Author Archive

Debating with nazis

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:34 pm, March 24th, 2023 - 278 comments

So Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull aka Posie Parker is coming to Aotearoa New Zealand and intends to spread her message. Wikipedia describes her as someone who “has used posters, billboards, stickers, and social media to promote anti-trans messages, and she has organized events in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia that have been protested by […]

Climate change – the final final warning

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:05 am, March 22nd, 2023 - 78 comments

The latest report from the International Panel on Climate Change has synthesised reports on the climate crisis from hundreds of scientists over the past eight years and has boiled it down to one message: act now, or it will be too late.

Submit!

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:53 pm, March 19th, 2023 - 10 comments

What sort of city do you want to live in? If you do not wish to live in a city that is going backwards environmentally, artistically and socially then please submit on Auckland Council’s Draft Annual Budget.

Wailing and Nashing of teeth

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:46 pm, March 16th, 2023 - 66 comments

It is pretty clear to me that leaders acting tough and beating up on members of their team leads to political advantage. I realised this back in 2010 when my mate Chris Carter succumbed to intense personal pressure and did a couple of silly things. Then leader Phil Goff went to town on Carter who […]

Making s%*t up

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:02 am, March 15th, 2023 - 41 comments

Is it just me or is Mike Hosking becoming more unbalanced? The recent misrepresentation of a speech from Deborah Russell would suggest that he is getting worse.

The great policy bonfire

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:44 am, March 14th, 2023 - 45 comments

Chris Hipkins continues with his shock and awe campaign and has torched a number of policies that National and Act were using to foment unrest.

Luxon slumps in latest Colmar Brunton poll

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 6:18 pm, March 13th, 2023 - 57 comments

The latest One News Kantar Poll result has been released and it is a doozie.

Triangulating climate change

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:12 am, March 7th, 2023 - 78 comments

Yesterday morning there were suggestions that the Government would properly address climate change by placing greater emphasis on public transport and walking and cycling. But by the afternoon the proposition had been watered down.

National’s childcare announcement

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:43 pm, March 6th, 2023 - 21 comments

National’s proposed child care subsidy policy is essentially an increase to existing grants that will fuel inflation and costs increases in the child care sector.

Where is the Free Speech Union when you need it?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:25 am, February 28th, 2023 - 97 comments

Rob Campbell is under some pressure from National and Act for calling out publicly the right’s dog whistle attacks on co governance. But so far self appointed protector of the right to freedom of speech, the Free Speech Union, has been very quiet. Why is this?

National’s three waters policy

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:21 pm, February 26th, 2023 - 44 comments

National has announced its alternative to the Three Waters Policy with the standout feature being greater central control of asset management and investment plans than offered by Three Waters and even greater loss of local control.

Climate change – do we mitigate or do we adapt?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:32 pm, February 25th, 2023 - 21 comments

The political debate about climate change is coming to an end as the North Island is battered by the third huge climate change induced storm in a month. The focus will not be on what to do? Do we still mitigate the effects by reducing greenhouse gas emissions? Or do we dig in and adapt?

This is really awkward

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 3:13 pm, February 21st, 2023 - 63 comments

National MP Maureen Pugh has questioned the existence of human induced climate change.

Why right wing media is bad for democracy and the planet

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:21 pm, February 19th, 2023 - 37 comments

Newstalk ZB hosts have rightfully been criticised for minimising the danger posed by Cyclone Gabrielle. Which funnily is that they have been doing about climate change for the past few decades.

What Chat GPT thinks of the Standard

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:28 am, February 18th, 2023 - 27 comments

I thought that I would get Chat GPT to write 500 words on the Standard and this is what it came up with.

Prime Ministerial

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:38 am, February 17th, 2023 - 31 comments

Chris Hipkins has so far not put a foot wrong. Since he became PM he has quickly and competently reformed the Cabinet and jettisoned policies that were for one reason or another causing problems. And he has quickly asserted control over two massive storms, the first which pummeled the country’s major city and the second which has caused massive floods to much of the East Coast of the North Island.

Is it too early to talk about climate change?

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:58 am, February 13th, 2023 - 50 comments

Two unprecedented summertime storms in Auckland suggest that the threats posed by climate change are not in our future but are here now.

Luxon’s little experiment

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:32 am, February 12th, 2023 - 30 comments

It is really difficult trying to appear to be Prime Minister material and inclusive and to appeal to racists at the same time. Christopher Luxon this week has shown how difficult it is.

The great reset

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 7:45 am, February 9th, 2023 - 109 comments

Chris Hipkins has announced the great policy reset and there are no surprises.

National’s Brown problem

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:07 am, February 2nd, 2023 - 71 comments

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is providing National strategists with a rather large headache.

The Cabinet Reshuffle

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:25 am, February 1st, 2023 - 22 comments

Chris Hipkins has announced his cabinet reshuffle and there have been some dramatic changes.

Two new polls …

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 6:24 pm, January 30th, 2023 - 78 comments

This evening two new political polls have been released both putting Labour ahead of National.

Super City’s handling of the storm event

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:40 pm, January 29th, 2023 - 135 comments

As Auckland slowly recovers but ready itself for further storms there is some attention being given to review Council’s response to the super storm. The initial impression, and this is held widely is that the response was sub optimal.

National is showing its class prejudice

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:54 am, January 27th, 2023 - 26 comments

National Deputy Leader Nicola Willis said yesterday that it was a great shame that the minimum wage had increased by so much because it means the Government can’t do it now to help low-income Kiwis make ends meet without stoking inflation.

Luxon blunders again

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 2:38 pm, January 26th, 2023 - 25 comments

Chris Luxon has provided another example of his ineptness by suggesting in an MMP environment that a vote in a Maori Seat is worth more than a vote in an European seat.

There is no misogyny in New Zealand *

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:48 am, January 24th, 2023 - 62 comments

* sung to the famous tune from Blam Blam Blam.

Behind every strong woman leader are more strong women leaders

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:49 pm, January 22nd, 2023 - 59 comments

Chris Hipkins and Carmel Sepuloni have been confirmed as the next Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand.

Running on empty

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:23 am, January 20th, 2023 - 180 comments

Jacinda Ardern has realised that she was not in a position to commit to four more years as Prime Minister and has called it quits. Recent levels of abuse and misogyny shown to her have clearly played their part.