Build a bridge and get over it

Written By: Matthew Whitehead - Date published: 2:32 pm, November 7th, 2017 - 227 comments
Categories: flip-flop, national, Parliament - Tags: obstruction, select committees, simon bridges

It’s now Simon Bridges’ turn to be the one whining in the media about the new government, complaining that Labour is planning to go through with plans he himself praised in Parliament to decrease the presence of larger parties in Select Committees, a move that was unanimously agreed to earlier by all parties.

Clearly he hasn’t gotten the memo on new talking points, however, as he does concede in his outraged flip-flop that the new government are “using [their] majority to make the opposition less effective.” It’s nice to see National MPs finally acknowledging that a majority of New Zealanders who voted did so for our new government, even if it does come with a rather pathetic whining tone.

Bridges also wins an award for the best ironic comment since Donald Trump forgetting when it was he claimed to have an excellent memory, by claiming that “nobody envisioned the current situation, where the biggest party by far is in opposition,” when it is in fact one that National has previously whined about when they thought Clark’s Labour Party would fail to outpoll them back in the day. I for one also envisioned it more recently every time I decided to volunteer for campaign activities to unseat English’s previous lot as the government, as I knew we weren’t going to approach a situation where Labour was the biggest party in Parliament this election, and I would suspect there are many other readers of The Standard who contemplated that scenario too, if they were watching the polling. Certainly more than 50% of voters seemed positively inclined to the idea, too. He must carry around a distinct lack of awareness with him like some sort of isolation bubble, because straight-man lines this good just don’t write themselves without some sort of powerful denial going on.

Select Committees are an important and influential part of our process, where the Government gets its feedback on changes from the community, and recommends adjustments to bills based on it, but the important part is actually having a representative there to listen to good ideas that may have come from your corner or elsewhere that might otherwise have been missed, not actually to be able to bully your way through to an outcome by dint of numbers, and using them to genuinely obstruct business rather than to improve the quality of bills was never intended.

Chris Hipkins is absolutely correct to charge ahead with the changes to eliminate roughly 24 spaces on select committees, which would leave some MPs without any to attend, although government backbenchers would all still have roles due to cabinet members traditionally not sitting on select committees. Those members can instead focus on asking questions in question time, giving speeches in the house, or, shock horror, actually talking to their constituents and attending community events to listen or participate, and can swap in with others from time to time to get the necessary experience to move up in their party if necessary. National had previously threatened to abuse its size on select committees to obstruct the business of Parliament with no other justification than simply because they had lost, so despite their claims of moral high ground about the importance of opposition, any negative side-effects to them are thoroughly earned, and can be considered if and when National prove they are willing to function as a loyal opposition, that allows New Zealand’s legitimate government to operate, even if they disagree with how. They will still have a fair voice in matters, but parliamentary moves to obstruct business should be saved for bills that are genuinely disastrous, and where the public is actually against them. National, of course, will most likely get no such chances where it actually opposes such legislation, as the only decision looming with any prospect of popular revolt is Labour’s continued flirtation with signing a TPP without significant progress on a better way around the ISDS issue, and National supports TPP11 regardless of public opinion.

If National are such a strong opposition, I’m sure they’ll find a way to cope, but it seems like by “strong opposition” they mostly just meant “we’ll keep trying to abuse process and hope the new Government doesn’t find a way to cut us off.” Bridges needs to realize that we live in New Zealand, not the United States, and you can’t try to walk all over your political opponents and then complain that they retaliated and put you back in your place. Welcome back to opposition.

Update: During the swearing in of the new Speaker, absences of a number of Government members temporarily gave National a majority of votes due to those members not having been sworn in. A deal was struck that National would not oppose Trevor Mallard as speaker, but Labour would add another twelve select committee slots- enough for all of National’s backbenchers to get on select committees- in exchange for their not nominating an opposing candidate for Speaker. This may allow National to obstruct the new government’s business in select committees, however by setting the tone in a more collegial manner, may also have convinced the opposition that it is no longer necessary to do so. I await with interest the first select committee hearings so we can all see which it’s going to be.

Update 2: Turns out National didn’t have a majority after all: 58 government MPs were sworn in at the time, and 56 opposition MPs. However, by carefully phrasing their comments in the house, National were able to imply they might have a temporary majority without actually lying, and have embarrassed the new government on its very first day in Parliament.

227 comments on “Build a bridge and get over it ”

Comments are now closed

Robert Guyton 1

7 November 2017 at 2:49 pm

So National could have supported Mallard, and let-pass the opportunity to force a deal over the select committees?
Of course the could have. Instead, they chose the wheeler-dealer way – wonder why???
- Puckish Rogue 1.1
  
  7 November 2017 at 3:00 pm
  
  Would Labour have let pass over the select committee if National hadn’t have forced their hand?
  
  Sorry I mean if Labour hadn’t of gifted the opportunity to National
- Matthew Whitehead 1.2
  
  7 November 2017 at 3:34 pm
  
  National knew that Labour would eventually have the numbers to change the speaker, so they would only make a temporary gain and embarrass the government by electing their own candidate in the interim. By making a deal around the select committee numbers, they secured a permanent gain instead, and Labour gets to avoid the embarassment and look magnanimous and reasonable.
  - Puckish Rogue 1.2.1
    
    7 November 2017 at 3:56 pm
    
    1-0 to National and a good lesson for Labour
  - Freddo 1.2.2
    
    7 November 2017 at 3:57 pm
    
    Surely you mean Labour get to look like absolute fools Matthew? I don’t often agree with the Herald but their current headline “National makes Government look like fools as it blackmails Labour for Speaker vote”, has it dead right in my opinion.
    
    I despair. How on earth do Labour think they can achieve the things the people have finally put them there to do if they are going to perform this incompetently.
    - Matthew Whitehead 1.2.2.1
      
      7 November 2017 at 4:20 pm
      
      Yeah, sorry, at first the coverage assumed National really did have the numbers. It took a fair amount of combing over it to reveal they didn’t, and I wasn’t watching proceedings live, I had to quickly catch up to update this post for today’s events and didn’t take time to confirm the numbers myself.
      - Tanz 1.2.2.1.1
        
        7 November 2017 at 9:47 pm
        
        The people didn’t put them there, Winston Peters did. Very funny first day, bring it on. Go National, formidable already! Nats won the election, Labour won the auction.
        
        red-blooded 1.2.2.1.1.1
        
        8 November 2017 at 7:08 am
        
        If National won the election they’d have their own speaker cos they’d be the government. Adjust your thinking to the realities of MMP.
- Sabine 1.3
  
  7 November 2017 at 3:38 pm
  
  to set the tone for the future.
  have a seat and get some popcorn.
- John 1.4
  
  7 November 2017 at 6:31 pm
  
  How does that stunt National pulled in the house today fix the poverty levels or homelessness????
  - Michael who failed Civics 1.4.1
    
    7 November 2017 at 11:53 pm
    
    It doesn’t but it makes the Government looks as if it isn’t able to “fix the poverty levels or homelessness” either, if it can’t even make sure it’s got the numbers in the House.
- Zack Brando 1.5
  
  8 November 2017 at 2:45 am
  
  Jacinda has been working hard and needs a brake. The Xmas period will no doubt revive her …
  
  Firstly, I feel Malcolm Turnbull has done a number on her with his pseudo, sycophant rhetoric wrapped in demeaning undertones design to aggrandize himself (Malcolm Turnbull) and Australia … while belittling New Zealand.
  
  Let’s not forget Australia has a huge housing bubble, tent cities and a large hidden underclass, not to mention questionable forgiven policies.
  
  Secondly, the ‘Speaker of the House’ fiasco was plain embarrassing and I’d be whipping the whips. Jacinda obviously needs some down time and perhaps a couple of quarter ponder combos.
  
  Saying that, she is the leader and the time has come for her to walk in that authority and demand her caucus are more prepared. She’s good at delegating but needs to convey a sense of strong expectations. This fiasco was uninspiring for new MP’s.
Enough is Enough 2

7 November 2017 at 2:58 pm

I think Simon built the bridge in Parliament today.

The smarmy Tory.
- Matthew Whitehead 2.1
  
  7 November 2017 at 3:47 pm
  
  We’ll wait and see if he’s actually done that, or simply got a concession to obstructing select committee business. I’m hoping it’s the former and that this is an end to the various whinging complaints of the opposition, especially as Mallard has promised to set a tone as Speaker more akin to that of Lockwood Smith (ie. relatively impartial, and with regard to the rights of the public and the opposition more than as a shield for the Government) than of his most recent predecessor.
  - One Anonymous Bloke 2.1.1
    
    7 November 2017 at 4:55 pm
    
    It’s the latter. The National Party thinks it can win in 2020 using Tea Party tactics. Can’t see it myself, but hey!
    - Matthew Whitehead 2.1.1.1
      
      7 November 2017 at 6:32 pm
      
      I’m inclined to believe that the Nats are aiming to be obstructionists, too. It’s in their nature, but I’m happy to wait and see.
- tracey 2.2
  
  7 November 2017 at 3:48 pm
  
  Pity he didnt build the 10 promised up north with as much haste
  - North 2.2.1
    
    7 November 2017 at 8:56 pm
    
    Bridges is a nasty little ex-Crown prosecutor full of shit. He’ll get his.
Bondy 3

7 November 2017 at 3:08 pm

Isn’t Hopkins Minister of Ed?
Maybe needs to go to a Charter School & learn to count.
How embarrassing for Jacinta on her big day.
- Trey 3.1
  
  7 November 2017 at 4:04 pm
  
  Hipkins and Jacinda. Maybe you need to go to a State School and learn how to spell
  - ankerawshark 3.1.1
    
    7 November 2017 at 6:19 pm
    
    lol Trey
  - Wayne 3.1.2
    
    7 November 2017 at 8:29 pm
    
    Auto spell checkers such as the Apple IPhone change Jacinda to Jacinta
    - Obtrectator 3.1.2.1
      
      7 November 2017 at 8:53 pm
      
      So learn to spell properly for yourself, and stop relying on adventitious aids!
    - Muttonbird 3.1.2.2
      
      7 November 2017 at 9:29 pm
      
      If you correct the spell checker often enough it learns. Unlike Joyce and English!
- One Anonymous Bloke 3.2
  
  7 November 2017 at 7:02 pm
  
  How embarrassing
  
  There are worse ways to be “bloodied”. Now the Prime Minister has seen Double Dipton’s tactics as well as his hand.
  - Bondy 3.2.1
    
    7 November 2017 at 7:22 pm
    
    Nice spin – “look, a squirrel over there…”
    Face it, your semi-legitimate heroes had their respective arses handed to them on a plate. Did you see the “PM” try and bullshit her way out of it?
    These clowns will be the laughing stock at any international gathering they’ve been given forged tickets to.
    No doubt a dressing down by Whinney is on the cards.
    - 3stepstotheright 3.2.1.1
      
      7 November 2017 at 7:37 pm
      
      Yes, I await with interest BLip’s new list on Jacinda’s lies.
      - Anne 3.2.1.1.1
        
        7 November 2017 at 7:49 pm
        
        And I await with bated breath for your inevitable demise on this site.
        
        Ignore this hysterical troll folks. Stop feeding it!
        
        Bondy 3.2.1.1.1.1
        
        7 November 2017 at 8:06 pm
        
        Translation: This truth makes me feel uncomfortable, please someone make it go away.
        
        NewsFlash 3.2.1.1.1.2
        
        7 November 2017 at 10:27 pm
        
        Anne
        
        The nut jobs are out in force over Nats politicking, you would almost think that they think they’ve just won the election again, most are still furious that their SCREWED up party FAILED, it’ll be a long time before they get another opportunity.
        
        Also, Peters not being there as he was organizing writs to be served to the top Nats and journo’s
        
        Tuppence Shrewsbury …
        
        8 November 2017 at 7:33 am
        
        It’s not really politicking, it’s something not seen in parliament for a long time. A strong opposition. This is good for democracy, why should the opposition delver just roll over and accept the governments position?
        
        mpledger …
        
        9 November 2017 at 5:02 pm
        
        They are all meant to be acting for the benefit of NZ’s citizens, not to obstruct each other in petty power games.
        
        But if National want to play that game, I don’t think it’s going to win them many points with ordinary citizens who want NZ to be a better place for them and their children.
veutoviper 4

7 November 2017 at 3:08 pm

Matthew, your update in fact needs updating.Labour believed Nat’s spin that the opposition had the numbers when in fact they did not.

Fine, there were five Labour, NZF and Green members absent (Parker, Peters, Poto Williams, Gareth Hughes and Priyanca Radhakrishanan). But David Carter was also absent on the National side.

This gave actual numbers of 58 on the Government side, and 57 on the National/Act side. Lots of discussion/links on Open Mike.
- Cinny 4.1
  
  7 November 2017 at 3:10 pm
  
  Irony that Carter was absent.
- Matthew Whitehead 4.2
  
  7 November 2017 at 3:35 pm
  
  You mean 56, if David Carter was absent? (the government has 63 MPs, and we have a 120-seat Parliament, so the opposition should max out at 57) It could also have been that some MPs were on the grounds but hadn’t been sworn in and weren’t present to be sworn in- we would probably have to go over the video to check relative numbers.
  
  I can’t actually edit my posts once they’re up atm, as I’m just a contributor, not an author. This piece was originally written yesterday, well before Parliament sat.
  - veutoviper 4.2.1
    
    7 November 2017 at 3:41 pm
    
    Yes, 56 not 57 – but I am not going to beat myself up as the pedant of all time, Graeme Edgeler originally counted it as 55!
    
    I watched it live – and had the full lists of MPs alongside and was surprised at the missed call ups, but did not really count them at the time.
Cinny 5

7 November 2017 at 3:08 pm

Do MP’s get additional $ for each select committee they are on please?
- McFlock 5.1
  
  7 November 2017 at 3:35 pm
  
  Well, they were really keen for everyone to have a committee…
  
  Apparently not, unless they chair or deputy-chair the committee.
  
  I guess they just want the CV rights.
  - Cinny 5.1.1
    
    7 November 2017 at 4:17 pm
    
    Thanks
- Matthew Whitehead 5.2
  
  7 November 2017 at 3:36 pm
  
  Nah, for National it’s about influence on the proceedings of the select committees, and potentially being able to obstruct business in a few key areas where they as opposition get additional slots.
  - tracey 5.2.1
    
    7 November 2017 at 3:50 pm
    
    Isnt there a danger this could backfire insofar as Nats deliberately obstruct and slow progress and be seen as destructive sore losers? Time will tell I guess.
    - SpaceMonkey 5.2.1.1
      
      7 November 2017 at 4:11 pm
      
      Isn’t that exactly what they’ve said they’re going to do?
      - tracey 5.2.1.1.1
        
        7 November 2017 at 4:13 pm
        
        Yes. But I am using the words that better describe what they intend and suggested a consequence.
        
        I am confused as to how Nats have a place for all backbenchers on select committees when there are 120 MPs but only 108 SC positions?
        
        Matthew Whitehead 5.2.1.1.1.1
        
        7 November 2017 at 4:23 pm
        
        Cabinet ministers tend not to sit on relevant select committees, and party leaders don’t always sit on them, either, meaning that the government doesn’t actually want every govt MP on a select committee. 108 is enough to give every National member who wants one a full-time SC place.
        
        tracey …
        
        7 November 2017 at 4:27 pm
        
        Thanks Matthew.
  - Wayne 5.2.2
    
    7 November 2017 at 8:36 pm
    
    The additional slots don’t change proportionality. As the Select Committee slots are increased they are allocated on a proportional basis.
    It is quite important for the Opposition to have all their MP’s on Select Committes. It is one of main roles for Opposition MP’s so missing out would be a real blow for the MP’s who missed out.
    - red-blooded 5.2.2.1
      
      8 November 2017 at 7:17 am
      
      So why did your party originally decide to cut the numbers then, Wayne? Presumably it was assuming that this issue would affect others, not them, but they must have known that they wouldn’t rule for ever. And the “no one predicted” line doesn’t cut it in a system that has always relied on coalitions (not on the biggest single party governing).
Draco T Bastard 6

7 November 2017 at 3:17 pm

Why was parliament even sitting if not all of the MPs had been sworn in?

Seems that such would remove representation.
- veutoviper 6.1
  
  7 November 2017 at 3:38 pm
  
  It was sitting exactly for the purpose of swearing in MPs and selecting the Speaker.
  
  Today’s session was the Commission Opening as explained in the following links, with the formal State Opening happening tomorrow, which I put up on Open Mike earlier today for information.
  
  http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1710/S00072/state-opening-of-the-52nd-parliament.htm
  
  https://www.parliament.nz/en/visit-and-learn/parliament-in-election-year/te-whakatuwheratanga-o-te-p%C4%81remata-opening-of-parliament/step-by-step-guide-to-the-opening-of-parliament/
  
  It is not unusual for not all MPs to be available on the day. David Parker and Winston Peters have already left for Vietnam and the APEC meetings starting tomorrow (and also the TPP-11 negotiations which are continuing on the sidelines of the APEC meetings). They were originally due to leave with the PM tomorrow night or Thurs morning but Stuff and RNZ are now reporting that they have already left.
  
  Where David Carter (N) and the two other Labour MPs and one Green MP were is not known.
  
  IIRC, any MPs absent from the Commission Opening can be sworn in separately by the Clerk of the House – presumably before or after the Commission Opening. Peters and Parker have already been sworn in as Ministers by the Governor-General at the Government House ceremony on Oct 26.
  
  SNAP – Matthew.
  - Matthew Whitehead 6.1.1
    
    7 November 2017 at 3:52 pm
    
    No idea where Gareth is, nothing on his social media atm, so I’d expect his absense is personal, as being the chief Musterer, (green version of a Whip) it’s normally his job to be around whenever possible.
  - Craig H 6.1.2
    
    8 November 2017 at 4:37 am
    
    Poto Williams was at the Commonwealth Women’s Parliamentarians meeting (she’s in the steering group here – http://www.cpahq.org/CPAHQ/Main/Directory/Main/Directory.aspx?hkey=ca90e66d-2c90-4fdc-abcf-59e09b6fe59c&QueryMenuSelectedKeyctl00_TemplateBody_WebPartManager1_gwpciNewQueryMenuCommon_ciNewQueryMenuCommon=cb5cbad9-2404-4378-8d86-73a7bdc66639
- Matthew Whitehead 6.2
  
  7 November 2017 at 3:41 pm
  
  New MPs can be sworn in at any time, and it’s quite regular for a few to be absent during the election of the speaker, although usually the government would be careful that it had the numbers to elect the speaker even if the entire opposition had shown up. It’s a little embarrassing for Labour to be caught in anything like that situation, but these are of course the hiccoughs that happen when the house switches polarity.
  - tracey 6.2.1
    
    7 November 2017 at 3:52 pm
    
    And Brownlee made a few bungles as House Leader BUT this one will get good air time and Bridges and English had air time before it unfolded.
Stunned Mullet 7

7 November 2017 at 3:34 pm

Isn’t this Hipkin’s second strike ?
- 3stepstotheright 7.1
  
  7 November 2017 at 3:40 pm
  
  There are some good people in this accidental government. Hipkins is not one of them.
  - Matthew Whitehead 7.1.1
    
    7 November 2017 at 3:43 pm
    
    The government wasn’t formed accidentally, it was quite deliberate, having an extra two weeks or so on the more common formation process. 😉
    
    As you will have read if you went through the main text of the post, I am not one to tolerate undermining the new government’s legitimacy or majority. It was formed democratically through due process, and everyone voting for NZ First knew, or should have known, that their position on who to support was that they wouldn’t decide until after the results came in, ie. they could support either Labour or National. There is no legitimate argument that NZ First was in any way obliged to support a National government.
    - 3stepstotheright 7.1.1.1
      
      7 November 2017 at 3:49 pm
      
      This government was formed accidentally. Labour never expected to be in government…hell weeks out from the Election they were polling mid ’20’s. The debacle today in parliament is nothing compared to what’s coming.
      
      “There is no legitimate argument that NZ First was in any way obliged to support a National government.”
      Totally agree. But after today’s legal filing by Winston Peters, do you seriously believe he negotiated with National in good faith?
      
      This government is an accident. They lack preparation, they lack experience.
      - tracey 7.1.1.1.1
        
        7 November 2017 at 3:54 pm
        
        Good Faith? I chuckle when Nat supporters roll this out.
        It is like the Cabinet Manual requirement that Cab Ministers conduct their personal and professional lives to the “higest ethical standard” and Nat supporters said “Meh” for 9 years… and 44% of voters voted for them again. Good Faith would have seen Nats follow convention today.
        
        NZF and Green and Labour were clearly close or able to form a govt in polling well before the election. This tired old line is right up there with Susie the Poisoner.
        
        As for lack of experience you must have peed yourself over the 2008 government.
        
        3stepstotheright 7.1.1.1.1.1
        
        7 November 2017 at 4:02 pm
        
        “NZF and Green and Labour were clearly close or able to form a govt in polling well before the election. ”
        
        And there is my point…because you’re assuming that combination was a foregone conclusion. It wasn’t, as far as the negotiating parties were concerned. It appears it was to Peters.
        
        tracey …
        
        7 November 2017 at 4:30 pm
        
        No I am not but not being a fore gone conclusion is NOT the same as an accident as you assert. By that logic Nats would also have been an accidental govt because NZF going with them wasnt a foregone conclusion.
        
        No comment on lack of Good Faith and breaches of Cab Manual by prior cabinet?
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        7 November 2017 at 4:36 pm
        
        “…not being a fore gone conclusion is NOT the same as an accident as you assert.”
        
        It is when the largest party in the government only polled 36%.
        
        “No comment on lack of Good Faith and breaches of Cab Manual by prior cabinet?”
        
        “Good Faith would have seen Nats follow convention today.”
        
        Why? To hide the incompetence of the government? You do know that Labour have previously challenged the speaker in much the same way, a point well made by Barry Soper in this interview https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/98626460/live-opening-parliament.
        
        One Anonymous Bloke …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:07 pm
        
        “That was deliberate”. Gimli*.
        
        One of the advantages cited for MMP is that it makes it difficult for any single party to form a majority government.
        
        It’s working exactly as advertised. On purpose. It’s certainly one of the reasons I voted for it.
        
        Yay for MMP. Yay for sad Toryboys calling the government names because their owner can’t buy legislation at Cabinet Club any more.
        
        *a little humour to help you get over it.
        
        tracey …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:22 pm
        
        To expose the hypocrisy of supporters of the former govt now demanding standards they never held their preferred party to account. You raised the good faith aas some faux moral argument. It would fly if you clearly havent been supporting the previous govt.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:47 pm
        
        Or…you could actually address the arguments?
        
        tracey …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:50 pm
        
        Which I have repeatedly done above and below. What you mean is I havent
        
        A. Agreed with you
        B. Allowed you to move the goalposts
        
        Psych nurse …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:31 pm
        
        Now that Peters has issued legal procedings against several National MP’s ,it’s obvious going with National was never an option.
        
        tracey …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:36 pm
        
        Maybe. What if National had negotiated policy with NZF and made some concessions instead of assuming he was ego driven? He might have shelved his case?
        
        BM …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:38 pm
        
        Yep Peters lied to a big chunk of the people who voted NZ First.
        
        He lied about being neutral and the negotiations been all about policy.
        
        He lied about the need to wait for all the special votes
        
        He lied to labour and screwed them over and forced the Greens out of Cabinet.
        
        NZ First is dead next election, it’s only votes will come from the left and why the fuck would anyone on the left vote for this lying old arsehole.
        
        tracey …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:52 pm
        
        But lying doesnt bother you BM if it gets someone power? 44% of voters voted for a party with a 9 year history of lying.
        
        If he lied he gets no kudos from me but watching supporters of the Key/English govt be outraged is hilarious
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:58 pm
        
        “44% of voters voted for a party with a 9 year history of lying.”
        
        Do you believe Jacinda didn’t know Labour actually had a majority in the house today, as she claims?
        
        BM …
        
        7 November 2017 at 6:00 pm
        
        It’s going to be National vs Labour/Greens in 2020 if the COL lasts that long.
        
        I’ll take comfort in the fact that the chances of Ardern getting a second term are remote.
        
        Back to another nine+ years of National rule. 😈
        
        cleangreen …
        
        7 November 2017 at 7:06 pm
        
        BM =Bungled Mush…..
        
        Nothing true in what BM said just makes it up.
        
        One Anonymous Bloke …
        
        7 November 2017 at 7:06 pm
        
        😆
        
        Being the Tea Party will guarantee a victory in 2020. Spoil everything you can. The electorate will lap it up. In fact, I’d be surprised if they don’t rise up in spontaneous rebellion against your foul oppressors.
        
        When they don’t, you will know they’ve betrayed you and you can add them to the enemies list.
        
        Good times.
        
        BM …
        
        7 November 2017 at 7:15 pm
        
        Face facts this government is a cluster fuck, it’s doomed.
        
        Three years if you’re lucky, then all this left wing bullshit tossed down the long drop where it belongs.
        
        Then normal transmission resumes for the foreseeable future.
        
        Matthew Whitehead …
        
        7 November 2017 at 11:19 pm
        
        Duly noted: BM thinks NZF has put itself into a death spiral.
        
        I’m going to predict something different- as long as Winston hangs on, NZF will stay above 5%, and when I predict that, you know I’m not being biased because I’m on record as finding NZF dangerous and harmful to our democracy, even if I think they’re easier to work with than the Nats.
        
        I think their supporters generally like the idea that Winston keeps both Labour and National on their toes because their core supporters tend to have beef with both parties. I think the ones that do want him in coalition tend to favour Labour. I think a few soft right-wing voters might go back to the Nats from NZF, but they’re probably gonna pick up more centrist voters than they lose for going into coalition and winning a bunch of stuff for the regions, and doing it speedily and fairly.
        
        That’s of course assuming that NZF doesn’t get into any big controversies any time soon that cause them to hit bumps. But I think they’re resilient to hit a bump or two and stay above the threshold atm.
        
        Sam aka clump …
        
        7 November 2017 at 11:27 pm
        
        Personally I think if Labour/NZFirst can use some of that billion dollar regional infrastructure fund money and create a loyalty program that connects businesses, restaurants, and dairy farmers. Maybe we could clear some of those millionz of diary cows that is in desperate need of a BBQ with out totally screwing up.
        
        Craig H …
        
        8 November 2017 at 4:39 am
        
        What are you on about? The MPs I’ve managed to discuss it with don’t think Winston lied about any of that.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:48 pm
        
        And the papers were filed the day before/after the election (according to Newstalk ZB tonight.
        
        Matthew Whitehead …
        
        7 November 2017 at 11:20 pm
        
        You’ve said your piece and everyone has heard it, stop littering it everywhere else in the thread.
        
        Frank Macskasy …
        
        8 November 2017 at 12:21 am
        
        And the papers were filed the day before/after the election (according to Newstalk ZB tonight.
        
        It’s telling that you care more about Peters filing papers in Court rather than the very real probability that a National minister or party apparatchik deliberately mis-used private information and leaked it to the media.
        
        It seems that National Party sycophants like you, 3stepstotheright, (aka Intrinsicvalue/Contravert/LionKing/NehemiaWall/Sceptic/etc) are more concerned about maintaining power with the party they identify, with than any wrongdoing on their part.
        
        Because thus far you’ve not expressed one iota of concern that the State (ie, the National government) mis-used it’s power to attack a political opponant. Dangerous stuff.
        
        Though no doubt if Labour pulled such a stunt, you’d be spitting blood & fury as well as your usual crap.
        
        Instead you’re more than willing to make up any old shit to throw around, including calling the Coalition government “accidental” and Prime Minister Ardern a “liar”.
        
        Personally, I think you’re deranged. The shit you’ve posted here is almost identical to the voluminous shit you used to post on TDB before Admin/mods gave your lying arse the heave ho.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        8 November 2017 at 10:09 am
        
        “Because thus far you’ve not expressed one iota of concern that the State (ie, the National government) mis-used it’s power to attack a political opponant.”
        
        And you’ve not posted an iota of evidence that they did.
        
        Frank you have a modus operandi that is utterly transparent. You write voluminous posts containing barely disguised misrepresentations and out and out falsehoods. When you are called on it you resort to insult.
        
        I have no idea who all those people are you quote, but I’d suggest if they were banned from TDB is was because your lies were exposed, and you needing protecting.
        
        red-blooded …
        
        8 November 2017 at 7:24 am
        
        Why would it appear that Peters didn’t negotiate in good faith? Because your lot didn’t win? The fact is that there was a better policy fit with Labour. And, BTW, one might wonder if a party that foresaw the possibility (probability) of having to negotiate with another should perhaps have held by on trying to destroy it by leaking sensitive info they shouldn’t have been in possession of in the first place…
      - Matthew Whitehead 7.1.1.1.2
        
        7 November 2017 at 3:55 pm
        
        Actually Jacinda very deliberately said she would still try to form a government even if she wasn’t the plurality winner (ie. largest party in Parliament) well before the election, so please get your facts straight before you embarrass yourself any further.
        
        And yes, all new governments after an extended period lack experience and preparation. There was similar bungling when National returned to power under John Key. (it was years before they stopped calling opposition members “Ministers” in the house, as I recall)
        
        And yes, National said they felt the negotiations with NZ First were done in good faith at the time, so it’s not even a matter of my personal belief- your lot said it too, and in fact Tracey Martin confirmed to the media that the final decision wasn’t fully made until the very day they announced it, because there had been some questions about whether a comment she made related to the decision to go with Labour or not, when instead it was actually referring to the uncertainty that that was what was going to be decided.
        
        3stepstotheright 7.1.1.1.2.1
        
        7 November 2017 at 3:59 pm
        
        “Actually Jacinda very deliberately said she would still try to form a government even if she wasn’t the plurality winner”
        
        Of course she did. What else was she going to say?
        
        “There was similar bungling when National returned to power under John Key.”
        
        You mean National failed to have enough numbers in the house to have a speaker elected on the very day he was due to be elected?
        
        “National said they felt the negotiations with NZ First were done in good faith at the time…”
        
        And that would have been their sincere view. Until they were served those papers.
        
        Matthew Whitehead …
        
        7 November 2017 at 4:10 pm
        
        Actually it looks from people going over the video like the Government had the numbers even if David Carter hadn’t been absent, so may not have needed to concede anything, but either fell for a bluff or decided to concede the SC point anyway in exchange for Mallard going unopposed.
        
        I can’t speak for NZ First beyond what’s in the public sphere, as I’m not a member or a supporter of the party and have no insider info. The only process I can give any insight into is the Green one. Being served papers for the leak of Winston’s personal info is the least the old government can expect, and Peters has every right to do that. It’s not evidence of any lack of due process in forming the government, and remember, Peters is very deliberately trying to cede power back to his caucus at the moment, who made the final decision on who to support, so that he has people ready to lead the party when he decides to leave.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        7 November 2017 at 4:30 pm
        
        “It’s not evidence of any lack of due process in forming the government…”
        
        Yes, it is. I’ll make my case this way:
        
        1. Given the time frames involved, it is highly likely Peters was briefing his legal advisors while negotiating with National and Labour.
        2. If not, at the very least Peters would have been ‘forming a view’ of his course of action.
        3. It is simply implausible that Peters would be negotiating in good faith to enter government with people he was about to take to court.
        
        Labour rolled over and they must now be seriously questioning what they had to give up.
        
        tracey …
        
        7 November 2017 at 4:35 pm
        
        You keep moving the goalposts. You define, aboce, an accidental govt as one that was not a foregone conclusion prior to Election Day based on polls. That means a Nat Govt would also have been accidental.
        
        Do you think that MPs should always cobduct themselves with Good Faith and if a Cabinet Minister uphold the requirements of the Cabinet Manual? If no, why not? If yes how did you feel about the multiple bteaches of it under National. As for Good Faith, remember the lie from Brownlee and Key about losing the Hobbit at a time they had evidence to tge contrary?
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        7 November 2017 at 4:39 pm
        
        “You define, aboce, an accidental govt as one that was not a foregone conclusion prior to Election Day based on polls.”
        
        No I didn’t. That was just one of the points I made. My discussion with Matthew about NZF originated from his comment about ‘good faith’. Please read the thread more carefully.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        7 November 2017 at 4:51 pm
        
        “…how did you feel about the multiple bteaches of it under National….”
        
        How do you feel about accusation that Labour sent its party president to dig dirt on John Key?
        
        How do you feel about a NZ Labour Party MP using the NZ Parliament to dig dirt on an Australian MP?
        
        Do you seriously believe Jacinda Ardern knew they had the numbers in Parliament this afternoon (chuckle).
        
        Do you want me to go on?
        
        tracey …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:18 pm
        
        Yes because you are the one complaining that Good Faith has been breached.. You assume I am a Labour supporter/voter. I finally stopped voting Labour after the Field and Pledge Card term. When did you stop voting National or ACT?
        
        Matthew Whitehead …
        
        7 November 2017 at 6:23 pm
        
        @3stepstotheright: Actually, you’re the one who raised the issue of good faith. I talked about legitimacy, democracy, and due process.
        
        I don’t specifically think NZF engaged in bad faith, and it’s up to you to make that case, given you’re the one who raised the issue, and I don’t actually think it’s critical to the legitimacy of the government in any way that NZF did negotiate under good faith with National- they were under no obligation to negotiate with either bloc, they could have simply announced a preference and negotiated based on that if they had wanted to.
        
        tracey …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:19 pm
        
        “No I didn’t. That was just one of the points I made. My discussion with Matthew about NZF originated from his comment about ‘good faith’. Please read the thread more carefully. ”
        
        No. You wrote
        
        ““NZF and Green and Labour were clearly close or able to form a govt in polling well before the election. ”
        
        And there is my point…because you’re assuming that combination was a foregone conclusion. It wasn’t, as far as the negotiating parties were concerned. It appears it was to Peters.
        
        Seems odd. You say it is an accidental govt and yet say that Peters was always goubg with Labour which means far from accidental it was determined, based on the polls, weeks before the election. Contrary to your first statement about it not being possible weeks out.
        
        ”
        Woooosh… there go the goalposts
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:52 pm
        
        You really don’t seem to be able to understand multiple arms of the same argument. So I’ll spell it out for you.
        
        1. Winston Peters went into coalition negotiations having already filed legal papers. If you don’t understand the implications of that, then I can’t help you.
        2. The polls have not at any time indicated a Labour Green government as a probability. Trevor Mallard admitted tonight he had given up on being Speaker just 2 months out from the election.
        
        This is a government born of spite and driven by incompetence.
        
        Edit…Newstalk ZB has just confirmed the papers were filed by Peters the day after the Election.
        
        red-blooded []
        
        8 November 2017 at 7:35 am
        
        Actually, 3steps, this is a government born out of hope – the voters’ hope for a shift away from the implacably awful reign of your guys. When people vote for opposition parties they are voting for change. Even the NZF voters who didn’t know which way Winston would go wanted him to effect change, either way.
        
        As for the issue of legal papers – what the hell did you expect the man to do? Roll over? Leaking the docs was spiteful and tactically stupid. This legal action is the outcome. Shock! Horror!
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        8 November 2017 at 9:05 am
        
        what the hell did you expect the man to do?“
        
        I have no problem with him taking legal action. Pretending to be negotiating in good faith when you patently aren’t…well that’s just dishonest.
        
        Matthew Whitehead …
        
        7 November 2017 at 6:30 pm
        
        1) Given the timeframes involved, I think it was highly likely that Peters was formulating the case even before the election. That doesn’t mean he had ruled out negotiating fairly with National- he could simply have decided that National handing over the info he wanted voluntarily would have been part of any governing arrangement, as what he’s suing for right now is information leading to the identity of the leaker, not actually for damages, which suggests no personal animus against the National Party MPs listed in the case, but rather that their inclusion is to ensure he doesn’t miss any relevant information regarding the identity of person who breached his privacy rights.
        
        2) Even if that is the case and you accept that NZF was under some obligation to deal fairly with both Labour and the Nats, (which I don’t think it is, and I don’t think they are) Winston forming a point of view is not the same thing as NZF forming a point of view anymore, as he is making deliberate steps to devolve power to the rest of his caucus and build up the remainder of the party as able to stand independent of him. He was very clear that the decision on the coalition would be made by his caucus as a whole.
        
        3) Again, NZF is under no obligation to negotiate in good faith with the party he turns down when he forms a legitimate government. Everyone accepts, for instance, that the Green Party could predetermine that it would support Labour before the election, and that the Māori Party could announce it would prefer to work with Labour. New Zealand First was free to make its own decisions based on whatever concerns their caucus and their voters wished them to.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        7 November 2017 at 7:17 pm
        
        “That doesn’t mean he had ruled out negotiating fairly with National-”
        
        Yeah, it does. There is no way Peters could have been issuing legal proceedings and negotiating with the same people in good faith on a future government at the same time.
        
        “Winston forming a point of view is not the same thing as NZF forming a point of view anymore,”
        Winston IS NZ. Always has been.
        
        “”NZF is under no obligation to negotiate in good faith…”
        That’s a strange view, but even accepting it, Peters represented he was negotiating with both in good faith. That makes him a liar.
        
        Frank Macskasy …
        
        7 November 2017 at 7:24 pm
        
        3stepsintosilliness;
        
        “Yeah, it does. There is no way Peters could have been issuing legal proceedings and negotiating with the same people in good faith on a future government at the same time.”
        
        Oh? Why not? If Peters has a case, the Courts will decide.
        
        It’s called natural justice.
        
        You’re just bitter that the Nats have been turfed out and with their belligerent behaviour, will be in Opposition for the next nine years. In the meantime, you’re relegated to irrelevancy on political fora spouting your childish nonsense.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        7 November 2017 at 7:27 pm
        
        “Oh? Why not? If Peters has a case, the Courts will decide.”
        
        Taking legal action against the people you are about to form a government with? Yeah right.
        
        And you’ve got posts to reply to about your bullshit lies Frank.
        
        red-blooded []
        
        8 November 2017 at 7:38 am
        
        Leaking info about someone you may need to negotiate with? Not exactly good faith…
        
        Matthew Whitehead …
        
        7 November 2017 at 11:08 pm
        
        Winston isn’t going to be NZF forever. It’s very clear from the moves he’s making to empower senior MPs within the party, to attract new talent, and to devolve power back to his caucus that he is preparing to retire. If NZF really is all about Winston, it’ll die off at that point. But Winston is betting that his fans will stick with the party. We’ll wait and see.
        
        I said Peters and his party are under no obligation to negotiate in good faith with both National and Labour. As in, it was absolutely his right to predetermine who he wanted to go with, although I don’t think he actually did do that. The only people he needed to negotiate in good faith with are the ones he ended up picking, so in this instance, he could have strung National along if he really wanted to. The only reason to negotiate in good faith is to set a solid ground for future government. National have made no statements suggesting that they agree with you that the negotiations were in bad faith in retrospect, and they are the only ones who would know and have any reason to admit it. Your claiming so without any National MPs coming out and saying it is no better than a conspiracy theory.
        
        I’m done discussing this with you, as you continue to baselessly assert that a legal action to compel discovery of documents is some sort of action designed to hurt the National Party and thus precludes his going into government with them. It’s absolutely reasonable for him to have prepared that case before the election with no idea he’d be in the position of holding the balance of power, and held off on filing it in case he decided to coalesce with National. If he had predetermined his coalition partner, he would have filed during the election campaign, as it would arguably have damaged National’s vote to do so.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        8 November 2017 at 9:00 am
        
        “It’s absolutely reasonable for him to have prepared that case before the election with no idea he’d be in the position of holding the balance of powe“
        Most, if not all polls had NZF in that position. It is simply not credible to assert he had ‘no idea’ he would be in that position. And your blithely ignoring human nature. Taking legal action against people you could be in government with is a clear sign you have no intention of actually following through.
        
        Doogs …
        
        8 November 2017 at 7:58 am
        
        Pure supposition. Try and put up some actual facts. 10 steps to the right and off the edge of the world, I think.
        
        tracey …
        
        7 November 2017 at 4:31 pm
        
        Cant recall the last time a Nat Minister had a sincere view
      - Draco T Bastard 7.1.1.1.3
        
        7 November 2017 at 4:43 pm
        
        This government was formed accidentally.
        Nope and no matter how many times you repeat it it’s still not going to be true. That means that, if you do repeat it after this, you’ll be lying.
        
        Labour never expected to be in government…
        
        Wrong again. The numbers actually stacked up in the weeks leading up to the election. Which is why National panicking throughout the election.
        
        They lack preparation, they lack experience.
        
        Wrong. they have experience. In many cases more than National have. And they have prepared as well – note all the actually policies that they have.
        
        There’s still going to be a few hiccups simply because shit happens.
        
        3stepstotheright 7.1.1.1.3.1
        
        7 November 2017 at 4:54 pm
        
        This is an accidental government. I’ve made the case clearly. And it’s been further supported by the fact that now the Government only has a majority on 5 of the 12 select committees.
        
        “The numbers actually stacked up in the weeks leading up to the election. ”
        
        Not without NZF it didn’t. And as the election drew closer, Nationals vote actually rose.
        
        “they have experience.”
        
        The PM has zero experience of anything of worth. The Minister of Finance has worked for MFAT, and then in politics. I could go on, but this is a line up of amateurs with very little life experience outside academia and politics.
        
        One Anonymous Bloke …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:10 pm
        
        You’ve made your case.
        
        Here’s the NZ Initiative arguing against MMP:
        
        MMP was designed in post World War II Germany to prevent a Führer-like figure emerging. A parliament of coalitions would prevent concentration of power.
        
        Works as advertised. Not by accident.
        
        tracey …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:33 pm
        
        National and its supporters never believed they couldnt get 50% of vote plus the puppy and/or bnever elieved they just needed to make Peters DPM and govt benches were theirs again = accidental coalition.
        
        Hubris my friends. Pure and simple. And now the Susie robbed us and Barnes missed the forward pass of the rugby world cups mentality is showing.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        7 November 2017 at 6:01 pm
        
        MMP decides the formation of parliament. It is then up to the component parts of parliament of form a government. This government is (at least for now) legitimate. They also happen to be accidental.
        
        One Anonymous Bloke …
        
        7 November 2017 at 6:11 pm
        
        They also happen to be wibbly wobbly, and fake!!!, and my grandma could make a better government than you, and a you suck I want my mom government, and any other label you care to apply. After all, “sticks and stones will break my bones”.
        
        Still won’t get you the Treasury benches, and MMP is working as advertised.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        7 November 2017 at 6:15 pm
        
        I have never argued it isn’t. It has delivered relatively stable government to NZ since 1996. The latest incarnation will certainly test it’s resilience for incompetence, but that’s democracy, eh!
        
        One Anonymous Bloke …
        
        7 November 2017 at 6:24 pm
        
        Depends how you define incompetence. If they reduce the rate of malnutrition, “third world”* diseases, and “morbidity with a social gradient”** they’re beating National hands down.
        
        *which doesn’t really exist anymore: cf. Hans Rosling et al.
        
        **love how the Treasury department sound like soulless ghouls much?
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        7 November 2017 at 7:11 pm
        
        “Depends how you define incompetence.”
        
        Well, it’s early days and we already have some good examples:
        
        http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11941091
        http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11941411
        
        One Anonymous Bloke …
        
        7 November 2017 at 7:30 pm
        
        Yes! A win for National over mumble procedure committee something. Sorry. I failed civics, if it was a subject in the first place, which it wasn’t. What was the question?
        
        I’m not sure Labour can grasp that offering free tertiary education to everyone regardless of nationality is a good idea, but Germany does it. So that might be a win by serendipity.
        
        Serendippywhat mumble mumble.
        
        Government yay, National mumble technical details loser denial cough.
        
        Frank Macskasy …
        
        7 November 2017 at 7:26 pm
        
        You are obsessed with this fanciful notion of “accidental”. Is that the best you have? Because really, 3waysdown, you’re showing yourself up as really inept in this discussion.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        7 November 2017 at 7:30 pm
        
        https://thestandard.org.nz/so-there-was-a-housing-crisis-after-all/#comment-1410153
        
        Stop running away, Frank.
        
        Doogs …
        
        8 November 2017 at 8:01 am
        
        A one stringed instrument . . . or an accidental troll perhaps?
        
        mpledger …
        
        9 November 2017 at 5:19 pm
        
        Probably paid by how many posts he can make that carries the same meme i.e. “accidental government”.
        
        McFlock …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:16 pm
        
        Line 1: Winston negotiated with the nats in bad faith because he was always going to be taking legal action against the nats so was always going to go with Labour/green
        
        Line 2: This government is an accidental government because Winston could have gone with either party.
        
        lol
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:54 pm
        
        Line 1 is correct.
        
        Line 2 should read: Labour polled 36%, and the Labour Green combination never looked like making a sustained attempt at government. Even Trevor Mallard had given up.
        
        McFlock …
        
        7 November 2017 at 11:44 pm
        
        Yet they still campaigned, negotiated, and won.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        8 November 2017 at 9:01 am
        
        And now we know why!
        
        McFlock …
        
        8 November 2017 at 1:06 pm
        
        Yes.
        
        Because the nats believed their own bullshit that winston could be bought with a few baubles, so treated him like shit and still expected him to roll over if they offered him enough.
        
        Whereas Labour and the greens treated him with respect.
        
        See how that works?
        
        Even if he had no intention of going with National (and they could still have got him on side if they’d treated him with respect) Winston could have just said “a plague on both your houses”. But he chose to work with Labour.
        
        mpledger …
        
        9 November 2017 at 5:27 pm
        
        Winston is a lawyer. He is using his knowledge of the law to get to the heart of a very serious issues – who leaked his private information. To lawyers suing people is neither here not there – it’s just a tool.
        
        National have nothing to fear from his request if they have nothing to hide. In fact, they ought to be happy in helping to weed out any state servant who has been breaching privacy.
        
        But the more National supporters are seen to be generating so much opprobrium about the whole things means that National must have something to hide.
        
        Carolyn_nth …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:18 pm
        
        Unlike Bill English who worked on a farm for a couple of years, then went into politics.
        
        David Parker – worked in law then in business, including as a manager.
        
        Gerry Brownlee- worked in his family’s timber business, trained as a builder, then went into teaching.
        
        Bennett – worked in a rest home, then went into politics.
        
        Robertson – yes worked for MFAT, including at the UN – also managed NZ’s overseas aid programme, to Samoa
        
        Steven Joyce – was a radio presenter, was part of the team that built up the station.
        
        Chris Hipkin, worked as policy analyst for Industry Training Federation, then as training manager for Todd Energy, then worked in parliament.
        
        Yeah – glaring difference there?!
        
        tracey …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:30 pm
        
        Bill English worked on Dad’s farm following a Degree in English Lit… holiday “job”? Then became a career bureaucrat working for Treasury and tfen a politician
        
        Do not forget Joyces Zoology Degree. As for radio. A 28 year old working in an Auckland radio station with a Marketing and Communications Dehree gaining adveryisers and arranging events gets paid 47k after being there 3 years. So you could say he learned the ways of low wages = wealth for owner….
        
        Carolyn_Nth …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:45 pm
        
        Brownlee, went to St Bedes’ school (privileged education?) Failed UE twice, then went to work in family’s business where he trained as a carpenter….
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:53 pm
        
        Notice the recurrence of the word ‘worked’. And the influence of private enterprise. You know, actually being responsible for making money, not just spending it.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        7 November 2017 at 6:16 pm
        
        “Chris Hipkin, worked as policy analyst for Industry Training Federation, then as training manager for Todd Energy, then worked in parliament.”
        
        Analyst. Training Manager. MP. Great. No wonder he screwed up so badly today.
        
        eco Maori/kiwi …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:26 pm
        
        3 stupid right Get some tissues I can see a tear in your eyes
        
        tracey …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:27 pm
        
        LOL
        
        tracey …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:26 pm
        
        You actually come across as a parody now.
        
        Draco T Bastard …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:38 pm
        
        Not without NZF it didn’t.
        
        That means that they stacked up.
        
        The PM has zero experience of anything of worth.
        
        She’s been in the NZ parliament for the last nine years and she’s run multiple political organisations.
        
        The Minister of Finance has worked for MFAT, and then in politics.
        
        So he knows what’s happening then.
        
        I could go on, but this is a line up of amateurs with very little life experience outside academia and politics.
        
        Better than what National have which isn’t even that and they’re completely disconnected from reality.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        7 November 2017 at 5:46 pm
        
        “That means that they stacked up.”
        Your argument was about BEFORE the election.
        
        “She’s been in the NZ parliament for the last nine years ”
        Big deal.
        
        “and she’s run multiple political organisations.”
        No she hasn’t. She’s been a researcher and political advisor, and President of the International Socialist Youth
        
        “So he knows what’s happening then.”
        He knows nothing about Finance.
        
        Draco T Bastard …
        
        7 November 2017 at 6:27 pm
        
        Your argument was about BEFORE the election.
        
        So?
        
        Before the election the numbers stacked up – it was a high probability that it could be a Labour/NZ1st/Green government. All the parties (except possibly National) would have planned on the eventuality.
        
        Big deal.
        
        Yes it is.
        
        No she hasn’t. She’s been a researcher and political advisor, and President of the International Socialist Youth
        
        Exactly. She has serious experience.
        
        He knows nothing about Finance.
        
        I’m pretty sure that you’ll find that he does.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        7 November 2017 at 7:09 pm
        
        “So”
        So, the numbers didn’t stack up before the election without NZF.
        
        “Exactly. She has serious experience.”
        At nothing of real significance.
        
        Draco T Bastard …
        
        8 November 2017 at 12:33 am
        
        So, the numbers didn’t stack up before the election without NZF.
        
        Which is meaningless. With NZ1st it was a distinct possibility even before the election and now we have a government after hard negotiation. Nothing accidental about it.
        
        At nothing of real significance.
        
        I think you’ll find that she’s done more positive stuff for the world than any one in National who only ever think of themselves.
        
        And, yeah, it’s real world stuff with real significance.
        
        As i said up thread – you can keep telling lying to yourself but it won’t change the facts.
        
        Doogs …
        
        8 November 2017 at 8:06 am
        
        And what does Joyce know about finance? Failed papers and saw a fictitious hole in some well researched and verified figures. Don’t make me laugh!
        
        Frank Macskasy …
        
        8 November 2017 at 12:25 am
        
        And you’ve got posts to reply to about your bullshit lies Frank.
        
        Oh dear me… someone’s throwing their toys around… 😀
        
        red-blooded …
        
        8 November 2017 at 7:46 am
        
        People get experience by doing the job. Key had bugger all experience when he became PM. Many of the Nat ministers were without real experience when they started in their roles.
        
        Get over it, mate. You lost. There’s a new government, elected by a majority of voters. Your last government was actually elected by a minority (49.3% if I remember correctly) – this one was elected by more than that (50.4%). A small difference, but the point is that this government is perfectly legitimate and you need to accept the decision of the voters.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        8 November 2017 at 9:03 am
        
        Legitimate, oh yes. But accidental none the less.
        
        red-blooded …
        
        8 November 2017 at 11:51 am
        
        Piss off. Those of us who voted for these three parties did so deliberately. The 3 parties negotiated together. Deliberately. They made a set of (deliberate) agreements.
        
        There’s not such thing as an “accidental” government. Voters make decisions. So do politicians. It’s not like there was a giant flood and the Nats were washed away in an accidental landslip or wave. They were voted out – there’s a difference.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        8 November 2017 at 12:11 pm
        
        The definition of an accidental Government is one who didn’t expect to be in government, and is only in government because of a party who did not negotiate honestly. If the shoe fits…
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        8 November 2017 at 12:20 pm
        
        “The 3 parties negotiated together.”
        
        Which three parties?
        
        If you’re referring to Labour, NZF and the Greens, you’re wrong. NZF negotiated a coalition agreement with Labour, who then negotiated a supply & confidence agreement with the Greens.
        
        Labour got screwed by thinking NZF were sincerely talking to National; the Greens got screwed because they are once again outside of the coalition agreement. Which is why we have this https://thestandard.org.nz/the-missing-noun/.
        
        RedLogix …
        
        8 November 2017 at 12:24 pm
        
        You are making two false claims:
        
        1. Immediately after the election it was always obvious on the numbers that a Lab/NZ1/Grn coalition was a real possibility. To suggest no-one could have ‘expected’ it is just plain wrong.
        
        2. If you have specific evidence that NZ1 lied, or misled National at any point during the negotiation process, on any substantive matter, now would be a good time to produce it. Weak waffles will not cut mustard.
        
        I should advise you that tiresome repitition of false or unsubstantiated claims tends to eventually get the moderators attention.
        
        I realise it was YOUR expectation that NZ1 would go with National, but projecting this onto the rest of us an calling it an ‘accident’, is a trainwreck that is taking place entirely inside your head.
        
        Sally's Husband …
        
        8 November 2017 at 9:02 pm
        
        “Accidental”?
        
        That’s quite an insult to all those voters who voted Labour, Green, and NZ First. So basically what you’re telling us is that in your view anyone who doesn’t vote the way you want them to is an “accident”?
        
        Even by Tory standards that’s quite a high level of arrogance you’re showing us, 3Steps.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        8 November 2017 at 10:36 pm
        
        “That’s quite an insult to all those voters who voted Labour, Green, and NZ First. So basically what you’re telling us is that in your view anyone who doesn’t vote the way you want them to is an “accident”?”
        
        Oh dear, that is pathetic. I have made no reference to voters, only to this government. So stop your crying.
      - Frank Macskasy 7.1.1.1.4
        
        7 November 2017 at 7:09 pm
        
        3stepsintolalaland, your grasp on reality is tenuous, to say the least.
        
        In case you hadn’t noticed because you’re lost in your own lalaland, 1,152,075 voters voted for National.
        
        1,305,333 voted for opposition parties (Labour, NZF, Greens).
        
        ref: http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2017/
        
        1,305,333 beats 1,152,075 .
        
        You are unable to accept the will of the people graciously. I think you’d be happier in a one-party state.
        
        3stepstotheright 7.1.1.1.4.1
        
        7 November 2017 at 7:12 pm
        
        You’ve got some catching up to do on another thread, Frank, where I exposed your lie about debt under National. You’re over your 4 hours.
        
        Frank Macskasy …
        
        7 November 2017 at 7:30 pm
        
        The only thing “exposed” is your willful tendency to cherry pick “facts” and mis-represent with half-truths, omission, and outright lies.
        
        Don’t forget, my anonymous little troll, that others can read the rubbish and links you post and have arrived at the same conclusion.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        7 November 2017 at 7:31 pm
        
        https://thestandard.org.nz/so-there-was-a-housing-crisis-after-all/#comment-1410153
        
        McFlock and others valiantly tried to defend your honour, but failed.
        
        I’ll extend your 4 hours Frank. Any courage to have a go?
        
        [lprent: Don’t demand. Or I will make start making manfatory demands on you and you won’t like them. It is a stupid behaviour that usually starts flamewars and gets me annoyed. Then I depart from my usual loveable behaviour and have some fun educating the fuckwit who wasted my time.
        
        Read the policy and count this as a warning. ]
        
        Frank Macskasy …
        
        7 November 2017 at 7:41 pm
        
        3steps… mate, if you didn’t get it the first time, I’m not wasting a second go at it with you. Re-read what I wrote. It’s still there, and I kept my language simple for you.
        
        Try to keep up.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        7 November 2017 at 7:42 pm
        
        “Re-read what I wrote. ”
        
        Here’s what you wrote:
        
        ” and paid down the debt that the Nats had accumulated over the ’90s.”
        
        And this was my response:
        
        “Well that’s demonstrably false.
        A graph showing net debt to GDP is available here https://tradingeconomics.com/new-zealand/government-debt-to-gdp.
        Extend the parameters out to “MAX”. Net debt peaked just after the end of the Labour government in 1990, and reduced steadily through to the election of Labour in 1999.”
        
        McFlock even tried to suggest you were referring to ‘actual debt’, but even then you were wrong https://thestandard.org.nz/so-there-was-a-housing-crisis-after-all/#comment-1410390.
        
        And please don’t call me ‘mate’.
        
        One Anonymous Bloke …
        
        7 November 2017 at 7:50 pm
        
        Don’t call this little tosser “mate”, Frank. Call him “poppet” or “sweety” or “the gimp”.
        
        Or perhaps “a flaccid avatar for centre right talking points”.
        
        Whatever. Just not “mate”. OK? That might hurt his alleged feelings.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        8 November 2017 at 9:01 am
        
        You obviously missed Frank’s comment about my taking more than 4 hours to reply to a post.
        
        Sally's Husband …
        
        8 November 2017 at 9:00 pm
        
        He more than replied and answered, 3Steps. You just didn’t like the answer you got. Because his was correct and yours is bullshit.
        
        If you’re the same clown that kept spamming The Daily Blog with your misinformation and distortions, then you got your ass kicked all over the place on that blogsite as well.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        8 November 2017 at 10:34 pm
        
        “He more than replied and answered, 3Steps. ”
        
        Another sycophant appears for Franky.
        
        No, Sally, Frank didn’t answer, because he made a claim he knew was a lie. But here’s challenge for you. Post the reference where Frank answered this https://thestandard.org.nz/build-a-bridge-and-get-over-it/#comment-1411151.
        
        Go on.
        
        mpledger …
        
        9 November 2017 at 5:49 pm
        
        On an August 28 report
        NZ First leader Winston Peters says he won’t stand by and let someone get away with “blatant dirty politics” after information about his superannuation overpayment was leaked.
        
        “I’ve been flat out, as you know, on the campaign of issues and when I’ve got time I’ll turn my mind to it, but I’m not going to stand by and let someone get away with blatant dirty politics and breaking the law.”
        https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/96249118/Winston-Peters-has-investigators-working-on-who-leaked-info-about-his-pension-overpayment
        
        The election was in September.
        
        Peters was quite upfront before the election about going after who leaked his information after the election. He was open and transparent. National chose to negotiate with him under those conditions just as he chose to negotiate with them.
        
        3stepstotheright …
        
        9 November 2017 at 9:57 pm
        
        “He was open and transparent. ”
        
        No, he wasn’t. He negotiated with National to screw down Labour. He succeeded, but it was utterly dishonest…to both Labour and National.
        
        mpledger …
        
        10 November 2017 at 11:29 pm
        
        This is getting exceedingly silly.
        
        In negotiations, people use leverage to get what they want. And everyone in negotiations know their opponents are doing so.
        
        Winston had leverage and he apparently used it very wisely.
        
        And National made some really dumb choices to give Winston that leverage.
    - Grantoc 7.1.1.2
      
      7 November 2017 at 8:28 pm
      
      Matthew, you’re making a very generous assumption about NZ First voters. A different but equally valid assumption is that many of them (the majority perhaps) have very little or no idea of what they’re voting for and the implications of their vote – except that they ‘like’ Winston. That was it. And thats why questions can be raised about how much moral authority this government actually has to be the government.
      - Venezia 7.1.1.2.1
        
        7 November 2017 at 11:32 pm
        
        Grantoc…Just like many National voters have very little idea what they are voting for and the implications of that vote – except that they are property speculators and don’t want their huge capital gains threatened.
        
        Grantoc 7.1.1.2.1.1
        
        8 November 2017 at 5:18 pm
        
        There must be a huge number of property speculators out there Venezia – just under 50% of the voting public.
        
        Who ever knew this – apart from you Venezia, But you might be slightly exaggerating me thinks.
        
        mpledger …
        
        9 November 2017 at 6:11 pm
        
        Whoosh!
      - greywarshark 7.1.1.2.2
        
        9 November 2017 at 6:30 pm
        
        Oh Grantoc considers in his eminence that he is thinking ‘about how much moral authority this government actually has to be the government’.
roy cartland 8

7 November 2017 at 4:00 pm

Wow, that sucked. Really sloppy from the govo. As Gordon Campbell says:
http://werewolf.co.nz/2017/11/gordon-campbell-on-the-battle-over-select-committees/

“Footnote: Well, that didn’t last long. Never under-estimate Labour’s ability to score an own-goal. Not only did Labour miscount the initial vote to elect Trevor Mallard as Speaker – it had the votes, but was bamboozled by National into thinking that it didn’t – but in its confusion, it then gave away its strategic position on select committee representation, for no valid reason.

Blimey. If Labour can’t lift its game, the next three years are going to be ugly.”
- Matthew Whitehead 8.1
  
  7 November 2017 at 4:12 pm
  
  Yeah, not a good sign, although once all members are sworn in, this sort of bluff can’t be repeated again because they’ll only need a fraction of members present to give the remaining votes in absentia.
  - roy cartland 8.1.1
    
    7 November 2017 at 4:30 pm
    
    Yeah, I guess a fool is better than a knave, but still…
- Draco T Bastard 8.2
  
  7 November 2017 at 4:44 pm
  
  I think this shows that no parliamentary vote should be able to go through until everyone’s sworn in as it’s removing people representation.
  
  Oh, and the count of who’s there should be electronic.
  - tracey 8.2.1
    
    7 November 2017 at 5:34 pm
    
    And Chippy needs to pay attention to detail. If he knew the numbers were fine he needed to communicate that better to those giving the SC concessions.
  - Matthew Whitehead 8.2.2
    
    7 November 2017 at 6:18 pm
    
    Well, Labour claims they weren’t taken in and rather they made the decision based on wanting the vote to be unanimous. Up to you if you believe that.
- Anne 8.3
  
  7 November 2017 at 6:29 pm
  
  Have to agree Roy Cartland @ 8. Good grief, they should have seen that one coming. And fancy conceding all those select committee placings. On a hiding to nothing methinks. And
  why did they not hit back and called the Nats out for being pathetic losers and playing childish games that don’t benefit anyone?
  
  Winston Peters and David Parker are already at APEC but the others… why the hell were they not there on the very first day of parliament? Not good enough.
- Sanctuary 8.4
  
  7 November 2017 at 7:06 pm
  
  Labour’s whip(s) and leader of the house need to be fired over this fiasco.
Booker 9

7 November 2017 at 5:21 pm

I agree this isn’t the greatest start, but it’s a useful lesson for Labour/Greens/NZ First: National are modeling themselves after the US Republican Party, looking to obstruct everything possible and can’t be expected to follow parliamentary convention (or their word given Bill English said before the session they’d vote for Mallard).

Instead they’ll be looking for every loophole in parliament rules to try crap like this. Sure they got some MPs on select committees but National themselves just spent 9 years ignoring select committee advice, so I don’t think there’s much gain there. And in return they’ve shown they have no problem maneuvering things to their advantage when government MPs are away doing their jobs (how’s that for eroding democracy!), as well as give the government the clear heads up that they can’t even so much as assume reasonableness or adult behavior out of National – just like the GOP.

They’ve clearly revealed their hand from the very opening, but I think in the long term the gain isn’t going to match the benefit – if I were in Labour I’d now be playing very hard ball, closing off every loophole in parliament proceedings in order to smash National. It also shows yet again to anyone who might think of going into coalition with them that National are unable to get along with anyone.
- Carolyn_Nth 9.1
  
  7 November 2017 at 5:38 pm
  
  According to quotes of Ardern, etc., on RNZ, they had wanted a unanimous, uncontested vote for Speaker, as is traditional, and knew they had the numbers to elect Mallard if a vote was forced.
  
  It reads like before the speaker election, etc, National had agreed with Labour to support Mallard – but then saw an opportunity to vote someone of their choice,
  
  http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/343269/govt-denies-being-hoodwinked-over-speaker-election-vote
  
  Also sounds like it’s increased Green MP involvement in select committees – sounds good to me.
  - James 9.1.1
    
    7 November 2017 at 7:01 pm
    
    Gee they gave away a lot just for a unanimous vote.
- One Anonymous Bloke 9.2
  
  7 November 2017 at 6:18 pm
  
  Bridges is making his play for leadership. The authoritarian followers will struggle not to follow him.
  
  Happy days.
- Frank Macskasy 9.3
  
  7 November 2017 at 7:35 pm
  
  I agree, Booker.
  
  But more to the point, it shows that National is continuing to engage in dishonest tactics and the headline-grabbing media will love this.
  
  And if the Nats go “nuclear” as the US Republicans have done, they’ll find themselves dropping in the polls. In the US they still have First Past the Post, so conservative voters have nowhere to go. In NZ, under MMP, voters have more flexibility; more choices.
  
  The Nats may find that the public don’t like their taxes being wasted by obstructionist MPs indulging in point-scoring and game playing.
  
  If I were English, I’d be re-thinking this strategy. New Zealanders want co-operation in parliament, not obstruction. This will re-bound badly on him.
  
  I await the next polls very eagerly.
  - One Anonymous Bloke 9.3.1
    
    7 November 2017 at 7:47 pm
    
    I have a sneaking suspicion they’re already out, for those in ~~the know~~ David Farrar’s propaganda trough.
    
    This just in: ~~David Farrar~~ National “is still above Labour” 🙂
  - Grantoc 9.3.2
    
    7 November 2017 at 10:24 pm
    
    Frank – explain if you will in what way “National is ….engaging in dishonest tactics”?
    
    Given that close to 50% of the electorate (the public) voted for the Nats, I’d say the public would quite pleased by their tactics, which may mean their poll ratings increase.
    
    And by the way how do you know that ‘New Zealanders want co operation in parliament, not obstruction”. Tell us about your research into this.
    - Sam aka clump 9.3.2.1
      
      7 November 2017 at 10:30 pm
      
      Don’t mean to but in. Just wanted to mention that Saudi sheep business thing. And that other high profile case about using others interlectual property for campaign purposes. Catcha later.
    - Frank Macskasy 9.3.2.2
      
      8 November 2017 at 12:01 am
      
      Grantoc… I have a few blogposts on my blog and/or The Daily Blog that will answer your questions about National’s dishonest tactics. We can start with Bill English lying about Todd Barclay and work backwards from there to Dear Leader Key and his 500+ fibs (which fellow poster/blogger BLiP has documented extensively)…
      
      Given that close to 50% of the electorate (the public) voted for the Nats
      
      National got 44.4% of the vote. That’s not “close to 50% of the electorate”.
      
      In fact, their 1,152,075 Party Votes represents only about a quarter of the population.
      
      ref: http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2017/
      
      Tell us about your research into this.
      
      Really?!
      - Wayne 9.3.2.2.1
        
        8 November 2017 at 7:34 am
        
        On that basis Labour only got 20% of the vote of the population. It is a meaningless statistic.
        
        Sally's Husband 9.3.2.2.1.1
        
        8 November 2017 at 9:04 pm
        
        Regardless of which, I agree: 44.4% is not “close to 50%”. 49% is close to 50%. 49.9% is even closer. But not 44.4%. You Righties really need to learn to count.
        
        Frank Macskasy 9.3.2.2.1.2
        
        9 November 2017 at 7:46 am
        
        That’s true, Wayne. But Labour hasn’t been whinging about some mythical “moral right to govern”. They haven’t assumed that size equates to a mandate to automatically to govern.
        
        The sense of entitlement from the Nats is over-powering and we’re not getting that from anyone else.
  - Booker 9.3.3
    
    7 November 2017 at 11:11 pm
    
    I agree too – obstructionism isn’t going to work in an MMP environment. Not to mention most people will already have enough exposure to US politics to recognize the same tricks being played out here, so it will get old fast.
  - 3stepstotheright 9.3.4
    
    8 November 2017 at 10:26 am
    
    Good spin, Frank, but Labour are claiming they knew they had the numbers, so why concede on the SC’s? Labour are lying. And they need to lean to count.
    - Sam aka clump 9.3.4.1
      
      8 November 2017 at 11:46 am
      
      I guess the honeymoon is over. Let the bitchin begin!
    - Frank Macskasy 9.3.4.2
      
      9 November 2017 at 7:51 am
      
      And they need to lean to count.
      
      The left are way ahead of you on that point 3stepsto***. The most trenchant criticism has been from supporters of this government.
      
      But I repeat; if that’s how the Tories want to play the game, so be it. I’m betting that the Coalition Government has learned it’s lesson and won’t be allowing a repeat any time soon.
      
      Meanwhile, the Public will be the one to decide if National’s dishonesty will be supported or not. Again, I’m betting that New Zealanders’ innate sense of fair play will view dimly the machinations from the Nats.
      
      But if you think that kind of behaviour is acceptable by you, well, that speaks volumes about your own moral compass.
      - 3stepstotheright 9.3.4.2.1
        
        9 November 2017 at 7:57 am
        
        http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11941784
        
        It wasn’t National being dishonest Frank.
        
        Sam aka clump 9.3.4.2.1.1
        
        9 November 2017 at 11:17 am
        
        Wow 3way. PHD’s in economics?? 😂😂😂😂
- Matthew Whitehead 9.4
  
  7 November 2017 at 11:14 pm
  
  Yeah, this is why when I wrote this piece I was pleased it looked like they were going to play hardball with National. I’m still not sure I buy their line about giving up their position on that just to get Mallard appointed as Speaker with no contest. If the opposition wants to play hardball, you play hardball with spikes.
- Venezia 9.5
  
  7 November 2017 at 11:37 pm
  
  Booker…I agree 100%.
patricia bremner 10

7 November 2017 at 5:52 pm

Our whips didn’t work it.
- Sanctuary 10.1
  
  7 November 2017 at 7:05 pm
  
  What do you expect, when the Labour chief whip is that useless piece of past it dead wood Ruth Dyson? She should get the bullet for this fiasco, but she won’t because she is a woman with all the right connections in the party’s factions.
- Westiechick 10.2
  
  7 November 2017 at 8:05 pm
  
  who didn’t turn up and why?
  - Delia 10.2.1
    
    8 November 2017 at 12:25 am
    
    Well Winston is at Apec, I get the impression they were all gainfully employed elsewhere..you could always ask on the Labour FB page..do a bit of your own homework.
Nick 11

7 November 2017 at 5:54 pm

Really childish from the natz, what a pack of wasters. Pathetic bunch of humans.
- James 11.1
  
  7 November 2017 at 7:00 pm
  
  Yet they have put themselves in a position to oppose more effectively- great result.
  - the pigman 11.1.1
    
    7 November 2017 at 7:14 pm
    
    Yup, you’ve got to hand it for them, the Nats were complete shit at governing, but they seem to have really found their niche in Opposition — fighting the battles about the political issues that count.
    
    Their talents would be wasted elsewhere, I’m sure the electorate will oblige and let them do what they’re good at for the next 12 – 20 years, or until the board gets taken over and they’re re-branded by the next shareholder activist, whichever comes earlier.
cleangreen 12

7 November 2017 at 7:13 pm

It was a planned strategy from the house of “Dirty politics” so we should never expect this pathetic lot of National MP’s to work in the best interests of all citizens of NZ and not just for their rich friends.

We now know what to expect from this ‘dysfuctional National Tory lot’ from now on.

Jacinda make sure in future to have your enemies (national) close and your coalition partners much closer.
Foreign waka 13

7 November 2017 at 7:18 pm

And here I am thinking that the NZ parliamentarians are so much better than what we see in the US…. apparently not. It must be tremendously embarrassing to have Mr English constantly going on about why he is not the PM. Good god, get on with it and give something back after so many years of a more than ample remuneration from your employer, the taxpayer.
- gsays 13.1
  
  7 November 2017 at 11:15 pm
  
  To be fair, fw, it is the issue he would march in the street for.
cleangreen 14

7 November 2017 at 7:55 pm

Yes Foriegn waka,
I agree entirely here.
Labour coalition needs to now investigate the whole last nine years of financial documentation to see what seedy corrupt practices went on under natioonal as we can see clearly now they rely on deluding and bluffing the public as they hoodwinked the labour today with the threat of saying they had ‘the majority’ when they did not clearly have so labour need to re-double their efforts to find undesirable financial dealings in all those last nine years of dealings they made as there may well be some evidence of using public funding to carry out their past dealings with other parties illegally.

National are dishonest, and Labour will find some evidence in those Government financial records over the last nine years for sure.

Jacinda please ‘lets do this’.
- Grantoc 14.1
  
  7 November 2017 at 10:27 pm
  
  You don’t know what you’re talking about CG.
  - One Anonymous Bloke 14.1.1
    
    8 November 2017 at 9:00 am
    
    Looks that way. I thought everyone knew that the bribes National MPs and ministers solicit are delivered in the form of “lucrative business opportunities” once they leave office.
    
    The Party gets cash upfront, the MPs deliver whatever legislation has been paid for, and book a seat at the trough for later.
Ian 15

7 November 2017 at 8:05 pm

no excuse for basic incompetence.If labour were running my dairy farm today and didn’t have a resource consent ,we would have been given an abatement notice. The clowns are running the circus. Failing to sort out the chaiman ,with hundreds of years of precedent is a massive fail for this government.
- greywarshark 15.1
  
  7 November 2017 at 8:29 pm
  
  They have only just started their term. How come you are decrying Labour and lambasting them ie roasting them like mutton chops on the barbecue? Are you always going to be making negative comments about the left? Or maybe I just look at the wrong times.
  - Ian 15.1.1
    
    7 November 2017 at 9:03 pm
    
    They are only their because a short drunk bearing a grudge has a liking for baubles . You need to implant that in your brain as the Government evolves.
    - mauī 15.1.1.1
      
      7 November 2017 at 9:17 pm
      
      Have some faith in your new regional commandant please Ian, this is only day 1.
    - patricia bremner 15.1.1.2
      
      8 November 2017 at 12:35 am
      
      Ian, takes one to know one. Short drunk that is.
- Delia 15.2
  
  8 November 2017 at 12:23 am
  
  If only the National MPs realised we employ them and they are actually working for us, not their pathetic party which is now out of govt..sorry Ian the truth hurts, but it is over for National. Labour/NZFirst are now in charge.
- RedLogix 15.3
  
  8 November 2017 at 1:56 am
  
  Turns out that the members absent had the leave of Parliament, and everyone knew the numbers, but National exploited this without warning to play an ugly game. It is routine for members to be absent the House and customary for all Parties to respect this, and/or resolve any concerns expeditiously in the Business Committee. Breaking with this basic courtesy to is unprecedented.
  
  And again, it is customary for the Speaker to be elected unopposed as a mark of respect for the role; blackmailing the govt by threatening to force a vote is also unprecedented.
  
  And then using that blackmail to derail change to an agreement that the House had already voted for unanimously is a blatant, cynical hypocrisy of the lowest kind.
  
  And naturally our media lapped this up and praised this ‘brazen bluff’ all to high heaven.
  
  And all this on the first day. Well English did signal that he was going to run an obstructionist Opposition and now we have the opening play in that game plan confirmed. It’s not going to get any better from here on in.
  
  While Adern may shrug it away as a ‘bit of politics”, Mallard who now runs the House will not forget in a hurry.
  - Wayne 15.3.1
    
    8 November 2017 at 7:16 am
    
    David Carter was not elected unopposed. That might be part of the reason for yesterday. Also deep memories of 1996, when Labour just went crazy in the first few weeks of opposition.
    Labour was hardly noted for assisting the government during the last 9 years, and used whatever leverage they had.
    But overall not a big deal, in fact business as usual.
    Labour can’t just stiff National whenever they want as they were doing on the Select Committee numbers. Inevitably there will be consequences.
    In the event the Speaker was elected unopposed.
    - Graeme 15.3.1.1
      
      8 November 2017 at 7:40 am
      
      “In the event the Speaker was elected unopposed”
      
      In my mind that was the objective. And achieved, with clarity. National has to accept Trevor Mallard as legitimate speaker and can’t grumble like Labour did with Carter.
      
      It also showed Jacinda Ardern is prepared to do business and make a deal. It looked a bit messy, but so’s business and life.
      
      National came across as petulant children, sure they got half of what they wanted, but they had to support the Speaker’s appointment.
      
      Good governance by Jacinda Ardern.
  - Wayne 15.3.2
    
    8 November 2017 at 7:19 am
    
    Mallard will put this in the past. He was ultimately elected unopposed.
    If Mallard wants to be remembered as a good speaker he will act in a non partisan fashion. Lockwood Smith set a good example of that.
Carolyn_nth 16

7 November 2017 at 8:13 pm

First comes denial – belligerence and arrogance to delay the feelings of grief.

And this oldie from Gordon Lightfoot for the “pretty legal” song copyright infringers:

Sometimes I think it’s a sin,
When I think that I’m winning and I’m losing again.
RedLogix 17

7 November 2017 at 8:43 pm

An archetypal ‘under-arm bowl’ moment from National. They’ve won the point, but reputational damage will linger for a long time after.
- James 17.1
  
  7 November 2017 at 9:46 pm
  
  Reading all the press it’s labour that have come out bad not national.
  - RedLogix 17.1.1
    
    7 November 2017 at 10:32 pm
    
    Colour me surprised. Funny how they say things like it was ‘blatant blackmail’ or ‘an audacious stunt’ … but come down on the side of approving of it.
  - Doogs 17.1.2
    
    8 November 2017 at 8:22 am
    
    “badly” . . . it’s an adverb, related to the verb “come” . . . how I hate uneducated trolls!
  - Ffloyd 17.1.3
    
    11 November 2017 at 7:39 am
    
    ‘All the Press’ Do you mean NZ Herald and Stuff NatRags? Do you read anything else?
Roy 18

7 November 2017 at 9:43 pm

Well I’m going with slamming a few things out under urgency. If the Nats are going to be dicks about it and just set out to undermine and frustrate, the Gov can just go without them. They wouldn’t be the first, now would they.
NewsFlash 19

7 November 2017 at 11:29 pm

Absolutely hilarious, tonight, reading the posts from all those disenfranchised Nat voters vent their frustration because not enough Kiwis were stupid enough to support the biggest liars in NZ political history, I bet their alcohol consumption has increased dramatically since the inevitable news was delivered.

NZ has a habit of replacing the Government every 9 yrs, regardless of how effective or ineffective, as in the most recent election.
- Drowsy M. Kram 19.1
  
  8 November 2017 at 12:21 am
  
  Yes, a hugely entertaining series of comments from disappointed Nat supporters, and if this opening salvo is any indication then the governing Labour/NZ1st/Green team can look forward to an erratic stream of National party own goals for the foreseeable future.
  
  The fact that many commentators see National’s blackmail bluff as a win is tragicomedy gold. It’s confirmation (as if any was needed) that the Nat magpies intend to continue their dirty lying ways – what a gift. Wait until Joyce and English start cawing again about fiscal holes – they just can’t help themselves.
  
  IF the NAct opposition can behave in a consistently constructive fashion, and begin the process of party renewal (and, critically, leadership renewal) without importing more deBarclays, then they might just have a shot at the NZ treasury benches in six years. But that’s a big IF. They are propelled by a glut of lies that has generated considerable momentum, and even with the best will in the woeld will take time for reform.
Delia 20

8 November 2017 at 12:21 am

National let us know when you want to start working for the country and not for yourselves. I doubt the NZ public will put up with these stunts for very long.
Michelle 21

10 November 2017 at 11:58 am

I listened to many of the maiden speeches in parliament yesterday the gnats sound like they still haven’t come to terms with MMP or losing. They were happy with MMP delivering them 3 terms but now they seems angry , bitter, twisted and out for revenge. They really need to pull their bloody heads in or bugger of if they aren’t truly interested in what is best for our country and stop being selfish. And the rubbish that came out of some of their mouths they truly believe their own spin. Hayes and Lee should be ashamed of themselves putting the boot into their own people and they really think they have made a difference. Now if they had made such a difference to Maori why have so many chosen to vote for change. We ain’t all stupid.

Comments are now closed

Articles RSS

CommentsOpinions

FeedsPartyGovtMedia

The Book of Evidence-based-evidence

Now, in the land of leaky buildings and the Warehouse-where-everyone-gets-a-bargain, there came an electionAnd this was the one known as the show-bloody-Labour-the-bloody-door electionAnd there came into this election the one known as ChrisAnd of fresh thought or original idea, Chris was full emptyBut this was all good broFor Chris was ...

More Than A FeildingBy David Slack

1 hour ago
Fact brief – Are most glaciers growing?

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 from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Are most glaciers ...

Skeptical Science

11 hours ago
It’s not (just) about the economy, stupid.

In 1992 James Carville, Bill Clinton’s lead strategist, hung a sign on the wall of the Democratic candidate’s campaign office in Little Rock, Arkansas. It had three lines on it to focus the team on the key vote-swinging issues and one of those lines would become so famous it’s turned ...

PunditBy Tim Watkin

19 hours ago
Let’s Make Things Better

If you're down and out and you feel really hurtCome on over to the place where I workAnd all your loneliness, I'll try to sootheI'll play the blues for youLyrics: Albert King.Often, in these newsletters, I tell you about what is wrong. You know the sort of thing - oh ...

Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel

20 hours ago
Floating a few ideas

Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed.Share Read more ...

More Than A FeildingBy David Slack

1 day ago
Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity

A new book challenges how we need to think about technological innovation.Last week’s column mentioned the three 2024 Nobel laureates in economics. The column focused only on the 2012 book Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson with little reference to Simon Johnson, although the three have worked ...

PunditBy Brian Easton

1 day ago
Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles thanks to the Sabin Center for Cl...

Earlier this year our volunteer editor Marc Kodack spotted an impressive answer to climate change solutions denial, "Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles," which he included in our weekly climate research survey. Written by Matthew Eisenson, Jacob Elkin, Andy Fitch, Matthew Ard, Kaya Sittinger & Samuel ...

Skeptical Science

1 day ago
An expert walks into a bar

Quiz1. On what study was Mike King basing his assertion that Alcohol is not a problem for people with mental issues. It’s actually the solution ?a. Klein, Sawyer, Chomsky et al; Harvard, 2002b. Black Brown and Bleu; Yale, 1999c. Bloomfield, Verall, Ardern et al, Otago 2022d. Homer, Lenny, Carl and ...

More Than A FeildingBy David Slack

2 days ago
The High Court says “Land Back”

Way back in 1839, the New Zealand Company bought the area that is now Nelson from local iwi and hapu. As part of the deal, they promised that Māori would retain their homes, fields, and burial grounds, and that in addition, 10% of the land in the planned township and ...

No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant

2 days ago
US military-industrial-sports complex.

A US friend of mine wrote on social media about attending a Homecoming football game at her niece’s Red State university. Although the referees stunk and her team lost, my friend said that she enjoyed her visit, especially the halftime … Continue reading → ...

KiwipoliticoBy Pablo

2 days ago
The Hoon around the week to November 1

The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate news, including research showing the lethality of gas hobs and research on the health effects of climate ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

2 days ago
‘Get ready for more landlord buying’

The RBNZ sees the potential for a spike in demand from landlords. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, November 1: The RBNZ has warned the Government’s tax changes ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

2 days ago
Alcohol and Mental Health

Are you so lonely?You don't even know meBut you'd like to stone meMr Writer, why don't you tell it like it is?Why don't you tell it like it really isWhy don't you tell it how it really isBefore you go on home?Writers: Stuart Cable, Richard Mark Jones, Kelly Jones, Marshall ...

Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel

2 days ago
Weekly Roundup 1-November-2024

Wow, we’re in November already and it’s a Friday so welcome to another round-up of interesting stories about what’s happening in Auckland and other cities. Feel free to add your links in the comments! This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew and ...

Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland

2 days ago
A Mysterious Sound

Hi,Thanks for all your feedback to Hayden Donnell’s fantasy of communal living. “Camping in summer is really the only time I get to experience village life and I love it so much,” said Michelle. “You’ve infuriated me by writing the article that’s been in my head only much better than ...

David FarrierBy David Farrier

2 days ago
Toxic positivity and toxicity in the kitchen

Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:A study looking at psychological distress associated with climate change has stimulated discussion about the insistent demands for ‘hope’ ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

2 days ago
Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s breakthrough free trade deal with the Gulf

New Zealand’s new free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council is a major win for both sides. Todd McClay, New Zealand’s trade minister, announced the long-awaited deal on Thursday with his counterparts in Doha, Qatar. It is a remarkable, yet also surprising sudden success: the genesis of the agreement ...

Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller

2 days ago
Todd McClay wins breakthrough for women in Saudi Arabia

In a major international breakthrough, New Zealand has negotiated a free trade agreement with Saudi Arabia and other Arabian Peninsula countries, which includes a provision requiring them to uphold the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. Trade Minister Todd McClay signed the agreement in Doha overnight. The ...

PolitikBy Richard Harman

2 days ago
Gordon Campbell on America’s fear of foreigners

Mike King’s latest comments about the relationship between alcohol and mental health – according to King, alcohol does more good than harm – raises red flags once again about this organisation, and the quality of the “counselling” it provides. Here’s what the scientific research says. The latest example of King’s ...

WerewolfBy ScoopEditor

2 days ago
Skeptical Science New Research for Week #44 2024

Open access notables Communicating the most accurate and reliable science on climate change to society: A survey of editors from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Molina & Abadal Abadal, Geoscience Communication: This study focuses on the perspectives of scientists involved in the IPCC AR5 and AR6 synthesis reports, examining ...

Skeptical Science

2 days ago
Gumboot Friday’s Founder Says Drugs and Alcohol Is A “Solution”

This afternoon, I turned to the fellow sitting near me and called out:“Guess what? A guy who runs a charity for mental health just said alcohol is a solution!”And his eyes popped out…his mouth opened ajar.That gave me some satisfaction - only because this person has zero care when it ...

Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui

3 days ago
What can you do about bad journalism?

Day after day of David Seymour being accorded media time and attention like he’s doing this stuff in good faith and advancing these ideas in earnest. Come on. He’s a cosplaying libertarian who is really just a glove puppet for anti-democratic capitalist pigs. Read more ...

More Than A FeildingBy David Slack

3 days ago
A collapse in police legitimacy

Last week, the government had a big wank about police raids in Ōpōtiki, crowing about "gangs" and "drugs" and "law and order". Unfortunately the police did exactly the same shit they did in the Urewera terror raids 17 years ago, dragging people off in front of their kids and terrorising ...

No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant

3 days ago
2024 Reading Summary: October (+ Writing Update)

No, I haven’t vanished from the Internet. Or died. Completed reads for October: The Castle of Otranto, by Horace Walpole The Sidereal Messenger of Galileo Galilei, by Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler Jurgen, by James Branch Cabell A very quiet reading month, and a very quiet writing month ...

A Phuulish FellowBy strda221

3 days ago
Suicide Rates Continue To Climb (Because We Are Not Treating Suicidal Patients)

Our suicide rates are skyrocketing again, and I’m going to spare you the faux-shock I could put on here, given that it would be frankly more surprising to me if our death toll had gone in the other direction. Preliminary data from 2023-24 shows that our annual suicide deaths have ...

Sapphi’s SubstackBy Sapphi

3 days ago
Are We The Baddies?

Difficult Questions: Does denying human equality and rejecting the principles of colour-blind citizenship place you among the baddies? Yes, I’m afraid it does.THE DEMON OF UNREST documents the descent of the United States into civil war. The primary focus of its author, Erik Larson, is the period of roughly five months ...

Bowalley Road

3 days ago
Thursday 31 October 2024

Health and safety campaigner Sonya Rockhouse has come out in support of the joint open letter from the NZCTU, Business NZ and others. A new Xero Small Business Insights report shows that small businesses are cutting staff and keeping wages low, while the Salvation Army’s State of the Pacific Peoples ...

NZCTUBy Jeremiah Boniface

3 days ago
Today’s Political Roundup – From Health to Self-Certification Risks

The focus on budgets is "going to cripple the health system".1. Cardiac specialist quits, saying Dr Lester Levy, the Part Time Health Commissioner, is "living in La La Land" and has no idea what's happening on the groundDr Dean BoddingtonDr Boddington, an electrical cardiologist, was the only person who did ...

Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui

3 days ago
A deliberate and unnecessary crash landing

Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, October 31: US and European GDP growth figures overnight show the world’s largest economies, along with that of our nearest neighbour Australia, ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

3 days ago
Seymour: Swastikas OK

Race hatred cannot stop usThis one thing we knowYour poll tax and Donald TrumpGreed has got to go!You’re bound to loseYou fascists bound to lose.Original Lyrics: Woody GuthrieThere are a lot of things this government doesn’t like. Te Reo - got to go, they said, it’s too confusing for our ...

Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel

3 days ago
Sumbission: Have Your Say on Work Health and Safety

Health and safety is core union mahi. Unions recognise that health and safety is a fundamental aspect of good work, and that every worker has the right to work that is safe and healthy, and to have a voice on the operation of their work. In this submission on MBIE’s ...

NZCTUBy Jeremiah Boniface

3 days ago
The hidden health toll of hurricanes

This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Neha Pathak Disasters can disrupt medical care both during and long after the event. (Photo credit: U.S. Air National Guard / Sgt. Jorge Intriago) Weeks after Hurricanes Milton and Helene tore paths of destruction across the Southeast, pictures of communities ...

Skeptical Science

3 days ago
First section of Te Ha Noa Opens

Something definitely worth celebrating is the opening of the first section of Te Hā Noa, the Victoria St Linear Park. As we highlighted eight years ago, this project is vital for helping move the thousands of people that will pour out of the Te Waihorotiu station once the CRL opens. ...

Greater AucklandBy Matt L

3 days ago
Boldness be my friend

When Nicola Willis gave the annual Finance Minister’s speech to the country’s top public servants last week, what she said must have landed like a bomb. “Now is the time for your best and boldest ideas,” she said at the Institute of Public Administration (IPANZ) event. Coming from a minister ...

PolitikBy Richard Harman

3 days ago
Wednesday 30 October 2024

The NZCTU has joined with Business NZ and health and safety groups to call on the Government to drop its plans to reform health and safety law. The Postal Workers Union is opposing a plan to reduce rural postal deliveries from five to three days a week. The Government has ...

NZCTUBy Jeremiah Boniface

4 days ago
Yer doin it all wrong mate

Reader Jeff Howell is the best kind of social media friend to have. When there's outrage and denunciation needed he’s in there dishing it with verve; and when those storms pass you get happy Jeff, sharing his projects. His projects are awesome.Until a week or so ago it was a ...

More Than A FeildingBy David Slack

4 days ago
Out Of Sympathy.

Unsympathetic Characters: Christopher Luxon should be grateful that his principal opponent, Chris Hipkins, is as out of sympathy with the temper of the times as he is.CHRIS HIPKINS had both a good week and a bad week. He and his team were able to press home Labour’s attack on the ...

Bowalley Road

4 days ago
Two States – But No Solutions.

My Enemy’s Enemy Is My Friend: Mohammad Amin al-Husseini, the former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, at the opening of the Islamic Central Institute in Berlin, December 19, 1942. The elimination of the Jewish state has been the unwavering ambition of successive generations of Palestinian leaders.AMIDST ALL THE HORROR of the Israel-Hamas War, ...

Bowalley Road

4 days ago
NZ For Sale: Chris Luxon Is Concierge To The Wealthy

Watching a Christopher Luxon press conference is a masterclass in gaslighting. You just know what he’s saying is disingenuous - if not outright deceptive and lies - but out he comes - with confidence and vigour - telling me black is white, and white is red.According to the Prime Minister, ...

Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui

4 days ago
Will banks & insurers back self-consented homes?

Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, October 30: The Government’s move to allow qualified builders, plumbers and drainlayers to self-consent their work faces potential hurdles from reluctant insurers and bankers wanting protection against ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

4 days ago
Ātahu from Moana Maniapoto

We are blessed in Aotearoa with certain people that you might call National Treasures—those with great talents and a strong affinity for this place they are the custodians of. It’s not an official list; the people you think of might differ from those I think of.What are the attributes of ...

Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel

4 days ago
Henderson Station Upgrade but will it Improve Customer Experience

Over the long weekend rail shutdown a new project got underway, an upgrade to Henderson station but the plans highlight that improving the customer experience by making it easier to use public transport is not a part of Auckland Transport’s agenda. ...

Greater AucklandBy Matt L

4 days ago
Climate Adam: Is climate change fuelling mega hurricanes?

This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). From hurricanes like Helene and Milton, to typhoons like Gaemi, vast storms are causing devastation: destroying cities and tearing up lives. ...

Skeptical Science

4 days ago
Get in the sea, old mate

For the State Highway One traveller, some sights remain dramatic no matter how many times you see them: Wellington harbour opening out at the bottom of Ngauranga Gorge; the first glimpse of Ruapehu; three quarters of the South Island. Also: the moment when you reach the top of the Brynderwyns and ...

More Than A FeildingBy David Slack

5 days ago
Taking the piss again

Remember Casey Costello? The government's most ignorant Minister? First she was referred to the Chief Archivist after claiming that key advice on her cancer promotion policy had simply magically appeared on her desk one day, and that she had no idea where it came from. Then, when the Ministry of ...

No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant

5 days ago
Monthly Employment Data shows weakness in economy

Monthly employment data released today by Statistics New Zealand showed our continuing labour market weakness, and particularly challenging conditions for young working people, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “There are 21,000 fewer filled jobs than this time last year, and the fall has been led by those ...

NZCTUBy Jeremiah Boniface

5 days ago
Copy of Rwanda’s Kagame: from Saviour to Tyrant?

Is Rwanda turning into a country that seeks regional dominance and exterminates its rivals? This is a contention examined by Dr Michela Wrong, and Dr Maria Armoudian Dr Wrong is a journalist who has written best-selling books on Africa. Her latest, Do Not Disturb. The story of a political murder ...

Fabians

5 days ago
We’ve got issues

'Cause I got issues, but you got 'em tooSo give 'em all to me, and I'll give mine to youBask in the glory of all our problems'Cause we got the kind of love it takes to solve 'emYeah, I got issuesAnd one of them is how bad I need yaSongwriters: ...

Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel

5 days ago
‘Happy to watch your grandkids grow up in Australia via WhatsApp?’

Globally, NZ has the second-highest share of its population living overseas permanently, many of them now permanently in Australia. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, October 29: A ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

5 days ago
October-24 AT Board Meeting

Today the Auckland Transport board meet again as a whole for the first time in two months. AT note: Members of the public are welcome to join the meeting via Teams. Please note, due to technical difficulties, the video feed will be unavailable. However, attendees will still be able to view ...

Greater AucklandBy Matt L

5 days ago
The fourth article of the Treaty

While Parliament struggles with David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill, a Christian scholar and some heavyweight mainstream church leaders have developed a different perspective on the Treaty of Waitangi. Theologian Alistair Reese presented a petition to Parliament’s Petitions Committee on Thursday asking Parliament to legislate to recognise the oral agreement “4th ...

PolitikBy Richard Harman

5 days ago
Gordon Campbell on why so many young males like Donald Trump

To foreigners, the fact that so many millions of Americans are buying the used and poisonous goods that Donald Trump is selling is an unfathomable mystery. However, some clues to the allure of Trumpism can be found in the gender gap of unprecedented size that has opened up between those ...

Gordon CampbellBy ScoopEditor

5 days ago
Building a Safer Future for Every Worker

Every New Zealander deserves a workplace that puts safety and wellbeing first. Too often, we’ve seen the real cost of a system that doesn’t fully protect workers. Lives are lost, families grieving, and communities bearing the burden of preventable tragedies. That’s why, alongside Business New Zealand, the New Zealand Institute ...

NZCTUBy Jeremiah Boniface

6 days ago
Not all authoritarians are fascists.

A few days ago I responded to a post about Trump being a fascist on one of my friend’s social media page, then made a few comments on the consultancy social media page by way of follow up. Given the … Continue reading → ...

KiwipoliticoBy Pablo

6 days ago
Keep the Vampires From Your Door

I'll protect you from the hooded clawKeep the vampires from your doorWhen the chips are down I'll be aroundWith my undying, death-defying love for youEnvy will hurt itselfLet yourself be beautifulSparkling love, flowersAnd pearls and pretty girlsLove is like an energyRushin' an' rushin' inside of me, ehSongwriters: Brian Philip Nash ...

Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel

6 days ago
The Odd Couple.

Strange Political Bedfellows: Matthew Hooton’s support for Winston Peters’ New Zealand Futures Fund reflects the Radical Right’s newfound reluctance to bet everything on the efficacy of market forces.AS IF HE WASN’T IN ENOUGH TROUBLE, Matthew Hooton has now come out for Winston Peters’ New Zealand Futures Fund (NZFF). Not only ...

Bowalley Road

6 days ago
Your Friends Should Be Close By

Hi,I’ll never forget the time the guy next to me on the plane got really angry because the Wi-Fi wasn’t working. Here we were, 40,000 feet in the air, and he couldn’t get Facebook. He was huffing, he was puffing. He was insufferable.I’m constantly amazed you can get the internet ...

David FarrierBy David Farrier

6 days ago
2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #43

A listing of 30 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, October 20, 2024 thru Sat, October 26, 2024. Story of the week As an experiment, we asked Google's Gemini for help categorizing the articles we shared during the week. ...

Skeptical Science

6 days ago
Labour Weekend

Stand up all victims of oppressionFor the tyrants fear your mightDon't cling so hard to your possessionsFor you have nothing if you have no rightsLet racist ignorance be endedFor respect makes the empires fallFreedom is merely privilege extendedUnless enjoyed by one and allSongwriters: Eugene Edme Pottier / Petrus Christianus De ...

Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel

7 days ago
Fact brief – Do volcanoes emit more CO2 than humans?

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 from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Do volcanoes emit ...

Skeptical Science

1 week ago
People of Courage & Decency. And Everyone In Between.

Today, news broke that Jeff Bezos, the American billionaire with a net worth of $206 B (NZ $344B), personally vetoed Washington Post’s Editorial Team from endorsing Kamala Harris.That stops the decades-old tradition of the Wapo for endorsing Presidential candidates. And editors have resigned - that includes Editor at large Robert ...

Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui

1 week ago
Let’s Talk About… Anything.

Can't we talk about anything else but love?Love that launched a thousand shipsPlease! Let's talk about anything else but loveLove that causes war and famineCan't we speak about real estate?Love of wifeWatergate?Love of children!Seasonal fluctuations in the prime interest rate?Love of chocolate, you must love chocolate, everybody loves chocolate, say ...

Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel

1 week ago
Can you hear me now?

Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed.Share Read more ...

More Than A FeildingBy David Slack

1 week ago
Why Nations Fail

This year’s Nobel awards in economics raise critical issues about the future of the world.I was not alone with high hopes when the Soviet Union collapsed. It has been good to see various nations leave the yoke of the Soviet Empire and move towards liberal democracies with thriving economies although ...

PunditBy Brian Easton

1 week ago
All very instructive

1. Who played the sax solo on Gerry Rafferty’s Baker Street?a. Kenny Gb. Lisa Simpsonc. Bill Clintond. Raphael Ravenscroft2. What did Nicola Willis, addressing a large gathering of senior public servants this week, ask them to do?a. Come up with fresh ideas and innovative audacious out of the box thinking b. ...

More Than A FeildingBy David Slack

1 week ago
More Sabotage

The Waitangi Tribunal has been one of the most effective critics of the National government and its racist, anti-Māori agenda. So naturally, they're sabotaging it with a crony appointment: Former ACT Party leader Richard Prebble has been appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal. Prebble, a Commander of the British Empire, ...

No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant

1 week ago
Ghost of a (Mad) Dog

How can that dog be barkin' in the backyard?We ran over him years agoHow can that dog be runnin' by the backfence?We ran over him years agoGhost of a dogBarkin' in the backyardSongwriters: Edie Brickell, Kenny Withrow.I have to say this one caught me by surprise. I had to check ...

Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel

1 week ago
David Seymour’s School Lunch Provider Has Questionable Record – Including Listeria, Hors...

Yesterday, I looked into Seymour’s school lunch provider and found out it was Compass Group - a group that has had a long list of food quality issues and settled out of court for corruption and bribery of officials.Never mind the food looked like slop - heavy, process laden food ...

Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui

1 week ago
After years of cover ups and hacks, the truth on gas is out

Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:Gas is worse for the climate than coal, over any timeframe that is relevant for a ‘bridging strategy’. The ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

1 week ago
Brown orders motorway building to start before business case done

Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, October 25: Scoop of the day: Oliver Lewis reported for BusinessDesk-$$$ this morning that Transport Minister Simeon Brown ordered construction to start on the four-lane Hawkes Bay ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

1 week ago
The Hoon around the week to October 25

The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate news, including another extreme climate event in the United States; on the escalating conflict between Israel, Iran ...

The KakaBy Bernard Hickey

1 week ago
Weekly Roundup 25-October-2024

Happy Friday, even more so as we’re head to a long weekend, so welcome to another round-up of interesting stories about what’s happening in Auckland and other cities. Feel free to add your links in the comments! This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely ...

Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland

1 week ago
Skeptical Science New Research for Week #43 2024

Open access notables The rate of global sea level rise doubled during the past three decades, Hamlington et al., Communications Earth & Environment: The rise in globally averaged sea level—or global mean sea level—is one of the most unambiguous indicators of climate change. Over the past three decades, satellites have ...

Skeptical Science

1 week ago
Does New Zealand need Vegas-style transit security on our busses?

There’s a reason why people are supposed to stay on the Strip when they go to Las Vegas, and it’s not just proximity to the best attractions. This city of fluorescent lights and gambling halls extends in all directions across the Nevada landscape, for as far as the eye can ...

Sapphi’s SubstackBy Sapphi

1 week ago
No Enemies To The Left – Or The Right.

Wrong Turn: Labour and National can only reduce the toxic influence of their electoral competitors by rejecting their extremism.“NO ENEMIES TO THE LEFT” has always been Labour’s rule-of-thumb. What, after all, does a moderate, left-of-centre party gain by allowing its electoral rivals to become repositories for every radical (i.e. congenitally dissatisfied) ...

Bowalley Road

1 week ago

Greens call for bottom trawling ban and call out Minister for lacklustre response

The Green Party is urgently calling on the Government to ban bottom trawling, following news a New Zealand bottom trawler caught 37kg of coral in international waters, prompting the suspension of all fishing in the area until 2026. ...

Greens

2 days ago
Mark Patterson: Farmers understand we have their backs

Spring is here which means the start of the A&P show season. Those treasured community days where town meets country. There's no rural-urban divide here, just a chance to meet up with family and old friends and celebrate all things that make rural New Zealand so special. I'm embarking on ...

NZ First Press Release

3 days ago
Release: Funding for Gumboot Friday should pause

The National Government should review its support for Gumboot Friday after unacceptable comments by its leader and champion Mike King. ...

Labour Blog

3 days ago
Louise Upston cherry-picks data to punch down on the poor

The Government has very conveniently cherry-picked data from the latest MSD projections to justify its cruel agenda and punch-down policy when it comes to people living in poverty. ...

Greens

3 days ago
Luxon needs to address the cow in the room

The Green Party was appalled to hear Prime Minister Christopher Luxon claim we are “doing everything we can” on climate change, while his government does nothing to address emissions in our most polluting sector. ...

Greens

5 days ago
Govt Must Clean Up ‘Its Shit’ From Sunken HMNZS Manawanui

Te Pāti Māori is calling out the Government and New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) for their inaction and disgraceful downplaying of the impact caused by the sunken HMNZS Manawanui in Samoa. “We demand the Government move without further delay to clean up its shit from the sunken HMNZS Manawanui in Samoa,” said co-leader Debbie ...

Māori Party

7 days ago
Jamie Arbuckle: Inquiry into Banking Competition

This week was the start of the bank inquiry hearings into banking competition. The inquiry was confirmed in the NZ First/National Coalition agreement. 140 submissions were received on the inquiry, and we will hear from over 60 submitters including all the major banks. ANZ, New Zealand's largest bank, was first ...

NZ First Press Release

7 days ago
Tanya Unkovich: It’s time to start the debate on palliative care as a ‘right’

There is one topic that is the great human leveller, and that is of death and dying. One day, we will all have to face it, and I am of the belief that being able to pass away with grace and dignity is a vital, basic, human right. How we ...

NZ First Press Release

1 week ago
Release: Labour backs Christchurch City Council sanctions on Israel

Labour is backing Christchurch City Council’s decision not to do business with firms involved in Israel’s illegal settlements in the Occupied Territories. ...

Labour Blog

1 week ago
Release: Government driving away offshore wind industry

The Government has created a hostile environment for companies seeking to build offshore wind farms. ...

Labour Blog

1 week ago
Another step towards Pasifika justice

The Green Party acknowledges the historical importance of MP Teanau Tuiono’s Member’s Bill, Restoring Citizenship Removed By Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982 Bill, passing its second reading in Parliament today. ...

Greens

1 week ago
Sanctions Soar, Jobs Vanish – National’s Cruelty Exposed

Te Pāti Māori is enraged at the National government’s ruthless punishment of beneficiaries, all while jobs are disappearing. MSD data shows a 133% increase in sanctions over the past year, with over 14,000 sanctions in just three months. The kicker? The jobs this government insists people should find are nowhere ...

Māori Party

2 weeks ago
Police Perpetuate Siege on Ōpōtiki

Te Pāti Māori MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi, says today’s police-sponsored terrorism in Ōpōtiki is a continuation of the State’s predatory behaviour towards the iwi of Te Whakatōhea. "Ōpōtiki is once again being intentionally targeted and is the direct byproduct of this Government’s 'tough on crime' legislative changes,” said MP ...

Māori Party

2 weeks ago
Release: Govt cuts school lunches even further

The Government has gone back on its word and cut the full school lunch programme in primary schools after saying it wouldn’t. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Time to shut down failed Youth Justice Residences

The Green Party is calling for Youth Justice Residences to close, following a protest in which a group of young people spent the night on the roof of an Oranga Tamariki justice facility. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Release: Appalling process on three strikes law

The Government is subverting parliamentary process on laws the evidence already shows don’t work. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Release: Labour calls for investigation into tobacco tax cut

The Government’s decision to award a $216 million tax break for Philip Morris’ heated tobacco products reeks of tobacco industry interference and needs to be thoroughly investigated. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Release: Delay to retirement village review won’t help residents

The National Government is treading water on a much-needed review of the Retirement Villages Act, kicking any amendments down the road till the next parliamentary term in 2027. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Release: Serious concerns ignored in Govt’s fast track bill

National’s fast track bill enables the most radical and unbalanced consenting regime in living memory. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Fast-Track, off the rails: Submitters show strong opposition to Bill

Despite resounding public opposition, the fast-track legislation is being pushed through Parliament with provisions that could have real consequences for people and planet. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Release: Labour supports continuing fight for dairy access

Labour welcomes the National Government’s decision to further pursue our access to the Canadian dairy market under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Release: Job losses devastating for Timaru

Confirmed news that the Smithfield meatworks will close is devastating for the hundreds of people who work there, Timaru and the wider region. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
New Zealand First Member’s Bill to Improve Access to Palliative Care

New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill which aims to improve access to palliative care for all New Zealanders, ensuring kiwis have better access to the compassionate palliative support they may need. The ‘Improving Access to Palliative Care Bill’ seeks to guarantee that every New Zealander has the right ...

NZ First Press Release

2 weeks ago
Release: Further uncertainty for Kiwirail as jobs set to go

KiwiRail offering voluntary redundancy to all its staff is hugely concerning given the future of New Zealand’s rail system is under threat. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
ASA Declares Hobson’s Pledge Advertising Misleading and Socially Irresponsible

Te Pāti Māori Co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer welcome today’s ruling from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which found that a Hobson's Pledge advertisement regarding customary marine titles was misleading and socially irresponsible. The two-page wraparound ad, published in The New Zealand Herald, suggested that nearly the entire coastline ...

Māori Party

2 weeks ago
Release: Benefit numbers continue to soar under National

National’s all pain approach to beneficiaries has yielded no gain as benefit numbers continue to surge past projected figures. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Casey Costello: What Once Was…

Entering politics is a privilege afforded to very few and, as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. Being an MP is a call to service. Whatever your politics you have a duty to show up. Whatever your party's policy, you have made a promise to those who ...

NZ First Press Release

2 weeks ago
Soaring benefit sanctions push more into poverty

Sanctions on beneficiaries have sky-rocketed since the Coalition Government came to power, pushing more families into poverty. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
International Energy Agency issues wake-up call on climate action

Today’s report from the International Energy Agency highlights how far this Government’s actions are dragging us backwards in the fight against climate change. ...

Greens

2 weeks ago
Release: Lack of funding puts pressure on frontline Police

News that 173 roles are being cut at Police will only put more pressure on the frontline. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Release: Bipartisan agreement on outdated marriage law

Changes to outdated relationships legislation has passed its third reading giving family violence survivors the power to quickly dissolve abusive marriages. ...

Labour Blog

2 weeks ago
Release: Cuts to Apprenticeship Boost will fail future NZ

The Government’s cuts to the Apprenticeship Boost programme will leave New Zealand without the workforce it needs to build homes, schools and hospitals. ...

Labour Blog

3 weeks ago
Release: Sluggish economy means struggles ahead for Kiwis

While today’s inflation numbers are good news for Kiwis, there are still struggles ahead with rising rents, rates, insurance and high unemployment. ...

Labour Blog

3 weeks ago
CPI figures show rents continuing to soar

Stats NZ has confirmed that higher rent prices were the biggest contributor to the annual inflation rate. Almost a fifth of the 2.2 per cent annual increase in the CPI was due to rent prices. ...

Greens

3 weeks ago

New Charter to guarantee better access for hunting and fishing

Minister for Hunting and Fishing Todd McClay has today launched an Access Charter (the Charter) to ensure better access for recreational hunting and fishing on public conservation land (PCL) across New Zealand. “This Charter establishes guiding principles for the Department of Conservation (DOC) to provide clear and transparent decisions on ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

22 hours ago
Pou Whenua blessing honours Tongariro

A beautiful new Pou Whenua at the beginning of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing will introduce visitors to the sacred landscape they are entering, says Conservation Minister Tama Potaka. Mr Potaka attended a blessing for the specially carved Pou Whenua at Mangatepopo, at the start of the track on 1 November. ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

2 days ago
New members appointed to the NZTA Board

Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today announced two new appointments to the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) Board. Mary-Anne Macleod and Mike Rudge have both been appointed as members for three-year terms commencing 1 November 2024 and ending 31 October 2027. “Transport is a critical part of our Government’s plan ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

2 days ago
Welcome relief from new oestradiol gel funding

Associate Health Minister David Seymour is welcoming Pharmac’s funding of oestradiol gel, following global shortages of oestradiol patches earlier this year. “I’m well aware of the stress caused by the global shortage earlier this year. At the time I said I was confident Pharmac was working hard to find a ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

2 days ago
Deputy Prime Minister visit to Australia

Foreign Minister and Racing Minister Winston Peters will visit Australia next week. “Australia is New Zealand’s closest partner, and we are pleased to make this second official visit there for 2024 following the first ever Foreign and Defence Ministers 2+2 Meeting between our two countries in Melbourne in January,” ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

2 days ago
Applications now open for new training pathway

Applications have now opened for tertiary education organisations to seek Government funding to develop New Zealand’s first postgraduate diploma programme for associate psychologists, Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey announced today. “Investment in this new training pathway supports the Government’s target to grow our mental health and addiction workforce and ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

2 days ago
Increased medicines access continues following budget boost

Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour is pleased to see further increased availability of medicines for Kiwis following the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When this Government assumed office, ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

2 days ago
New Zealand concludes high quality trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)

New Zealand and the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have concluded negotiations on a trade agreement that will open up significant opportunities for New Zealand exporters in the Gulf region, Minister for Trade and Agriculture Todd McClay announced from Doha today. Today’s announcement follows significant reengagement with the GCC following meetings ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

2 days ago
Government seeks views on remote court attendance

The Government is exploring how to modernise the law around people attending court remotely, to support access to justice and enhance court performance. Courts Minister Nicole McKee says the current law has not kept up with evolving court practices and public attitudes to the use of remote technology, nor been ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

3 days ago
Breast screening age extension begins in Nelson Marlborough

Free breast screening has been extended for 70 to 74-year-old women living in the Nelson Marlborough district, ahead of a national roll-out late next year, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “Breast cancer is the most common cancer in New Zealand with about 3,400 women diagnosed with the disease ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

3 days ago
Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust Board strengthened

He toi whakairo, he mana tangata. The reappointment of one trustee and the appointment of four new trustees to the Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust Board will enable the legacy of Te Māori to be carried forward into the future, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka and Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

3 days ago
Affordable housing project supporting home ownership

Up to 300 affordable, healthy, community-tailored homes helping to support home ownership are set to be built in eastern Porirua, supported by Government funding for Our Whare Our Fale through the Building Homes for Pacific in Porirua initiative, Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti and Associate Housing Minister Tama ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

3 days ago
Dire benefit forecasts show the need for Welfare that Works

A new report that forecasts young people on benefits will spend an average of 20 more years relying on welfare underscores the need for the Government’s reforms, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. MSD’s latest Benefit System Insights report, released today, which estimates how many future years different ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

3 days ago
Trade Minister travels to Doha for GCC trade discussions

Trade Minister Todd McClay will hold trade discussions with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) trade ministers in Doha this week. Minister McClay will meet with all six GCC Trade Ministers, as well as the GCC Secretary General. “This will be my seventh visit to the region this year including two Ministerial ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

4 days ago
Podiatry prescribers will boost patient care

Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Minister David Seymour say it’s great news that podiatrists will soon be able to prescribe medicines, meaning patients with painful foot and leg conditions don’t have to make a separate trip to the doctor. “This simple step means a big change for people ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

4 days ago
Historic redress inequities finally resolved for Lake Alice Unit survivors

The Government is addressing historic redress inequities for some survivors abused at the Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Unit. In 2001, the Crown reached a $6.5 million group settlement with 95 survivors subjected to abuse at the Lake Alice Unit. Law firm Grant Cameron & Associates (now GCA Lawyers) represented ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

4 days ago
ERO report shows Government’s truancy emphasis is vital

Associate Education Minister David Seymour says that the Education Review Office’s (ERO) timely report on chronic school absence released today is further evidence of a truancy crisis. “Chronic absence has doubled since 2015. This report reinforces that action is needed to ensure this generation reaches its full potential,” says Associate ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

4 days ago
Minister welcomes business view on AML

Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee welcomes BusinessNZ’s report which addresses reducing the compliance burden on small businesses. “The challenges outlined in the report released today echo many of the concerns I have heard from businesses, which have informed my Anti Money Laundering/Countering Financing Terrorism (AML/CFT) priorities,” she says. “I have ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Mangamuka Gorge opening in time for Christmas

State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge will be open for Christmas, with critical work currently underway to clear the large slips and dropouts that have caused significant disruption for Northlanders trying to get where they want to go quickly and safely, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The Mangamuka Gorge ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Trusted building professionals able to self-certify

The Government is proposing further significant action to reform the building and construction sector to support more affordable homes and a stronger economy, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “If we want to grow the economy, lift incomes, create jobs and build more affordable, quality homes we need a ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
New appointments to the TEC board

Dr Alan Bollard CNZM and Mr Bharat Guha have been appointed to the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) board, Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds says. “I would like to welcome the two new members joining the TEC board,” Ms Simmonds says. “Dr Alan Bollard CNZM is an experienced public ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Move to fast-track overseas doctors welcomed

Fast tracking applications for registration by eligible specialist doctors wanting to practice in New Zealand is in line with the Government’s push to improve the health outcomes for New Zealanders, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. This fast-track pathway applies to specialists trained in anaesthesia, dermatology, emergency medicine, general practice, ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Address to Western Sydney University: Constitutional and Rule of Law challenges in current global en...

Tēnā koutou Nau mai haere mai ki tenei hui Thank you to Vice Chancellor Williams, and the University of Western Sydney, for inviting me to speak today. I speak to you today in my capacity as Attorney-General – the New Zealand Crown’s Senior Law Officer. In this capacity, I serve ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Security advice for start-ups welcomed

Minister responsible for the security and intelligence agencies Judith Collins has welcomed new guidance that aims to protect New Zealand’s start-up and emerging technology sector from the threat of economic espionage. “We are a nation well-known for our ingenuity, and our willingness to openly collaborate in the spirit of enterprise ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

5 days ago
Funding support to strengthen frontline volunteer service organisations

The Government has approved $23.1 million for four critical frontline volunteer service organisations to replace storm-damaged assets and provide training and equipment to improve New Zealand’s response to future emergency events, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey says. $14.6 million for Surf Life Saving New ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

6 days ago
Jones heads to international mining conference

Resources Minister Shane Jones will speak at Australia's largest annual mining event in Sydney this week to mark New Zealand’s return to the international industry stage. Mr Jones will attend the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) where he will update the sector’s most influential players on the work the ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

7 days ago
NZ investing in Pacific disaster preparedness & climate resilience

New Zealand will contribute $20 million to the Pacific Resilience Facility, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters have announced. “The Pacific Islands region faces severe challenges from natural disasters and climate change impacts and New Zealand is committed to doing its part to help meet them,” ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Police to increase presence on Auckland public transport

Aucklanders will see a greater Police presence on public transport services to boost safety and reassure public transport workers and passengers, Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Transport and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown say. “Minister Brown and I are working together, alongside Police and Auckland Transport in response to the horrific ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Government funds helicopter replacements

The Government is investing in eight new emergency helicopters to replace some of New Zealand’s ageing air ambulance fleet, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello and ACC Minister Matt Doocey announced today. “Our air ambulance helicopters play a vital role in saving lives around New Zealand,” Casey Costello says. “This is ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
China and New Zealand strengthen organic trade

An uplift to New Zealand’s organic product trade is expected through a new upgraded arrangement with China, Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard says.“The upgraded Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for organic products will deliver opportunities for our organic export sector.”The upgraded MRA was signed in Central Otago today by Andrew Hoggard ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Judicial appointments announced

Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced two Court of Appeal and two High Court appointments. The four appointments will take effect on 21 November 2024 and are: Justice Christine French Justice French, who has been appointed President of the Court of Appeal, graduated with an LLB (Honours) from the University of Otago ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track becomes New Zealand’s 11th Great Walk

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka joined tangata whenua from Ngāi Tahu and local community members today to celebrate the opening of New Zealand’s eleventh Great Walk – the Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track. “The 60km upgraded track provides the opportunity to do one of New Zealand’s world-class multi-day walks, and will bring ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
New Chief Criminal Cases Review Commissioner

The Honourable Denis Clifford has been appointed Chief Commissioner of the Criminal Cases Review Commission, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. Hon Clifford brings a wealth of expertise and experience that will prove invaluable to the Commission. “He has served as a judge at both the Court of Appeal and High ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Changes to improve building fire safety

The Government is progressing changes to better protect Kiwis and their property from fires, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Following the tragic Loafer’s Lodge fire in 2023, 37 boardings houses across the country were assessed and I am pleased to say that all fire safety recommendations from the ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Germany and New Zealand partner to support agriculture and tackle global emissions

New Zealand and Germany have announced the official start of a partnership aimed at supporting the agriculture sector and tackle global agricultural greenhouse gas emissions Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “The partnership, called the Alliance for the Climate – Dialogue on Climate and Agriculture between New Zealand and Germany (Agri-DENZ project), ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
New members appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal

Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka today confirmed the appointment of two new members to the Waitangi Tribunal, as well as the reappointment of Kevin Prime. The members appointed and reappointed are: Hon Richard Prebble (CBE). Mr Prebble is a former Cabinet Minister where he held a broad range of portfolios. ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
New appointments to the Local Government Commission

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has today announced the reappointment of the current Chair and the appointment of a temporary member to the Local Government Commission.Current Chair Brendan Duffy ONZM has been reappointed as Chair for a one-year term ending 23 October 2025, while Gwen Bull CNZM will be joining ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
New Electoral Commission Chair appointed

Today the House agreed to Justice Simon Moore KC being appointed chair of the Electoral Commission, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Justice Moore brings with him a high level of legal acumen and decision-making ability, strategic planning skills and unquestionable personal integrity and independence. “He retired from the High Court ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Education Minister attending conference in Australia

The Education Minister is travelling to Australia today to attend the 23rd edition of public policy conference, Consilium. “New Zealand and Australia share common challenges and aspirations for education. New South Wales has recently introduced a new curriculum that is explicit, sequenced and knowledge based while Victoria is requiring structured ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago
Launching VisAble to enable safer lives

The launch of new community advocacy group VisAble signals an important development in community advocacy to achieve more focus on the needs and rights of disabled people in the family violence and sexual violence system. Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Karen Chhour, and Disabilities Issues Minister, ...

BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz

1 week ago

Parliament Library became haunted house for Halloween

Most people might not call Parliament a normal place, but some call it a paranormal place. ...

Radio NZ – political

1 hour ago
Healthcare needs go beyond the physical

Opinion: Recent Census data highlights our increasingly secular and multi-faith context. More than half of Aotearoa New Zealand’s population does not identify with any particular faith tradition, and just 32 percent are Christian, down from 36.5 percent in 2018.For people whose spirituality is not associated with a faith or belief ...

NewsroomBy University of Otago

1 hour ago
Three reasons America’s democracy is under threat

For just a few weeks shy of eight years now, a certain class of Americans have been walking around in something close to a daze. The election of Donald Trump in 2016 blew to smithereens decades of conventional wisdom about the way many Americans view politics.The ensuing years have seen ...

NewsroomBy 360info

2 hours ago
Palau newspaper sued by president’s family company ahead of general election

By Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews Palau’s largest newspaper is being sued for defamation by the company of President Surangel Whipps Jr’s father, just days ahead of general elections in the Pacific nation. Surangel and Sons alleges “negligence and defamation” by the Island Times and its editor Leilani Reklai for an ...

Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report

10 hours ago
Cook Islands PM calls for easing of tensions in New Caledonia

By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown has returned from New Caledonia saying it is not a simple “black and white situation”. Brown returned from a three-day Pacific fact-finding mission in the French Pacific territory alongside the Prime Ministers of Solomon Islands, Tonga and Fiji. ...

Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report

18 hours ago
Another Palestinian journalist killed in Gaza as Israel ‘suffocates the truth’

“In his message for the day, the secretary-general underscores that a free press is fundamental to human rights, to democracy and to the rule of law,” Dujarric said. ‘Alarming rate of fatalities’“Recent years have seen an alarming rate of fatalities in conflict zones, particularly in Gaza, which has seen the ...

Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report

19 hours ago
Chris Penk lays foundations for self-certified building scheme

As the government sets about laying the foundations for tradespeople to sign off their own work, RNZ sits down with the minister responsible to hammer out the details. ...

Radio NZ – political

21 hours ago
Where the brain goes, the gut will follow

Comment: There has been a growing understanding of the powerful two-way connection between our stomach and brain in recent years, suitably named the gut-brain connection. This link is so strong that the gut is sometimes nicknamed our “second brain”, highlighting how real your “gut feelings” can be. If you’ve ever ...

NewsroomBy Dr Mikaela Law

1 day ago
Short story: 3rd place, Sargeson Prize

WinterI still think of Michael often. We first met at Grace’s thirty-first birthday party. I was sitting outside on the back deck when he came out through the sliding glass doors. He was pulling a pouch from his coat pocket.“You want a smoke?” he asked, planting himself on the bench ...

NewsroomBy Cello Forrester

1 day ago
The Secret Diary of .. Mike King

MondayI sat in at a team meeting to discuss our suicide prevention fundraising event this Friday night in Dunedin and was told we were struggling to gain an alcohol licence from the council.“Tell them Mike King is behind it,” I said. “My name opens doors. Do you see that door? It ...

NewsroomBy Steve Braunias

1 day ago
The making of Donald Trump

It’s taken six years, but The Apprentice, the film former US President Donald Trump didn’t want anyone to see, is finally out in cinemas, just ahead of the US presidential election.There was so much back-and-forth around whether or not the production would go ahead that by the time filming was ...

NewsroomBy Davina Zimmer

1 day ago
The Weekend: When the tide turns

Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was. The window in which to “have an opinion” on an unfolding news story is shockingly small. Just as large newsrooms know that being “the first” to publish a breaking news story is often more important than anything written in it – ever ...

The SpinoffBy Madeleine Chapman

1 day ago
Let people respond to the haka how they want to

Cultural challenges are an integral part of sports, but how teams respond has been a point of debate for some time. Self-proclaimed “loose head” England prop Joe Marler called for the haka to be scrapped earlier this week, before “clarifying” what he meant, attempting to pivot his statement, and then ...

The SpinoffBy Liam Rātana

1 day ago
‘I’ve never lived it down’: The Breakfast live cross that still haunts Jack Tame

The TVNZ broadcaster reflects on his life in television, including a full circle moment with David Attenborough, his favourite politicians to interview and why he’ll never watch Game of Thrones. Jack Tame spends most of his time grilling our own MPs, but at the moment his heart is somewhere else. ...

The SpinoffBy My Life in TV

1 day ago
‘So subtle, yet so chaotic’: Wiri Donna’s perfect weekend playlist

Wellington’s Wiri Donna shares her perfect weekend playlist. Bianca Bailey is the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter behind the chamber-pop project Wiri Donna, which recently released its second EP, In My Chambers. “I’m feeling a little vulnerable about it, almost like I’m about to out myself as an angry person. ...

The SpinoffBy Lyric Waiwiri-Smith

1 day ago
How the Gen Z broccoli haircut became big business for a teen barber

Three teenage barbers in Mt Albert have capitalised on a viral haircut to build businesses on Instagram. Duncan Greive gets a haircut and a lesson in modern business. Photography by Jin Fellet. ‘When I first started cutting hair, I messed up my friend really badly,’ says Ali. I shiver involuntarily ...

The SpinoffBy Duncan Greive

1 day ago
A new novel imagines a New Zealand version of the conservative South Asian grifter

There’s little to like about figures like American politician Vivek Ramaswamy, but there is a lot to learn. Earlier this year, American politician and failed Republican candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy, hosted notorious bagpipe, Ann Coulter, on his podcast. They talked for an hour, and frankly there’s no way I’m going to ...

The SpinoffBy Brannavan Gnanalingam

1 day ago
The wild, exotic life of Katherine Mansfield

https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.jsKatherine Mansfield left New Zealand when she was 19 years old and died at the age of 34.In her short life she became our most famous short story writer, acquiring an international reputation for her stories, poetry, letters, journals and reviews. Biographies on Mansfield have been translated into 51 ...

NewsroomBy Newsroom Contributor

1 day ago
Podcast: Giving employees what they want, when they want it

Fintechs are changing the way we spend and save, but they are also set to change the way we could be paid for work, or more correctly, how workers receive fringe benefits. As New Zealanders we’re used to having the bulk of our remuneration paid as an electronic payment ...

The SpinoffBy When the Facts Change

1 day ago
Albanese promises changes to HELP repayment arrangements to ease cost of living

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra People repaying HELP student debts would get cost-of-living relief under changes to repayment arrangements to be announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Sunday. The minimum threshold for repayments to start would be lifted ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

1 day ago
Philippine Supreme Court orders ‘temporary protection’ for abducted environmental activist

By Jairo Bolledo in Manila The Philippine Supreme Court has granted temporary protection to an environmental activist abducted in Pangasinan earlier this year. In its resolution dated September 9 — but only made public this week — the court granted Francisco “Eco” Dangla III’s petition for temporary protection, and prohibited ...

Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report

1 day ago
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Bruce Wolpe says personal relations between Trump and Albanese would...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Days from the US presidential election, the polls are showing the outcome of the race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump remains a nail biter. With the United States our closest ally, the result ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

1 day ago
Indo-Fijian ‘listen to us’ plea to NZ over Pacific ethnicity classification

By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific presenter/Bulletin editor Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says that as far as Fiji is concerned, Fijians of Indian descent are Fijian. While Fiji is part of the Pacific, Indo-Fijians are not classified as Pacific peoples in New Zealand; instead, they are listed under Indian and ...

Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report

1 day ago
Is thirst a good predictor of dehydration?

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland KieferPix/Shutterstock Water is essential for daily functioning and health, and we can only survive a few days without it. Yet we constantly lose water through sweat, urination and even ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

2 days ago
US election: The world could wait a fortnight thanks to one Arizona County

Come next Tuesday, the world will be watching Nate Young and his team – literally. There are now 21 livestream cameras showing early voter ballot drop-off locations and the inner-workings of the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center.The 24/7 livestreams that capture election employees’ every move might seem like overkill, but ...

NewsroomBy Laura Walters

2 days ago
Te Arawhiti – the Office for Māori Crown Relations set to lose more than 50 roles

Two proposals were made to staff on Friday - one would see a transfer of functions to Te Puni Kōkiri - with 44 employees transferred. ...

Radio NZ – political

2 days ago
Naked tennis, outback feuds and a chimp named Tonka: what we’re streaming in November

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexa Scarlata, Research Fellow, Media & Communication, RMIT University As I write this, people around the country will be recovering from last night’s Halloween shenanigans, perhaps even experiencing a candy-induced comedown. Luckily, this month’s streaming picks include a serial killer flick that’ll ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

2 days ago
Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s social media posts have had a ‘sudden boost’ since July, new rese...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Graham, Associate Professor in Digital Media, Queensland University of Technology On July 13, shortly after Donald Trump was targeted by an assassination attempt, Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X (formerly Twitter), tweeted to his more than 200 million followers: ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

2 days ago
Could Ukraine be heading toward a frozen conflict? Why so much is hinging on the US election

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Genauer, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, Flinders University In recent months, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pushing hard for the United States and European countries to double down on military support for his country until he can achieve his “victory ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

2 days ago
Australians love sport, but which ones do they actually play? National survey results paint a surpri...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania Liderina/Shutterstock Sport and physical activity are an important part of Australian culture and society. But how do we know which sports have the highest participation rates in Australia? ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

2 days ago
Mike King: A timeline of ups and downs in mental health

The former comedian is back in the headlines, this time for making controversial comments about alcohol - but it's not the first time he's ruffled feathers. ...

Radio NZ – political

2 days ago
‘I’m coming home from a party, and I don’t want to end up getting arrested’: do driving apps...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Verity Truelove, Senior Research Fellow in Road Safety Research, University of the Sunshine Coast Vlad Ispas/Shutterstock Apps such as Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze can tell drivers when they are approaching speed cameras or random breath testing stations. Countries such ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

2 days ago
The Friday Poem: ‘THE THING IS’ by Johanna Cosgrove

A new poem by Johanna Cosgrove. THE THING IS i don’t know how to write about you while my heart bloated is mince for the jackdaws the slack jaw you pried open with careful fingers stroking my tongue as a treasure belonging to only you my whole mouth bruised by ...

The SpinoffBy Johanna Cosgrove

2 days ago
The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending November 1

The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Intermezzo by Sally Rooney (Faber & Faber, $37) “Though not perfect, a clear leap forward for ...

The SpinoffBy The Spinoff Review of Books

2 days ago
Dunedin council grants liquor licence for suicide prevention event that sparked Mike King’s al...

Dunedin's district licensing committee has granted a special licence for alcohol sales at a fashion show on Saturday that is raising money for a suicide prevention charity. ...

Radio NZ – political

2 days ago
This new docuseries shows us another world of learning

Episode four of Home Education follows Kensey and her mum Alesha as they navigate a new journey of learning at home. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. As the wind blows through the poplar trees and the sun begins to lower, a ...

The SpinoffBy Tara Ward

2 days ago
Which Australian states and territories perform best on gender representation in parliament? We crun...

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Blair Williams, Lecturer in Australian Politics, Monash University Abortion became a key issue at the recent Queensland election, despite its decriminalisation in 2018. Voting against the motion at the time, LNP leader David Crisafulli fumbled questions throughout the election campaign about ...

Evening ReportBy The Conversation

2 days ago
Dunedin council grants liquor license for suicide prevention event that sparked Mike King’s al...

Dunedin's district licensing committee has granted a special licence for alcohol sales at a fashion show on Saturday that is raising money for a suicide prevention charity. ...

Radio NZ – political

2 days ago
Te Arawhiti – the Office for Māori Crown Relations set to lose 40% of its staff – union

Te Arawhiti is being "gutted", the Public Service Association says. ...

Radio NZ – political

2 days ago
Fisheries Minister Shane Jones calls for review of coral limits to avoid fishing bans

Shane Jones' comments come after a New Zealand vessel caught more than double the legal amount of coral - triggering an automatic suspension of fishing in the Lord Howe area of the Tasman Sea. ...

Radio NZ – political

2 days ago

The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.

Build a bridge and get over it

Related Posts

227 comments on “Build a bridge and get over it ”

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

Related Posts

Related Posts

Related Posts

Related Posts

Build a bridge and get over it

Share this:

Related Posts

227 comments on “Build a bridge and get over it ”

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

Share this:

Related Posts

Share this:

Related Posts

Share this:

Related Posts

Share this:

Related Posts