Coalition Problems? Tell ’em they’re Dreaming!

Written By: - Date published: 6:44 pm, September 13th, 2018 - 82 comments
Categories: accountability, class war, Deep stuff, democratic participation, Economy, election 2017, elections, greens, john key, labour, nz first, political alternatives, Politics, same old national, Shane Jones, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, workers' rights - Tags: ,

The National Party and their paid stooges have been promoting the narrative that NZ First is the party that’s really in control of the new government. That’s bollocks.

What’s actually happening is that we have an MMP Government that is functioning in exactly the way it was envisaged to work. The three parties negotiate, they argue for their positions, they seek consensus and then they enact legislation. And, yes, it is a three way deal. The Greens have managed to find ways to build a relationship with NZ First that must be annoying the hell out of the Nats.

Much has already been agreed, as part of the post election bargaining. But much more has yet to be decided and if there is no immediate agreement on an issue, then there will discussions. Some issues will be bottom line matters for one or more parties, most will not be contentious. All will be agreed, in some form or other.

The fundamental difference between this Government and the three versions of the Key administration is that Labour do not have an outright majority with cling on parties entirely dependent on the whims of the Prime Minister.

Key had the ability to tell the Maori Party, Peter Dunne and the token Act MP to piss off any time he chose. Those parties were mere lapdogs, warming their fat arses on the heated seats of limousines only as long as they kept quietly obedient.

The Ardern led Government is going to be successful, and be re-elected, exactly because its policies are going to be strenuously tested in house before they go to a parliamentary vote.

Now, it’s fair to say, it’s not always going to be to be Labour’s liking. There will be disappointment, there will be disagreement, there will be disputes. However, when legislation goes forward, it will reflect the will of the entire coalition, not just the brain farts of the leadership.

Can anyone see this Government blowing millions on vanity projects like the flag referendum?

No, me neither.

Winston Peters gets it right when he notes that

“This is the first real MMP government and consultation and communication are what we do”.

That’s MMP folks.

Working as it should, working in the interests of the majority, not the parasitic minority.

Here’s a good example. The Tories have said that the proposed strengthening of the Employment Relations Act was going to fall over because NZ First was agin it.

Not so, as it turns out.

I’ve no doubt that the NZ’s worst employers, the Talley’s group, have been leaning on Shane Jones. These guys always expect a return on their money and they haven’t donated all that dosh to various MP’s down the years because they love parliamentary democracy.

But if the Talley brothers have reminded Jones of where his loyalties should lie, it hasn’t worked.

And that’s because the strength of this coalition is respect for different opinions and a way of working that emphasises consensus. How very different from the undemocratic FPP when a one seat majority ensured an effective dictatorship over legislation.

No, this is the modern way. No wonder the right can’t understand why they lost the last election.

They’re dinosaurs, watching the comets fall.

82 comments on “Coalition Problems? Tell ’em they’re Dreaming! ”

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  1. BM 1
    13 September 2018 at 6:52 pm

    The National Party and their paid stooges have been promoting the narrative that NZ First is the party that’s really in control of the new government

    They’re doing a great job because that’s what everyone’s thinking.

    Ardern really going to struggle to come back from this.

    • mike 1.1
      13 September 2018 at 7:06 pm

      Yeah right!

    • Chris T 1.2
      13 September 2018 at 7:07 pm

      Indeed

      Perception is everything

    • In Vino 1.3
      13 September 2018 at 7:07 pm

      What a beautiful example of wishful thinking presented as fact. Dream on, Bullshit Mountain

    • Enough is Enough 1.4
      14 September 2018 at 10:51 am

      I am still working out whether the opposition is doing a superb job, or the media is doing the opposition’s job for them.

      Either way you are correct in the sense that the current narrative is we have a dysfunctional government. Some of that is warranted (e.g. the constant contradictory messaging), but a lot of it is just the reality of coalition government.

      What is clear is that the Prime Minister needs to step up and take control of the situation. Making herself available for this weekend political shows would be a good start.

  2. Kat 2
    13 September 2018 at 7:09 pm

    The National Party and their paid stooges including pathetic wee blog trolls are fast becoming irrelevant and only serve as momentary amusement and as decreasingly interesting examples of a bygone era.

  3. Dennis Frank 3
    13 September 2018 at 7:15 pm

    Reassuring to see the govt back on track on this issue. May not get visibly back on track on the other issues quite so soon? If not, must be taking a slow but sure approach, not in a hurry? Perhaps we can give them the benefit of the doubt for now. 🙄

  4. Chuck 4
    13 September 2018 at 7:20 pm

    “The Ardern led Government is going to be successful, and be re-elected, exactly because its policies are going to be strenuously tested in house before they go to a parliamentary vote.”

    I needed a good laugh tonight…I admire you turning a pig’s ear into a silk purse!

    Ardern needs to take back control, but in reality, she can’t without risking everything. This is all about NZF staying above 5% come 2020.

    Watch NZF becoming even more assertive…its there formula not to go the way of a minor party when in Government.

    • BM 4.1
      13 September 2018 at 7:59 pm

      Ardern can’t because she’s not a leader, she’s so far above her pay grade it’s not funny, she really is the accidental PM.

      Will NZ survive the next 2 years?, I can only hope.

      • Grey Area 4.1.1
        13 September 2018 at 9:32 pm

        You really are tiresome with your repeated emphatic statements that are purely your opinion yet you seem to believe they are facts. Delusional.

      • Stuart Munro 4.1.2
        14 September 2018 at 7:44 am

        The concept of inclusive leadership flies above the heads of the Gnat faithful – they need a “strong” abusive leader who will punish them as they deserve. Rather like the frog’s king:

        The Frogs were tired of governing themselves. They had so much freedom that it had spoiled them, and they did nothing but sit around croaking in a bored manner and wishing for a government that could entertain them with the pomp and display of royalty, and rule them in a way to make them know they were being ruled. No milk and water government for them, they declared. So they sent a petition to Jupiter asking for a king.
        Jupiter saw what simple and foolish creatures they were, but to keep them quiet and make them think… ~Phaedrus

      • RedLogix 4.1.3
        14 September 2018 at 11:04 am

        @BM.

        Yes I can understand why Adern does not look like the traditional ‘leader’ model that you are using here. By that measuring stick she’s not a good fit.

        But leadership does not have to be limited to a narrow uni-dimensional form, the classic ENTJ extrovert, dramatic and judgemental … always convinced and convincing of their own rightness and authority. It’s a top down strategy that works well in closely defined contexts and where speed of execution is critical.

        But the modern world is far too complex for any one individual, or even a small coterie of close advisors, to grapple with effectively. In the OP the phrase three parties negotiate, they argue for their positions, they seek consensus and then they enact legislation requires a different more subtle form of leadership.

        And by that standard Adern may well be doing something you appear to be blind to.

        • BM 4.1.3.1
          15 September 2018 at 7:07 pm

          Can you tell me what Arderns leadership credentials actually are?

          I get it you’re a left winger, but fuck me this individual has never run anything, her time in opposition was nothing more than be the smile and wave happy face monkey for Labour.

          It fucks with my head that someone with no qualifications or experience in any sort of leadership roles can end up as the PM of NZ?

          Politics and political parties are crap and need to be done away with.

          • KJT 4.1.3.1.1
            15 September 2018 at 7:18 pm

            Being a corporate drone in the right position to rort the NZ dollar, is, of course, qualification for leadership?

          • KJT 4.1.3.1.2
            15 September 2018 at 7:22 pm

            There is another model of leadership than the autocratic, top down, authoritarian one that you hanker for.

            It is facilitative, democratic and co-operative.

            And, it is proven more effective.

            So much so, it is used by elite military units, ships officers and airline pilots.

          • Dennis Frank 4.1.3.1.3
            15 September 2018 at 7:22 pm

            Yeah but that logic could be applied to anyone. Trump, for instance. Reagan was a B-grade movie actor, a sports reporter before that. Kirk was an engine-driver, Bolger a farmer, Muldoon an accountant, Obama a university lecturer. It’s not like there’s an established career path to becoming PM. Democracy was designed to allow anyone to get there!

            • BM 4.1.3.1.3.1
              15 September 2018 at 8:06 pm

              Yeah, I get that.

              But really Ardern? I’ve been around this blog for a very long time, have a memory like an elephant and I can honestly say no one has ever rated Ardern anything more than just a shallow gimmick.

              All of a sudden everyones making her out to be this amazing leader with all these skills, blah, blah, blah. 🙄

              It’s just horseshit and actually quite scary something as ill-equipped as Ardern ends up running the show, madness!

              • Dennis Frank …
                15 September 2018 at 8:16 pm

                I understand your scepticism. I agree that the charisma or sincerity or whatever appeals to so many voters doesn’t mean she has leadership capacity. However she has actually showed some of that in her progress as Labour leader, and in the negotiations with Winston.

                As I’ve pointed out here, there’s also been a noticeable lack lately, but I’m reserving judgment. Let’s see how she represents the coalition tomorrow.

                • BM …
                  15 September 2018 at 8:39 pm

                  she has actually shown some of that in her progress as Labour leader, and in the negotiations with Winston.

                  Good one fella, this is how it actually went

                  WP: Bill, I’d like a billion dollars to buy me a seat up north as well as 2 cabinet positions

                  BE: Lol, fuck off you drunken old cunt, you only got 7%

                  JA : Only a billion? how about 5 billion and 8 cabinet positions

                  WP; Jesus, steady on girl how about 3 billion and 4 cabinet positions, don’t want to look too greedy.

                  JA : it’s a deal

                  Press; Ohhh that Ardern she’s such a political maestro 🙄

                  • McFlock …
                    15 September 2018 at 9:05 pm

                    Apparently, the reverse happened. It’s just that National thought NZ1 could be bribed with baubles of office but no policy concessions. But to be fair, that’s been true for their coalition peons partners over the previous nine years.

                    The mysterious leaking of Winston’s pension details might have helped Labour just a wee bit, too.

          • Sacha 4.1.3.1.4
            15 September 2018 at 8:17 pm

            Ardern led a world socialist politicians’ organisation at one stage, didn’t she?

  5. R.P Mcmurphy 5
    13 September 2018 at 8:06 pm

    they halfway down the runway and about to ignite the afterburners…

    • Chris T 5.1
      13 September 2018 at 8:12 pm

      …..And Winston just took charge of the joy stick, decided to pull back into the terminal and reschedule take off till a later date, re-routing the flight path and leaving loads of frustrated passengers who chose that airline for the journey

  6. marty mars 6
    13 September 2018 at 8:07 pm

    Nice post. So ‘on the mark’ and funny as usual. The right are in disarray at the moment, I’m sure they’ll get it together eventually, say 4 terms, anyway so funny watching the desperate attempts by the right to create a story. Im loving mmp and this government.

  7. Ngungukai 7
    13 September 2018 at 8:20 pm

    Should be a 4 term Coalition Government.

  8. Ankerrawshark 8
    13 September 2018 at 8:24 pm

    Actually labour is not going to win in2020 if the msm has anything to do with it. Fortunately social media will be what swings it and the youth vote. Note how ardern is often at schools around youth, swarmed by young women wanting selfies at suffer age event in Chch tonight. They don’t tune into beltway politicking.

    My son whose not left as such, lifted his head while jacinda was on the tellie and said yeah she speaks well…..the Curren thing went over his head. Not engaged by it.

    Jacinda is phenomenal. No one will remember any of these msm created dramas come the election. They’ll renember how cool she is and how they are not paying a student loan and how their relatives in their 30s won a kiwi build ballot

    • BG 8.1
      14 September 2018 at 8:03 am

      Sorry to tell you but Social Media ‘likes’ and progressive ‘tweets’ mean absolutely nothing as they’re confined to a very small self serving echo chamber.

      Remember the Internet Mana party? Their supporters were telling everyone from all their ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ they were going to romp past 5%…only to get to 1.4%

      Oh that’s right, it was the evil media that prevented them from garnering more votes, not the public at all, who just decided that they didn’t want them.

  9. Incognito 9
    13 September 2018 at 8:29 pm

    Very good post! Bryan Gould wrote a similar post: http://www.bryangould.com/coalition-government-working-as-it-should/

    MMP is and always will be hard work, much harder than FPP and it isn’t for the fainthearted, it requires a different kind of politics & politicians so all kudos to Winston Peters.

    As far as I can tell, from a long distance, the coalition partners are working well together but to me they are still wearing their party hats too often and too ostentatiously and their Government hats seem to come second. The MSM, helpful as ever, does cultivate the party distinctions and beats up any perceived signs of simmering disagreement rather than accentuate the commonalities and team work based on consensus and shared views.

    Being in Government ought to transcend party politics IMHO, at least some of the time.

    • Kat 9.1
      13 September 2018 at 8:38 pm

      Yes, certainly a lot of “beating” going on when it comes to the National Party and its stooges in the MSM………. and not last but certainly the least, the wee blog trolls.

    • Marcus Morris 9.2
      13 September 2018 at 11:13 pm

      Great article, as always, from Bryan Gould. I doubt that the usual trolls who “trot their stuff” on this site would bother to read it or to even understand it. If they are old enough to have voted in the MMP referenda of the early eighties, they might recall that it has evolved exactly as it was designed. One of its champions, Sir Geoffrey Palmer, another intellect in the same league as Bryan Gould, called it the “curbing of unbridled power”. The more extreme in the right wing camp, with their incredible sense of entitlement, just cannot understand that any other approach to government than their own is either possible or desirable. In Britain it’s called Toryism.

  10. greywarshark 10
    13 September 2018 at 8:40 pm

    It’s good this MMP. It is true, I think, that MMP tends to stabilise and make it hard for revolutionary thrusts a la Douglas, Bartlett, Quigley, Prebble – Gang of Four or Five was it? I don’t count david Lange, he was good, but they had lines as good in Boston Legal.

    However look at our baby now, flourishing and with a healthy brown skin. I don’t think though that Maori should ever give up those four seats. It is good training for wannabe pollies, and there are lots of issues. There always will be because of the myopic view of many MPs on the Right, and some on the Left. Perhaps drop the threshhold to 4% but then leave it a-lone!

  11. infused 11
    13 September 2018 at 8:44 pm

    I guess you can keep telling yourself that. But the way it’s playing out in public says something else.

  12. veutoviper 12
    13 September 2018 at 8:53 pm

    Great post, TRP. Well said.

    It has really frustrated me this week seeing the Nats playing their BS games trying to promote the perception that there is major dysfunction in the Coalition Govt – and seeing much of the media and many here swallowing the BS Koolaid.

    Ardern and Peters have very much worked as a team in the House despite Bridges and Bennett trying their hardest.

    Sure, the reality is that some Labour Ministers need to pull their heads in and get with the Cabinet process, and not expose the Govt as has happened once or twice this week. but overall the coalition process is working.

    For example, just before readiing this post, I posted a reply to Dennis Frank on Daily Review re the Electoral (Integrity) Bill aka the waka jumping Bill which of course Peters really wants through – and the Employment Relations Amendment Bill which Labour wants through.

    https://thestandard.org.nz/daily-review-13-09-2018/#comment-1524402

    As noted in my reply the Waka jumping Bill went through its 2nd Reading and halfway through its Committee stages in the House in August, but has been sitting in what I call the “so close but yet so far” part of the daily Order Paper since then with quite a few other Bills moved up above keeping it in that zone since then.

    With the reporting back to the House of the Employment Relations Amendment Bill last Friday by the Education and Workforce Select Committee, this is now also on the Order Paper – and as of today’s Order Paper, currently right below the waka jumping Bill.

    Who gets to decide the order of Government Bills on the daily Order Paper and what gets into the House and what doesn’t ? The Leader of the House, Chris Hipkins.

    So one bill that NZF really wants through right next to one that Labour wants through …. Quelle coincidence! LOL.

    Forget all the stirring by National in the last day or so. Both Bills will get through. And National knows it.

    And Labour holds the Order Paper card.

  13. ianmac 13
    13 September 2018 at 9:09 pm

    I think that by the end of Question time today Trevor was fed up with the constant repetition of the “NZF alleged being in charge” type questions. Winston refused to answer the last two questions and Trevor sided with Winston.
    From about 1:47
    https://www.parliament.nz/en/watch-parliament/ondemand?itemId=202686

    • veutoviper 13.1
      13 September 2018 at 9:41 pm

      I agree, ianmac. And Bennett also tried baiting Peters on the Winston Peters led govt in Question 1 and got slapped back strongly by Mallard. Peters also put her in her place on the process for the Employment Relations Bill which she damn well knows but kept trying it on.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qicoQCc93-s

      PS – Loved the Russians bit in your link at about 5.00. LOL

  14. Antoine 14
    13 September 2018 at 10:05 pm

    > Can anyone see this Government blowing millions on vanity projects like the flag referendum?

    is this a joke?

    A.

  15. Antoine 15
    13 September 2018 at 10:50 pm

    And when Winston vetoed an increase in the refugee quota, was that “the will of the entire coalition”?

    A.

    • Incognito 15.1
      13 September 2018 at 10:58 pm

      Read the Post or else, re-read it, and your ignorance will melt away like an ice shelf in Antarctica.

    • te reo putake 15.2
      14 September 2018 at 8:03 am

      Winston hasn’t vetoed it, Antoine. It has yet to be discussed and a final figure has yet to be decided. That figure, when it is announced, will indeed be the will of the coalition. It may not be the will of individual parties, however. Which is a point I made in the post.

      Think of it as a marriage. The partners are individuals, but the couple act as one. One partner might fancy a surfing holiday. The other might want to go skiing. As a couple, they might decide to compromise and holiday in Christchurch, where both options are easily available.

      • Dennis Frank 15.2.1
        14 September 2018 at 8:13 am

        Ha, synchronicity! (see 16.1) 😄

      • Antoine 15.2.2
        14 September 2018 at 8:29 am

        It’s not a couple, there are 3 of them

      • Antoine 15.2.3
        14 September 2018 at 8:38 am

        But seriously. Your comment is uncontroversial. Of course the 3 parties want different things, and each get some of the things they want. Everyone acknowledges this, whether left or right. The actual points of controversy are:
        – whether the process is well oiled or a shambles
        – whether one party is exerting a disproportionate influence, and
        – whether the overall effect is good governance or not.

        A.

        • Antoine 15.2.3.1
          14 September 2018 at 8:39 am

          By the way, why are we not getting large cuts to immigration? I thought all 3 coalition parties wanted that.

          A.

          • Craig H 15.2.3.1.1
            14 September 2018 at 9:18 pm

            Still to be worked through, but the changes announced to post-study work visas will decrease visas to some extent, and apparently student visa numbers are down as Immigration NZ have tightened up how they apply the criteria.

      • Nick 15.2.4
        14 September 2018 at 8:39 am

        Nice simple explanation from you TRP for Antoine, unfortunately he/she will refuse to accept (because these rwnjs simply can). That clown hoskin is an exact image of that mentality, They prefer ignorance…. And frog king.

        • KJT 15.2.4.1
          15 September 2018 at 7:29 pm

          Natural “authoritarian followers” want “leaders” that tell them what to do, and what to think. They are uncomfortable without a tyrant.

    • veutoviper 15.3
      14 September 2018 at 9:38 am

      Winston has not “vetoed’ an increase in the refugee quota.

      Rather, in answer to a question/comment from a journalist, he said that the current quota was 1000 – not 1500. Which is technically correct.

      Why? Because a formal proposal to raise the quota to 1500 has not yet been considered by the joint Labour/NZF Cabinet.

      Peters’ comments do not constitute a veto or an absolute that NZF will oppose an increase. In fact they have already agreed to the financial provisions for the increased facilities at the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre through the 2018 Budget.

  16. Ad 16
    14 September 2018 at 7:52 am

    If it was all sweetness and light Ardern would not have to do a speech that she herself is advertising as a “strategic reset for the coalition”.

    TRP you will probably have got the invitation to go to it at AUT this weekend.

    This government has plenty of middle management, but not enough momentum.

    • Dennis Frank 16.1
      14 September 2018 at 8:10 am

      I hope she provides an outline of when each major piece of legislation in the coalition program is likely to be enacted. Uncertainty signalled produces ongoing media speculation. Commentators here have made much of the tail-wagging the dog effect and that has become a trend in the media too, driven by Winston reacting to Labour’s attempts to hijack the coalition agenda.

      The assumption that NZF ought to behave themselves due to only getting 7% of the vote is unrealistic. The two parties are partners in the coalition. Success requires agreement between them. It’s actually a parity relationship. Everyone ought to think of it as analogous to the bicultural equality produced by Te Tiriti.

    • te reo putake 16.2
      14 September 2018 at 8:12 am

      It’ll be an interesting speech, Ad and as I suggested on an earlier post, the PM should probably be looking at an early cabinet reshuffle.

      I think of the first year of any NZ Government as the pre-season warm up games, where you test out your playing combinations. The season proper starts in year two with a settled team and the finals are in year three with your proven performers running out onto the paddock with joy in their hearts and glory on their minds 😉

      • Ad 16.2.1
        14 September 2018 at 9:11 am

        Yes agree with you on the coalition. Key had a few duds as well which were cleaned out early.

        I worry less about the personalities and more about the policy strength, coherence, and delivery. That’s where they’re uneven and suffering for it in the coming year if they don’t show they have a plan.

        Also, though we will fruitlessly call for the MSM to understand mature MMP, advice on any relationship is:

        Don’t argue in front of the kids.

      • james 16.2.2
        14 September 2018 at 9:27 am

        “the PM should probably be looking at an early cabinet reshuffle”

        Perhaps she will get to her 50/50 gender split like she wanted.

        Should be easy with the talent pool.

      • Alan 16.2.3
        14 September 2018 at 10:14 am

        problem is there are very few proven performers in this team

  17. Kat 17
    14 September 2018 at 8:34 am

    Hoots over at the Herald: “No new Prime Minister has had an easier ride than Jacinda Ardern”………… yet another deranged angle to attack the PM.

    • rod 17.1
      14 September 2018 at 4:53 pm

      Perhaps Hoots forgot about Blinglish, anyway, he will still get paid for his usual bullshit, by Granny Herald.

  18. Dennis Frank 18
    14 September 2018 at 8:40 am

    Danyl Mclauchlan: “most of the items in the New Zealand First coalition agreement are things Labour and the Greens want to do anyway, so if they block them they’ll be blocking their own policy agenda.” https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/13-09-2018/jacinda-and-the-winston-dilemma-do-nothing-or-take-the-nuclear-option/

    “Labour currently has 67 bills in progress through parliament; New Zealand First has eight. This asymmetry gives Peters enormous leverage over Labour, and he’s using it to implement a novel – for New Zealand – opposition-in-government strategy in which he appeals to soft National voters by routinely obstructing and embarrassing Labour and its ministers.”

    Methinks Danyl hasn’t noticed that Labour’s behaviour provokes Winston into doing this. Cause & effect, Danyl. If the PM doesn’t like it, all she has to do is impose effective discipline on her ministers – don’t keep allowing them to call press conferences to announce policies that the government hasn’t adopted. Duh!

    • Antoine 18.1
      14 September 2018 at 8:42 am

      Danyl is a darn sight smarter than you, I don’t think you should be in a hurry to make assumptions about what he has or hasn’t noticed

      A.

      • Dennis Frank 18.1.1
        14 September 2018 at 8:45 am

        Huh?? Where’s evidence for that? I provided the evidence that showed he’s only seeing one side of the story. Elementary competence requires consideration of both sides. He hasn’t got there yet!

      • veutoviper 18.1.2
        14 September 2018 at 10:16 am

        I used to have a lot of time/respect for Danyl but lost most of that a few years ago, when he seemed to lose his previously clear thinking and analysis.

        Re this article, it is obviously he has brought in hook, line and sinker into the diversionary BS Koolaid National has been pushing for the last week of so of Peters running the show. (How is that investigation going into who the leaker was, Simon?)

        Having just read the article again, I have also concluded that Danyl has absolutely no understanding whatsoever of Peters and his personality, values etc – again a very one dimensional view on Danyl’s part. I am sad about that as Danyl held so much promise a few years ago.

    • Ad 18.2
      14 September 2018 at 9:13 am

      Danyl also hasn’t noticed that 67 bills to 8 means Labour has at its disposal most of Crown Law, most of the Departments, all of DPMC, and the PCO, and of course four times as many MPs and Cabinet Ministers to do the freaking work for those bills.

      Danyl should just toke up and inhale.

  19. cleangreen 19
    14 September 2018 at 9:26 am

    Yes te reo putake.

    MMP must now fully work under Jacinda’s watch;

    100% correct and here is why just in one occasion as an example we need to make MMP work.

    As a guest said on News hub this morning on the Duncan Garner AM show” this is the first real ‘fully functional’ MMP Government since its introduction in the 1990’s, he said he believes that NZ should follow UK model where the coalition parties firstly hold a deep weekly ‘inclusive’ caucus discussion around all the agreements made by Jacinda and her Labour Government and come to a common set of agreements before making any media statements.

    I voted labour/NZ First and we are still waiting for our ‘Minister of transport to come to HB and discuss the overuse of trucks in our regions that are now suffering from highway two roads being wreaked by continual pounding of the overuse of trucking to move freight around without any rail freight being considered by this Government yet so NZ First have the best rail policy of any party in coalition with Labour and we are not yet hearing from either Labour nor it’s own “Transport Minister to encourage moving at least some of the road freight back to rail as NZ First has the policy to do this in ‘ ‘RONI’ “Rail of national Importance”.

    http://kiwirailblog.blogspot.com/2014/07/nz-first-rail-policy-announced-railways.html

    Phil Twyford is totally absent from any involvement with any local community such as HB/Gisborne or Northland,

    Do we need a new mInister OF rail?????? -as we have asked Mr twyford to come on multiple emails but he still refuses to come so Minister of transport Phil Twyford needs to now front up and come to these regions and meet with residents who are all fed-up by “truck noise vibration and air pollution affecting their lives and residential well-being”.

    Are you listening Phil or Jacinda???????

    When we asked Helen Clark to send her transport Minister in 2001 she sent her Transport minister and the Finance minister and also the ‘Transit NZ’ (now NZTA) CEO to meet with our committee at the HB Expressway, which was a local commuter road is now gridlocked by trucks that was causing so much truck noise vibration and air pollution then and Helen Clark with her ministers fixed our problems but now since ‘National damaged the rail here and moved all freight onto roads’ we have a new public health issue to deal with.

  20. Michelle 20
    14 September 2018 at 9:43 am

    what a bunch of cry babies some of the people are on this site what’s a matter you haven’t got your way so you are throwing a tanty bloody bunch of I know best whinging
    self serving hypocrites.

  21. cleangreen 21
    14 September 2018 at 10:22 am

    NZ First are the ‘environmental party’.

    Winston advocated during the election to use rail and to use wool carpeting in all Government buildings to support farmers as they reduce dairy farming.

    Greens have never mentioned increasing wool use????

    Wool is the global gold standard for insulation against the “cold damp homes” and Greens only ever encouraged using fibre bat, or polystyrene insulation and these are all made from petroleum products!!!!!!!!!

    Green Party; – please learn ‘chemistry’ and ‘chemical composition’ firstly please.

  22. Ngungukai 22
    14 September 2018 at 10:23 am

    This Coalition Government proves MMP is working at this appears to be one of the most constructive Government’s NZ has had for a long time ?

  23. Ffloyd 23
    14 September 2018 at 10:31 am

    What gets me about Winston is his need to wait until the deed is nearly done then he hauls off and delivers a sucker punch. A king hit. Has he never heard of discretion. A time and a place. Everything is done for maximum effect to feed his ego. Worrying when it’s giving the quivering mass on the other side a perception they will twist and turn to suit themselves and feed the media. Kia kaha Jacinda.

    • Dennis Frank 23.1
      14 September 2018 at 10:56 am

      No, he’s had to do that due to Labour ministers developing a pattern of behaviour: trying to do an end-run around him. If they played by the rules he’d lack a pretext for such reactions. Typical Labour idiocy. I’m hoping their boss will acknowledge the mistakes on sunday but she may not see the need for Labour to be credible.

  24. Brian Tregaskin 24
    14 September 2018 at 5:36 pm

    These msm created dramas are created by older people for obviously other old people not really relevant any more.

  25. JustMe 25
    14 September 2018 at 6:49 pm

    I and probably so many others are now totally fed up to the back-teeth with having to ‘hear National MPs Pearls of Wisdom’ on every subject under the sun on the telly etc thanks to the fact the main stream NZ media appear to be thoroughly in the NZ National Party pocket.
    I cannot be bothered listening to Simon Bridges, Paula Bennett or any of the others. They have lost complete credibility and so has the mainstream NZ media.
    Their ‘warnings’ of doom and gloom just isn’t smart let alone mature. But then too many National MPs have over the past 9 long years they were in government behaved with an arrogant bullying behaviour especially to those that a National supporter would often call ‘the great unwashed’ i.e ordinary low income people in the streets of NZ.
    A couple of nights ago TVNZ resorted to a fake scaremongering ‘breaking news’ item that the Coalition government had collapsed. They, TVNZ, failed to ask Jacinda and Winston if this was correct. No. Instead TVNZ went to Simon Bridges and allowed him to give his tuppence worth on NZ wide TV News. That action by TVNZ showed pure and utter stupidity on their part. They also showed they are firmly in the NZ National Party pocket.
    New Zealanders are completely fed up with constantly hearing, seeing and reading the constant assault by the mainstream NZ media that is deliberately biased towards National.
    The behaviour by National and their supporters now edge onto the Sour Grapes/Poor Losers Syndrome. It’s a sickness NZers do not want to contend with in the NZ media.
    I have been more confident of this Coalition government that I ever was of the previous National government who ruled with lies, deception, denial, blame games, greed, arrogance, self-ego whilst at the same time treating ordinary NZers like Store High In Transit(SHIT in other words).

  26. WILD KATIPO 26
    14 September 2018 at 11:27 pm

    Despite any shortfalls, despite any blunders ( or ones imagined by the Right / National) we are fortunate to have this coalition govt. So very fortunate. A consensus govt.
    Its been a long time arriving.

    Look, when the council of chiefs gathers to sit around the campfire and discuss issues, they come to that gathering with all manner of ideas and preferences. Yet they thrash it out to get an answer that suits the majority. And this is how it should be.

    And in a fashion , in a much grander style, this is what we have got.

    Long may this coalition be in power.

    A return to National would be just too much for this country to undergo. It would destroy us as a nation.

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