The Australian election is on today. Is this the end of Scomo and the Liberals? Is Tony Abbott goneburger? Will the last act of Bob Hawke’s life push Labor over the line?
The Pollbludger website gets the numbers from the lat poll of some 3000 people
On the primary vote, Labor is steady on 37% and, contrary to Ipsos and Essential Research, the Coalition is down a point to 38%; the Green are steady on 9%; the United Australia Party is steady on 4%; and One Nation is down one to 3%. https://www.pollbludger.net When they trnsfer that to TPP it becomes 51.5-48.5. labour- coalition. Don't ask me how.As while parties give how to vote cards voters don't always follow that. One nation and UAP voters seem to split their preferences say 55-60% coalition and 40-45% to labour
You don't really think that Lange's death had an effect do you? Personally, having seen the Australian result, I think Hawke's death did as much for Labour there as Lange's did for Labour here. In other words zilch.
Have you really forgotten the massive bribe of the interest free student loans? Now that was what saved Labour in 2005.
I would agree with you about the reaction to Lange's death. I was sad that he had died so young, given that he was less than a year older than I was. He was truly a breath of fresh air to New Zealand politics after the dire days of Muldoon, and I voted for his party twice at the time he was leader. However by 2005 he had no place in the Labour ranks.
I just don't think his death had any effect on the 2005 voting, despite what Micky Savage seems to think in his comment just below this. How MS comes to his opinion about my response is beyond me.
“You don’t really think that Lange’s death had an effect do you? Personally, having seen the Australian result, I think Hawke’s death did as much for Labour there as Lange’s did for Labour here.”
I don’t think you should hold out your personal response as an example of what much of the population went through.
This is going to be tight one, but the mad monk is gone.
Buttons looks like he’s back with a 3.8% margin
I’ll be piss if the Lib’s get back in as Ubet had the Libs at 15/1 and my bookie had them at 25/1 with a hang House of Representatives at 50/1 before the SocMo called the election as i didn’t put any money on the muppets as Labour was almost even money.
I wouldn’t trust any exited polls tonight or pre election polls according to Antony Green
Quicker than a rat up a drain pipe and a downed brown one the ozzie election turned into a landslide for the ……….crackle…crackle….pop…splutter……… hissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssshhhhhhh…….poof
The latest from the Antony Green, he is saying if the Libs don’t lose any seats in WA they will have just sneak over the line and if they don’t they will be in minority government.
Abbott is irrelevant. He would have probably gone before the next term was up. This is no consolation. The ALP was destroyed tonight. Australians seems to care more about their retirement nest egg than their fellow countrymen. Similar case here.
Australians seems to care more about their retirement nest egg than their fellow countrymen.
Given that their 'fellow countrymen' don't appear to care much about them either, is this not surprising?
I'm not arguing this is a good thing, quite the opposite, environments that are relatively low trust and high threat will reliably induce people to vote conservative.
Old Barnaby give the Labour Party an all might spray, about Labour giving the working class seats the two finger salute in Qld. As the Libs/Nats have picked a number of working class seats.
But in saying that a number of the wealthy electorates the Libs are struggling because of leftist independents and greens have been running a strong campaign in those seats, I’m sort of thinking had Labour not stood any candidates in those seats? Labour might have its nose in front, but Labour haven’t giving some working class seats an up yours in Qld and else where then this election would’ve been a Labour win.
I forgot that big Clive Palmer’s deal over first preferences to the Liberal/ Nats has also killed off a Labour Government especially in Qld.
Barnaby is a fool. Carrying on about 'working class' when his party will gleefully shaft them for the big agriculture and mining interests that bankroll him.
Off the ABC: "Many commentators thought this was going to be a big night for Labor but early results are worrying for the party, with Penny Wong acknowledging that Queensland is a problem."
Queensland is a problem? Fact saying that like it's a new thing. Isn't that where Pauline Hanson is from?
Yeah. I don't see how Labor can do it now. Only good thing to come out of this is that Shorten and the rest of these empty suits will be cleaned out over the next 3 years and a new generation will come through, who will move away from the Blairite triangulation.
Recriminations are already starting in ALP with some pointing the finger at Shorten. It's funny … just a few days ago I was wondering if the Aussies would end up with an Ed Miliband situation on Election Night … Polls pointing to a Lab victory … but an unpopular leader proving decisive when potential swing-voters to Labor actually entered the booths.
Generally around 10 points behind Scotty in Pref PM Polls … & with big Dissatisfaction numbers.
Whether or not the Shorten factor proved absolutely decisive … it almost certainly played some part in these pretty dismal results.
I’m told there has been a swing against to Warren what’s has name in the NT which has a Labour safe seat the early 80’s. Antony Green has said that it’s impossible for Labour to form Government, so its going to be either majority or minority government for the Libs/ Nat.
The figures from Qld are very similar to old Johnny Howard’s win back in 2004
Sorry I seem I can’t reply to post here via my IPad for some reason. Is there any fix for this problem?
Great day for Au if it goes to plan for Scomo, Likewise no pesky abbott causing mischief in the background Morrison seems a straight up and likeable guy, Short dodgy in person and in past
Yes I think ScoMo won’t be having a knife throwing contest during this term and I wouldn’t be surprised if we could see a possible a term Lib/Nat Government (yuck)
Millsy @ 14.1, it’s more of a dig at Labour for sucking up to the big end of the town and giving the working class seats the flick and you now something is wrong when those usually Labour held seats have gone over to the Lib or Nats or independent. I believe if Albo had been the Labour Leader these working class/ Labour seats would’ve been held or gained
Not sure working class how we traditionally see it really exists any more as a unified voting class or that if it does labour really represents it Labour is more upper middle class Champaign socialists and identity politics, likewise anti Christian that does not help with this class if it still exists
Christians seem to have the habit of denying science and telling people who they and cannot have intimate relationships with and what they can do with their bodies. Labour should be damn well anti Christian.
Sure they can ignore a large voting block across many identities and classes Its a very naive and selected view of Christianity you have Millsy focussing on the fundamentalist who are a very small minority Not all Christian’s have a simplistic view of Christianity as a old white gut sitting on a cloud and firing thunder bolts hating gays and adulterers
Christians will purge evolution from schools and take gays out the back and shoot them given half the chance. Look at what has happened in Alabama when you give the god botherers full control of things. Of course you don't mind women being told what they can and cannot do.
Yes dear, Nz and Au are exactly like Alabama, similarly let’s deals in extremes Maybe not extreme socialism does not have a great past in taking out and shooting any one who does not agree with it, nor in controlling women reproductive decisions
Communist countries such as East Germany and Poland had abortion on demand and full access to birth control. Things that can only happen be imposing restrictions on the god botherers.
Have a look at communist China abortion 1 child policy and practice , 2 levels telling you how many you can have and forced abortion if you break the rules Let’s not even get to how they treated those lucky enough to survive the policy, if they felt a problem Ughurs the most recent recent poor souls who need to fit in to the socialist nirvana
Bewildered @ 23.1, it was one of the causes, but I don’t it was a major issue in my books. It think the biggest issue is around the middle class toffs and the workers in Labour seat turning to the Liberal/ Nats? As old shiffy Shorten didn’t seem to to properly explain Labour’s policy on tax, negative gearing, or dividend share tax etc.
Bewildered @ 24.1 I fully agree with your comment that is more a middle class toffs party now than looking after the workers or underprivileged and really don’t give them a toss nowadays
Sort of agree EKW but not sure the average Aussie worker is that bad off, compared to kiwi low skilled labour etc they are pretty well looked after. This voting block plus tradies etc are no longer traditional labour or exist as a unified voting class The underprivileged are another matter and don’t tend to vote or a relatively small cohort , similarly the so called working class are not big on massive redistribution of their hard earned income or seeing their jobs destroyed by greens or transformation that hits their hip pocket
Old Barrie Cassidy, said yo can’t have an ambitious manifesto now from opposition almost shades of poor old Foot and old Hewson with Keating which was mean to be a Lib election win.
Millsy@ 26.1 Yes Labour has almost a shade of Blair’s New Labour and they wonder why the workers, the underprivileged have given them the two fingers and bugged off to the blue side or green of politics.
My electorate of Lingiari has had a 6.3% swing to the Country Liberal Party against the sitting Labour member which is normally a safe Labour seat, but this seat covers about 90% of the NT so there is a lot of remote polling votes to come in yet and at the moment the young lady J Price from the CLP is currently ahead. Knowing her mum Bess Price and her daughters background, I will say this seat will change hands for the first time since the 80’s when this seat was formed.
Unbelievable result. The right certainly know how to win elections. Hopefully the Australian Labor party can rebuild and win back those voters who have clearly abandoned them.
Congratulations to Scott Morrison. The accidental PM has personally pulled off the totally unexpected. He will likely be a decent PM even if the left won't be thrilled with his govt, we could certainly have hoped for a different outcome.
From the moment ScoMo became PM he's juggled a series of disunity crisis' that would have destroyed many others. You have to have some respect for this; managing through tough times competently is an under-rated skill.
Shorten was terribly unlucky, up against Turnbull he would have likely won. I've met him in person and he's impressive enough. But resigning is his only option and the ALP will go through the process of coming to terms with what has happened.
I've no particular sense of why QLD led the swing against them, but the unpalatable truth is that across the entire country the left has lost what should have been an unloseable election. They should have done better everywhere; not dissimilar to how Clinton lost to Trump, only this time without the populist demagogue to blame. Hopefully the ALP will take ownership of this hard truth with quiet dignity and intellectual integrity.
A successful adoption of the GOP tactic of reducing voter enrollment – a win for John Howard. There is no way Queensland would have gone so well for the Coalition if all the Kiwis there had voted.
There is also the white man thing, security in those of their kind continuing to rule – the abuse of women in the Liberal caucus probably won them more votes than it lost.
And the capacity of the boomers to look after themselves is going to be their generational legacy …
There is no way Queensland would have gone so well for the Coalition if all the Kiwis there had voted.
Well in fact many of us Kiwis in Australia are effectively disenfranchised in both countries. We can't vote in Australia and often we can't in NZ either. The rules require that we either:
a New Zealand citizen who has been in New Zealand at any point in the past three years,or
a New Zealand permanent resident who has been in New Zealand at any point in the past 12 months.
I'm not sure what fraction of the 600,000 kiwis would be disqualified by this but it would be significant. Plus there are several extra steps involved in making an online or overseas vote. It's not surprising only a tiny fraction of ex-pats finish up actually casting a vote.
Australia has always had a "citizens only" voting qualification, unlike NZ where permanent residents can vote as well.
So I don't think the "Kiwi factor" would have made any difference in the Australian election (in Queensland). Even before the changes in 2001, most Kiwis did not take out Australian citizenship.
And even if Kiwis could vote, many would vote for the Liberals.
Suck it up sun shine and just accept it not every one agrees with your world view Democracy is the winner on the day Whining and throwing out stock lefty excuses is sad The Sun came up this morning ( just a little brighter) 😊
Gloating is ugly James. The only purpose for making that comment was to inflict a bit more pain on people who you know will already be disappointed and therefore vulnerable.
Being despondent that the electorate plainly gives no fucks about the environment and that religious extremists will likely end up running the shop isn't blaming others.
Yes it is. The Libs had gone through a catastrophic leadership knife fight, the ALP was leading all the polls, the tide of opinion on climate change is turning, the issue of illegal immigration has cooled dramatically, even the media wasn't all bad as usual … all the big cards were stacked in their favour. Yet still they couldn't win. They have to look to themselves long and hard as to why.
Blaming 'racist/fanatic fuckheads in the electorate' is the hallmark of losers.
Blaming 'racist/fanatic fuckheads in the electorate' is the hallmark of losers.
Going too far there Redlogix.
My initial reaction when hearing the news this morning was:
"well that's it. Trump America has arrived in Australia."
Actually it was always there but now they are out in the open. And that is the darned truth. It's not blaming others.
When the towns and cities start going up in flames and they hop in their little boats and row across the Tasman, we'll turn them away like they turn other desperate folks away now. That'll learn them.
S'alright James and co. I don't really mean it. I don't think. 😳
Actually it was always there but now they are out in the open.
There may well be some element truth to of that, but to imply that every Australian who voted Lib yesterday is a racist fuckhead modeled on Trump's America … is still avoiding the truth. It's the same game the Democrats have played pointing the finger at the 'deplorables' instead of doing the honest work to understand why they're unelectable.
I did not take that meaning from Joe 90's comment because I thought the same albeit in a less orally provocative way.
The "racist fuckheads" voted for the Libs 'in toto' otherwise the result would have been different. Doesn't mean all the Lib voters fall into this category and Joe 90 wasn't suggesting as much.
I haven't checked the figures this morning. but it looked like Queensland was the big spoiler last night and that is not surprising. The state has a reputation for having a very large contingent of "racist fuckheads" going back many decades.
The state has a reputation for having a very large contingent of "racist fuckheads" going back many decades.
Yes while they are more conservative (and this has geographic parallels with the USA) it's really not dramatically different; it's the usual mix just a little more tilted.
This idea that Australia is full of six fingered rednecks is just a Kiwi conceit.
An interesting point that speaks to an underlying problem we have with democracy:
There is a longer-term issue involved in this national outcome.
The rebuff to Labor amounts to a warning for all parties and politicians not to enter an election with a detailed policy package announced well in advance.
The political atmosphere here and in other democracies favours simplistic certainties, not bold change and vision.
As Liberal John Hewson found in 1993, Labor’s Bill Shorten has learned in 2019: Being a reformer exposes you to misrepresentation by an opponent unencumbered by fresh direction.
It's arguable Ardern only just squeaked into power here in NZ because she didn't have enough time to articulate a detailed vision, and part of her on-going success is that she's preferred the pragmatic over idealistic.
<blockquote>
It's arguable Ardern only just squeaked into power here in NZ because she didn't have enough time to articulate a detailed vision,
</blockquote>
it wasn’t her lack of vision – it was how much she was willing to give Winston to buy power with our money. That squeaked her into power.
Ardern did remarkably better in the election than would have been expected months earlier. If she hadn't pulled Labour up in to the high 30's Winston would have been irrelevant.
What Ardern and Morrison have in common, along with the likes of Trump, was a lack of incumbency, a lack of detailed political track record on which they could be attacked.
It is a triumph for Australia. The people have chosen a pro growth path that should sustain for the next two decades. Lip service will be paid to the Paris Agreement, preceeding a withdrawal in 2025.
Indeed. Only this time the left really has nowhere else to place the blame. Morrison came back from political death, ran an effective political campaign and has won decisively. The left got outplayed … again.
If we want to change the outcomes we can only change ourselves. Whining that the other guys are nasty people, that they cheat, they treat us mean and don't recognise our intellectual and moral superiority, is just that … whining.
Here is my starting point. The conversation needs to understand what politics is really for and how we can play a more effective role in it. Hint, it isn't about 'winning and losing':
The paradox of running an effective political campaign versus effectively running a country. The campaign is the glossy add, full of appealing promises. The term in Government is the product. Voters are the consumers that are lured by ads making the assumption that the better the ad, the better the product. It is much easier to improve the ad than the product; once the sale is done, the money is in. People tend to by brands they know and trust.
And may this excellent trend continue Hard lefties are really deplorable as comments by Ann, SPC and Joe 90 detest I am always surprised why they are surprised when their know all, superiority complex sees their favourites who hold similar world views are crushed at the ballot box
The conflation by pulling these extreme comments with liberal election win to demean liberal voters Joe is the issue and I suggest you know it Not to mention using this crazy womens comments as your shield is deplorable but a common tactic of the left
The Australian liberals are heading down the same path as the GOP. Goldwater warned about the preachers getting control of the [Republican] party and the past while has shown him to be correct.
Just because they say it Joe it don’t make it so Re US good chance democrats pick up the next election if they can get their loony left rump under control The centre left or right do not like the extremes
Yes. The Libs. ran a false smear campaign on Federal Taxes in the same way the Nats ran the campaign on CGT. We've got a name for it – Dirty Politics. Others call is Fake News.
There may have been misrepresentation but there was also 'incentive'….it seems that less tax remains a vote winner, and once 'less tax' is in place it is almost impossible to reverse…a fundamental difficulty for any 'left' party…and fertile ground for libertarians.
The flip side when a new tax is introduced it is very hard to remove so it’s not really difficult to understand why people from all persuasions don’t like more tax If labour have just worked this out they really do live in La la land
On the contrary, removing taxes if the easiest thing in the political realm, as you yourself note tax is broadly unpopular, the difficulty is the likely necessity to remove services to compensate for the lost revenue…that appears to be more politicly palatable, especially if those services are not likely to be accessed by your constituency
Getting rid of tax burden and replacing it with another tax is not getting rid of tax burden overall but moving the deck chairs Proposing new taxes and increasing overall tax burden and believing that will not be popular is a “know shit Sherlock moment” If labour Have just realised this more fool them
"Getting rid of tax burden and replacing it with another tax is not getting rid of tax burden overall but moving the deck chairs Proposing new taxes and increasing overall tax burden and believing that will not be popular"
Others call it Politics, not that labour is not prone to a healthy amount of bs and smearing If you can’t handle the heat get out of the kitchen This was labour’s election to lose, they did in a grandiose way
Pat @42. Blaming National for this governments inability to implement a CGT is a disgrace, Labour in particular have no one to blame but themselves. Ardern and co threw in the towel before they even got off the stool. They let National control the narrative because they refused to go in and fight for what's right. That's on us, accept it.
Meh…you would appear to be a lost argument looking for somewhere to land…and your comment to Mickey Boyle is of no relevance to my response to his confusion
Come on, Pat! We all know that Jacinda Ardern campaigned hard for CGT in Oz. She even sent over Sir Michael but National got wind of it and sent Simon to neutralise Sir Mike. It paid off, didn’t it? The Mad Monk is gone. This is the sole reason why JC will be the next leader of National. Please keep up!
Your ducking for cover Pat Mickey highlighted as with Ardern and Nz labour needed to own Cgt shambles LABOUR Au need to own this election loss , you seem to be arguing that they where blindsided by the people response to their tax policy and the libs exploiting this As Mickey indicates they need to own this if they where to dumb to understand that this is what they would be judged and attacked on, well as I said more full then In reality I think it was way more than tax
There is no need to duck for cover as I have made a brief judgement on that which swung the Aussie election, is it the sole reason?undoubtably not but I suggest it is a key reason for although they lost badly in Queensland (apparently) their support in the largest states failed to counter that…two states with falling property values I may add.
As to ownership i made no judgement though that should be obvious in a democracy
Apologies that was my fault for the confusion. I was actually referring to Pat's comment at 42.1.1. And Arderns and Labours inability to even put up an ounce of fight for a policy they say they believe in. Less tax is currently only a vote winner because our side refuses to convey what effects a CGT etc would have on the average kiwi. We seem reluctant to fight for our policies, which leads to plenty of poll watching without much real action. Year of delivery, transformational, it all means nothing if you are not prepared to state your case and fight for it. Sorry but for some reason when I press reply I cannot type anything in the comment box?
Again Im not sure why you are taking umbrage as my comment at 42.1.1 makes no reference to CGT, National, Ardern or even NZ…it is a general observation about the implications of tax policy on parties with a public ownership model, or 'the left".
This is what you wrote, "it seems that less tax remains a vote winner, and once 'less tax' is in place it is almost impossible to reverse". That's all I'm arguing against. Less tax is only currently a vote winner because those on our side who are currently in power and whom believe in paying more to support our vulnerable or deliver better social policies, refuse to fight and counter the false narrative that we allow our opponents to foster. I have no doubt that Ardern and co could've got a CGT across the line, my point is that they didnt even try. Less tax is only a vote winner because voters do not see how an alternative would benefit themselves and society.
"Blaming National for this governments inability to implement a CGT is a disgrace, Labour in particular have no one to blame but themselves. Ardern and co threw in the towel before they even got off the stool. They let National control the narrative because they refused to go in and fight for what's right. That's on us, accept it."
and wheres the blame and lack of acceptance?….it certainly isnt in 42 or 42.1
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This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bruce Lieberman CARLSBAD, CA. – When it comes to paying the electric bill, most people don’t give it a second thought – it’s something that in effect is “baked in.” But across California and several other states, local governments increasingly are ...
Excerpts from Being and Being Bought, by Kajsa Ekis Ekman, Spinifex Press, 2013. Part 4 Ekman, a Swedish journalist and critic, brings together a Marxist and feminist analysis of prostitution and surrogacy in this groundbreaking book. This is the fourth part of a synopsis and brief commentary of the book by Daphna ...
The Democracy Virus: China’s authoritarian political system enables a level of social surveillance and control that liberal democratic societies cannot match. The Chinese Government makes full use of the latest digital technology to both punish – and reward – its citizens. The plans it formulates cannot be challenged, or hindered. Where ...
Another day, another IPCA report on criminal conduct by policy. This time they kicked a child in the head when he was handcuffed:Police chased him and yelled out for him to stop. When he turned to face the police, he threatened them with a hammer. That's when the officers tasered ...
The investigation of two of the five parties in Parliament for fraud around their election donations has pushed the issue of party funding back into the spotlight. And while there are obvious things we can do to tighten up the donations regime - a much lower declaration threshold, realtime disclosure ...
While the south of New Zealand has been struggling with too much rain in recent days, here in the north we are so very short of it (though Saturday’s forecast looks promising). Basically, we have had almost none since Christmas.As someone who relies on rain to wash the car, ...
Former National Party MP Jami-Lee RossIt comes as no surprise that Jami-Lee Ross has been named as one of the defendants in the X2 $100,000 National Party donations case currently before the courts. Click bait journalists who were chaffing at the bit to discredit the former senior whip had already ...
Stand Clear! Winston Peters is encouraging voters to think of RNZ as belonging to “The Media Party”. He wants them to see it as a politically partisan institution with its own, vicious attack-dogs in the electoral fight. If he succeeds, it will be, and probably should be, the end of ...
"You're going to need a longer runway" Gratton et al explore the ongoing effects of upward-creeping temperatures on aviation in Greece in the period since 1955 at a range of airports in that country. For longer runways impacts are measurable but with little impact on operations. For airports with shorter runways, ...
In mid-December the Israeli secret police, the Shin Beit, revealed it had arrested dozens of Palestinian left-wing activists, including members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), in the previous few months. Among those arrested was one of the central leaders of the PFLP, Khalida Jarrar. As ...
Former National Party chief whip Jami-Lee Ross is one of the four people charged over National's multiple fraudulent donations. How unsurprising. Meanwhile, just days ago National leader Simon Bridges was trying to pretend the charges were nothing to do with his party. Yeah, right. When your chief whip effectively publicly ...
If you've been watching FYI for a while, you'll have noticed that the police have a bad habit of demanding ID from requesters. They have apparently been repeatedly told to stop doing this by the Ombudsman, but we all know what law enforcement thinks of the law, so thye keep ...
Collateral Damage: For the Green Phoenix to be reborn, the funeral pyre so patiently assembled by its identity politicians over the course of many fractious years – but with growing intensity over the past three – first has to be ignited. The terrible probability, of course, is that, in setting ...
If you follow politics in New Zealand you've likely noticed that the right wing have been going on and on about the Coalition Government failing to reduce poverty. In fact they’ve been incessantly claiming, in the absence of any conclusive data, that poverty has been getting worse.Yesterday, NewstalkZB reported:Mike Hosking: ...
The Herald reported over the weekend that an Auckland business owner is being targeted with asset forfeiture laws over a workplace death:A workplace fatality has seen police use a law usually associated with drugs and organised crime to seize millions of dollars in assets from a business owner because of ...
Just days after talking about how people feel "squeezed" and promising tax and service cuts as a "solution", National is talking about cancelling a rise in the minimum wage if elected: National is considering scrapping the Government's planned minimum wage increase if it wins this year's election, the party's finance ...
Nobody thinks about the next century anymore. That at least is Sci-Fi writer William Gibson’s observation (in this BBC 4 short interview, starting at 1:43:50 ). He calls it “Futures Fatigue”, but isn’t judgemental about it. Gibson notes that in the 20th century speculation about the 21st (and beyond) was common. Now ...
A Labour government desperate for the numbers crawls into bed with Winston Peters. Winston ignores the law and secretly takes money under the table from someone. When it is exposed just months out from an election, he is investigated by the Serious Fraud Office. That's what happened back in 2008. ...
So the Serious Fraud Office has another secret $100,050 National Party donation before the Courts in a major scandal that looks set to quash any chances Simon Bridges had of winning the 2020 election.Yesterday, Newsroom reported:The Serious Fraud Office prosecution of four people over donations to the National Party involves ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Iceberg twice the size of Washington, D.C., breaks off Pine Island glacier in Antarctica Story Highlights: The Pine Island ...
Prof Philippa Howden-ChapmanHousing policy is building up to be the key election issue again. In this blog I reflect on the importance of the role of the New Zealand Government in improving access to affordable housing. I look at what the Government has been doing to increase quality public housing ...
Writing on The Spinoff, Danyl Mclauchlan argues that we have a vacuum in our political system, in that there is no longer an anti-establishment party anymore:I think there’s a vacuum in our political system. There are obvious problems with the status quo but no real critics offering reform. It’s a ...
Stuff today has a piece about the government discovering it has been oversubsidising polluters for a decade under the Emissions Trading scheme:The Government is pledging to urgently fix an issue within the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), after it emerged some polluters are likely being over-compensated with taxpayer-funded carbon credits. [...] ...
The Marlborough District Council, tired of public scrutiny, wants to increase the amount it charges for LGOIMA requests:The cost of requesting official information from Marlborough's government agency could almost double after a jump in "fishing expeditions". Charges could be raised from $60 to $100 an hour for information supplied by ...
When Winston Peters was caught money laundering donations and stalking journalists, the Greens were conspicuous by their silence. It was another example of how getting along with their government partners was eroding their values and their own reputation. It was obviously unsustainable, and so now James Shaw has finally spoken ...
I am among the most pro-free speech people I know. I don’t doubt there are others more strident than me, but I’m certainly up there. And my support for freedom of expression isn’t limited to opposition to government-imposed restrictions. It extends to a belief that employers should have limited powers ...
With over 69,000 confirmed cases and 1,600 deaths, here’s your round-up of the latest coronavirus news. New disease and virus have now officially been named On the 11th February, the WHO Director General announced a new name for the disease: COVID-19 which is short for coronavirus disease 2019. The naming ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Feb 9, 2020 through Sat, Feb 15, 2020 Editor's Pick ANALYSIS-Climate change opens up 'frontier' farmland, but at what cost to the planet?Climate change could expand farmland globally by ...
After cross-examination Jones knew he would lose the defamation case he took against film maker Renae Maihi. That’s why he threw in the towel. The weight of evidence was clearly against the old tycoon with the defense presenting fifty articles to confirm Jones’ racist views.Being unable to harass somebody into ...
Sprung! Former NZ First president, Lester Gray, chats with RNZ's Guyon Espiner in the carpark of a Tauranga shopping centre.(Photo supplied anonymously to NZ First and The BFD.)IT’S CLEAR THAT an important aspect of Jacinda Ardern’s political success is her willingness to seek – and take – advice. This ...
Ruth Cunningham, Charlotte Paul, Andrew MoorePublic health responses to infectious diseases such as COVID-19 require us to draw on our common humanity and be explicit about our values. Recognising this will help us make good decisions in difficult situations so that, for example, the need to impose restrictive measures ...
The Helen Clark Foundation has released its report on the housing crisis, and found that house-hoarders are to blame for it:Property investors are to blame for New Zealand's high house prices, a new research paper published by the Helen Clark Foundation says. [...] McArthur said previous attempts to address housing ...
The Abortion Legislation Committee has reported back on the Abortion Legislation Bill and recommended that it be passed with some amendments. Unfortunately, the latter include even more hoops to jump through for those seeking abortions after 20 weeks, including a time-wasting requirement to consult a second doctor. No-one casually seeks ...
Brexit is likely to be a disaster for the UK (how sad, never mind). But now that they're out of the EU, the latter has finaly taken the opportunity to blacklist one of their key tax havens:The Cayman Islands, a British overseas territory, is to be put on an EU ...
Fletcher Tabuteau MP, New Zealand First Deputy Leader A total delivery of 2,000 new Police Officers has been achieved. New Zealand First Deputy Leader, Fletcher Tabuteau attended the latest police graduation of Recruit Wing 335 in Porirua today. Mr Tabuteau said, “Increasing police numbers and boosting their resources was one of ...
Taupō District mayor David Trewavas has welcomed today’s announcement from regional economic development minister Shane Jones outlining $5.87m of funding for the re-development of the Taupō Airport. The bulk of the investment ($5 million) will come from the Provincial Growth Fund, while the rest will be from the New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has defended multi-million dollar provincial growth fund money for Northland water storage. The New Zealand First leader, along with Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones, were recently in Dargaville to announce up to $12.745 million PGF funding top-up for water storage initiatives in the ...
One of our most immediate priorities upon forming Government was to get people out of sleeping in cars, garages, or on the street and into safe and warm housing. Since then, we've made major progress towards breaking the cycle of homelessness, including expanding Housing First, building more state houses, and ...
Kids learn better with a full stomach. That's why we launched our Lunches in Schools programme, which is already providing free and healthy school lunches to thousands of children so they can focus on what's important - learning. ...
Mark Patterson MP, New Zealand First List MP based in Clutha-Southland This afternoon to a crowd of over 100 people in Mataura -- Mark Patterson, New Zealand First List MP based in Clutha-Southland launched a parliamentary petition regarding the aluminium dross issue in Mataura, Southland. The petition asks that the ...
Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development New Zealand First Deputy Leader and Spokesperson for Finance, Fletcher Tabuteau has welcomed Statistics New Zealand’s latest report as a timely reminder of the value that this Coalition Government brings to every day New Zealanders: “This Coalition Government has meant a ...
Today New Zealand First made a pledge to campaign at the election to fund St John Ambulance the 90 per cent it has asked for. Government funding would allow St. John’s to achieve fully funded status. Leader of New Zealand First, Rt Hon Winston Peters publicly declared his determination to deliver ...
Darroch Ball MP, Spokesperson for Law and Order Newly released Police data shows once again the number of fleeing drivers have continued to skyrocket with a record 512 incidents occurring in December – almost tripling the number of incidents occurring just ten years ago, says New Zealand First Law and ...
While the Provincial Growth Fund has provided $2 million to set up temporary water supplies in Kaikohe and Kaitaia, Regional Economic Minister Shane Jones said he is greatly concerned that there are “issues” in implementing the projects. The Minister said the immediate solution was to pipe water from a bore ...
Mark Patterson MP, New Zealand First List MP for Clutha-Southland NZ First is calling on Rio Tinto to accept its responsibilities to the Southland community and enable the immediate removal of the toxic Aluminium Dross from the Mataura Paper Mill site. New Zealand First List MP for Clutha-Southland, Mark Patterson ...
The Coalition Government has announced that a further $500,000 will be given to help residents in Southland and Otago to speed up recovery efforts from the floods. It follows prior government assistance of $200,000 earlier this month where the Southland Mayoral Relief Fund received $100,000 to support communities impacted by ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones was on RNZ’s Morning Report talking about the recent droughts in the Northland region and what the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is doing to alleviate its impact. The PGF recently announced a funding of $2 million for temporary water supplies to Kaikohe and Kaitaia, ...
Speaking to The Country’s Jamie Mackay, New Zealand First MP and Cabinet Minister Shane Jones talks water storage, plant-based meat imitation, and superstar Hollywood director James Cameron. While water storage may have its critics, Minister Jones defended the scheme by saying: “unless we invest and continue to invest” in this ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones is accusing northern iwi leaders of selling out Māori by voting for ideologically-driven court cases rather than practical steps to increase water supply. “I just think that iwi leaders who think that water issues are going to be solved by perpetually fighting in the ...
A dairy owner in St Kilda, Dunedin was delighted to hear that an attempted robbery of his establishment was foiled by a government-funded security system. Sean Lee was delighted at how well the anti-theft smoke system worked. When a knife-wielding man entered the store, the shop assistant immediately pressed a ...
Customs says it stopped more than three tonnes of illegal drugs coming into New Zealand last year. This includes 1,180kg of methamphetamine, 329kg of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine precursors, which could have been converted into 246kg of methamphetamine, 739kg and 6469 pills of MDMA or Ecstasy and 60kg of cocaine. Offshore, ...
Hon. Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development Up to $2 million will be allocated from the Provincial Growth Fund to set up temporary water supplies in Kaikohe and Kaitaia where drought is biting hard, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. Drought conditions in Northland have led to ...
Darroch Ball, Spokesperson for Law and Order New Zealand First welcomes the deployment of an Eagle Police helicopter in Christchurch in what is a step towards fulfilling its long-standing goal to increase the use of police helicopters for the front line, particularly in addressing the scourge of fleeing drivers. Christchurch leads ...
It may have been the first sitting week of 2020, but our Government is already in full-swing - managing a strong economy, investing in infrastructure, and working to break the cycle of homelessness. Read below for all that, and more... ...
In a heated debate in Parliament, National's Deputy Leader Paula Bennett claimed that “nearly 1600 patched gang members have been added” since the Coalition Government took power. To illustrate her point, she altered a chart used by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to show her government’s progress in housing to instead ...
Speech by the Rt Hon Winston Peters at Parliament’s Opening 2020 "We all need insurance" This year New Zealanders are going to have a clear choice to make That choice is between: Optimism versus pessimism; More progress versus back to the future; Investment versus divestment; Unity versus division. New Zealand ...
Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones has slammed the Board of Auckland Airport following the airport's runway closing twice within two weeks due to maintenance. Around 2,000 passengers were affected by last week’s runway closures, according to 1NEWS. Another maintenance closure on January 24 saw two international flights and three domestic flights ...
A milestone has been reached with the graduation of more than 2,000 new Police officers since the Coalition Government took office in October 2017. Police Minister Stuart Nash says the graduation today of Wing 335 marks a surge of 2,023 new officers, and coincides with some significant breakthroughs against organised ...
Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media Minister, Kris Faafoi, and the Minister of Education, Chris Hipkins, have welcomed a new cyber security qualification as a step towards countering cyber threats and keeping New Zealanders safe. Attending the launch of the new Level 6 Diploma of Cyber Security at Auckland’s Unitec Institute ...
Government Ministers today celebrated 20 years of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park/ Ko te Pataka kai o Tikapa Moana/ Te Moananui a Toi, and recognise there is much to celebrate and so much more to do to give nature a helping hand. Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage said “New Zealanders care deeply about nature.I want to ...
Prepared remarks on coronavirus by Finance Minister Grant Robertson to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and Massey University. Good morning ladies and gentlemen, The topic of this speech is the Budget 2020 priorities. But, given the considerable interest that I imagine is in the room about COVID-19 coronavirus, I do ...
E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā iwi, e ngā rau rangatira ma. Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa. Ni sa bula vinaka. Namaste Thank you Shamima, Hon. Minister Vuniwaqa, community leaders and Women’s Crisis Centre staff for your warm welcome. It’s an honour and privilege to officially ...
The Government has released a comprehensive response to ensuring New Zealanders get a fairer deal at the petrol pump. This follows the Commerce Commission fuel market study which found motorists were paying more than they should for petrol and includes: Fuel Market Bill drafting, to pass mid-year Industry consultation in ...
E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā iwi, e ngā rau rangatira ma Tēnā koutou katoa Ni sa bula vinaka As-salaam alaikum It is a privilege to be here today. Thank you for welcoming us to your house of prayer. Thank you for your warmth. Thank you for greeting ...
Taupō Airport is to be upgraded and expanded through a $5.9 million Government funding boost, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. “Taupō Airport is the gateway to the Central North Island. It is essential for both keeping local people and businesses connected, but also to bring more people ...
The Minister of Housing Megan Woods has confirmed the Government is working with Rotorua Lakes District Council and Te Arawa for the second place-based assessment to better understand the housing and urban issues affecting the city. “Every New Zealander has a right to a warm, safe and secure place to ...
19 new community homes (in addition to 14 opened in December) delivered in Takanini, Auckland 500 people housed by CORT Housing Trust by end of March 2,290 new public housing homes delivered in Auckland (November 2017 – December 2019). Another nineteen new public housing homes are being delivered in Auckland, ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker met today with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to discuss ways to strengthen ties between New Zealand and India. “India is a priority relationship for New Zealand. We share common democratic traditions, growing two-way trade, extensive people-to-people links, ...
Speech to the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) Delhi, India Wednesday 26 February 2020 [CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY] The Indo-Pacific: from principles to partnerships Distinguished guests, good afternoon and thank you for your invitation. It is good to be here at a time where New Zealand needs less of an introduction than ...
Tihei mauri ora Te Whare e tu nei Te Papa e takoto Tēnā korua No reira tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa Ni sa bula Vinaka It is a real pleasure to be here today, and to have the honour of addressing you all. If you’ll indulge me I’m ...
Improved air quality to support better health and environmental wellbeing is the focus of proposed amendments to air quality regulations, says the Associate Minister for the Environment, Hon Nanaia Mahuta. “Although our air quality is good in most places, during winter certain places have spikes in air pollution, mainly from ...
The remote eastern Bay of Plenty community of Raukokere will receive a Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) investment of $10.6 million for a water storage facility, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says. “This is great news for the rural community. The landowner, Te Whānau a Maruhaeremuri Hapū Trust, will use ...
The Lake Ōkaro lakebed has transferred to Te Arawa Lakes Trust, Minister for Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti Kelvin Davis announced today. Kelvin Davis joined Te Arawa at Te Papaiōuru Marae in Rotorua to celebrate the reinstatement of Te Arawa Lakes Trust as a key decision maker over the bed ...
New legislation is being proposed which aims to reduce the stress and financial hardship caused by late payments to small businesses. The Minister for Small Business Stuart Nash is considering stricter rules around payment practices between businesses. “Late payments from large organisations to smaller suppliers can be crippling for these ...
A new partnership programme between the New Zealand Police and Fiji Police will focus on combatting transnational organised crime and enhancing investigative skills, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on the first day of her visit to Fiji. The programme will see: · New Zealand Institute of Environmental Science and Research ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama met today in Suva, and renewed their commitment to continue to strengthen Fiji-New Zealand relations on a foundation of shared values and equal partnership. The Prime Ministers acknowledged the kinship between Fijians and New Zealanders, one that has endured over ...
A $19.9 million investment from the Provincial Growth Fund will help develop essential infrastructure for an industrial hub in the Bay of Plenty town of Kawerau, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says. “The funding will go to three projects to further develop the Putauaki Trust Industrial Hub, an industrial ...
The Provincial Growth Fund is investing $8.3 million on a roading package for Mahia that will lead to greater and wider economic benefits for the region and beyond, Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced at an event in Mahia today. The $8.3 million announced consists of: $7 ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has welcomed new reporting showing the Coalition Government is on track to meet its child poverty targets, with 18,400 children lifted out of poverty as a result of the Families Package. Stats NZ has released the first set of comprehensive child poverty statistics since the Government ...
Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter today announced that Bikes in Schools facilities have been rolled out to 20,000 more kiwi kids under this Government. She made the announcement at the opening of a new bike track at Henderson North School in Auckland. “Bikes in Schools facilities give kids ...
Benefit settings rise in line with wages as of 1 April Main benefits will increase by over 3 percent, instead of 1.66 percent, on 1 April with the Government’s decision to annually adjust benefit rates to increases in the average wage. The Minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni, said ...
Strengthening New Zealand’s political and business ties with India will be the focus of Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters’ and Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker’s visit to India this week. The Ministers are co-leading a high level business delegation to India to support increased people and economic engagement ...
The Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio continues to champion for greater Pacific participation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers with the announcement of the Toloa Awards, with 8 recipients of the Toloa Community Fund and 13 Toloa Tertiary Scholarships. “The Toloa Programme encourages more Pacific peoples ...
Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage has extended the date for people to have their say on proposed changes to improve management of whitebait across New Zealand. Submissions were due to close on 2 March 2020 but will now remain open until 9am on Monday 16 March 2020. “I have ...
The endangered toroa/Antipodean albatross has new international protection for its 100,000km annual migration, thanks to collaborative efforts led by New Zealand, Australia and Chile. Today, 130 countries agreed to strictly protect Antipodean albatross at the Conference of Parties on the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild ...
No sales to under-18-year-olds No advertising and sponsorship of vaping products and e-cigarettes No vaping or smokeless tobacco in smokefree areas Regulates vaping product safety comprehensively, - including devices, flavours and ingredients Ensure vaping products are available for those who want to quit smoking Vaping regulation that balances ...
Justice Minister Andrew Little will travel to Berlin tomorrow to represent New Zealand at a high-level summit on nuclear disarmament. This year, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) celebrates 50 years since it entered into force. “New Zealand’s proud record and leadership on nuclear disarmament is unwavering, so it’s important we are present ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will visit two of New Zealand’s most important Pacific partners, Fiji and Australia, next week. The visit to Fiji will be the first by a New Zealand Prime Minister in four years and comes during the 50th anniversary of Fijian independence and diplomatic relations between our ...
Justice Minister Andrew Little and New Zealand First MP Darroch Ball, have today announced the appointment of the Chief Commissioner of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), the location, and the membership of the Establishment Advisory Group. Colin Carruthers QC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of the CCRC for an ...
Māori Development Minister Hon Nanaia Mahuta and Agriculture Minister Hon Damien O’Connor co-announced the first horticultural finalists for the Ahuwhenua Trophy celebrating excellence in the Māori agricultural sector. The three finalists are Ngai Tukairangi Trust from Mt Maunganui, Otama Marere Trust from Tauranga, and Hineora Orchard Te Kaha 15B Ahuwhenua ...
A new kete of resources to strengthen support for students with dyslexia will provide extra tools for the new Learning Support Coordinators (LSCs) as they start in schools, Associate Education Minister Tracey Martin announced today. The Minister launched the kete in Wellington this morning, at the first of three induction ...
The Government continues to make progress on a fairer and more secure rental market for renters and landlords with the First Reading of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill and its referral to the Social Services and Community Select Committee. “Now is the opportunity for landlords, tenants and others who want ...
Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Hon James Marape will visit New Zealand from 21-25 February, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. “New Zealand and Papua New Guinea have a warm and friendly relationship. I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Marape here and strengthening the relationship between our two countries,” ...
Thousands of children have begun receiving a free lunch on every day of the school week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. The Government’s free and healthy school lunch programme is under way for 7,000 students at 31 schools in Hawke’s Bay / Tairāwhiti and Bay of Plenty / Waiariki, extending ...
The Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni today announced a new approach that continues to broaden the Government’s social sector focus from a narrow, investment approach to one centred on people and wellbeing. Minister Sepuloni said redefining the previous approach to social investment by combining science, data and lived experience ...
The Government is strengthening the Protected Disclosures Act to provide better protection for whistle blowers, Minister of State Services Chris Hipkins said today. “The Protected Disclosures Act is meant to encourage people to speak up about serious wrongdoing in the workplace and protect them from losing their jobs or being ...
Nǐn hǎo (Hello in Mandarin). Xīn Nián Kuài Lè (Happy New Year in Mandarin) Néi Hóu (Hello in Cantonese). Sun Nin Fai Lok (Happy New Year in Cantonese) Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Thank you for your invitation to attend this celebration today. I would like to acknowledge ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government would be looking for the private sector to put in four or five times as much as it invests in research and development of particular technologies to reduce emissions, Energy Minister Angus Taylor ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Two issues are currently presenting the Morrison government with fast-moving targets. One is the fallout from the coronavirus, where the picture has been altering on a near-daily basis. The other is very different – the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The federal government has activated its emergency response plan to deal with a spread of the coronavirus locally, in anticipation of it becoming a “pandemic”. It is also considering limited assistance for those hardest hit ...
In an apparent change of tune, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern expects to raise the topic of climate change with Australian counterpart Scott Morrison tomorrow. ...
The Government says it wants to protect small businesses from getting shafted by big companies who don’t or won’t pay their bills on time. The move can’t come too soon. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Muecke, Clinical senior lecturer in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Adelaide Humans are physiologically hardwired to love and seek out sweet things. It’s an ancient survival mechanism that evolved to prepare our bodies for periods of fasting when food supplies ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marilyn McMahon, Deputy Dean, School of Law, Deakin University The NSW government has just introduced a bill that will, among other significant reforms, make it easier for a jury to be informed about the prior convictions of a person on trial for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marilyn McMahon, Deputy Dean, School of Law, Deakin University The NSW government has just introduced a bill that will, among other significant reforms, make it easier for a jury to be informed about the prior convictions of a person on trial for ...
By RNZ Pacific Jacinda Ardern has paid tribute to the three Fijians who died in last year’s Christchurch mosque shootings. Ardern spoke today at Lautoka Mosque as part of her trip to Fiji to remember Imam Hafiz Musa Patel, Ashraf Ali Razak and Ashraf Ali, who died almost a ...
The Real Pod reassembles to dissect the cultured fourth week of The Bachelorette NZ with special thanks to Nando’s.This week on The Bachelorette NZ, a burrito bust-up ends in anaphylaxis, Steve chows down on some one-ply, and the Buenos Aires hostel goes full Lord of the Flies. It’s become abundantly ...
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand, the Catholic Bishops' agency for justice, peace and development, is concerned that the latestchild poverty numbers show that there has been anincrease in material hardship,with 4100 more children living in ...
Dr Bryce Edwards.Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni described this year’s annual benefit increases of 3 per cent as “significant”, and “a way of sharing the wealth”. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also heralded them as the biggest increase to benefits in nine years, if National’s 2015 one-off adjustments are excluded. ...
Is it the kind of headline that will win votes at the general election? “Rock-star reception in Fijian village” followed by a sub-head “Rapturous greeting for Ardern during visit to launch $3m sanitation project”. The reporter (veteran Barry Soper, Newstalk ZB’s political editor) poses the rhetorical question: “Is there any ...
The New Zealand First Foundation received $100,000 in just one week from two rich-listers, whose donations remained secret because the individual payments fell below the disclosure threshold. ...
BusinessNZ says legislation requiring more transparent petrol pricing will probably be well-received, but there are concerns about the market study that prompted it. The Government has announced it is drafting a Fuel Market Bill to introduce requirements ...
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Andrea Watson, Sparrows CEO and founder, and Simon Yarrow, who leads Callaghan Innovation’s ...
LGNZ say a new report from the Deep South National Science Challenge is a reminder for central government policy makers to step up the pace on progressing a national strategy on climate change adaption. LGNZ is the peak body representing New Zealand’s ...
Art schools are seen by many as beacons of liberalism. But is this the reality? Former Māori student Anna McAllister recounts her fraught journey through an Auckland art school.In high school, the only subjects I was remotely good at were the practical arts. I stayed in the art block during ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Madeline Taylor, Academic Fellow, University of Sydney This week’s decision by Norwegian company Equinor to abandon a A$200 million plan to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight surprised both its critics and backers. Equinor says it abandoned the project off ...
Finance Minister sees serious, short-term impact on economy from Covid-19. He says the Government is able to deliver more general fiscal stimulus and sector-specific help if the economic hit is longer and harder. Finance Minister Grant Robertson has given his first comprehensive update on the economic effects expected from the ...
In response to reports that 30,000 New Zealanders earning over $100,000 are taking superannuation, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Casey Russell says: “It’s clear that many wealthy New Zealanders are collecting superannuation they don’t ...
Fancy a quick trip to Europe without leaving the comfort of your own couch? Tara Ward rounds up the best European drama for your viewing pleasure. Anyone who reckons travel is the only way to expand your mind has never had the pleasure of lying on a couch for three days ...
Child protection social work involves risk. It always will. The right decisions cannot always be made and sometimes it can be a question of choosing between the least damaging alternatives. We have had a long list of child abuse tragedies for over 30 years now – in Aotearoa New Zealand and ...
SFO scrutiny of National and NZ First donations sparked debate about party funding and electoral laws. Now, Transparency International has a warning. ...
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Aussie aussie aussie … 
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I just really want Peter Dutton to lose his seat above all else, whatever the overall outcome. That guy is the most nasty racist, bigoted PoS.
And for no more Pauline Hanson or Fraser Anning, for that matter.
[I have changed your Username because you appeared to be using your real name – Incognito]
Please see my Moderation note.
Oi, oi, oi – go Labor.
The Pollbludger website gets the numbers from the lat poll of some 3000 people
On the primary vote, Labor is steady on 37% and, contrary to Ipsos and Essential Research, the Coalition is down a point to 38%; the Green are steady on 9%; the United Australia Party is steady on 4%; and One Nation is down one to 3%. https://www.pollbludger.net When they trnsfer that to TPP it becomes 51.5-48.5. labour- coalition. Don't ask me how.As while parties give how to vote cards voters don't always follow that. One nation and UAP voters seem to split their preferences say 55-60% coalition and 40-45% to labour
A bizzarre system for a bizarre nation. And why are there so many independents? Is that too a result of their bizarre system?
more a thing of swing voters like in the US? Not wanting to give away party affiliation or not having one?
I mean here in NZ we could argue that anyone not with a party membership is an independent? No?
Exit polling is currently suggesting a Labor win.
Will the last act of Bob Hawke’s life push Labor over the line?
Shades of the 2005 New Zealand election: David Lange died just before it, and Labour narrowly won.
You don't really think that Lange's death had an effect do you? Personally, having seen the Australian result, I think Hawke's death did as much for Labour there as Lange's did for Labour here. In other words zilch.
Have you really forgotten the massive bribe of the interest free student loans? Now that was what saved Labour in 2005.
You're right, no doubt. Lange's death led to a great deal of sentimental reminiscing, but probably had little or no influence on the way people voted.
I would agree with you about the reaction to Lange's death. I was sad that he had died so young, given that he was less than a year older than I was. He was truly a breath of fresh air to New Zealand politics after the dire days of Muldoon, and I voted for his party twice at the time he was leader. However by 2005 he had no place in the Labour ranks.
I just don't think his death had any effect on the 2005 voting, despite what Micky Savage seems to think in his comment just below this. How MS comes to his opinion about my response is beyond me.
How MS comes to his opinion about my response is beyond me.
Don't worry, Alwyn—I think MS is a little down after yesterday's vote.
“You don’t really think that Lange’s death had an effect do you? Personally, having seen the Australian result, I think Hawke’s death did as much for Labour there as Lange’s did for Labour here.”
I don’t think you should hold out your personal response as an example of what much of the population went through.
Very early days (& huge Early Vote which could change things) … but might just be an upset Coalition victory.
Abbott out, but.
This is going to be tight one, but the mad monk is gone.
Buttons looks like he’s back with a 3.8% margin
I’ll be piss if the Lib’s get back in as Ubet had the Libs at 15/1 and my bookie had them at 25/1 with a hang House of Representatives at 50/1 before the SocMo called the election as i didn’t put any money on the muppets as Labour was almost even money.
I wouldn’t trust any exited polls tonight or pre election polls according to Antony Green
Quicker than a rat up a drain pipe and a downed brown one the ozzie election turned into a landslide for the ……….crackle…crackle….pop…splutter……… hissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssshhhhhhh…….poof
There is a 4.2% swing for the Libs in QLD and at this stage Labour is stuff unless they pull the red rabbit out of the hat in WA
Tas and Vic are only about 2.2% to 2.4% swing to Labour
The latest from the Antony Green, he is saying if the Libs don’t lose any seats in WA they will have just sneak over the line and if they don’t they will be in minority government.
Banana-Benders (Qlders) have not been kind to ALP.
What's ALP done to them?
Depressing.
only positive is Abbott is losing to climate change activist
Abbott is irrelevant. He would have probably gone before the next term was up. This is no consolation. The ALP was destroyed tonight. Australians seems to care more about their retirement nest egg than their fellow countrymen. Similar case here.
Australians seems to care more about their retirement nest egg than their fellow countrymen.
Given that their 'fellow countrymen' don't appear to care much about them either, is this not surprising?
I'm not arguing this is a good thing, quite the opposite, environments that are relatively low trust and high threat will reliably induce people to vote conservative.
Old Barnaby give the Labour Party an all might spray, about Labour giving the working class seats the two finger salute in Qld. As the Libs/Nats have picked a number of working class seats.
But in saying that a number of the wealthy electorates the Libs are struggling because of leftist independents and greens have been running a strong campaign in those seats, I’m sort of thinking had Labour not stood any candidates in those seats? Labour might have its nose in front, but Labour haven’t giving some working class seats an up yours in Qld and else where then this election would’ve been a Labour win.
I forgot that big Clive Palmer’s deal over first preferences to the Liberal/ Nats has also killed off a Labour Government especially in Qld.
Barnaby is a fool. Carrying on about 'working class' when his party will gleefully shaft them for the big agriculture and mining interests that bankroll him.
Australia will continue to burn coal and country. Climate change/nah.. pocket change.
Off the ABC: "Many commentators thought this was going to be a big night for Labor but early results are worrying for the party, with Penny Wong acknowledging that Queensland is a problem."
Queensland is a problem? Fact saying that like it's a new thing. Isn't that where Pauline Hanson is from?
Not looking good. Coalition is gaining. 67 to 60 on ABC news. 76 is required to win.
ALP relying on WA (& early vote) has the distinct whiff of clutching at straws.
Will it be a majority or minority Coalition Govt ?
10 mins later … Antony Green confirms that it's now virtually impossible to see how the ALP could win enough seats to form a new Govt.
I wouldn't call it just yet.
Well that sucks.
3 more years I guess.
Now we are going to have the next few weeks listening to talking heads bang on about how to get the votes of reactionary tradies.
This caps off a pretty shit week for me.
Are you calling it?
Yeah. I don't see how Labor can do it now. Only good thing to come out of this is that Shorten and the rest of these empty suits will be cleaned out over the next 3 years and a new generation will come through, who will move away from the Blairite triangulation.
Recriminations are already starting in ALP with some pointing the finger at Shorten. It's funny … just a few days ago I was wondering if the Aussies would end up with an Ed Miliband situation on Election Night … Polls pointing to a Lab victory … but an unpopular leader proving decisive when potential swing-voters to Labor actually entered the booths.
Generally around 10 points behind Scotty in Pref PM Polls … & with big Dissatisfaction numbers.
Whether or not the Shorten factor proved absolutely decisive … it almost certainly played some part in these pretty dismal results.
There does seem to be parallels with UK15.
The parties of the left cannot seem to be able to oust right wing parties that should very well be oustable
The question you shpuld ask yourself is why can't they.
Still too close to call.
Not a prayer of a labor government.
/aussie-aussie-aussie/#comment-1618333
I’m told there has been a swing against to Warren what’s has name in the NT which has a Labour safe seat the early 80’s. Antony Green has said that it’s impossible for Labour to form Government, so its going to be either majority or minority government for the Libs/ Nat.
The figures from Qld are very similar to old Johnny Howard’s win back in 2004
Sorry I seem I can’t reply to post here via my IPad for some reason. Is there any fix for this problem?
Great day for Au if it goes to plan for Scomo, Likewise no pesky abbott causing mischief in the background Morrison seems a straight up and likeable guy, Short dodgy in person and in past
Yes I think ScoMo won’t be having a knife throwing contest during this term and I wouldn’t be surprised if we could see a possible a term Lib/Nat Government (yuck)
Labour probably should’ve gone for Albo instead of shifty Shorten?
Press seem to think labour lost the oldies ( franking credits) and Howard’s Tradies on Tax and redistribution
Millsy @ 14.1, it’s more of a dig at Labour for sucking up to the big end of the town and giving the working class seats the flick and you now something is wrong when those usually Labour held seats have gone over to the Lib or Nats or independent. I believe if Albo had been the Labour Leader these working class/ Labour seats would’ve been held or gained
Not sure working class how we traditionally see it really exists any more as a unified voting class or that if it does labour really represents it Labour is more upper middle class Champaign socialists and identity politics, likewise anti Christian that does not help with this class if it still exists
Christians seem to have the habit of denying science and telling people who they and cannot have intimate relationships with and what they can do with their bodies. Labour should be damn well anti Christian.
Sure they can ignore a large voting block across many identities and classes Its a very naive and selected view of Christianity you have Millsy focussing on the fundamentalist who are a very small minority Not all Christian’s have a simplistic view of Christianity as a old white gut sitting on a cloud and firing thunder bolts hating gays and adulterers
Christians will purge evolution from schools and take gays out the back and shoot them given half the chance. Look at what has happened in Alabama when you give the god botherers full control of things. Of course you don't mind women being told what they can and cannot do.
Yes dear, Nz and Au are exactly like Alabama, similarly let’s deals in extremes Maybe not extreme socialism does not have a great past in taking out and shooting any one who does not agree with it, nor in controlling women reproductive decisions
Communist countries such as East Germany and Poland had abortion on demand and full access to birth control. Things that can only happen be imposing restrictions on the god botherers.
Have a look at communist China abortion 1 child policy and practice , 2 levels telling you how many you can have and forced abortion if you break the rules Let’s not even get to how they treated those lucky enough to survive the policy, if they felt a problem Ughurs the most recent recent poor souls who need to fit in to the socialist nirvana
Bewildered @ 23.1, it was one of the causes, but I don’t it was a major issue in my books. It think the biggest issue is around the middle class toffs and the workers in Labour seat turning to the Liberal/ Nats? As old shiffy Shorten didn’t seem to to properly explain Labour’s policy on tax, negative gearing, or dividend share tax etc.
Bewildered @ 24.1 I fully agree with your comment that is more a middle class toffs party now than looking after the workers or underprivileged and really don’t give them a toss nowadays
I don't think you are wrong there. There wasn't really much of a policy difference between the ALP and the Coalition.
Sort of agree EKW but not sure the average Aussie worker is that bad off, compared to kiwi low skilled labour etc they are pretty well looked after. This voting block plus tradies etc are no longer traditional labour or exist as a unified voting class The underprivileged are another matter and don’t tend to vote or a relatively small cohort , similarly the so called working class are not big on massive redistribution of their hard earned income or seeing their jobs destroyed by greens or transformation that hits their hip pocket
Old Barrie Cassidy, said yo can’t have an ambitious manifesto now from opposition almost shades of poor old Foot and old Hewson with Keating which was mean to be a Lib election win.
Millsy@ 26.1 Yes Labour has almost a shade of Blair’s New Labour and they wonder why the workers, the underprivileged have given them the two fingers and bugged off to the blue side or green of politics.
My electorate of Lingiari has had a 6.3% swing to the Country Liberal Party against the sitting Labour member which is normally a safe Labour seat, but this seat covers about 90% of the NT so there is a lot of remote polling votes to come in yet and at the moment the young lady J Price from the CLP is currently ahead. Knowing her mum Bess Price and her daughters background, I will say this seat will change hands for the first time since the 80’s when this seat was formed.
I’m going to call the election as a Lib/ Nat with a majority Government with 77 or 78 seats.
The race for the senate is going to be interesting and on that note folks
I’m off to get my evening med’s and head off to bed.
See you tomorrow morning folks
Heading that way.
Unbelievable result. The right certainly know how to win elections. Hopefully the Australian Labor party can rebuild and win back those voters who have clearly abandoned them.
Bill Shorten has conceded from the looks of things, and stepped down as leader.
It's all over. Only one way to go now, that is up.
or further down.
(sigh)
Congratulations to Scott Morrison. The accidental PM has personally pulled off the totally unexpected. He will likely be a decent PM even if the left won't be thrilled with his govt, we could certainly have hoped for a different outcome.
From the moment ScoMo became PM he's juggled a series of disunity crisis' that would have destroyed many others. You have to have some respect for this; managing through tough times competently is an under-rated skill.
Shorten was terribly unlucky, up against Turnbull he would have likely won. I've met him in person and he's impressive enough. But resigning is his only option and the ALP will go through the process of coming to terms with what has happened.
I've no particular sense of why QLD led the swing against them, but the unpalatable truth is that across the entire country the left has lost what should have been an unloseable election. They should have done better everywhere; not dissimilar to how Clinton lost to Trump, only this time without the populist demagogue to blame. Hopefully the ALP will take ownership of this hard truth with quiet dignity and intellectual integrity.
A successful adoption of the GOP tactic of reducing voter enrollment – a win for John Howard. There is no way Queensland would have gone so well for the Coalition if all the Kiwis there had voted.
There is also the white man thing, security in those of their kind continuing to rule – the abuse of women in the Liberal caucus probably won them more votes than it lost.
And the capacity of the boomers to look after themselves is going to be their generational legacy …
There is no way Queensland would have gone so well for the Coalition if all the Kiwis there had voted.
Well in fact many of us Kiwis in Australia are effectively disenfranchised in both countries. We can't vote in Australia and often we can't in NZ either. The rules require that we either:
https://www.elections.org.nz/voters/get-ready-enrol-and-vote/enrol-and-vote-overseas
I'm not sure what fraction of the 600,000 kiwis would be disqualified by this but it would be significant. Plus there are several extra steps involved in making an online or overseas vote. It's not surprising only a tiny fraction of ex-pats finish up actually casting a vote.
Australia has always had a "citizens only" voting qualification, unlike NZ where permanent residents can vote as well.
So I don't think the "Kiwi factor" would have made any difference in the Australian election (in Queensland). Even before the changes in 2001, most Kiwis did not take out Australian citizenship.
And even if Kiwis could vote, many would vote for the Liberals.
Suck it up sun shine and just accept it not every one agrees with your world view Democracy is the winner on the day Whining and throwing out stock lefty excuses is sad The Sun came up this morning ( just a little brighter) 😊
ALP and Liberals aren't that different, unfortunately. Both owned by the fossil fuel lobby and both powerfully neoliberal.
Woke up to hear if the exciting victory and the labour leader quitting.
Good start to the day so far.
Happy with this result.
Gloating is ugly James. The only purpose for making that comment was to inflict a bit more pain on people who you know will already be disappointed and therefore vulnerable.
It speaks poorly to your character. Mate.
Perhaps you might want to read the thread when Jacinda became PM.
and to say people are venerable because if this is atypical snowflake bullshit.
Labour lost – big deal. You congratulate the winners and hope they do the best job possible.
You can't have it both ways James; you can't deplore the 'thread when Jacinda became PM' and then go and do it yourself.
You congratulate the winners and hope they do the best job possible.
Which is what I did above and precisely not what you did.
you are a little thick this morning.
If you read the thread when Jacinda became pm – it is exactly what I did.
However the gloating from people on here was immense.
My my comment wasn’t gloating – I’m genuinely happy that “my team” won – I think Australia will be a lot better for it.
Sorry I can’t join the pity party some on here are having.
Bullshit.
nooe – it’s true. I really am very happy about the result.
The taliban are well organised.
Immediately blaming others for their own failure. Also speaks poorly to character.
Being despondent that the electorate plainly gives no fucks about the environment and that religious extremists will likely end up running the shop isn't blaming others.
Yes it is. The Libs had gone through a catastrophic leadership knife fight, the ALP was leading all the polls, the tide of opinion on climate change is turning, the issue of illegal immigration has cooled dramatically, even the media wasn't all bad as usual … all the big cards were stacked in their favour. Yet still they couldn't win. They have to look to themselves long and hard as to why.
Blaming 'racist/fanatic fuckheads in the electorate' is the hallmark of losers.
A woman voicing her fears about the influence of religious extremists is a loser. Nice.
Expressing 'fears' without any attempt at justifying them is otherwise known as whining. (And this being a gender non-specific activity.)
Blaming 'racist/fanatic fuckheads in the electorate' is the hallmark of losers.
Going too far there Redlogix.
My initial reaction when hearing the news this morning was:
"well that's it. Trump America has arrived in Australia."
Actually it was always there but now they are out in the open. And that is the darned truth. It's not blaming others.
When the towns and cities start going up in flames and they hop in their little boats and row across the Tasman, we'll turn them away like they turn other desperate folks away now. That'll learn them.
S'alright James and co. I don't really mean it. I don't think. 😳
Actually it was always there but now they are out in the open.
There may well be some element truth to of that, but to imply that every Australian who voted Lib yesterday is a racist fuckhead modeled on Trump's America … is still avoiding the truth. It's the same game the Democrats have played pointing the finger at the 'deplorables' instead of doing the honest work to understand why they're unelectable.
I did not take that meaning from Joe 90's comment because I thought the same albeit in a less orally provocative way.
The "racist fuckheads" voted for the Libs 'in toto' otherwise the result would have been different. Doesn't mean all the Lib voters fall into this category and Joe 90 wasn't suggesting as much.
I haven't checked the figures this morning. but it looked like Queensland was the big spoiler last night and that is not surprising. The state has a reputation for having a very large contingent of "racist fuckheads" going back many decades.
The state has a reputation for having a very large contingent of "racist fuckheads" going back many decades.
Yes while they are more conservative (and this has geographic parallels with the USA) it's really not dramatically different; it's the usual mix just a little more tilted.
This idea that Australia is full of six fingered rednecks is just a Kiwi conceit.
An interesting point that speaks to an underlying problem we have with democracy:
https://www.news.com.au/national/federal-election/federal-election-2019-labor-defeat-is-humiliating/news-story/4cadec03271d70e14280e2846255ced4
It's arguable Ardern only just squeaked into power here in NZ because she didn't have enough time to articulate a detailed vision, and part of her on-going success is that she's preferred the pragmatic over idealistic.
<blockquote>
It's arguable Ardern only just squeaked into power here in NZ because she didn't have enough time to articulate a detailed vision,
</blockquote>
it wasn’t her lack of vision – it was how much she was willing to give Winston to buy power with our money. That squeaked her into power.
Ardern did remarkably better in the election than would have been expected months earlier. If she hadn't pulled Labour up in to the high 30's Winston would have been irrelevant.
What Ardern and Morrison have in common, along with the likes of Trump, was a lack of incumbency, a lack of detailed political track record on which they could be attacked.
What a tragedy for Australia.
what is it with some of you lefties and your hatred of democracy?
The people voted and selected their leader. The majority got what they asked for.
Thats a good result – not a tragedy.
It's great having one proud Australian on here today.
Two.
It is a triumph for Australia. The people have chosen a pro growth path that should sustain for the next two decades. Lip service will be paid to the Paris Agreement, preceeding a withdrawal in 2025.
Have you taken a break from yelling at the pub-goers next door?
We need to talk about the remaining left who are in power in the world.
It's shrinking very, very fast.
Indeed. Only this time the left really has nowhere else to place the blame. Morrison came back from political death, ran an effective political campaign and has won decisively. The left got outplayed … again.
If we want to change the outcomes we can only change ourselves. Whining that the other guys are nasty people, that they cheat, they treat us mean and don't recognise our intellectual and moral superiority, is just that … whining.
Here is my starting point. The conversation needs to understand what politics is really for and how we can play a more effective role in it. Hint, it isn't about 'winning and losing':
The paradox of running an effective political campaign versus effectively running a country. The campaign is the glossy add, full of appealing promises. The term in Government is the product. Voters are the consumers that are lured by ads making the assumption that the better the ad, the better the product. It is much easier to improve the ad than the product; once the sale is done, the money is in. People tend to by brands they know and trust.
And may this excellent trend continue Hard lefties are really deplorable as comments by Ann, SPC and Joe 90 detest I am always surprised why they are surprised when their know all, superiority complex sees their favourites who hold similar world views are crushed at the ballot box
Citing a woman who fears the prospect of religious extremists holding power makes one a deplorable hard leftie. Really?
The conflation by pulling these extreme comments with liberal election win to demean liberal voters Joe is the issue and I suggest you know it Not to mention using this crazy womens comments as your shield is deplorable but a common tactic of the left
The Australian liberals are heading down the same path as the GOP. Goldwater warned about the preachers getting control of the [Republican] party and the past while has shown him to be correct.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/the-religious-minority-seizing-power-in-the-liberal-party-20180601-p4ziyq.html
http://theconversation.com/as-australia-becomes-less-religious-our-parliament-becomes-more-so-80456
Just because they say it Joe it don’t make it so Re US good chance democrats pick up the next election if they can get their loony left rump under control The centre left or right do not like the extremes
It would appear one word decided the Aussie election.
Tax
Yes. The Libs. ran a false smear campaign on Federal Taxes in the same way the Nats ran the campaign on CGT. We've got a name for it – Dirty Politics. Others call is Fake News.
There may have been misrepresentation but there was also 'incentive'….it seems that less tax remains a vote winner, and once 'less tax' is in place it is almost impossible to reverse…a fundamental difficulty for any 'left' party…and fertile ground for libertarians.
https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/what-the-morrison-government-promised-to-do-next-20190518-p51ore.html
The flip side when a new tax is introduced it is very hard to remove so it’s not really difficult to understand why people from all persuasions don’t like more tax If labour have just worked this out they really do live in La la land
On the contrary, removing taxes if the easiest thing in the political realm, as you yourself note tax is broadly unpopular, the difficulty is the likely necessity to remove services to compensate for the lost revenue…that appears to be more politicly palatable, especially if those services are not likely to be accessed by your constituency
Getting rid of tax burden and replacing it with another tax is not getting rid of tax burden overall but moving the deck chairs Proposing new taxes and increasing overall tax burden and believing that will not be popular is a “know shit Sherlock moment” If labour Have just realised this more fool them
you really do seem to be struggling with this…..
"Getting rid of tax burden and replacing it with another tax is not getting rid of tax burden overall but moving the deck chairs Proposing new taxes and increasing overall tax burden and believing that will not be popular"
are you sure you wouldnt like to edit that?
Others call it Politics, not that labour is not prone to a healthy amount of bs and smearing If you can’t handle the heat get out of the kitchen This was labour’s election to lose, they did in a grandiose way
Pat @42. Blaming National for this governments inability to implement a CGT is a disgrace, Labour in particular have no one to blame but themselves. Ardern and co threw in the towel before they even got off the stool. They let National control the narrative because they refused to go in and fight for what's right. That's on us, accept it.
An honest man that mickeyboyle Taking ownership where ownership lies
Pardon?….you would appear somewhat confused
How so is MickeyB confuse there Pat, Please enlighten, facts please
Must be contagious….read my post @42 and it should be abundantly clear.
will do
see post 42.111
really Pat your comment at 42 is a know shit Sherlock moment My comments on MickeyB stands
Meh…you would appear to be a lost argument looking for somewhere to land…and your comment to Mickey Boyle is of no relevance to my response to his confusion
Come on, Pat! We all know that Jacinda Ardern campaigned hard for CGT in Oz. She even sent over Sir Michael but National got wind of it and sent Simon to neutralise Sir Mike. It paid off, didn’t it? The Mad Monk is gone. This is the sole reason why JC will be the next leader of National. Please keep up!
Your ducking for cover Pat Mickey highlighted as with Ardern and Nz labour needed to own Cgt shambles LABOUR Au need to own this election loss , you seem to be arguing that they where blindsided by the people response to their tax policy and the libs exploiting this As Mickey indicates they need to own this if they where to dumb to understand that this is what they would be judged and attacked on, well as I said more full then In reality I think it was way more than tax
lol…a lot of projection going on there B.
There is no need to duck for cover as I have made a brief judgement on that which swung the Aussie election, is it the sole reason?undoubtably not but I suggest it is a key reason for although they lost badly in Queensland (apparently) their support in the largest states failed to counter that…two states with falling property values I may add.
As to ownership i made no judgement though that should be obvious in a democracy
Apologies that was my fault for the confusion. I was actually referring to Pat's comment at 42.1.1. And Arderns and Labours inability to even put up an ounce of fight for a policy they say they believe in. Less tax is currently only a vote winner because our side refuses to convey what effects a CGT etc would have on the average kiwi. We seem reluctant to fight for our policies, which leads to plenty of poll watching without much real action. Year of delivery, transformational, it all means nothing if you are not prepared to state your case and fight for it. Sorry but for some reason when I press reply I cannot type anything in the comment box?
Again Im not sure why you are taking umbrage as my comment at 42.1.1 makes no reference to CGT, National, Ardern or even NZ…it is a general observation about the implications of tax policy on parties with a public ownership model, or 'the left".
This is what you wrote, "it seems that less tax remains a vote winner, and once 'less tax' is in place it is almost impossible to reverse". That's all I'm arguing against. Less tax is only currently a vote winner because those on our side who are currently in power and whom believe in paying more to support our vulnerable or deliver better social policies, refuse to fight and counter the false narrative that we allow our opponents to foster. I have no doubt that Ardern and co could've got a CGT across the line, my point is that they didnt even try. Less tax is only a vote winner because voters do not see how an alternative would benefit themselves and society.
now compare your statement here @ 44.1 with this
"Blaming National for this governments inability to implement a CGT is a disgrace, Labour in particular have no one to blame but themselves. Ardern and co threw in the towel before they even got off the stool. They let National control the narrative because they refused to go in and fight for what's right. That's on us, accept it."
and wheres the blame and lack of acceptance?….it certainly isnt in 42 or 42.1
You must have been an opening batsman Pat or a boxer. Your weaving and bobbing is impressive 😀
One too many drinks last night, me thinks. Pat was as clear as succinct @ 42.