Atlas smirked
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- Date published:
12:15 pm, January 7th, 2024 - 115 comments
Categories: act, Deep stuff, democracy under attack, election 2023, election funding, national, political parties, same old national, spin, tax, taxpayers union -
Tags: Atlas
This morning’s browse of twitter came up with this fascinating tweet from highly respected Guardian reporter George Monbiot.
You would think this was a wild and improbable conspiracy theory. But every fact in this column is checked and verified.
How the Atlas Network’s dark-money junktanks steer policy around the world.https://t.co/4iAtH1StVE— George Monbiot (@GeorgeMonbiot) January 6, 2024
I was always aware that the Atlas Network was a dark money right wing think tank that was active throughout the world but reading this story made me wonder about its effect on New Zealand politics.
Monbiot’s linked article concentrates on the election of Javier Milei as Argentinian President. But his comments could have been applied to the recent New Zealand election.
For instance he said this:
A crash programme of massive cuts; demolishing public services; privatising public assets; centralising political power; sacking civil servants; sweeping away constraints on corporations and oligarchs; destroying regulations that protect workers, vulnerable people and the living world; supporting landlords against tenants; criminalising peaceful protest; restricting the right to strike. Anything ring a bell?
This reads like a list of the Government’s policies. Just think of these:
- Nicola Willis implementing $7.4 billion of cuts in her recent mini budget.
- David Seymour gleefully announcing thousands of public service job cuts just before Christmas.
- It is too early for asset sales to be advanced although the prospect of hospital buildings being owned privately has been raised. And who can for get John Key’s privatisation of half of the power companies during his reign, a decision that has already cost the country more than was received.
- In terms of centralising political power already the unwinding of the three waters reforms and reversals of Health reforms will cause more power to be centralised.
- In terms of sweeping away business constraints National has promised a number of measures that are not in place as yet. This is despite New Zealand already being among the easiest places in the world to do business.
- The introduction of 90 day fire at will provisions and the removal of the Fair Pay system both enacted under urgency will have a significant effect on measures designed to protect workers rights. And how about changing the way benefit increases for everyone except superannuants are calculated so that over time there is more child poverty? Or how about increasing sanctions on beneficiaries?
- As for supporting landlords against tenants how about the reintroduction of no cause evictions and reduction of notice periods? And National’s pushing through of tax cuts for landlords with retrospective effect and the reduction of the bright line period will have landlords dancing in the streets.
- And in relation to destroying regulations that protect the living world this is a doozie. The legislation that wound back Resource planning to the old Resource Management Act contained a provision allowing for the Minister by regulation to override protective legislation. As pointed out by the Environmental Defence Society “[t]he Government now has the power to exempt parts of the country from any or all of the Resource Management Act requirements and allow destruction of our precious indigenous plants and animals and pollution of our rivers and coasts. This will be able to occur without proper consideration of the impact on nature and neighbouring communities.”
The only two areas not affected yet are the right to strike and criminalising peaceful protest. Every other policy that has been enacted or is in the process of being enacted is something that the Atlas Corporation would approve of.
Even some of the campaign techniques are similar. In the United Kingdom Liz Truss had a mini budget that was that good it sent the UK economy into involuntary spasms. Nicola Willis’s local version did not have such a dramatic effect at least not as yet.
And the way that Atlas and related organisations have placed themselves at the centre of debate is also unnervingly familiar.
From Monbiot:
Last year, the [Institute of Economic Affairs, one of the first members of the Atlas Network] was platformed on British media an average of 14 times a day: even more often than before the disaster it helped inflict on the UK. Scarcely ever was it challenged about who funds it or whom it represents.
Do you find yourself grinding your teeth every time the Taxpayers Union or the New Zealand Initiative get given air time to talk about something?
Monbiot says this about the funding of the Atlas aligned organisations:
Many refuse to divulge who funds them, but as information has trickled out we have discovered that the Atlas Network itself and many of its members have taken money from funding networks set up by the Koch brothers and other rightwing billionaires, and from oil, coal and tobacco companies and other life-defying interests. The junktanks are merely the intermediaries. They go into battle on behalf of their donors, in the class war waged by the rich against the poor. When a government responds to the demands of the network, it responds, in reality, to the money that funds it.
The dark-money junktanks, and the Atlas Network, are a highly effective means of disguising and aggregating power. They are the channel through which billionaires and corporations influence politics without showing their hands, learn the most effective policies and tactics for overcoming resistance to their agenda, and then spread these policies and tactics around the world. This is how nominal democracies become new aristocracies.
Which is eerily what is happening in New Zealand. From an article by David Williams in Newsroom:
As president and chair of World Taxpayers Associations (an Atlas Network partner), [Taxpayer’s head Jordan Williams] gets some travel expenses paid.
The Taxpayers’ Union has also won awards and travel scholarships from the Atlas Network, chaired by New Zealander Debbi Gibbs, daughter of the businessman Alan Gibbs, a long-time supporter of the Act party.
“We publicly disclose these,” Williams says of the Atlas money. “For example, our investigations co-ordinator recently won the Asia ‘Shark Tank Competition’ – successfully pitching a campaign idea in a Dragons’ Den-style event during the Asia Liberty Forum in Malaysia.”
The $US10,000 prize winner was Oliver Bryan, a former political advisor for a British Conservative Party politician.
“The prize money, and other Atlas funding, is small in terms of our overall budget. It has never constituted more than 1 or 2 percent of our annual income, and it is our only funding from overseas.” (This last statement jars with the earlier one about individual donations.)
The links between Atlas and the TPU are visible for all to see. On the Atlas Network website there is this article about the TPU:
An upcoming election is expected to deliver a government more favorable to market-based thinking in New Zealand, and the Taxpayers’ Union intends to work alongside the government to be at the forefront of policy development. They plan to work toward their mission by drafting parliamentary bills; shifting the Overton Window by utilizing popular support; campaigning against high taxes, government waste, and inflation; and publicizing high profile government employees or contractors who have had misleading or deceptive trade interactions. The Taxpayers’ Union aims, in the long run, to become the most popularly supported taxpayer and fiscally conservative pressure group in the world, and to establish New Zealand as a pro-freedom policy laboratory. In their words, they will “lead the world from the bottom of the world.”
And some of the articles will make you feel physically ill. Like this one describing Rogernomics and Ruthenasia as “an inspiring case study of fostering economic growth through rolling back government subsidies and protectionist import controls”. Or this one highlighting Jordan Williams and his attending the Smith Fellowship, described as being one of the hallmark programs of Atlas Network’s Leadership Academy. In 2017 he highlighted fundraising as a major challenge. Back then the TPU’s income was $355 thousand and it had cash reserves of $11,000.
This has increased dramatically. From public records we are aware that last financial year ending December 31, 2022 it received $2.826 million in income and had nearly a million dollars in cash in its bank accounts. The return for this year will be very interesting. The change in funding over 5 years is stark.
And as pointed out by David Williams this funding was used last year to pay for polling at the national and electorate level, the issuing of almost 100 press releases, hosting seven political debates, publishing four policy reports, starting a petition, drafting alternative legislation, and rolling out a debt clock gimmick all between August 1 and election day. If only the left had a similarly resourced entity to drive policy formation and public opinion.
Given British Tobacco’s involvement in the Taxpayer’s Union you have to wonder what influence it had in the Government decision to wind back New Zealand’s smoke free policy. Getting extra tax income and pleasing your sponsor may have been too tempting for the Government to ignore even if the cost is increased cancer rates and greater pressure on the health system.
Monbiot’s conclusion is just as relevant for New Zealand as it is for England.
These junktanks are like the spike proteins on a virus. They are the means by which plutocratic power invades the cells of public life and takes over. It’s time we developed an immune system.
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- Gaza: Aotearoa Must Support Independent Investigation into Mass GravesTe Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...3 days ago
- Release: Working together on consistent support for veterans this Anzac Day
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...5 days ago - Release: Penny drops – but what about Seymour and Peters?Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...5 days ago
- Another ‘Stolen Generation’ enabled by court ruling on Waitangi Tribunal summonsTonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...5 days ago
- Release: Budget blunder shows Nicola Willis could cut recovery fundingIt appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...6 days ago
- Further environmental mismanagement on the cards
The Government’s resource management reforms will add to the heavy and ever-growing burden this Government is loading on to our environment. ...6 days ago - Release: RMA changes will be a disaster for environmentThe Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...6 days ago
- Release: Labour supports urgent changes to emergency management systemLabour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...6 days ago
- Release: Labour calls for New Zealand to recognise PalestineThe Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...6 days ago
- Release: Three strikes law political posturing of worst kindThe Government is bringing back a law that has little evidential backing just to look tough, Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...6 days ago
- Release: Government cuts unbelievably target child exploitation, violent extremism, ports and airpor...Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...6 days ago
- Three strikes has failed before and will fail againResurrecting the archaic three-strikes legislation is an unwelcome return to a failed American-style approach to justice. ...7 days ago
- Release: Environmental protection vital, not ‘onerous’The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...7 days ago
- Ferris – Three Strikes targets those ‘too brown to be white’The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...7 days ago
- Release: Govt cuts doctors and nurses in hiring freezeCuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...1 week ago
- Fast-track submissions period must be extendedThe Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...1 week ago
- Release: Progress on climate will be undone by GovtNew Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...1 week ago
- Release: Dark day for Kiwi kids as a third of Govt cuts affect themNews that 1000 jobs at the Ministry of Education and Oranga Tamariki could go is devastating for future generations of New Zealanders. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Alarm as Government signals further blow to school lunchesMore essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...2 weeks ago
- Oranga Tamariki cuts commit tamariki to state abuseTe Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Quick, submit – stop Govt’s dodgy approvals billThe Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...2 weeks ago
- Government throws coal on the climate crisis fireThe Government’s policy announced today to ease consenting for coal mining will have a lasting impact across generations. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Public transport costs to double as National looks at unaffordable roading project insteadCancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Cost of living in Auckland still not a priorityA laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...2 weeks ago
- Te Pāti Māori to visit Queensland to strengthen ties with Māori in AustraliaTe Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...2 weeks ago
- Greens look to fast-track submissions on harmful lawThe Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt should stop making people’s lives harder and build more homesThe National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Melissa Lee missing in action on mediaThe action Melissa Lee promised to protect democracy and the media sector is missing, Media and Communications spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...3 weeks ago
- Landlord Government leaves little hope for rentersThe Government’s announcement on tenancy rules prove that it does not care about renters. ...3 weeks ago
- Opportunity to build a more sustainable economyGreen Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...3 weeks ago
- Significant step forward in fixing cruel and unjust pastA significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...3 weeks ago
- Missed opportunity but NZ will surely one day recognise the right to a sustainable environmentNew Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Don’t cut our lunches – clear message sent to GovernmentTens of thousands of people are demanding the Government commits to fully funding free and healthy school lunches. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Govt makes U-turn on Suicide Prevention OfficeLabour welcomes the Government’s U-turn on the closure of the Suicide Prevention Office, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...3 weeks ago
- Pharmac Chair appointed
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...19 hours ago - Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum DisorderHundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...2 days ago
- New sports complex opens in KaikoheRegional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...2 days ago
- Diplomacy needed more than everForeign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...2 days ago
- Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery BelgiumAmbassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...3 days ago
- Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk BairDistinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...3 days ago
- Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, TürkiyeMai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...4 days ago
- PM announces changes to portfoliosPaul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...5 days ago
- New catch limits for unique fishery areasRecreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...5 days ago
- Minister welcomes hydrogen milestoneEnergy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...5 days ago
- Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment BillThe coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...6 days ago
- Overseas decommissioning models consideredOverseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...6 days ago
- Release of North Island Severe Weather Event InquiryEmergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...6 days ago
- Justice Minister to attend Human Rights CouncilJustice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...6 days ago
- Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facilityAssociate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...7 days ago
- Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...7 days ago
- Government to introduce revised Three Strikes lawThe Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...7 days ago
- New diplomatic appointmentsForeign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...7 days ago
- Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and SomaliaNew Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...7 days ago
- Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho CollectiveMinister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...1 week ago
- Supporting better financial outcomes for KiwisThe Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...1 week ago
- Trade relationship with China remains strong“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...1 week ago
- PM’s South East Asia mission does the businessPrime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...1 week ago
- $41m to support clean energy in South East AsiaNew Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...1 week ago
- Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder listThe 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 ...1 week ago
- Judicial appointments announcedAttorney-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 ...1 week ago
- Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in SingaporeEducation 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 ...1 week ago
- Value of stopbank project proven during cycloneA 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 ...1 week ago
- Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visitForeign 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 ...1 week ago
- Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac DayScience, 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 ...1 week ago
- Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the PhilippinesPrime 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 ...1 week ago
- Government commits $20m to Westport flood protectionThe 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 ...1 week ago
- Taupō takes pole positionThe 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 ...2 weeks ago
- Cost of living support for low-income homeownersLocal 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 ...2 weeks ago
- Government backing mussel spat projectThe 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 - ...2 weeks ago
- Government focused on getting people into workBenefit 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 ...2 weeks ago
- Clean energy key driver to reducing emissionsThe 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 ...2 weeks ago
- Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forwardThe 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 ...2 weeks ago
- Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic PartnershipPrime 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 ...2 weeks ago
- Government consults on extending coastal permits for portsRMA 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 ...2 weeks ago
- Palestine protesters stage Gaza ‘die-in’ as leaders call for step up in boycotts
Asia Pacific Report A score of Palestine solidarity protesters draped themselves in white shrouds with mock blood in a sombre “die-in” demonstration at Te Komitanga Square — the heart of Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city — today as speakers urged people to take a stronger boycott against Israeli products. The ...3 hours ago - Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Tackling violence against women will be the sole agenda item for a national cabinet meeting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has convened for Wednesday. The meeting, held remotely, follows thousands of Australians attending rallies across ...4 hours ago
- Biden hails ‘press freedom, democracy’ but ignores Gaza media death toll of 142The protest outside the White House correspondents’ dinner hotel. Image: Anatolu video screenshot APR More than two dozen Palestinian journalists had called for a boycott of the dinner, writing an open letter urging their American colleagues not to attend. “You have a unique responsibility to speak truth to power and ...8 hours ago
- Fast-track Approvals Bill Presents A Serious Risk To New Zealand Exporters
“Our exporters should, therefore, be deeply concerned that the Fast-track Approvals Bill was not assessed for consistency with any of our free trade commitments prior to being introduced to the House,” says Gary Taylor, Chief Executive of the Environmental ...11 hours ago - 'Immigration changes necessary' – Stanford
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford says work has started on a broader accredited employer work visa review. ...11 hours ago - Green co-leader James Shaw came 'very close' to resigning as minister under Labour govtThe former minister reveals he "ended up storming out" of a Cabinet meeting over disagreements on climate change and biodiversity. ...14 hours ago
- NZCTU Welcomes Corporate Manslaughter Bill IntroductionNZCTU President Richard Wagstaff is calling on all political parties to support the new Member’s Bill from Labour’s workplace relations and safety spokesperson Camilla Belich MP that would ensure negligent companies are held accountable when their employees ...14 hours ago
- US election forecaster with near-perfect track record not ready call 2024 just yetA historian with an uncanny track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go very wrong for him. ...15 hours ago
- US election forecaster with near-perfect track record not ready to call 2024 just yetA historian with a track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go wrong for him. ...15 hours ago
- Fish and quiz: The many uses of written parliamentary questionsMinisters have to answer thousands of written questions each year - but how are they used, and for what end? ...16 hours ago
- Former Deputy PM Paula Bennett appointed Pharmac board chairThe former National MP "brings a wealth of experience" to the role, David Seymour says. ...18 hours ago
- Inside the home of New Zealand’s greatest crime writer
Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own. Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...19 hours ago - ‘Apologies to Dvořák’: How a serenade for strings cemented one of New Zealand TV’s strongest...Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...20 hours ago
- An Ode to .. King Luxon
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...21 hours ago - In the studio with artist power couple Claudia Kogachi and Josephine JelicichThe pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like. ‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...23 hours ago
- An ode to the muesli bar, a national treasureThank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...23 hours ago
- Government urged to hit the gas on revamp of road user chargesInfrastructure New Zealand is pushing for new road user charges to be brought in quicker to help relieve pressure on strained transport funding. ...1 day ago
- US student Palestine protests against Israel’s war on Gaza inspire global actionAsia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...1 day ago
- Former Te Whatu Ora chairperson Rob Campbell criticises Health NZ's 'savings' directi...Rob Campbell said it shows "poor management" and is "frankly irresponsible". ...2 days ago
- ‘To lead is to serve’ – Governor-General to call PM election in Solomon IslandsRNZ Pacific The race to form the next government of Solomon Islands could be a tight one, with no single party emerging from the election with enough seats to govern. Caretaker prime minister Manasseh Sogavare’s Our Party did the best, securing 15 out of the 50 seats in the House. ...2 days ago
- Bryce Edwards – FastTrackWatch: The Case for the Government’s Fast Track BillAnalysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz) New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...2 days ago
- NZ and Türkiye pledge cooperation during natural disastersThe two countries have "a long history of coming to each other's aid", including after the 2023 Turkish earthquakes, Winston Peters says. ...2 days ago
- Waste not, want not: New series Food Waste Kitchen turns food trash into treasureTara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...2 days ago
- Vaping regulations fight 'immeasurably harder' under coalition – campaignerFocus on Politics - Successive governments have claimed crack downs on youth vaping, but the bending and breaking of rules seems pervasive. ...2 days ago
- Dog of the month: Scout, who is so independent she could be a catScout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...2 days ago
- ‘I don’t know if we were brave or stupid’: Megan Alatini on changing reality TVMegan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...2 days ago
- Behind the counter: Wellington shopkeepersA new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...2 days ago
- Iranian Solidarity Group New Zealand Condemns Toomaj Salehi's Death Sentence And The New Aggres...Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...2 days ago
- Short story: Calf Creek, by Anna ScaifeMy cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...2 days ago
- Newsroom welcomes the Secret DiaryNewsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...2 days ago
- I saw ‘The Sign’, and it opened up my eyes: All the fuss around Bluey, explainedTara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...2 days ago
- Jessica Tater has ambition without bordersWorking as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...2 days ago
- The island where people’s stories are paramountThere’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...2 days ago
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New Zealand Initiative
[Bugger now fixed – MS]
But the people voted for this Government and the people's vote must be respected!
New Zealander's voted for change: it's what we wanted!
*whines
To my mind, this is the most important post you have submitted on this site mickysavage.
You have confirmed my long held suspicion that NZ and NZ politics is being seriously manipulated by forces beyond our shores.
Ironic isn't it! The conspiracy nutbars (sorry weka but that is what they are) are correct about the existence of an international web of organisations intent on manipulating social and political discourse. The trouble is, it's their own supporting groups (see NZ Taxpayers Union etc.) and their wealthy overseas enablers who are the culprits.
It is a societal cancer on a global scale and requires a major international effort to counter the damage being done before it becomes terminal.
What to do about this?
This.
https://emergencemagazine.org/interview/an-ethics-of-wild-mind/
Thanks Anne
Sometimes posts take a long time to form. This just poured out onto the page. I always knew that the left had problems but I did not think the right was this organised or focussed.
The question will be what does the left do.
"The question will be what does the left do."
FFS. I was hoping you could give us a steer, this shit is real.
Yes exactly Micky. That will be an interesting discussion. Meanwhile, did anyone see the "God made Trump" video? I thought it was a spoof, until I checked and stopped laughing quickly. This is where we go in our little country and it is what I fear most. All the actors are in place and power now, including Seymour who mentioned “his friends at Atlas” in a Waitangi Day speech.
https://www.indy100.com/politics/god-made-trump-truth-social
In our little country of ca. 5.3 million wee souls, we already have political players with a Messiah complex, so it wouldn’t take a big leap of faith to imagine one with a God complex arising in Godzone.
"It is a societal cancer on a global scale and requires a major international effort to counter the damage being done before it becomes terminal."
Anne, the only way I have to be part of a major international effort was to be there yesterday marching in solidarity with Palestinians against genocidal Israel. As for Aotearoa New Zealand, it may be part of "societal cancer on a global scale" but we have to somehow claim our country back from this awful extreme right wing coalition. Any ideas?
Agree with what anne said..
This is important information..and must be disseminated widely…
I have long thought that national is act with the mask on…and act are national with the mask off..
And this post brings that clearly into focus…and/but is so much darker/dangerous to our democracy..
It may be timely for Monbiot to remind everyone about libertarian think tanks and their influence but it is hardly a revelation, he (and others) have been drawing attention to the fact for years, if not decades…..and everyone knows who the likes of the Taxpayers Union and the NZ Initiative advocate for.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/07/us-billionaires-hard-right-britain-spiked-magazine-charles-david-koch-foundation
https://www.monbiot.com/2018/12/10/you-want-it-darker/
Either you’re missing the point(s) or you’re downplaying it or a bit of both. At least you didn’t fob it off as some kind of grief vibe.
The points have been made and known for years..as the linked Monbiot articles from 2018 show
A lot of information that is new to me in this article a definite FFS moment
If it is new to you then I would suggest you havnt been a close reader of this site for very long….but it is good that you have now found the information, it is the one reason I persist with this site, as every once in a while someone posts something I would not have found in the other sites i frequent.
@ pat..
Aah..!..yes..it has been said before…but the point is that now that they are clearly winning..eh..?
And that is the difference..
"…but the point is that now that they are clearly winning..eh..?"
In case nobody had noticed they have been running things since the end of Bretton Woods…or perhaps a few years after to allow them to get their feet under the table and really take control of capital movement.
And its all been said before, the only difference is that some whose noses are now out of joint suddenly decide it’s important….somewhat belatedly.
I'm with Pat on this.
It's true right wing think tanks have been known about for years but the increase in network organisation and funding in this part of the world is new, described by MS here:
It's clear some people don't read the post before commenting.
Fill your boots…there is nothing new….you think this is a revelation?…its been happening for 40 years (probably more)…what do you think the fight is?…beating up some fascists in the street?….no it it is a fight against the resources of the elites,,,same as it ever was.
Wake up
Fair enough .Have a go at this Atlas network. But you need to find some actual link with NZ rather then a reckon. Apart from Britain – there is a global move to the right – which you understandably oppose. But there have been similar global movements to the left. NZ may be islands geographically, but we are not divorced from global political trends
We all know how you feel about things, John. Your Twitter feed says much about how you feel.
[No, ‘we’ don’t all know how Mr Drinnan feels about things (FFS) nor do ‘we’ care. What ‘we’ do know now is how you feel about him or his Twitter feed rather, which ‘we’ care even less about.
Address the contents of Posts and comments and don’t play the man/woman. This is your only warning – Incognito]
Mod note
Ok then. Sorry about that.
Hi John what do you think about the clear links to TPU shown by the Atlas Network website? And are you at least intrigued about TPU’s growth in funding?
crickets
Always is.
John, all the links are given in the original post. Example
https://www.desmog.com/atlas-economic-research-foundation/
(Image via @JohnDyerCauston)
A conspiracy by those with capital to organise a global move to the right – international markets to destroy national unions, groups to feed media narratives …
Ruth Richardson is on the board of the Tax Payers Union. Casey Costello resigned from the board so she could concentrate on the 2023 election – she is now a first time MP for New Zealand First and a cabinet minister – Customs, Seniors and Associate Minister for Health (smokefree legislation), Immigration and Police.
That NZ First, a party that has historically more or less stood for expansionary fiscal and monetary policy has a member of the Taxpayer's union on its list underlines the massive shift to the right the party has undertaken in the past few years.
But of course we should have known. Winston Peters started out on the right of the National Party.
Ruth Richardson was instrumental in assisting Argentina down the libertarian road some 20 plus years ago.
Casey Costello, a first time MP catapulted straight into a ministerial role. That tells me, its no longer what you know but who you know that counts. Any Tom, Dick, Harry or Mary with no political knowledge or experience will be let loose over the masses to the detriment of an entire nation.
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/minister/biography/casey-costello
OMG Hobson’s Pledge. Isn’t that Brash’s crowd of miscreants?
Yep – Brash's crowd.
Nice work Mickey and George but only adds to my bad case of post election Left Melancholy.
Melancholy? So, we're fucked then, That's a shame.
Glad you've picked this up Micky. Obtrectator posted the Monbiot article link last night in OM and thought it might get missed.
I followed his post this morning with this:
Taxpayers Union and Atlas Network
NZ is after Lithuania.
Ta I am sort of surprised they are so blatant about it.
Okay, So now what do we do about it? We are in deep shit.
I'm not ms. I have watched normally rational and intelligent (but politically uninformed) relatives of mine fall hook, line and sinker for the NAct lines.
So Anne, what do we do about it?
What needs to happen is:
Labour, Greens and TPM have to set aside their differences and work together as a close-knit team. Under the current circumstance, policy differences are a luxury they can't afford. Better to wait for better times to iron out those differences.
As far as I can see that is the only way to counter the onslaught of right-wing, libertarian rhetoric and action. We can't match their bottomless cookie jar, but together the progressive parties can out-wit them in other areas because they are largely visionless and not very bright.
When you think about it, NZ's proudest moments since WW2 have occurred under Labour or Labour-led governments, I refer to the Norman Kirk Govt. and the fight against French nuclear testing in the South Pacific and the Lange Govt.'s anti-nuclear stance both of which were well and truly vindicated. There was the Helen Clark era. during which we saw the first ever successful trade deal with China and also her refusal to send fighting troops to Iraq which was also well and truly vindicated. Finally the Ardern Govt. – together with the former Director General of Health, Ashley Bloomfield and his team – became internationally lauded for their outstanding success in saving… probably many thousands of lives during the pandemic years.
The above gives me some hope that together the Opposition parties can bring back democratic governance for all NZers in the not too distant future.
I agree that should be one part of response to the NAF government Anne. I hope they are already talking.
Congratulations Anne on your concise outlined plan to counter the dire and dismal outlook Micky has painted.
The current government are not experienced, the majority not too quick. With a joint, well organized opposition, your plan has to work.
Well described, Heather.
They used smart people from over the sea to win the election, but they themselves are not too bright, imo, hence they have an Achilles heel.
The now-Opposition looks hungry for the opportunity to eviscerate the shallower Ministers who will only be able to bluster and block for so long.
A prominent economist with whom I am acquainted told Nic Willis that it's time to get out of campaign mode, actually get a handle on her portfolio and begin to govern.
Applies to the whole coalition. But they are not capable, as the public will begin to see over the coming months/years
As others have noted ‘these are not serious people’.
Thank-you Heather Tanguay. A coming together of the Oppo. parties is only the start of course. There will need to be action taken but that can only be determined in response to Govt. action and rhetoric.
No pussy footing around any more Labour.
The last time either the Greens, Labour, or Maori Party put out a media release it was December 21st.
Since December 21st ACT have put out 11 media releases, and the government 9.
This is a lazy Opposition so far and this government certainly isn't.
There's no evidence since October's election that Hipkins or Shaw or Davidson or Waititi have picked up the phone to each other or organised anything together.
So best of luck with your thoughts.
If you want this to happen, email them and call their office and ask them what the hell they think they are getting paid for.
December 21st on?
Holiday time; people seek entertainment.
Keep your powder dry til it's ready to go off with a bang!
This government is defining the 2024 terms of media discussion, not the Opposition. National and ACT are not on holiday.
Stop making excuses for laziness.
The discussion points from NACTNZF are ideological and broad. Countering those would be vaguely met by the public. It's when the details of their actions become available for debate that the fur will fly.
– Mickysavage
https://thestandard.org.nz/atlas-smirked/
Same funding for ACT and TPU. They are pretty much the same organisation. Labour certainly needs be funded better.
Sorry are all the unions asleep as well?
Seriously there's no left-leaning academic that Labour/Greens/TPM staff can call on to get on the media?
Not a single Councillor on a Green or Labour or City Vision ticket that can’t take a moment off adding another layer of sunscreen?
Has every single aid agency or housing trust in the country taking 3 Amyltriptelene?
Pessimism is the thing you sniff after you've dug your own grave.
Astonishing that ALL of those you list are being "lazy".
Sounds like an existential paralysis.
Or perhaps they're waiting for the opportune moment…
When the other team has their collective peckers up and are firing on pure adrenaline, is the worst time to take it to them, if you have the option of strategic delay… imo.
Recharging and reconnecting with the people/voters is vital for survival. Have those critical conversations and listen to people and their concerns and then organise and collaborate. No point planting (sour) grapes in the middle of Summer.
Phone? Email? Ok, boomer.
Yes email and phonecall. Those are easiest to log and prove that you have been responded to.
Alternatively keep making comments here and presume it means you’re doing something political other than more bitching and moaning.
Have you looked at Social media at all?
Anyway, Scoop is a good aggregator of press releases and the likes.
https://info.scoop.co.nz/New_Zealand_National_Party [last entry 12 Oct]
https://info.scoop.co.nz/New_Zealand_Labour_Party [last entry 20 Dec]
https://info.scoop.co.nz/Green_Party [last entry 21 Dec]
https://info.scoop.co.nz/New_Zealand_First_Party [last entry 3 Oct]
https://info.scoop.co.nz/ACT_New_Zealand [last entry 8 Jan; 11 entries since 21 Dec]
https://info.scoop.co.nz/Te_Pati_Maori [last entry 20 Dec]
https://info.scoop.co.nz/New_Zealand_Government [last entry 1 Jan; 9 entries since 21 Dec]
https://info.scoop.co.nz/New_Zealand_Council_of_Trade_Unions [last entry 20 Dec]
https://info.scoop.co.nz/Public_Service_Association [last entry 20 Dec]
It always help to look a little further than your nose is long and see a slightly bigger picture.
Their politics of persuasion is like opium for the masses. As long as we have some kind of democratic system, they only need to convince enough people to be in power and control. This is the intrinsic flaw in and of the (democratic) system as we know and have it, at present. For progressive change to happen people have to believe in it, at least enough to imagine it, as people always follow their beliefs. This is where the power of persuasion comes in and the influence of Randian thought and ideas become evident.
All the more reason for a combined effort from the Opposition parties to out-do the Randian followers and win back the naive and gullible from their opium induced political coma.
It shouldn't surprise anyone with at least a few clues that National follow closely the line set for them by overseas greedy right-wingers whose mission in life is to make life as idilic for themselves and simultaneously as hard for others, as possible.
National never had an original thought throughout its existence. Its policies are always reactive, retrograde and overseas-sourced, never progressive – with the one exception being when they electrified the main trunk line under Muldoon.
We can't expect any better than the current crop of NACTs, they have the mentality of Vogons wanting to construct a hyper gallactic bypass.
All they want to do is tear things down, never build them up. This current lot have already started. They cannot stand the workers of this country having a share of economic prosperity. Which is why they chopped the Fair Pay Agreements, and allowed the Reserve Bank to hike interest rates to the point where people lose their jobs and home. And it really sickens me that people who say they used to be on the left or Labour supporters voted for them.
So I don't know what we do about about it, Millsy. Do you?
you wait…..the dolphins will leave…………
Fantastic post Mickey. I agree with Anne; a very important piece of work.
Cheers Mike. Also rather depressing …
Depressed is how I was feeling yesterday reading your post and other articles and blogs. Sorry for being a bit snippy @mickysavage.
But early to be patting people on the back, Mike. What do we do about it?
I'm not sure what the story is here?
The policies listed as shared goals between the government and Atlas are just bog standard base center right neoliberal policies that every center party around the world has believed in since the 80s.
Bolger, Shipley and Key were all believers. There's no conspiracy here.
Labour and its affiliates are also a part of numerous global organisations and think tanks, as are the Greens and all consult with various global organisations and consultants.
This is not new, it's been around around since the days of the socialist international.
Of course right wing parties and think tanks around the world have policy overlap.
There is no conspiracy theory needed to explain Labours defeat. The global economy tanked and they'd been in for two terms so it was aidious.
The fact that Labour were trounced so historically, getting their lowest number of electorates in the partys history and when non voters are counted getting support from less than a fifth of all eligible voters isn't a global networks fault but labours fault.
They were elected to fix the housing crisis and make home ownership a possibility for every young kiwi and they made it even more unrealistic for young kiwis to ever own a home and it's now so bad that young kiwis can't even find a home to rent in any NZ city over 100k.
They overpromised, severely underdelivered were ludicrously overexposed and took the cowards way out on every popular populist position from drug reform, to tax reform, to consumer and duopoly reform, to housing and capital reform.
They got arrogant stopped debating and stopped listening, pissed off the left, they pissed off the right and the center had had enough of them.
Then their popular leader left and was replaced by a Keir Starmer knock off that spent the entire year ruling anything anyone wanted out and dealing with the fall out of the fast and loose cabinet leadership style of his predecessor who allowed far too many rank arrogant incompetents into cabinet and let far, far too many failures and bad behaviours go unpunished.
Who would want to vote for that party? Especially when their answer to any and all popular policies with voters on the left and right was "not under our watch, you'll have a cheap apple in two years and you'll be happy"
About one fifth of the country evidently.
No conspiracy needed.
But Corey what the fuck do we do about it? Labour can't save us because we know they are embedded in the system. Criticism doesn't cut it. Do you have an actual solution?
Someone hasn't read "Dirty Politics" or "The Hollow Men" or "Only Their Purpose is Mad"
This is not a democratic movement.
It's a class war enacted by the 1% against people's movements and democracy itself
So Roblogic, what do we do? We know we're being screwed.
Tell the truth. Regroup. Strategise. Take the wins, be realistic about the losses. Keep fighting
Organise unify just like they do get people on the ground social media etc.
Labour got 27% National got 38%. If NZF had elected to go with the Left Hipkins would be PM….hardly a trouncing.*
Michael Wood was a highly competent minister. Quite why he didn't sort out his personal shareholding details remains a mystery but one thing is clear, it was not in order for him to make personal monetary gain.
*And watch this space…Peters may yet bring down this coalition of cuts….he really hates Seymour.
NZ First has moved to the right.
NZ First has been paid to move to the right FIFY
The funding is the issue. Do we want a democratic system which gives such an inbuilt advantage to the right?
Yes agree ; I hope when the donations information comes out someone does a deep dive into those who supported NAF with large amounts of money, including a free plane for David Seymour.
Hi Darien, I appreciate yr contributions to TS and larger public service.
Surely what yrself and Mickey are dancing around is public/state funded elections.
Like lobbyists, 'donations' to political parties pervert democracy.
If political donations are to continue, they are not to be spent in say, the final six months before the election date.
Political donations are a tiny amount of the spend of those promoting the neolib agenda….the work has been done (and paid for) well in advance of the elections…and oddly enough ,I suspect if you stripped away all the deception and misinformation, most would still choose what is offered by the neolibs…and that is the real problem…we are actively choosing what they offer to our (offsprings) detriment.
And that is what upsets the opponents and makes them advocate for authoritarianism…to their detriment .
Thanks. I agree but we have never been able to get state funding across the line. I suppose we are better off than some countries (ie the US) because TV and other public media advertising is State funded, but doesn't now take account of the huge amount of advertising that takes place elsewhere. I can't remember if I saw any political advertising on tv this time around because I hardly ever watch anyway. As for political donations, yes this is an area crying out for reform. I agree with Pat. Much money is spent outside the election period – basically we had a full on advertising campaign for the last two years from National and ACT. And lobbyists ? I never as an MP took any notice of them anyway!
i so wish i could disagree….like many they lost my vote to the greens…..totally incompetent in the eyes of many, perhaps after we have been royally screwed ove the population will welcome them back…..if its not to late and damage is repairable.
Of course those who care about the direction of these islands say No! So with a limp, neoliberal centrist Labour Party what advice do you have for us, Micky?
"Chippy" can't save us. Labour can't save us. Time to man up, bro. Any ideas?
Aotearoa NZ is in deep shit.
This was meant to be reply to @mickysavage.
No @ Bearded Git, Michael Wood was not a highly competent Minister. Like you I don't understand how someone who appeared to be a competent Minister imploded.
I agree it wasn't for personal gain. Hubris?
Fucked if I know.
Doesn't matter, Wood let down those of us who care.
A competent Minister wouldn't have screwed up multiple times.
Grey….I agree he screwed up on personal financial matters multiple times…inexplicable……lazy?…arrogant? ….and very damaging to Labour.
But prior to this he had been an eloquent and impressive minister touted as a future leader.
His behaviour may well have cost 2-3 percent at the election.
Fair enough. He did start out well. Puzzling how it all ended.
No puzzle. He and his wife were simply greedy and got caught.
That doesn't make sense. The inference is that by hiding their shareholdings from parliament's records they were in some way benefitting financially. Not true.
They would have made the income from the shares-not a huge amount- and paid any tax due on this whether they declared them to parliament or not.
I really think that they were just lazy and a trifle arrogant.
Mr Wood did a great job with bus drivers, delivering a substantial pay increase and changing the terms of how contracts were let, which had allowed the low paying parasites to dominate bus services for decades.
He was also instrumental in rejuvenating plans for NZ owned and operated Coastal Shipping in league with some of the NZ shipping companies and Maritime Unions.
Probably why he get railroaded. Cannot have bus drivers getting more money, or public transport focusing on service provision, not profit.
So in my opinion he became a target, as did all the successful ministers of the left.
"The Nact Act double act" run a 5th column to search out weaknesses in the opposing parties. They found and pressured those weak points.
The mote in their own eye gets white washed, and they apply one set of rules to themselves and a much harsher set to us, with much media help.
Nicky Hagar said they were "Hollow", well yes, but they are still dangerous. They appeal to themes such as freedom self help and initiative. They carefully gloss over care community and collective, selling that "professionals can do it better.' Meaning privatise gains and publicise the losses.
Anyone protesting is labeled as 'needing a cup of tea' We know this, yet how do we counter? We hold meetings fund raisers and raffles.
We set up our memes which counter theirs. "Better together" '"Fair share of the money" "A home not 200 houses' Repeated at every opportunity with Policy development to match.
Agitate for controlled financial support for parties.
Face that they ran a better advertising campaign using modern techniques and $9 a vote to one dollar odd for ours, and they won because they joined up to win, then divide the spoils.
There is a window before they become entrenched and we all become too frightened to appear above the parapet.
While acknowledging the wins, the ball was dropped with the 'accredited employer work visa scheme'. The system that had 40 Indian migrants in a squalid 3 bedroom house in Manurewa.
Not necessarily by the individual, more their trust/belief in the 'system', and the failure to have more audits. Modern slavery is a shameful moniker for a party called Labour.
This is one of the most important changes in direction they have to make to make a difference.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/496017/accredited-employer-work-visa-scheme-to-be-reviewed-after-whistleblower-s-allegations
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018853993/workplace-relations-minister-confirms-govt-review-of-rse-scheme
I've never forgotten our statistics 101 lecturer, who foretold the introduction of what became eftpos but in those days where coins and banknotes were the only currency it sounded fantastic.
The relevance of that to today's world is his explanation of why NZ was chosen to roll it out to the world.
He told us NZ has a small population but other than that the features of our country and its population closely resemble most of the western world and many other countries besides.
Hence, we are a good test bed for new ideas and new technology. Before things get rolled out globally, we are useful as a representative sample to iron out any bugs and, just as important, how we react to things gives 'them' a chance to tweak the global rollout without too much opposition. Any opposition can be predicted, thanks to us, and a response prepared for.
Whenever global ideologies seem to find their way to NZ early in the piece, I always remember what my old stats lecturer said.
That is why Act got started here imo.
If you want to know how simplistic the right wing narrative can be – then read this.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/paula-bennett-is-the-gap-widening-between-left-and-right/KBQ3BB6IYNEWDHHA4EM6M7PO6Q/
https://liberation.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451d75d69e20134898fa54a970c-500wi
Together we can ride the sacred cow of 90's ideology to make a new world order, one capital voice to rule over all indigenous peoples.
Site hardware updates are mostly finished. I’ll stop dropping the site whilst you’re reading it 🙂
Have one hardware issue. I have a old LSI MegaRaid card in there that I use a archive store for JBODs on a ZFS array. The new Gigabyte motherboard doesn’t like card and doesn’t SCSI init it.
So I’ll need to take the site down sometime to pull the controller and drives to transplant to my workstation, which has a ASRock Rack workstation/server board that should be comfortable with HBA. Just have add some drive caddies for the added HDDs.
Sure if the mb does not like the card just hand the job over to an available workstation that can bus it with some added storage… .
You want an idea of what is required to contest this sort of thing?
Organisation. Sustained organisation. And this means all kinds of connections need to be made. Meet poor, middle class and rich people (one of these defectors from decadence types) alike who will stop this. Look for those who will work inside and outside of parliament. This is easier said than done. However, we should try to work throughout all levels of society to work against the worldwide reactionary right-wing pro-pollution, pro-austerity, anti-human, pro-Social Darwinist pro-capitalist organisers and their capitalist wealthy bosses through using think tanks, their wretched values and institutions and their media orgs to corrupt us into doing their bidding. They have already declared their war on us and we should return the declaration, because this is a class war that will take all aspects of our shared humanity and our backgrounds to counter them until they are unable to hurt humanity ever again.
This means activism. Sustained activism. Activism is not just slinging ideas, it takes all sort of things, from small acts of activism like putting up posters and talking with people you know right up till the big activisms like organising a protest or speaking against the powers that-be in a perilous place. We need to keep this sort of pace up, never stop. Get ourselves more embedded into our society like we were always meant to be in the first place. We were and are alienated from our own society by letting the capitalists and reactionaries rule us by taking more and more resources away from us that we could have used to improve and to look after ourselves.
What do we stand for? A new 21st century vision of an ecologically sound world that is accessible to all people physically and sensorally which is based in a proper wealth and resource based distribution that is shared between all of humanity in a solar system that we cherish.
In other words, all of us are part of this world and we in Aotearoa/New Zealand need to accept who we are then embrace our societal potential. We are the fortunate people of this gorgeous land of the long white cloud in the beautiful vastness of the Pacific Ocean near our lovely Pacific & Australian neighbours and it is time that we act like it. We need to make Aotearoa/New Zealand a land for all who treasure it, whether we are Maaori or Paakehaa or Pasifika or African or Asian or American or European or Martian or whoever we are. We are the guardians of this land, the ocean and the world. We need to act like it. We have that potential and we need to embrace it.
Time to fight back.
I should've posted this: https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-08-01-2024/#comment-1983770 here 🙂
Good stuff Rolling….let's make this a one term government
Can the next post be titled, "Atlas smacked"?
write a post!
Superb piece micky – the Powell Memo come to life
If the right-wing Government was to swiftly legalise cannabis, the left would be unable to rise again, ever.
Was Atlas a stoner?
You'd need something to take your mind off the enormous responsibility…
Perhaps Atlas was in the wrong job.
He had no choice. He shouldered his responsibility as best he could.
He had no choice as to holding up the sky…everything else?
But we should not be too pedantic as Atlas is a metaphor…and a misattributed one at that….the money men may believe they are responsible form human innovation, but they in fact exploit it..sadly however it does appear to recede when the exploiters are banished….therein lies the problem.
Well sort of…as we have run out of room for exploitation in any case.
"…sadly however it does appear to recede when the exploiters are banished…"
Does it??
Innovators have been innovating looooooong before Rand's darlings took the stage.
The inventor of the bow didn't demand his pound of flesh for his cleverness, nor did the person who noticed what yeast did to wet flour…
"The inventor of the bow didn't demand his pound of flesh for his cleverness, nor did the person who noticed what yeast did to wet flour…"
No, i suspect those individuals did not, but Rands lot made sure those innovations were available to as many as possible, to their own benefit…and therein lies the difference.
Is it innovation if nobody adopts it?…id suggest not.
Nobody adopted .. the bow? The clay pot? No uptake for flint knives, woven sandals or wooden combs, until a Randian stepped up to save humanity from its dimwittedness?