Brownlee as Foreign Minister as successful as you’d expect

Written By: - Date published: 12:16 pm, May 5th, 2017 - 77 comments
Categories: Gerry Brownlee, national, useless - Tags: , , ,

What a surprise – Gerry Brownlee’s Aussie trip nothing but a fizzer

For a few days this week, the New Zealand Government hinted it would be taking a tougher stand on Australia’s approach to New Zealanders, apparently angered by the sudden and unexplained cutting of tertiary education support.

Throughout all its time in power, the National government had blamed the predicament of New Zealanders in Australia on Helen Clark, who it alleged had failed to defend New Zealand’s interests.

Now, confronted by a series of announcements that constituted the greatest attack on Kiwis in Australia since 2001, Bill English had the chance to demonstrate his government was made of sterner stuff.

He suggested that he wanted to take Australia to task, not only for the events of the last few weeks, but for its attitude to New Zealanders more broadly.

It was announced that Gerry Brownlee would be dispatched to express New Zealand’s displeasure and even the Australia media began to wonder how this might rock the relationship.

In the end, though, it was a fizzer. Arriving in Sydney on Thursday morning, Brownlee immediately folded.

During his press conference with Julie Bishop, the New Zealand Government’s flaccid response was on full display.

Brownlee just stood there, mouthing platitudes about how close the relationship was and how we were all such great mates.

There was no sign of any fight in the man. He didn’t even criticise Australia’s policy that would see Kiwis in Australia forced to pay university fees many times higher than their Australian classmates.

Audrey Young can’t bring herself to be quite so blunt, but oh dear – Gerry Brownlee’s debut as Foreign Minister not quite a triumph (Don’t worry people, the Nats have an answer for us! Want to study in Australia? Then become an Australian – Paula Bennett. Excellent.)

And then – Brownlee statements about UN’s Israel resolution at odds with Prime Minister’s

Comments by new Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee on New Zealand co-sponsoring a UN motion condemning Israel’s settlements in Palestinian territory are at odds with comments by Prime Minister Bill English.

and

However Brownlee broke the cardinal rule of any foreign minister – which is never to be out of step on any foreign affairs issue with the Prime Minister, who is ultimately the Chief Foreign Minister. Never ever, not even by a whisker.

So, pretty much as expected then. Such is the depth of National’s talent pool.

77 comments on “Brownlee as Foreign Minister as successful as you’d expect ”

  1. Keith 1

    Dear oh dear oh dear, the Nat’s have been bloody pathetic on Australia. And the buffoon Brownlee was only ever going to bring incompetence and unjustified arrogance to the role anyway. That and he can bypass security checks because he is above the law I suppose.

    And fuck the how close we are/best mates bullshit, I am over it and for Gods sake Jerry, no one believes that anymore.

    At the joint press conference Brownlee should have said we are ending the non reciprocated relationship with Australia and we will be treating them like we treat any other foreign country with no privileges, just like they do us. Oh and the “Anzac spirit”, yeah well, that died in 2001. Fuck you Aussie.

    In the very least we remain dignified rather than looking like the lickspittles we currently do.

    • Johnr 1.1

      I’m with you Keith. I’ve worked with them, I’ve worked for them, I’ve employed them and done business with them. Quite frankly I find them a nasty race of people. Being retired, the only protest I can make is to ensure that I don’t spend any money in their businesses or purchase any Aus products.

      • WILD KATIPO 1.1.1

        Well typically , – I like the Ocker,…

        But you don’t trust their bullshit either.

        Traditionally its a big , hot , tough bloody country,… and I can respect that .

        But that doesn’t excuse the propensity they’ve got for spinning bullshit. Then again , – we are not above that bullderdust crap ourselves . Just look at the weakarse chumps we’ve had in parliament over the last 3 decades…

        You’ll get the picture…

        …………………………………………………………………..

        New Right Fight – Who are the New Right?
        http://www.newrightfight.co.nz/pageA.html

        Thule Society – Wikipedia
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thule_Society

        Young Hitler – Excerpts Appendix | The Thule Society
        http://www.younghitler.com/thule_society.htm

      • Mister Smokey 1.1.2

        “Nasty race of people,” eh?

        Nice little generalisation there. Let’s get specific:

        I bet any particular Aussie will be glad to see the last of a misery-guts, bleating kiwi like you, mate.

        • keepcalmcarryon 1.1.2.1

          Thought the same as you Mister Smokey. People have a habit of taking their own bullshit with them wherever they go..

    • Morrissey 1.2

      Oh and the “Anzac spirit”, yeah well, that died in 2001.

      Actually it was killed twenty years earlier than that….

  2. roy cartland 2

    People have been referring to him as the top ‘diplomat’.

    • Top bloody bullshit artist , more like.

      The chump barges his way through an airport security door then gets promoted to Minister of Defense ?!!?

      WTF ?!!?

      Yeah right ! , – thats really the guy we want in that position !!!

      Now he’s cowtowing to the Aussies because he knows Aussie banks own his shit neo liberal govt – yeah hes really a stand alone statesman mate.

      About as much as Neville Chamberlain was in standing up to Shitler.

  3. Antoine 3

    The interesting discussions will not be going on in the public eye

    Unclear how much progress we can realistically expect however, we don’t have much leverage

    • We don’t have that much leverage because our fucking main banks in NZ are just about ALL Australian bloody owned.

      That’s why.

      Anyone could tell that useless blimp Brownlee was all bluster and no substance. And just like all the rest of these neo liberal arsewipes , – there is NO WAY they will rock the boat in any significant way.

      They are nothing but weak , deceitful political whores with no spine or backbone to represent the people who elected them.

      And Brownlee’s no exception.
      ………………………………………………………………….

      New Right Fight – Who are the New Right?
      http://www.newrightfight.co.nz/pageA.html

      Thule Society – Wikipedia
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thule_Society

      Young Hitler – Excerpts Appendix | The Thule Society
      http://www.younghitler.com/thule_society.htm

  4. Muttonbird 4

    They, coalition government and the National government seem to be dismantling the AUS-NZ relationship one gesture at a time.

    When will they move on the special category visa?

    And CER itself?

    • At such time as NZ self determination is all but symbolic.

      And we are almost at that point now.

      Its called being ‘ bought and sold’.

      Never mind, – we can still buy that flat top TV at cheap Asian sweatshop imported prices, cant we …

      ( BTW , – I haven’t had a TV since around 2009 , – and I haven’t missed a trick of whats going on in New Zealand however, – and if anything, – I am far more educated and disgusted at what I see going on in the name of our national sovereignty than I ever was having one. )

  5. how brownlee got any reputation other than as an incompetent buffoon is beyond me – I can’t think of anything he has got right – but at least he isn’t as dim as bennett – there are knives, spoons and forks missing from that cutlery drawer.

    • tc 5.1

      He’s a bully as is bennett, it’s the only ability a national minister really needs along with minimal media savvy.

      The real work’s done by others, there’s a reason the consultants budgets ballooned like Gerry’s arse over the shonky reign. These are the worker ants with zero exposure and no public responsibilities just going about their very well remunerated chores.

      Blinglush, Findlaysoon and Bovver boy joyce check most of their homework probably.

      • marty mars 5.1.1

        imagine that pack of dingbats checking your shit out – what a nightmare – no wonder this gnat gnash pack are so lost and incompetent

        • WILD KATIPO 5.1.1.1

          Yep ,… and all these dullards do is follow on in the tradition of these shithead subversives:

          New Right Fight – Who are the New Right?
          http://www.newrightfight.co.nz/pageA.html

          Thule Society – Wikipedia
          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thule_Society

          Young Hitler – Excerpts Appendix | The Thule Society
          http://www.younghitler.com/thule_society.htm

          Which means , that they sacrifice being seen as actual people of initiative and are quite happy to look and act like the impotent useless post neo liberal troughers they actually are.

          The above sites explain magnificently why these neo liberal scum act the way they do. They are nothing more than expensive tax payer funded parasites. This latest show of complete useless impotence by Brownlee was entirely predictable and par for the course in the the post neo liberal era.

          They’ve got nothing we want , nothing we need.

          And Ill ram the point home by using an Australian song to further show their self abasement’s .

          Fuck off , Brownlee .

          Cold Chisel (Jimmy Barnes) – You Got Nothing I Want [Bubanee …
          Video for you got nothing i want you tube▶ 3:23

  6. Draco T Bastard 6

    Why are we even bothering to try to negotiate?

    Australia has been quite clear for years that they really don’t want Kiwis there and have been unilaterally reducing the agreements that we have with them concerning free movement between the two countries.

    Given this the only option we have is to cancel all those agreements as Australia has made clear that they want to do.

    • Enough is Enough 6.1

      I agree Draco.

      Australia is free to do what they like. I don’t think we should be going over there and crying. We should simply be tearing up the Agreement as it is clearly not working as intended.

      • WILD KATIPO 6.1.1

        And giving the old heave ho to their bullshit monopoly’s they have here with their banks taking all the profits out of NZ as well.

        That’d make the arrogant fucks scream and our neo liberal politicians scream even louder.

        Whaddya think about getting all nationalist now, then, eh ?

    • Yeah, this is essentially the exact same policy as “opening our markets up” ahead of everyone else in that it’s supporting New Zealand being a pushover in world affairs. Even if we would value the agreement about sharing services with each others’ citizens, we should mirror Australia’s move as a signal that we require them to honour their part of the agreement if we’re to honour ours.

  7. mosa 7

    Australia is a bully and knows darn well that this government in particular is all words and no action.

    It’s always different when they come knocking on our door for something and expect to get it and its done by their rules and their conditions and we are to do as we are told.

    If this was genuine ” mateship ” then Australia have a funny way of treating their friends.

    Brownlee can be assertive when required.

    Well Gerry when are you going to start.

    • Probably in the years to come when hes retired from parliament and drawing the pension paid for by us and interviewed by Guyon Espiner.

  8. National’s candidacy for foreign minister is interchangeable because they’re all going to be strategic catamites for NATO without much differentiation. Question is, now that Goff and Shearer are gone, can Labour do any better?

    • Goff and Shearer were both loved by the neo liberals in Labour and National.

      Hell’s bells , – they were the neo liberals pin up poster boys FFS !!!

      It was probably the greatest thing Labour could of ever have done in getting rid of both of them and stop being associated with them – Goff with his sell out free trade support of the TTPA and Shearer with his support for private fucking army’s.

      The more these scumbags are diminished , the better Labour has a chance at getting balance restored back into this country.

  9. JOHN IRVING 9

    Maybe it’s our own fault for allowing NZ citizenship for new immigrants to be a backdoor into Australia

    • Whispering Kate 9.1

      Have just seen your comment John Irving and have repeated it in my own – I agree with what you say.

    • You’ve smacked the hammer fair on the nail , John Irving.

    • JC 9.3

      Where do All our immigrants come from…..

      http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/92217629/Where-have-New-Zealands-migrants-come-from-in-the-last-four-decades

      Seems like they’re concerned about the French, and all those Samoans.. if I;ve interpreted things correctly at a glance… And it’s not Fake …

      • WILD KATIPO 9.3.1

        I would advocate a per annum fixed number of migrants from EACH country. And then a total ceiling of ALL immigrants per annum. And that to be monitored not only quarterly , but monthly to keep a lid on immigration.

        Doesn’t matter where you come from.

        And after that , – once that target is reached , applications declined temporarily unless there is a pressing reason to not do so , using that sliding and flexible scale that accommodates the total per / annum migrant numbers , – and avoiding any fixed quota from any one group that can be manipulated.

        There’s ways and means to go about this sort of bullshit , and one of the ways to destroy neo liberalism and its exploitation of migrants and fuck over the rest of us at the same time is to jettison their platitudes about ‘ skilled workers’… we already have ‘ skilled workers’ here in NZ , and if we aint got em , we can train em.

        That’ll ensure all these cheap shit arse NZ employers and foreigners coming over here and exploiting other migrants wont be able to screw us all ( including foreign migrant ‘business people ‘ ) up the arse like they have been.

    • keepcalmcarryon 9.4

      +1

  10. Whispering Kate 10

    Nobody is asking exactly why Australia is putting in these punishing laws. Maybe its because we, in New Zealand are inviting immigrants in from all over the world and many of them, when they get citizenship then cross the ditch and go and reside in Australia. Its not exactly PC but I wonder if European New Zealanders would be welcome but they have to cover everybody and so that’s why everybody is getting the same deal.

    This happened once before and the open entry was tightened up and was one of the reasons we ended up having passports as Australia was getting in people it didn’t want arriving from our shores. Why can’t Australia just have the guts and say so – we don’t want undesirable immigrants coming into Australia we have enough on our plate with our off-shore jails holing up refugees wanting to live with us. Unpalatable and racist but they are not exactly the nicest of people these days.

    It’s pretty obvious we are not wanted over there, if I was a resident I would want to return to New Zealand and cut my losses.

    Why we acquiesce so readily all the time over Australia is a puzzle – we are an independent nation and could just have trade deals with them like we do with other countries – this ANZAC brotherhood thing is just a nonsense these days. Gerry is an ass at the best of times – why did we think he would be any better in this new role. He is a laughing stock and embarrassment.

    • simbit 10.1

      What’s a ‘European NZer’?

      • WILD KATIPO 10.1.1

        What isn’t ?

      • Whispering Kate 10.1.2

        A European New Zealander is quite plainly a white New Zealander, repugnant as it is to say it – and Australia should have the guts to say it as they mean it. What else is the reason for putting these sanctions into place. You asked for it – that is what they are want – its not my own opinion – I think its disgusting – a sort of ethnic cleansing – just because they haven’t a mature attitude to a diverse society doesn’t mean they have to punish us over here. Happy now?

        • WILD KATIPO 10.1.2.1

          Originally part of John Howard’s govt’s fears were the mass immigration of the Hong Kong Chinese.

          They saw that under Helen Clark’s govt that they were at risk from in particular ‘ Hong Kong Chinese’ using NZ to get citizenship , then ,… after 2 years , … leaving NZ and heading to Australia, – using NZ as the back door way of getting into Australia.

          At that time , tensions between Mainland China and Hong Kong were quite high.

          Coupled with the fact that at that time also,… there was a political storm over KIWI’s heading to the Gold Coast and just going on the dole and surfing , whatever… although they were small in numbers compared to KIWI’s who were working and contributing.

          It was a combination of both Howard’s populist vote catching and Clark’s adherence to the neo liberal ” brain drain and we need more skilled migrants” that culminated in the punitive and discriminatory laws Australia adopted against New Zealanders since 2001.

          And this is why New Zealanders should always be aware of these scumbags whenever they enter into a modern discussion about the impotence of our neo liberal govt’s and their seeming lack of effectiveness :

          New Right Fight – Who are the New Right?
          http://www.newrightfight.co.nz/pageA.html

          Thule Society – Wikipedia
          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thule_Society

          Young Hitler – Excerpts Appendix | The Thule Society
          http://www.younghitler.com/thule_society.htm

    • Uh, no, it’s because the Australian government is convinced it needs to cut costs, and cutting benefits from NZers in Oz is much more popular than cutting them from Australians. You’re just transferring the same logic to potential immigrants to NZ, and while I think we should turn that tap down a bit, I think it should be about domestic infrastructure and how immigration is going to cities when actually it would be far more useful if it was targeted at the regions instead.

      And you may be right that there may be some racist motivations in that they might value white New Zealanders more than non-white ones, but we shouldn’t consider that acceptable and kowtow to their logic like you suggest. We should respond in kind or cancel the agreement altogether until Australia is willing to live up to its obligations.

      • WILD KATIPO 10.2.1

        Problem being that Australians are , numerically here in NZ , just a small percentage , – so Canberra would have weighed that up and sacrificed those small numbers for political expediency.

        But do you want to know how to REALLY fuck the Australians off ?

        Kick out their banking interests here and put a surcharge on every Australian company here as well…. as in a taxation.

        We could even specifically target Australian businesses. Hell , – we are a sovereign nation , – we can do whatever the hell we please .

        The hell with them.

        That’ll get their arrogant arses whinging and crying pretty smartly , – and you’d soon see a reversal of using KIWI’s as their political footballs ,… the useless manipulative shits.

        • Mosa 10.2.1.1

          Spot on W.K

        • Oh, going after the banks is good. I’m not a huge fan of tariffs specifically against Aus, as if we’re going to re-institute any it should be generally against everyone we don’t have FTAs with. Australia is one of the nations we do, and tariffs against them is essentially revoking the core of the CER agreement with took over and expanded on our initial FTA. That is definitely escalating the insult back at them at a level where it would just cause a reciprocal response from Aus, like punching someone who tickled you, as the agreement is worth almost $7b to the Australian economy.

          Even the going after the banks might be viewed in Australia as escalating above the level of the action they took given how important they view bankers, but it’s at least arguable. Of course, it will never happen under the current government, so it’s academic, but it could be an effective negotiating tactic if we ever need it when Labour’s back in office.

          I suggested a reciprocal cut to our side of the agreement because I knew that was all we could really expect National to do, but I agree even that is pretty kind to Australia given how asymmetric these arrangements are between us, but at least it’s something that there’s a persuasive argument for within a National cabinet.

      • Antoine 10.2.2

        Cancelling the agreement sounds like a terrible idea that would leave NZers in Aust much worse off

        • WILD KATIPO 10.2.2.1

          So who’s side are YOU on?

          Kick the arses of the Australian banks and see how fast they change their tune regarding KIWI’s in Aussie… I’d give it a month before they’d put pressure on the dipshit who’s currently PM over there. And throw a tax on all Aussie company’s operating over here. That’d fix the bastards quick smart.

          It’d be like prising open one of their undersized clams they put on their barbies. Weak as shit once you cracked it.

          You’d soon see a smart reversal of using KIWI’s as a political lever in Australia for their shitty wannabe banker boys over here.

          Appeal to their basic sense of convict greed and call their bluff.

          I’d give it a month to get the desired results , tops.

        • Sure, it would. But the issue is if we make no response, Australia realises it can continue coming after agreed benefits for kiwis with no consequence, which in the long term could have much worse effects than simply cancelling shared education services until we can get Australia to actually stick to its obligations.

          • Antoine 10.2.2.2.1

            Above all else, we don’t want to turn this into a tit for tat exchange of removing concessions. It’ll turn into a race to the bottom (of ‘no special relationship’). Better to do nothing at all than that.

    • Venezia 10.3

      And …..In the Radio NZ National news excerpt I heard Brownlee referred to Julie Bishop as “Prime Minister Bishop”.

  11. NZJester 11

    Brownlee’s run as Foreign Minister is already a mess. Such is the depth of National’s talent pool.

    I think you misspelled “cesspool” as “talent pool”.

  12. Honestly this is better than I expected from Brownlee. I am pleasantly surprised he only appeared weak and didn’t also manage to accidentally insult someone, but that’s because I feel I have appropriately low expectations of him as a minister.

    • He’s short tempered, unteachable , concerned only with retaining his own seat ( literally ) displays the propensity to just being a yes ‘ man to USA foreign policy , protects the interests of foreigners above the interests of New Zealanders and adheres to the 5 eyes party line so as to be seen as not ‘ rocking the boat’ and agreeing with USA / Israeli treatment of the Palestinians …

      What a useless wanker.

      Hes one particular National party neo liberal coward that deserves special attention in the lead up to this September general election. The grossly built slob has been studiously hiding in the background all this time during Keys skiving off down the back alleys and English’s being dumped in the deep end….

      Bennett’s been neutralized , now its Gerry’s turn ,.. or Jerry or however else you want to spell the useless rotund buggers name.

      • Unlike Nick Smith, Brownlee appears to really have the reverse-midas touch as a Minister, and the sooner he can be replaced by someone else and relegated either to the back bench, opposition, or political dustbin, the better.

        I’m also a little careful not to attack him on his weight. It’s not okay when the right attack women MPs on their appearance or weight, so at least for consistency we shouldn’t tolerate it with Brownlee, either. It’s unimaginative and he’s been so destructive as a Minister that there’s plenty of substantive things to mock him on. Even though I know he personally has a sense of humour about it, it sends the wrong message to other people struggling with their weight at the very least.

      • Whispering Kate 12.1.2

        Watch it Wild Katipo you will be ticked off for fat shaming by the moderators for describing Jerry as a “grossly built slob” – its not PC on this site and you will be reprimanded!!

        • WILD KATIPO 12.1.2.1

          Yeah mate , – equally I could be ticked off for saying hes got a bloated sense of his own self importance – which is far far worse.

          • Tony Veitch (not the partner-bashing 3rd rate broadcaster 12.1.2.1.1

            I especially like Chris Hipkins, as reported on RNZ – and I paraphrase:

            “Rather than talk tough, Brownlee lay down and let Bishop tickle his tummy!”

            And, to be fair, there’s a lot of tummy to tickle!

          • marty mars 12.1.2.1.2

            If you can’t put your argument without alluding to his body shape or some other such rubbish you don’t have an argument you are just ranting like a child in other words it is childish. And hurtful and ignorant and arrogant and no better than any bigot.

  13. Smilin 13

    How about they give us back our banks and all the rest they got in the rogering douglass paranoid fire sale
    Really what a pack of c…..
    We might get to keep some of the money they skim off us

  14. tinfoilhat 14

    Good grief..bigotry, fat shaming, misogyny, some of the commentary at The Standard is quite sickening.

    • repateet 14.1

      Go over to Kiwiblog – you can have that and more, and more , and more …

    • Hang on a minute, … Bigotry ?…. misogyny ?

      It was me who might have overstepped the mark for ‘ fat shaming ‘ ,… but bigotry ? misogyny ?

      Please explain … where ?

      And btw … I recall bloated well fed NAZI Waffen SS officers being forced by the US Marines to help in the cleaning up of Auschwitz and all those emaciated corpses ,.. perhaps I let that memory overrun a bit when I recalled poor New Zealanders dying in cold , damp mouldy run down State houses recently,… so perhaps I should have been a little less generalizing. But at least I can admit my error.

      But referring to Australian exclusion of NZ’s as NOT being bigoted?

      And wheres the ‘ misogynistic ‘ bit ???

      • WILD KATIPO 14.2.1

        And you think I’m joking about what I said above ?!!?

        Huh ?!!?

        German civilians visit the Buchenwald concentration camp in Weimar …
        Video for german citizens forced to see concentration camps▶ 2:53

        Want any more proof of your namby pamby denials of dealing with modern day pseudo NAZI’s ???

        Well here’s some just for you.

        New Right Fight – Who are the New Right?
        http://www.newrightfight.co.nz/pageA.html

        Thule Society – Wikipedia
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thule_Society

        Young Hitler – Excerpts Appendix | The Thule Society
        http://www.younghitler.com/thule_society.htm

        • WILD KATIPO 14.2.1.1

          Want another reminder about who Max von Thurn und Taxis was , – and his sponsoring of von Hayek and the Mont Pelerin Society ? … and how Max von Thurn und Taxis sponsored the Thule society ?

          And how the Thule society created the ‘ workers division called the NSDAP , – which later became the NAZI party ???

          Well here is the end results of Max von Thurn und Taxis handiwork just for you.

          Keep in mind , Max von Thurn und Taxis attended the 1989 Mont Pelerin Society conference in Christchurch to judge, first hand, the results of the “worlds most radical free market revolution” , – with ROGER DOUGLAS as the guest NZ speaker.

          .Colonel Sears compels Nazi officials to tour Ohrdruf concentration …
          Video for Colonel Sears compels Nazi officials to tour Ohrdruf concentration camp near Weim…HD Stock Footage▶ 3:25

          My God , – you’ve all been had and had royally by these chumps.

      • Psycho Milt 14.2.2

        I recall bloated well fed NAZI Waffen SS officers being forced by the US Marines to help in the cleaning up of Auschwitz…

        Well, you may imagine you do, but actually you’ve made it up. The Waffen SS were combat troops (hence the “Waffen” in the name), not concentration camp guards, they weren’t “bloated,” because combat is physically demanding, and the US Marines never made anyone clean up Auschwitz because it’s in Poland. Fact-free ranting just makes you look overly-excitable.

        • peterlepaysan 14.2.2.1

          Actually ,no.
          Most but not all Waffen SS groups were deployed as armed fighting troops.

          Many were de[ployed to supervise concentration camp duties. Many were used in the night of long knives destroying Hitlers SA supporters.

          The Waffen were Hitlers and Himmlers personal praetorian guard.
          Yes they did take part in the concentration camp atrocities.

          • Psycho Milt 14.2.2.1.1

            If you mean some of the Waffen SS who were wounded and rendered combat-unfit were redeployed to the Algemeine (General) SS and used as camp guards, sure. Auschwitz was run by a unit of the Algemeine SS, not the Waffen SS – having combat troops run it would have been ridiculous.

  15. The Weatherman 15

    He let’s the last Hungarian live, in Vietnam…. then….

    See you soon, Gerry.

  16. He let’s the last Hungarian live, in Vietnam…. then….

    See you soon, Gerry!

    • Brownlee is just a follower , nothing more.

      A Quisling .

      Like a lot of those currently in the National party, … and those that show any gumption , – like Collins – are proven to be just as oafish and riddled with self interest and unfit for ‘leadership’ as Jenny Shipley was .

      This is a party to be despised and ridiculed.

      They have no answers. They have no social conscience nor capacity to deal with issues that affect thousands of their own countrymen and women. They have no regard or concern for them. All of their policy’s are geared towards advancing either foreign interests or those nationals that are affiliated with those foreign interests.

      They have no moral compass. They are as ruthlessly led as the dictates they accept from think tanks such as the Mont Pelerin Society and as lacking in basic values as any common garden variety thief or petty conman.

      They have proven they are subversives. Amply. Time and again they have demonstrated their contempt for our national sovereignty by subjecting our best interests in exchange for the interests and benefits of those who are not New Zealanders by birth.

      It is time we destroy them and others like them at the polls this coming September elections as a future warning to all who aspire to be just like them.

      They are a cancer to any social democracy.

  17. Wayne 17

    Wild Katipo,

    Getting a bit carried away aren’t you?

    The Lab/Gr package will never succeed by adopting such absurd hyperbole.

    Basically you are saying to all those who National that they are stupid dupes. Probably not the best way to win their votes.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 17.1

      It’s a hard conclusion to dismiss, given what we now know about the amygdala’s role in propaganda, and the National Party’s well-documented propensity for lying.

  18. peterlepaysan 18

    Does anyone know if gerry is deigning to visit that unenlightened, ignorant, economically retarded country known as Finland?

  19. Skeptic 19

    An Act of Parliament passed by the House of Representatives of New Zealand/

    1. SHORT TITLE
    The short tile of this Act shall be the Mirror Image Act

    2. DEFINITIONS
    “people” shall mean homo sapiens sapiens mammals
    “citizens” shall mean people belonging to a country by birth or granting of citizenship
    “commerce” shall mean trade, industry, banking, farming of all descriptions
    “country” shall also mean state, nation, land or sovereign territory of any type

    3. PURPOSE
    The purpose of this Act shall be to automatically apply the laws and policies of any country as they apply to New Zealand and New Zealand citizens anywhere, to the country and citizens of those countries making those laws or policies.

    4. This Act shall bind the Crown.

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  • NZ’s trans lobby is fighting a rearguard action
    Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
    Point of OrderBy gadams1000
    6 hours ago
  • Your mandate is imaginary
    This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    11 hours ago
  • 14,000 unemployed under National
    The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    13 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Discontent and gloom dominate NZ’s political mood
    Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    14 hours ago
  • Taking Tea with 42 & 38.
    National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    14 hours ago
  • Beware political propaganda: statistics are pointing to Grant Robertson never protecting “Lives an...
    Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”. As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    15 hours ago
  • Winding back the hands of history’s clock
    Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    15 hours ago
  • Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
     Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    15 hours ago
  • Business confidence sliding into winter of discontent
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    17 hours ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the coalition’s awful, not good, very bad poll results
    Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
    18 hours ago
  • New HOP readers for future payment options
    Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
    19 hours ago
  • 2024 Reading Summary: April (+ Writing Update)
    Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
    1 day ago
  • At a glance – Clearing up misconceptions regarding 'hide the decline'
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    1 day ago
  • Road photos
    Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
    The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago
  • NZDF is still hostile to oversight
    Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Winding Back The Hands Of History’s Clock.
    Holding On To The Present: The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
    1 day ago
  • Sweet Moderation? What Christopher Luxon Could Learn From The Germans.
    Stuck In The Middle With You: As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
    1 day ago
  • A clear warning
    The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Poll results and Waitangi Tribunal report go unmentioned on the Beehive website – where racing tru...
    Buzz  from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example.  This shows National down ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Listening To The Traffic.
    It Takes A Train To Cry: Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
    1 day ago
  • Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.
    Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
    1 day ago
  • Ending The Quest.
    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    2 days ago
  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    2 days ago
  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic plan, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    2 days ago
  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago
  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    3 days ago
  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    3 days ago
  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    3 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    3 days ago
  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
    4 days ago
  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago
  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    5 days ago
  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    5 days ago
  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    6 days ago
  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago
  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
    7 days ago
  • “That's how I roll”
    It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • “Comity” versus the rule of law
    In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
    Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder. In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago
  • Water is at the heart of farmers’ struggle to survive in Benin
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére Sosou Market gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
    1 week ago
  • At a time of media turmoil, Melissa had nothing to proclaim as Minister – and now she has been dem...
    Buzz from the Beehive   Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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