that the nature of their role gives them a unique and useful perspective on the relative merits of the candidates. The voting system as it stands recognises the value of that insight, while striking a balance with the role of the party membership to determine the direction and maintain the values of their Party. and different MPs are reflecting their different experiences of the candidates in their expressions of support.

          And I think that’s cool, but I can see how an NBC fundamentalist might struggle with the nuance.

          • Colonial Viper 1.1.1.1.1
            13 September 2013 at 12:31 am

            but the constant leaks about the leadership were almost certainly from Cunliffe and his cabal, working with their eyes fixed firmly on the day after the election. Those actions cost Labour good MPs.

            Utter bullshit. For losing the 2011 election blame starts and finishes with the Labour campaign strategy team of Mallard and Robertson. Fran O’Sullivan also detailed fully who was undermining Goff early on. Protip – they helped push Shearer into pole position.

            You’re treading a dangerous path suggesting the caucus should do whatever the polls tell them to do.

            More bullshit. The members have made it very clear to caucus who they prefer. Caucus fucked up big time with their choice of Shearer. Let’s see what they do this time around.

            • Sufi Safari 1.1.1.1.1.1
              13 September 2013 at 12:51 am

              Utter bullshit.

              Your analysis is blinkered and simplistic. Winning or losing an election takes more than two people and longer than an election campaign. And Fran O’Sullivan is a terrible source to rely on for that information. The only contingent undermining Goff consistently through his term as leader was Cunliffe and his crew of NBC wreckers.

              More bullshit.

              Yes Shearer was a mistake, but a mistake that’s not explained away as simply as ABC. And the caucus’ fuck up didn’t end with his selection, having selected him they then squabbled and leaked and failed to follow up with decisive action to remedy their first mistake. Cunliffe and his lieutenants share blame in that. But my point was more around this contest, but I recognise that as an NBC fundamentalist you’re unable to see that Grant is not Shearer, that the decision between Grant and David is replete with the strengths, weaknesses and risks in both candidates. It will come as a shock to you, but Cunliffe has weaknesses and risks too. Different exposure to those frailties will leave different people more or less inclined to support David or Grant. It’s the idea that people who vote Grant in this contest are somehow doing it dogmatically out of blind opposition to Cunliffe that rankles (or even that people who supported Shearer in the last contest were the same).

              • Colonial Viper …
                13 September 2013 at 12:55 am

                The Robertson/Shearer team didn’t and couldn’t fire for 20 months. That’s a fact. I expect Shearer Mk II to be more of the same.

                The only contingent undermining Goff consistently through his term as leader was Cunliffe and his crew of NBC wreckers.

                Merely piled higher and deeper.

                As I said, the people who were undermining Goff were ready with the Shearer manoeuvre immediately after the 2011 election.

                Fran O’Sullivan:

                Already the pulling power of some of Shearer’s leading campaign managers has been seen by the swift election of Grant Robertson as his deputy.

                David Parker will get Cunliffe’s present finance spokesmanship – a position he has long coveted – as the quid pro quo for withdrawing from the election race and assuring Shearer’s win.

                This week’s deal was essentially put together by long-serving MP Trevor Mallard – who performed the numbers role when Helen Clark ran her coup against then leader Mike Moore.

                But much of the real strategising started several months back when Shearer and close caucus allies such as former Labour list MP Stuart Nash seriously began talking about a post-election leadership tilt.

                Influential members of the “commentariat” – particularly those of the right-of-centre persuasion – were informally briefed.

                • Sufi Safari …
                  13 September 2013 at 1:05 am

                  The Robertson/Shearer team didn’t and couldn’t fire for 20 months. That’s a fact. I expect Shearer Mk II to be more of the same.

                  Robertson has landed more hits on Key than any other Labour MP this term. That’s a fact. Your expectation appears to be based on bias and bile. But we could just agree to disagree.

                  As for the Shearer manoeuvre, any pre-election planning was done behind the scenes rather than in the papers. Cunliffe’s consistent offence wasn’t that he wanted the Leadership, it was that he kept overtly teasing a run and never following through. That’s a cardinal sin. It undermines your party and offers no relief from the Leader you’re bagging.

                  • Colonial Viper …
                    13 September 2013 at 1:07 am

                    The Robertson/Shearer leadership team couldn’t fire either the public imagination up or the polls. Labour stayed stuck in the low 30% range for the last 20 months.

                    The experiment with inexperience is over.

                    Robertson has landed more hits on Key than any other Labour MP this term.

                    Yes, a few people in the Thorndon Bubble did notice that.

                  • Pascal's bookie …
                    13 September 2013 at 7:58 am

                    “Cunliffe’s consistent offence wasn’t that he wanted the Leadership, it was that he kept overtly teasing a run and never following through.”

                    Cite? Or was it a spectacularly covert form of overtness?

                  • felix …
                    13 September 2013 at 9:07 am

                    Sufi, you do know who Cunliffe is don’t you?

                    He’s not the guy on the news with the big teeth.

    • onsos 1.2
      12 September 2013 at 11:25 am

      Jones came out of this looking less credible than he did going in. It was a mistake on his part to get involved.

    • Crunchtime 1.3
      12 September 2013 at 4:55 pm

      I started realising Cunliffe is the one to be next PM when I heard an interview with him on NatRad shortly after he announced his candidacy. He sounded honest, open and humble. He spoke frankly about his time on the back benches and how he got there. I thought hey, if he can handle his mistakes like that, he’s got my vote.

      My opinion of him over this campaign has steadily improved.

    • Finbar 1.4
      12 September 2013 at 11:45 pm

      No matter the outcome, this election process has been two weeks of headline capture for the Labour Party,and no amount of money could buy that.

      My opinion is bias on who should be the winner as most of the country says should,but that is up to the members to decide, with also the power vote of the caucus.

  2. Tom Gould 2
    12 September 2013 at 8:31 am

    The Standard had to show it would be even-handed and resist the temptation to promote one candidate over the others: Not achieved.

    [Bunji: you might be surprised to learn that a dumb website can’t manipulate the individual opinions of its authors. Note Lynn often bans folk for referring to the machine rather than the people… see the Policy]

    [lprent: Authors write their own opinions. There are 40+ authors with writing rights of widely varying viewpoints and opinions here and all of whom can write whatever post they want. We don’t enforce any editorial policy outside of those that cause us legal problems and have no intention of ever doing so.

    The program that runs the site doesn’t have opinions, nor does it care about being even-handed. As Bunji has pointed out, as a computer programmer, I have a thing about people referring to dumbarse programs as if they have some kind of intelligence. I refer to such people as being idiots. And I usually ban them for some period of time (in a completely even-handed way) to emphasise my opinion. (Bunji just saved you from that fate – you should thank him)

    If you want to provide some kind of mythical “balance” then write your own opinion and either start your own site, join a multi-author site, or find a site who’ll put it up as a guest post. Wining about it just makes you look like a rather silly and lazy arsehole who prefers criticizing others to doing anything useful. ]

    • locus 2.1
      12 September 2013 at 8:40 am

      hand me the popcorn

    • karol 2.2
      12 September 2013 at 8:42 am

      “The Standard” doesn’t do anything of the kind. We authors each individually choose what to post.

      PS: Many bloggers and others have stated their preference and assessment of the leadership contest, as have some MPs, meanwhile, many MSM journalists and commentators continue with their own biased, manipulative coverage without explicitly stating their preferences.

      • Chooky 2.2.1
        12 September 2013 at 4:46 pm

        Karol +1…we are a mixed bag and we are free to express our opinions colourfully or forcefully …. and disagree and fight it out within certain civil restraints overseen by Iprent.

        ….’The Standard’ is democracy in action ….though some may not like it

        ….it is also one of the best reads

      • Crunchtime 2.2.2
        12 September 2013 at 4:58 pm

        Karol +1

      • Arfamo 2.2.3
        12 September 2013 at 8:33 pm

        Karol +1

    • Greywarbler 2.3
      12 September 2013 at 9:11 am

      TG
      What are you on about? You have shown you are totally ignorant of understanding on what political blogging is about. Achieved.

      It’s a place for opinions. The fact that TS comes up with some apparent agreement on anything is a combination of chance, reasoned use of intelligence and agreement amongst individuals about the type of person/policy required and the result of unceasing demand for facts and sources from contributors making assertions, so TS tends to examine opinions more closely than the more ‘flamboyant’ opinion blogs.

    • Lightly 2.4
      12 September 2013 at 12:23 pm

      I’m not sure where you got the idea that authors of The Standard are under any obligation to be ‘even-handed’. If anything, we readers hope that they will give us their honest opinion of whom they favour, not pretend that they don’t favour anyone.

    • pollywog 2.5
      12 September 2013 at 4:30 pm

      The Standard has spoken…:)

  3. Colonial Viper 3
    12 September 2013 at 8:41 am

    In terms of stage presence and speaking, the comparison with Shearer helped make everyone look good. But I agree – only Cunliffe has come through the hustings and successfully rounded out what he offers as the next Labour Leader.

    • Hami Shearlie 3.1
      12 September 2013 at 9:05 am

      +1000

    • Crunchtime 3.2
      12 September 2013 at 5:03 pm

      He’s just hammered his key points home and stayed on message with those points. I haven’t quite memorised all those catchphrases yet but I look forward to hearing them repeated on the street in the coming months. 😉

      Exactly the kind of determined, hard-working leader we need as our next PM, with exactly the kind of strategy that will get him into the consciousness of most New Zealanders.

  4. King Kong 4
    12 September 2013 at 8:45 am

    [Bunji: you’ve still one more day of your month ban]

  5. Greywarbler 5
    12 September 2013 at 9:00 am

    And always returning to the reality that the future Labour leader should – first be a person able to win government for Labour, and second then have the nous to form policy with intelligent informed people who all together will produce measures that will build business opportunities and employment for NZ in NZ and work to make our $ less volatile. Then we wouldn’t have to spend so much on hedging our bets when trying to trade overseas.

  6. Enough is Enough 6
    12 September 2013 at 9:19 am

    I would say they have all had very good campaigns and would feel reasonably confident with any of them taking it out on Sunday.

    I am worried about the bullshit which will continue to rumble on behind closed doors, and how any of them will realise their vision when there are Mallards, Goffs, Currans and Hipkiss’ running interferance in the background.

  7. Sosoo 7
    12 September 2013 at 9:23 am

    Flair not flare.

  8. chris 8
    12 September 2013 at 10:28 am

    I don’t think winning the 2014 Election is going to come down to 1 person (hopefully Cunliffe). It is going to take the entire Labour Party

    Who ever wins the Leadership vote is going to have to work with some pretty ugly (behaviour wise) characters.

    The new Leader will have to swallow a few rats (ewww hate that expression), as will the rest of the Caucus.

    And therein lies the rub. Mallard, King, Goff, Curran and Hipkins have all shown that they have little regard for the views of the Labour Party Members and absolutely no respect for any of the Leadership candidates.

    If they had any respect for Robertson they would acknowledge that he is a very capable MP but he is not ready to take on the Government. Heck if the caucus can walk all over Robertson what do they think the National Government is going to do. They will make mincemeat of him.

    Jones… well what can one say, does anybody really take him seriously. If the membership don’t take him seriously why on earth would the National Government. No, he is the class clown and as such should be kept as the court jester to entertain caucus on rainy days. By the by his phase of the moon comment had me scratching my head. I tried very hard to see that comment as a slur against women, I took it to mean Curran was barking mad… you know barking at the moon kind of mad.

    So that leaves Cunliffe. As many have said before, he is astute, has a strong understanding of Economics etc. Is he arrogant, does it really matter? He is certainly excitable and that rubs off on the Labour Party membership.

    The last two weeks have been full of promise and have given the Labour voters something to grab hold of and get in behind the Party, if the momentum that has been building over the last few weeks continues then the entire Labour Party will be formidable at the next election.

    • pollywog 8.1
      12 September 2013 at 4:32 pm

      And therein lies the rub. Mallard, King, Goff, Curran and Hipkins have all shown that they have little regard for the views of the Labour Party Members and absolutely no respect for any of the Leadership candidates.

      Let’s lump Fa’afoi in there as well eh ?

    • Crunchtime 8.2
      12 September 2013 at 5:08 pm

      Cunliffe (assuming he gets in, and chances look good) has already stated many times the need for unity in the Labour Party. And he has shown he will act swiftly if people don’t behave to the standards expected of them.

      He’s going to have his work cut out for him with the press, but if he keeps to these high standards he has been so far I’d expect him and Labour to have a very strong showing next election. Very strong.

  9. George D 9
    12 September 2013 at 12:02 pm

    As someone outside of Labour, I’ve been very much impressed with what Robertson has achieved in the last few weeks. He’s presented a strong and authentic vision for Labour, and talked credibly about taking the party back to its roots and closer to where its membership see it. Plus, he likes The National.

    He’s come into his own in this campaign – with a few changes to his personal and political style he could present himself as a future PM. I still think the gap exists however, and it won’t be closed immediately.

    • Crunchtime 9.1
      12 September 2013 at 5:13 pm

      As someone who’s heard him talk on Radioactive.fm every Monday morning for many months already, I already knew he’s smart, very well versed in the issues, very eloquent and… for want of a better term a good head on his shoulders.

      Perhaps if Cunliffe wasn’t around – AND perhaps if he wasn’t so closely associated with the small right-wing faction of the caucus – he’d make a great leader of Labour.

  10. Saarbo 10
    12 September 2013 at 12:13 pm

    This process has also provided us with a view of how the candidates would perform as Leaders in an election campaign. It must have been a really tough 2 weeks on the 3 candidates and yesterday on RNZ/Kathryn Ryan, I felt that Cunliffe was still on top of his game, making clear statements and selling himself and LABOUR brilliantly while Grant seemed a bit quiet. I get the feeling that Robertson is tired, in saying that he is probably under more pressure than Cunliffe and is feeling it. Perhaps some of his inexperience is showing through also.

    Here is a link to RNZ candidate debate, Cunliffe showed why he is the best man to beat Key/National next year.

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/2568894

    • Francis 10.1
      12 September 2013 at 4:11 pm

      Going a little off-topic, but that interview was a real breath of fresh air after all the wind-up of the mainstream media sources. It proved that, regardless of the media-exaggerated events of the past few days, all three candidates are in actual fact sill well behaved and could work well with each other. If only certain other caucus members were more like that…

  11. Princess 11
    12 September 2013 at 12:22 pm

    Mr Cunliffe, you are by far the best man for the job and if you do not win this Sunday, I will think long and hard about voting for Labour again at the next election. I cannot believe caucus members like King, Curran etc, could throw support behind Shearer (whom could not resonate with the public) then later give their support for his deputy Grant Robertson (whose polling is as bad as Shearers) which is not a great start for Labour winning the next election. Some within Labour are doing their best to publically highlight the divisions within the Labour Party and one has to wonder if there are Labour caucus members whom actually want Labour to win next years election. Grant Robertson and Co seem intent on keeping the power and Cunliffe out, that they are purposefully being ignorant of a large majority that say Cunliffe is the best pick to lead Labour to victory. And finally, no disrespect to gay people, but this is not the time to highlight gay aspirations or protest about negative gay comments about leadership capabilities. This is about beating National and restoring democracy at the next election and that is that as far as I am concerned!

  12. SDCLFC7 12
    12 September 2013 at 12:30 pm

    I would like to see a Labour caucus lead by Cunliffe and deputised by Parker.
    If Roberson loses, which I think is likely, he will be too damaged to act as deputy and not provide enough threat when tackling National – they won’t fear the guy who came second.
    I’m from Wellington but can’t see the country voting for a Wellington PM – to the rest of the country we’re too strange.
    Cunliffe is best placed to get the vote out in South Auckland which will be the winning or losing

    Parker sitting beside Cunliffe in the house will send a clear message to the electorate that Labour can be trusted with the government books and that will undermine one of National’s strengths with voters. It will also signal that Norman is getting nowhere near the Finance portfolio.
    It also provides continuity with the last 2 governments where the deputy has been the finance minister – he can be Michael Cullen Mark II and that will make us look like a government in waiting.

    Jones’ campaign has been important to establish his views against the left-side of the party. To win elections you need to cover a lot of political ground and we need balance within the party.
    He’s also ensuring he wins Tamak-Makaurau and bringing back some of the Maori vote. To that end his campaign has been a success for the Party

    We need to take points off The Greens before we go after the centre vote. The centre is never going to vote Labour while The Greens are at 12-15 points.
    Once we pull back points from them then more of the Labour vote that left for The Greens in the last election will come over.
    Once we are 38/39 with The Greens at 7-9 centre votes will start to gravitate towards us. We will only need 2 or 3 to make the difference.
    Kick the easy goals first and that should be taking votes off The Greens.

  13. Delia 13
    12 September 2013 at 1:20 pm

    David handles things a lot like Helen and yes, Helen got those three terms.

  14. Elena 14
    12 September 2013 at 1:59 pm

    Men with no meaning. Men who have meaningless words (every word uttered). Men who promise but can never deliver. Men who talk up there potential. Never believe a word they say.

  15. Ad 15
    12 September 2013 at 2:37 pm

    Labour management has done reasonably well to control the kinds of campaign stories that have occurred.

    Unfortunately too well. It has enabled small stories to escape the tent and amplify beyond proportion.

    I want to see Labour continue to suck the media oxygen out of the room, but with a plan and some skills.

    This means real drinking in real bars with real journalists, sleeping with them as required, charming their Board members with policy favours, and every trick that Trevor Mallard and Stephen Joyce have been applying for years.

    Squealing from positions of righteousness will not work with the journalists we have. Message to new Chief of Staff: get in there and get mucky.

  16. Tangee 16
    12 September 2013 at 2:52 pm

    Well at the end of the day whoever wins will have Achieved no matter how his campaign went.

  17. Salmon 17
    12 September 2013 at 2:53 pm

    Don’t agree with this assessment.

    At the hustings I went to – Grant was easily the crowd favourite. Maybe not in at the Auckland meetings, but perhaps around the rest of the country. He easily outshone David in Levin, for example. I saw a number of people switch their votes after it.

    I think Cunliffe had to do more than show that he can avoid gaffes. He had needed to go around the country and demonstrate to the rest of the country why some people in Auckland want him to be leader so much. Maybe he did that in some places, but not where I was. He was flat – often awkwardly pausing for applause that never happened. It was just clear that he didn’t quite read the room properly.

    I imagine that this post comes from a predetermined perspective. It doesn’t bear much resemblance to my experience at least.

    • hush minx 17.1
      12 September 2013 at 4:27 pm

      Hey Salmon – I had also heard Grant shone in Levin. It sounds from talking to various friends around the country that David warmed up as the meetings went on. But also the hustings are only a small part of what the skill set for leadership is. There’s also the real world and ministerial experience and ability to take the fight to Key. Most of the political commentators seem to be saying the Grant didn’t actually campaign as well as they thought he would. My personal issue remains, he’s been Deputy leader as Labour has struggled with getting it’s message out, and being effective as the biggest opposition party. He’s had a chance to show his leadership and it’s not got Labour to where we want it to be. Time enough for him in the future with a few more years under his belt I think. And then it’s more than the hustings where he’ll shine 🙂

    • Colonial Viper 17.2
      12 September 2013 at 5:25 pm

      Grant did win the Levin meeting, narrowly.

      The media impression was that he won it more strongly than he actually did – but that is a testament to Grant’s media leverage and also Vic Young Labour who were there in force to talk to the journalists outside.

      IMO Grant will make an excellent Cabinet Minister, but needs a couple more terms of rounding out in terms of the CV to become a formidable PM (which he has the makings of). This is still not quite yet his time.

    • Greywarbler 17.3
      12 September 2013 at 6:33 pm

      The ability to put over a point of view, to talk honestly about the country and a vision, to be believable, and encouraging and stimulate enthusiasm. Surely these are what should be looked for from the three candidates. It sounds as if some were at the meetings for the jokes. If so, it explains how Labour voters ended up having middle class professionals taking over the party. Some things have to be treated seriously, not for the entertainment value. Reading the room? WTF

  18. Anne 18
    12 September 2013 at 7:32 pm

    Reading the room? WTF

    Yes. That’s middle/yuppie class/bureaucrat PR waffle. Reminds me of the Public Service “Human Resource
    managers” of the 1980s/90s. Made us feel like we had suddenly become akin to a bunch of cows and steers.

    • weka 18.1
      12 September 2013 at 7:48 pm

      Do working class people not read the room? Can’t quite see the criticism there Anne. Being able to interact with one’s audience is a pretty useful skill for a politician.

      • karol 18.1.1
        12 September 2013 at 8:01 pm

        “reading the room” is middle-class jargon. It’s a fairly intellectualised view of being distanced from the group and being able to respond to them.

        • weka 18.1.1.1
          12 September 2013 at 8:06 pm

          In the circles I move in, reading the room is about perception of subtlety and being able to respond to that. It’s as much about intuition as it is about intellect. I don’t know Salmon, but their use of the word didn’t come across as particularly jargonish to me, and I thought I understood what they meant ie that Cunliffe missed or misjudged the mood of the people he was speaking to.

          I’m curious where you get your definition from Karol.

          • karol 18.1.1.1.1
            12 September 2013 at 8:34 pm

            I get that definition from my experience of the people who I’ve heard use it, and how. It’s my working understanding of the term.

            Yes it involves intuition, but there’s still some intellectual distancing implied. It uses a book/print metaphor for human engagement that is much more multi-dimensional.

            And a bot of a google search only gives me hits that indicate it is mostly management speak.

            Group dynamics for coaches and leaders.

            Nerdy salesman speak.

            Mad Men and Anthropologists

            • weka 18.1.1.1.1.1
              12 September 2013 at 9:19 pm

              “I get that definition from my experience of the people who I’ve heard use it, and how. It’s my working understanding of the term.”

              Yes, I thought that, but was wondering what kinds of contexts.

  19. weizguy 19
    12 September 2013 at 8:19 pm

    If Cunliffe wins, I hope his supporters respond with grace. This blinkered hero worship and vitriol aimed at members of caucus has to stop if Cunliffe has any chance of one: Uniting the party, and two: winning the next election.

    This post is the worst of a long line on this site of authors shouting their confirmation bias at anyone who would listen. It’s become tiresome guys. I won’t tell you what to write, but I will say that if Cunliffe wins and continues to hear this kind of self-serving sycophancy, he’s going to struggle to beat Key.

    Whatever happens, this needs to be the end of the petty in-fighting. Whoever wins needs the support of caucus. It’s time to put up or shut up. There’s an election to win, and it’s not going to happen if energy is wasted on factional squabbles. Leave that to the Nats, they’re due a night of the long knives. Collins is itching for it.

    [lprent: Authors write what they wish to and offer their opinions. I notice that you haven’t pointed to anything on the post that you object to either. Classed as personal attack on the author. Doubling your ban to two weeks ]

    • Colonial Viper 19.1
      12 September 2013 at 8:49 pm

      Will you promise to send your message to Curran, Mallard and King? Because its tiresome people asking the membership to get into line when its been the Parliamentary side of the party which has been totally AWOL from its common sense eg voting in a total newbie (Shearer) as Labour Leader against all advice and membership pressure.

      • weizguy 19.1.1
        12 September 2013 at 9:11 pm

        Do they read the Standard? because that’s the only line of communication I have with them.

        I’m not asking the membership to get in line, I’m pointing out a lack of balance and noting that whoever wins won’t be served by “Yes men.” If it’s bad when Gower does it (and it is)…

        I’m part of the membership and I thought Shearer was a good idea. I was wrong, but I don’t think my “common sense” went AWOL – there was a strong argument to be made for his appointment.

        Oh, and I really do wish authors on here would stop trying to talk for “the membership.” That must be almost as bad as me suggesting that “The Standard” has an opinion.

        [lprent: The authors don’t. They speak for themselves as you could see if you read the posts. For instance Michael Foxglove in this post never even mentioned members. My post later in the day mentioned the members but only to talk about my impressions of the effect of the Labour’s policies in the 1980’s and the types of things that members like myself look for. If you want to raise that point again, then you’d better point to an specific instance. Otherwise you will get a rapid escalating set of bans for attacking authors.

        You’d be hard pressed to find posts that do try to put words into the mouths of “members”. What you usually have is some authors who are members and others who are not describing their opinions on what they see.

        But lets start with an educational ban for a week for this unlinked, unwarranted and quite stupid attack on authors in general. If you want to attack “authors”, then never ever make a blanket statement. Always attack what the individual authors actually say and link/quote it. Because if you start trying to treat this site or the individuals who write for it as any kind of cohesive mass then I regard it as challenge to demonstrate just how nasty vindictive and smart I am (and completely unlike these other wimps). Of course this may result in a bit of a competition over your mangled virtual corpse… 😈

        I’m getting tired of the stupid fools who do make blanket attacks. Especially when they exactly look like the last four or five idiots who got banned for it..

        I see there was another similar comment and you’re now banned for two weeks. ]

        • Colonial Viper 19.1.1.1
          12 September 2013 at 9:27 pm

          I’m part of the membership and I thought Shearer was a good idea. I was wrong, but I don’t think my “common sense” went AWOL – there was a strong argument to be made for his appointment.

          – hadn’t even completed one full term as a Labour MP
          – new to the party, didn’t know how party mechanisms worked
          – never been in Government, never held a Ministerial or Assoc M portfolio
          – unfamiliar with many aspects of NZ life after being out of the country for many years
          – no ability in the media, had to media train from scratch
          – no prior visibility with the membership or with the public at large

          and so on and so forth.

          Basically you behaved like the ABC’s – you didn’t listen, and you thought you knew best against everyone else’s advice.

          • McFlock 19.1.1.1.1
            12 September 2013 at 9:46 pm

            note to weizguy: and that’s all the grace you can expect from cunliffe zealots.

            Whatever happens they’ll either be insufferable dicks or crapping in the tent.

            • Colonial Viper 19.1.1.1.1.1
              12 September 2013 at 9:59 pm

              McFlock, according to you it doesn’t matter who is Labour leader.

              • McFlock …
                12 September 2013 at 10:05 pm

                Is that your idea of a sequiter?

                • Colonial Viper …
                  12 September 2013 at 10:08 pm

                  Also you don’t think it matters if Labour just cruises in the polls as a centrist party, because the Greens are going to do all the heavy lifting on left wing policy anyways.

                  • McFlock …
                    12 September 2013 at 10:13 pm

                    Is this your classy way of deflecting from the grace and respect with which you treat people who make an admission of making a mistake? Such dignity, such delf-deprec sorry self-degradation…

          • weizguy 19.1.1.1.2
            12 September 2013 at 9:47 pm

            Thanks for telling me how I behaved. Do I know you?

            I thought I knew best “against everyone else’s advice”. Everyone’s? There was no-one in favour of Shearer outside Caucus? What is the obsession with claiming to speak for everyone?

            I weighed up the pros and cons and thought he edged it, I saw him as marginally the best option. I’m happy to admit I was wrong and that where I expected to see strengths, there were weaknesses. We learn. But don’t presume to know me.

            • Colonial Viper 19.1.1.1.2.1
              12 September 2013 at 10:03 pm

              Shearer also:

              – Couldn’t pull a team together, actively demoting talent and allowing caucus misbehaviour to go unpunished.
              – Never appeared to identify that half his supporters were actually Grant supporters
              – Picked staff who were well known Grant supporters
              – Didn’t seem to have a problem with right wing dog whistles and mercernaries (the latter item McFlock is also a fan of).

              I weighed up the pros and cons and thought he edged it

              Yeah, really.

              • McFlock …
                12 September 2013 at 10:08 pm

                Whereas cunliffe just couldn’t get the support of the people he worked most closely with.

                • Colonial Viper …
                  12 September 2013 at 10:10 pm

                  Indeed. About half of caucus will never ever vote for Cunliffe willingly. Hence the “ABC” moniker.

                  • weizguy …
                    12 September 2013 at 10:17 pm

                    Any idea of the origins of the “ABC”?

                  • McFlock …
                    12 September 2013 at 10:22 pm

                    Oh, it’s about half now, is it? The excuse for cunliffe’s failure to get the support of his colleagues used to be around a third of caucus were ABCs and a third careerists.

                    But I guess that “ABC” is easier for you to comprehend than the nuances of “leadership”.

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      13 September 2013 at 12:17 am

                      Hey McFlock.

                      What do you care? It doesn’t matter to you who the Labour Leader is, and it certainly doesn’t matter to you how left, centrist or right wing Labour is. To you the Greens are going to do all the hard policy work of the next government and you are naturally an Alliance supporter, anyways.

                      You got no skin and zero care factor in the Labour Party mate.

                    • McFlock …
                      13 September 2013 at 12:29 am

                      Not so. For a left government Labour needs to be on at least the mid-thirties.

                      Infantile members throwing their crap around incessantly just because they don’t get their own way will have more of an effect on that than whomever the caucus leader might be. Fodder for the tories.

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      13 September 2013 at 12:46 am

                      Meh.

                    • felix …
                      13 September 2013 at 7:52 am

                      “Infantile members throwing their crap around incessantly just because they don’t get their own way will have more of an effect on that than whomever the caucus leader might be. Fodder for the tories.”

                      So you’re going to stop? Cool.

                    • McFlock …
                      13 September 2013 at 1:18 pm

                      lol

                      I’m not a member 🙂

                  • Sufi Safari …
                    13 September 2013 at 12:56 am

                    And then there’s a corner of the blogosphere who’ll accept nobody but Cunliffe in the leadership. Hence the “NBC” moniker.

                    I think it’s fitting that the logo is a peacock too…

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      13 September 2013 at 1:04 am

                      Grant’s young. He’s never been in Government. Never proven himself in a Ministerial portfolio. Grant can’t turn out South Auckland like an Auckland MP can. Hasn’t the background to speak credibly against Key on ecoomics, finance, or business.

                      As part of the Robertson/Shearer leadership team, Labour stayed stuck in the mud wheels spinning.

                      Grant is capable though, and will make a formidable PM after some Cabinet experience.

              • weizguy …
                12 September 2013 at 10:13 pm

                I think I admitted I was proven wrong. I’m not sure how post hoc justifications are relavant. How were these things supposed to be part of my decision-making process when they hadn’t happened yet?

                Is this how you normally influence people, or is this just catharsis? Or, you’re just getting it out of your system before the election is over?

        • weizguy 19.1.1.2
          13 September 2013 at 2:00 am

          I despair. I really do. We’ve got a party that needs to pull together and this: “I regard it as challenge to demonstrate just how nasty vindictive and smart I am (and completely unlike these other wimps).” is how you respond?

          I’m not the enemy. I’m really not.

          [lprent: Attacking authors with generic smears and no specifics is just stupid. That is the Clare Curran style of politics of insinuation against others instead of listening. It is even more irritating when piously calling for compromise by others in the cause of unity (rather than fixing the damn problems).

          All it does is to make people want to tear strips off the creeps doing it.

          BTW: I try to provide a distorted mirror when I write these notes as I find feeding back how others perceive the recipients to be an effective way to change behaviour. If they are sarcastic, then I am even more so. If they are dismissive of the opinions of others.. If they are haughty… etc etc

          My assessment of you was childish and petulant. I was rather hoping that came through, and it appears to have done so. Perhaps you should reread your comments in the light of that revelation… ]

    • QoT 19.2
      12 September 2013 at 8:53 pm

      If Cunliffe wins, I hope his supporters respond with grace.

      Because of course Robertson’s supporters have been squeaky clean throughout the whole campaign. 🙄

      I hate it when I’m right.

      • weizguy 19.2.1
        12 September 2013 at 9:17 pm

        Have they? I thought Curran’s tweet was horrendous and resulted in Jenny Michie (for whom I have the utmost respect) being made a scapegoat for the sake of perception.

        Perhaps I should have been more even-handed myself. I expect anyone to act with grace in victory, I was simply responding to what I was reading on this site.

        • QoT 19.2.1.1
          12 September 2013 at 10:20 pm

          I think you may not comprehend sarcasm. And given you weren’t actually even-handed to start off with, it will be an easy job to be more so.

          • weizguy 19.2.1.1.1
            12 September 2013 at 10:30 pm

            Oh, I picked up on the sarcasm. It was dripping. And misplaced.

            On balance: I think I’m doing a little better than some.

      • lprent 19.2.2
        13 September 2013 at 12:55 am

        That was a good post. Amused the hell out of me when I read it at II. You should put it up on sunday….

      • Alanz 19.2.3
        13 September 2013 at 8:49 am

        HAH! Very clever of Ideologically Impure.

        Btw, if Cunliffe wins, the ABCs can undergo a paradigmatic shift and be All Behind Cunliffe.

    • karol 19.3
      12 September 2013 at 9:05 pm

      It’s an election, lurgee weizguy, in case you haven’t noticed”

      shouting their confirmation bias

      Say what? People are stating their preferences and explaining why.

      self-serving sycophancy

      So what? People shouldn’t get excited during an election, and like, do a bit of cheer-leading?

      • weizguy 19.3.1
        12 September 2013 at 9:24 pm

        Lurgee?

        This isn’t a post that states preferences and explains why. It’s a post that sets gerrymandered goalposts for success and then applies a blinkered assessment to each candidates performance.

        Cheerleading is great during an election. I’m worried about afterwards. If Cunliffe wins, he needs people around him who will give him robust, honest advice. I worry he won’t get that.

        • karol 19.3.1.1
          13 September 2013 at 8:16 am

          Whoops. Sorry, don’t know why I addressed it to lurgee.

          Many people who support Cunliffe for leadership do say because they see him as the most capable within the current caucus, to take on the job. It doesn’t mean we never criticise him. Such uncritical sycophancy seems to exist in the imaginations of anti-Cunliffe commenters.

          • Colonial Viper 19.3.1.1.1
            13 September 2013 at 8:33 am

            Will caucus seriously vote for an MP who has fairly consistently polled behind Cunliffe in terms of name recognition and perceived leadership potential?

            Who lacks both the Ministerial experience and economic background required to be considered by the electorate to be a credible contender to be PM?

            Put it another way – do these members of caucus prefer to remain in charge of a losing Labour rather than not being in charge of a winning Labour? I’m not confident that the right call will be made because this is the very same block of MPs who screwed up on selecting Shearer.

            The nation needs the Tories gone. IMO Robertson will bring the 2014 vote in a good 3%-4% under what Cunliffe could accomplish (although much higher than what Shearer could ever do).

            • The Al1en 19.3.1.1.1.1
              13 September 2013 at 8:47 am

              If caucus play to form and anoint GR against the clear wishes of party members and affiliate unions, then I reckon hopes for 2014 might just as well be considered wishful thinking. The party will be split, calls to unite behind the new leader will fall on deaf ears and Labour will wither and die on the vine.

              How much animosity and division do caucus want to stir up should be the first question they ask themselves, and can they take it when it comes for them a close second

    • Yoza 19.4
      12 September 2013 at 10:16 pm

      I wouldn’t vote Labour for many reasons. I was a telecom lineman working for the Post Office during the Lange regime and I voted for Labour in 1987 after Lange had done the rounds of the unions promising the newly ‘corporatised’ Telecom would not be sold.

      Under the Clark regime: the persecution of Ahmed Zaoui was disgusting; the paramilitary style police raid on Tuhoe was criminal; Lianne Dalziel shipping the 16 year old rape victim back to Sri Lanka was plain evil; denying Maori the right to test their claim to the sea bed and foreshore in court was completely idiotic. I’m sure I could think up more if I wanted (Lange regime invents GCSB).

      So from an outsider with no ‘skin in the game’ I would like to offer the following observation.
      The Labour Party membership did not lay down when the ABC crowd promoted Shearer to party leader at the expense of the more popular Cunliffe, they fought back hard and were rewarded for their efforts with a big shake up of the manner in which the party leader is elected.

      When Shearer was ‘re-endorsed’ in a flaky non-contest and Cunliffe was banished from the front bench the membership continued to fight until Shearer could finally read the writing on the wall and resigned.

      The ABCers of the Labour Party (in collusion with the mainstream media) have performed an important function, they have taught the Labour Party membership that if you are united and you fight and you keep fighting, regardless of the contempt in which you are held, you will be rewarded. By galvanising the membership against them the ABC crowd appears to have awoken a dangerous beast, one capable of mortally savaging Key and his sordid band of predatory mercenaries.

      The ABC crowd could do worse than understand the Francis Bacon quote: “Nothing doth more hurt in a state than that cunning men pass for wise.” 

  20. GregJ 20
    12 September 2013 at 9:20 pm

    First of all the Labour Party admin should be congratulated on the organization, structure, speed and smooth running of the Leadership Selection. The Party as a whole should also take credit for changing the rules to a much more democratic, open & inclusive process and for conducting it in a way that the general public can also see that Labour stands for a more transparent & democratic political process. A fine example of Representative & Direct Democracy in action.

    Secondly the Candidates should be congratulated for standing, for allowing the differing views within the party to be articulated and for the general conduct of their relative campaigns. They have been civil, thoughtful, humorous, positive and, aside from the odd glitch by some overzealous supporters, focused on the issues and policy.

    Thirdly – the campaign has highlighted (if it wasn’t already blindingly obvious) the dire state of the mainstream media’s political coverage & analysis. The Political Gallery, deprived of its normal exclusive caucus access and spoon-feed sound bites by politicians was forced to actually attempt to understand what was going on within the minds of the wider party & affiliates. They failed miserably. Starved of information a pampered, lazy & increasingly desperate political media attempted to create their own narrative and then found it was pointless as the wider membership and affiliates, better informed, actively engaged, were able to ignore their dog-whistles and trite coverage.

    Lastly – the caucus is perhaps beginning to understand that there is now a change in dynamic – no longer can the control & direction of the party be decided/hijacked by a small group of caucus power brokers meeting in cafes (or fish & chip shops). Power will now have to be forged by consensus across a much wider group of people within the Party – not just the small group that makes up the Parliamentary wing. It doesn’t mean the end of factions or in-fighting but now the power balance is shifting and that may well lead to new & different type of Labour politicians.

    The process may not be perfect, there is much work to be done at the Conference and then in the electorates to prepare the party for an election and the opportunity to present a credible alternative to the incumbent Government, but it is a vast improvement on what we have seen before.

    Ahakoa he uaua, kia kaha, kia toa, kia manawanui

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    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 day ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    5 days ago

  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    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. Did global warming stop in ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago

  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: “What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 hour ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
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    1 week ago

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