it seems odd that National Party leader Simon Bridges took time out of his busy week to criticise a little-known United Nations agreement, the Global Compact for Migration.
…
It seems that Bridges’ announcement has been driven by the right flank of his party.
or funders.
Selling list places to anyone might have made some more rabid tories a bit angry. They might not change their vote, but with-holding cash would make the nats shit bricks.
hold me back! hold me back!
+1 @ McFlock
You say ‘rabid’, I say feral.
And that’s only because the feral right wing are still doing calculations and wondering how they can dress their thinking up nicely (even amongst their own ranks). If you pushed me hard enough, I’d say there’d be a Satchel (full of ill-gotten gains and notes for a future mercenary’s novel) and others busy on their calculators that go something along the lines:
1 chink = 2 nargies, and 1 chink = 1,000 slopes, and ……..
all the while feigning outrage at those “Chinese sounding names”.
Ah, Richard Harman reads it as wedging Winston First: http://politik.co.nz/en/content/politics/1486/ (apparently paywalled though my simple browser script-blocker seems to defeat that).
It is unusual for political parties to play such partisan politics with major international agreements like this.
Labour opposed the Trans Pacific Partnership, but that was a much more substantial opposition built on widespread community scepticism about the agreement.
The danger for National now is that if it cannot drive NZ First right out of politics it would seem to stand no chance of forming any sort of Government with it after the next election and that would most likely mean that National could not form a Government at all.
Wonder where Nat voters would go once they realise that?
Half the voters at the last election probably wanted Winston to keep National honest so a fair few of them won’t be happy with Winston and Nationals support is holding steady so where will the voters come from because it won’t be Labour with Jacinda as leader and I doubt many Green voters will go with Winston
Half the voters at the last election probably wanted Winston to keep National honest so a fair few of them won’t be happy with Winston
Colmar Brunton (29 September 2017)
Speculation has been rife this week following the New Zealand general election on who Winston Peters and New Zealand First will partner with to form the next New Zealand government.
To help shed some light on what New Zealanders think we went back to the 1 News Colmar Brunton Poll carried out in the lead up to the election, where we asked “given the choice, would you prefer to see New Zealand First support a Labour or National-led government?”
According to those surveyed, 46% said they would prefer to see New Zealand First support a Labour-led government.
A third of those surveyed (33%) said they would prefer New Zealand First supported a National-led government. Seven percent spontaneously said they do not want to see New Zealand First in government, or do not wish to see it support either party. Finally, 14% don’t know which party New Zealand First should support.
Those people who support New Zealand First (for their party vote) were more likely to say they would prefer the party to support a Labour-led government (65%) than a National one (25%).
In Australia Scott Morrison and Andrew Scheer the Conservative Party leader in Canada both had a go at this too. All singing from the same songbook. If it’s the UN it must be bad.
Its very clear, National keep asking questions in the house that reflect more on their own failings when in govt. Today was no exception, tomorrow will be the same. Simon Bridges unwittingly keeps cross examining himself and his party’s past poor performance.
Meanwhile the Hosk plans to spend the holidays boning up on his questions in the faint hope he may trip up the PM next year. Not likely if this years spinouts are anything to go by.
The chooser of the image for tonights DR might think about saying taihoa on calling SB out. It is going very well thank you as things are so why not let sleeping dogs lie instead of falling to the temptation to kick whenever passing?
Nah, Bridges is a dickhead and should be kicked till he leaves. I say give each opposition MP a go at being leader and show them Nats up for the rotten, useless waste of space that they are.
No no keep going, the more Soimon is kicked the sooner he’s replaced by someone else…
National are at least over 40% with an unpopular leader so imagine what might happen if they get a leader that people like or at least respect or has recognition or…something
Judith’s lacklustre performance over the last few months must be concerning for her sycophants.
She used to have some charisma and energy, but now she just looks bored and uninspiring. She’s been in Parliament for 16 years and she still can’t get enough support from her colleagues. Paula’s a better leadership prospect now than tired worn out Judith.
@Fireblade (3.2.1.2) … Agree with you re Judith Collins.
However I can’t see Paula as leader. She’s too lazy. Hasn’t achieved much, if anything at all as deputy leader of Natz that I can see, other than pulling odd faces and rolling her eyes in Parliament, if that can be considered as anything achievable!
It wasn’t that long ago Labour had its own issues with internal polling, if you remember however if Nationals polling at 41% with an unpopular leader imagine what National could poll if he’s replaced by someone that can inspire (even Labour managed it, eventually) Nationals supporters
I imagine they could get as high as 45% with a competent leader, PR. And assuming Winston sticks with Labour, National need 48.5% plus their Epsom charity case to even come close. However, I’ve already made the case that the next potential National PM isn’t currently in Parliament anyway. I mean, have you looked at the current Tory caucus? Not exactly a Ministry of All the Talents.
Well if a weeks a long time in politics a couple of years is an eternity
However its not guaranteed Winston, the Greens or both will be back in power given how most minor parties lose support (I suspect the Greens will get back in) and that would make things interesting
However heres a prediction for you, the next leaders debate will be between Jacinda, Nationals leader…and Winston
It is true Nationals road back to power is hard no doubt about that but Labours certainly isn’t all smooth either
National does have the bonus that that they ousted for being “bad” as such, the economy was running well, unemployment was low and all that so the lingering feelings of resentment arn’t there or at least as bad as other former governments
Reasonably popular new coalition government with a few minor problems and new policies that infuriate the faithful on the other side. The opposition with major issues in their ranks and leaking like a sieve with barely concealed blood-letting and slowly descending in the polls. Less in the first term than they did in later terms.
Could you remind me how long the Key government lasted? And please don’t weep. The site needs work – not being drowned in tears.
That fact is that the electorate carries a lot of inertia about changing governments. From memory there were only two one term governments since the 1940s – the last in 1972-75. Overturning them required the concerted lying by National politicians and their braying friends in a concentrated media. I don’t think that kind of thing can happen now. There is simply too much independent scrutiny to play the authoritative voice ploy.
There are similarities for sure except the blood letting is happening sooner rather than later (and should have started much earlier in my opinion) and the opposition is still over 40%
But yes it is disappointing that National doesn’t seem to have learnt anything from Labours time in the wilderness…maybe National need a strong leader, a take no prisoners type of leader to sort out the naughty boys causing problems
Yeah this is the problem, its not hard to find out the accused name yet I’m not sure what can be done unless every country signed up to the same name suppression laws but even then…
Scrutinizing Jane Clifton’s claims as an exemplar of the current Media Orthodoxy
. Jane Clifton (Politics column in latest Listener‘For Whom the Polls Tell’ December 15 2018)
.
First :
Colmar Brunton says despite the ascendant economy, the Government’s favourables are down and the Nats are in an ebullient phase …
It showed National soaring back to a record lead in Opposition as though the Jamie-Lee Ross debacle had never happened …
The enduring poll trend for National is phenomenal …
No first-term Opposition Party in living memory has polled anywhere near it, let alone so consistently …
remarkable popularity …
The party retains Herculean brand-power
.
Right, so what is that “enduring poll trend” that Clifton deems absolutely phenomenal ?
.
2018 Colmar Bruntons
Nat ratings
Feb 43% … , April 44% … , May 45% … , Aug 45% … , Oct 43% … , Nov 46%
.
Is it true that: “No first-term Opposition Party in living memory has polled anywhere near” these figures ?
As it happens … No, it Bloody Isn’t !
Back in September, I did a comparison of Major Opposition Party support 10 Months after their Election defeat (ie comparing the Bridges-led Nats Aug 2018 45% rating with its 6 predecessors at the same stage into their First Term). Here are the results:
_________________________________________ Table 1
_________________________________________
(In order Highest to Lowest Ratings)
1991 … Moore-led Labour 47.0%
2018 … Bridges-led National 45.0%
2000 … Shipley-led National 44.0%
1973 … Marshall-led National 44.0%
1985 … McLay-led National 43.0%
1976 … Rowling-led Labour 40.0%
2009 … Goff-led Labour 33.0%
____________________________________________
As Table 1 shows, National’s 45% support level was certainly above average but you’d have to say a long way from remarkable, phenomenal or Herculean.
Not only was Mike Moore’s 1991 Labour Party more popular at the 10 month mark but three other newly-defeated Opposition Parties (the Shipley / Marshall / McLay-led National Parties of 2000 / 1973 / 1985) each cluster immediately below their 2018 descendants, just a point or two adrift.
In all, fully 4 of the Bridges-led National Party’s predecessors were polling at or above the 43% rating that defined the Nats 2018 minimum (Feb / Oct), with one receiving more than its 46% maximum (Nov).
And this is in the context of a 2018 National Party that has managed to gobble up almost the entire Right Bloc vote. This dominance and consolidation on the Right, this muscling in on Minor Right-wing Party territory, not only results in an artificially boosted poll rating that inherently flatters National (because it’s not coming at the expense of the Coalition) but also encourages an exaggerated perception of broader Opposition Bloc popularity.
It’s quite clear, for instance, that – despite National’s reasonably good (as opposed to “phenomenal”) individual ratings at the 10 Month mark – overall opposition to the current Government was not in fact particularly strong at all.
Even when you conceive of Opposition Blocs in the most narrow possible terms (restricted solely to Opposition parties of close ideological proximity) (Table 2), the 2018 Nat+ACT Opposition still drops to third place, only slightly above the average.
_____________________________________
Table 2: Opposition Bloc Overall Support
(Close Ideological Proximity)
10 Month Mark
_____________________________________
1991 … 65.0%
2000 … 48.0%
2018 … 46.1%
1973 … 44.0%
1985 … 43.0%
1976 … 40.0%
2009 … 37.7%
_____________________________________
And when you broaden it out to Oppo Blocs in their widest possible sense (Table 3) the Bridges-led Nat+ACT Opposition falls to a decidedly average fourth out of seven.
_________________________________________
Table 3: Opposition Bloc Overall Support
(Broader Opposition)
10 Month Mark
________________________________________
1991 … 65.0
2000 … 51.0
1985 … 47.0
2018 … 46.1
1973 … 44.0
1976 … 40.0
2009 … 39.4
____________________________________________
.
Second
Clifton goes on to assert:
Even the apparent plunge to 37% in research by Labour pollster UMR a few weeks back was a mighty impressive result for a first-term Opposition, and would hardly dishearten a second or third term one either.
To see just how outrageous this claim is … go back to the comparative figures at the 10 month mark (Table 1).
“Mighty Impressive” compared to the 2009 Goff-led Labour Party (33%) ? … perhaps … compared to every other newly-defeated Opposition Party predecessor ? (40%, 43%, 44%, 44%, 47%) … I mean, give me a break, Not even Remotely !
And compared to Oppo Blocs as a whole ? … pitiful.
And remember, the Moore-led Labour Party of 1991 scored 47% despite its fellow Oppo Party (the newly-minted Alliance) skyrocketing up the polls as well … 18% at the 10 month mark, 32% at the 13 month mark.
As always with the current Media Orthodoxy, Clifton erroneously tries to read the broader political zeitgeist from a myopic focus on National’s specific rating … a tactic that obscures far more than it reveals.
She – like almost every other senior political journalist – ignores the absolutely crucial flip side of the coin … comparative Government support.
My research at the 10 month mark suggests that while the Nats were mildly (3 points) above the average of their 6 predecessors … the Ardern Coalition was, at one and the same time, significantly (8 points) above its predecessors’ average.
(Reason why both above average … Unusually high support for Parliamentary parties / low support for extra-Parliamentary parties in the August 2018 Colmar Brunton compared to 10 month polls of previous First Terms).
The Ardern Administration was the second most popular and enjoyed the second widest lead over the Opposition at the 10 month mark (compared to its 6 predecessors)
Table 4 Govt vs Oppo Lead
10 month mark
_____________________________________________________________
Lead (1) Govt vs Oppo Bloc Lead (2) Govt vs Major Oppo Party
_____________________________________________________________ 2009 Lead (1) Govt + 20.6 … Lead (2) Govt + 27.0
2018 Lead (1) Govt + 6.9 … Lead (2) Govt + 8.0
1976 Lead (1) Govt + 6.0 … Lead (2) Govt + 6.0
1973 Lead (1) Govt + 3.0 … Lead (2) Govt + 3.0
1985 Lead (1) Oppo + 6.0 … Lead (2) Oppo + 2.0
2000 Lead (1) Oppo + 8.0 … Lead (2) Oppo + 1.0
1991 Lead (1) Oppo + 38.0 … Lead (2) Oppo + 20.0
_____________________________________________________________
The election result did not actually represent a rejection of National’s existing policies
She discusses this in the context of voters supposedly being less than happy with the change of Government / the Party with the highest vote turfed out into Opposition.
But take a look at these figures and ask yourself whether or not there had been a Mood for Change in 2017:
A 6.5 percentage point surge propelled the Key Govt into power and a 6.9 point plunge threw it out again.
(Figures include the Maori Party … but excluding them makes very little difference … the resultant stats would be … 2008 (+ 6.2), 2011 (+ 2.2), 2014 (+ 0.3), 2017 (- 6.8) )
And finally … just to emphasise that this truly is a broad Media Orthodoxy … here is a sampling of the excitable hyperbole generated by National’s 43-46% poll ratings this year:
“remarkable” (Jane Clifton), “astonishing” (Chris Trotter), “astounding” (HDPA), “staggering” (Tracy Watkins), “phenomenal” (Clifton), “Herculean” (Clifton), “near miraculous” (Matthew Hooton), “outstanding shape” (Hooton), “such high polling” (Hooton), “remarkably consistent” (Kathryn Ryan), “strong ratings” (Stephen Mills), “remarkable” (David Farrar), “astonishing” (Farrar), “frankly incredible” (Farrar), “excellent” (Farrar), “a great result for National” (Farrar), “a minor miracle” (Toby Manhire), “National’s continual strength” (Tim Watkin), “quite an achievement” (Watkin), “a worryingly large number of voters” (Trotter), “a big group of voters” (HDPA), “an alarmingly large number of New Zealanders” (Trotter), “a formidable unitary force” (Trotter), “steadfast opposition” (Trotter), “the most popular party” (Mike Hosking), “the biggest Opposition in history” (Hosking), “they’re doing fine” (Hosking), “They’re riding high and well” (Hosking), “largest party by a mile” (Hosking), “number one by some margin” (Hosking), “45% is a very, very good number by anyone’s standards” (Hosking), “The numbers tell you all you need to know about who’s got the upper hand right now” (Hosking), “historic levels” (Trish Sherson), “how could you not be happy with being at 46% after 9 years in power” (Kathryn Ryan), “there is much for National to be pleased about and a lot for Labour to be concerned about – namely the party vote” (Audrey Young), “brand National is stronger than they thought” (Young), “National’s high polling numbers” (Tracy Watkins), “National’s heroically high standing in the Polls” (Jane Clifton), “barnacle-like support” (Watkins), “probably unprecedented for a first-term Opposition” (Clifton), “still the more popular Party” (Watkins), “the only way is down” (Watkins), “National continues to ride high in the polls and that should be a huge wake-up call for Labour … Labour could lose” (Watkins).
Whew !!! And yet … as we’ve seen … National does not even remotely deserve all this hyperbolic overdrive
Great work Swordfish. Given the nature of MMP it could be that National have hit peak vote as they currently represent all the collective opposition. Red, black and green could be around for quite a while which presents a major conundrum for the blue team unless a new party or independent support emerges. How long before the Fourth Estate get their heads around the new reality.
I note the most egregiously positive voices in that cavalcade of compliance belong to Chris Trotter, Stephen Mills, Toby Manhire, and Tim Watkin. Always eager to curry favour with the right, these “liberals” are afraid to utter a word of dissent.
Here is Stephen Mills back in January 2016, scoffing at unions, and pouring cold water on both Bernie Sanders and Jeremy Corbyn…
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I have hitherto been fairly quiet on the new season of Rings of Power, on the basis that the underwhelming first season did not exactly build excitement – and the rumours were fairly daft. The only real thing of substance to come out has been that they have re-cast Adar ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
“The thing is,” Chris Luxon says, leaning forward to make his point, “this has always been my thing.”“This goes all the way back to the first multinational I worked for. I was saying exactly the same thing back then. The name of our business needs to be more clear; people ...
Buzz from the Beehive It’s been a momentous few days for Children’s Minister Karen Chhour. The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court decision which blocked a summons order from the Waitangi Tribunal for her. And today she has announced the Government is putting children first by introducing to ...
In 2014 former Australian army lawyer David McBride leaked classified military documents about Australian war crimes to the ABC. Dubbed "The Afghan Files", the documents led to an explosive report on Australian war crimes, the disbanding of an entire SAS unit, and multiple ongoing prosecutions. The journalist who wrote the ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – According to the respected Pew Research Centre, “In seven of eight [European] countries surveyed, the most trusted news outlet asked about is the public news organization in each country”. For example, “in Sweden, an overwhelming majority (90%) say they trust the public broadcaster SVT”. ...
David Farrar writes – Kata MacNamara reports: Details of Tony Blakely’s involvement in the New Zealand Government’s response to the pandemic raise serious questions about the work of the Covid-19 Royal Commission of Inquiry over which he presides. It has long been clear that Blakely, a ...
Chris Trotter writes – Are you a Brahmin or a Merchant? Or, are you merely one of those whose lives are profoundly influenced by the decisions of Brahmins and Merchants? Those are the questions that are currently shaping the politics of New Zealand and the entire West. ...
RNZ reports – It’s supposed to be a haven of healing and spiritual awakening but residents of the Kawai Purapura community say they’ve been hurt and deceived. It’s the successor to the former Centrepoint commune, and has been on the bush block opposite Albany shopping centre since 2008. It ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. Usually we have a video chat to go with this wrap, but were unable to do one this week. We’ll be back next week.Several reports ...
The Transport Minister has set a hard 'fiscal envelope' of $6.54 billion for transport capital spending. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The economy is settling into a state of suspended animation as the Government’s funding freezes and job cuts chill confidence and combine with stubbornly high interest rates to ...
To be precise, the term “anti- Zionism” refers to (a) criticism of the political movement that created a modern Jewish state on the historical land of Israel, and to (b)the subjugation of Palestinians by the Israeli state. By contrast, the term “anti-Semitism” means bigotry and racism directed at Jewish people, ...
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Because hurricanes are one of the big-ticket weather disasters that humanity has to face, climate misinformers spend a lot of effort muddying the waters on whether climate change is making hurricanes more damaging. With the official start to the hurricane ...
Yesterday the Mayor released what he calls his “plan to save public transport” which is part of his final proposal for the Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP). This comes following consultation on the draft version that occurred in March which showed, once again, that people want more done on transport, especially ...
And it's a pleasure that I have knownAnd it's a treasure that I have gainedAotearoa’s coalition government is fragile. It’s held together by the obsequious sycophancy of Christopher Luxon, who willingly contorts his party into the fringe positions of his junior coalition partners and is unwilling to contradict them. The ...
The Select Committee hearing submissions on the fast-track consenting legislation is starting to become a beat-up of regional councils. The inflexibility and slow workings of the Councils were prominent in two submissions yesterday. One, from the Coromandel Marine Farmers Association, simply said that the Waikato Regional Council’s planning decisions were ...
Back in April, the High Court surprised everyone by ruling that Ministers are above the law, at least as far as the Waitangi Tribunal is concerned. The reason for this ruling was "comity" - the idea that the different branches of government shouldn't interfere with each other's functions. Which makes ...
Buzz from the BeehiveTolling was mentioned when Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced the government was re-introducing the Roads of National Significance (RoNS) programme, with 15 “crucial” projects to support economic growth and regional development across New Zealand. All RoNS would be four-laned, grade-separated highways, and all funding, financing, and ...
or the past 14 years, ever since the Spanish government cheated on an autonomy deal, Catalonia has reliably given pro-independence parties a majority of seats in their regional parliament. But now that seems to be over. Catalans went to the polls yesterday, and stripped the Catalan parties of their majority. ...
Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick used this year's State of the Planet to call on the Government to prioritise people and planet as the delivery of the Budget approaches. A full transcript of their speeches can be found below. ...
Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick have used their State of the Planet speeches to challenge the Government to prioritise people and planet over profit as the delivery of the Budget approaches. ...
The Government’s introduction of legislation that would enable landlords to end tenancies with no reason marks a dark day for the 1.4 million people who rent their home in Aotearoa. ...
The Minister for Mental Health has found the Suicide Prevention Office and mental health support for 111 calls slipping through his fingers, says Labour spokesperson for Mental Health Ingrid Leary. ...
Today’s justification from the Minister for Children for scrapping protections for our tamariki was either a case of ignorance or deliberate deception. ...
The Green Party says the Government’s misguided policy on gangs will fail, following the announcement of the establishment of a national gang unit and district gang disruption units to target gang activities. ...
“With Police pay negotiations still unresolved after six months in Government, Mark Mitchell has today rolled the Commissioner out for a rebrand of their approach to gang crime,” Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said. ...
The Government bringing back 50 charter schools will not increase achievement and is a distraction from the core mission of the education system, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Te Pāti Māori is showing extreme concern over the Environment Select Committees adoption of a lucky dip draw to determine hearings for the Fast Track Approvals bill. Of the 27,000 submissions, 2,900 requested to present. All organisations will be heard; however, the remaining 2,350 submitters will be subject to a ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced that the Government will make it easier for lines firms to take action to remove vegetation from obstructing local powerlines. The change will ensure greater security of electricity supply in local communities, particularly during severe weather events. “Trees or parts of trees falling on ...
Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani were the top winners at this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy awards recognising the best in Māori dairy farming. Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka announced the winners and congratulated runners-up, Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board, at an awards celebration also attended by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister ...
"On the 27th of March, I sought assurances from the Chief Executive, Department of Internal Affairs, that the Department’s correct processes and policies had been followed in regards to a passport application which received media attention,” says Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden. “I raised my concerns after being ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins has announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges, to replace Judges who have recently retired. Peter James Davey of Auckland has been appointed a District Court Judge with a jury jurisdiction to be based at Whangarei. Mr Davey initially started work as a law clerk/solicitor with ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour is calling on the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) to put ideology to the side and focus on students’ learning, in reaction to the union holding paid teacher meetings across New Zealand about charter schools. “The PPTA is disrupting schools up and down the ...
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly today announced the appointment of Craig Stobo as the new chair of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). Mr Stobo takes over from Mark Todd, whose term expired at the end of April. Mr Stobo’s appointment is for a five-year term. “The FMA plays ...
Surf Life Saving New Zealand and Coastguard New Zealand will continue to be able to keep people safe in, on, and around the water following a funding boost of $63.644 million over four years, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “Heading to the beach for ...
New Zealand and Tuvalu have reaffirmed their close relationship, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand is committed to working with Tuvalu on a shared vision of resilience, prosperity and security, in close concert with Australia,” says Mr Peters, who last visited Tuvalu in 2019. “It is my pleasure ...
New Zealand is gravely concerned about the situation in New Caledonia, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The escalating situation and violent protests in Nouméa are of serious concern across the Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “The immediate priority must be for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met today with Samoa’s O le Ao o le Malo, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, who is making a State Visit to New Zealand. “His Highness and I reflected on our two countries’ extensive community links, with Samoan–New Zealanders contributing to all areas of our national ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced that he has approved Waiheke Island ferry operator Island Direct to be eligible for SuperGold Card funding, paving the way for a commercial agreement to bring the operator into the scheme. “Island Direct started operating in November 2023, offering an additional option for people ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters today announced further sanctions on 28 individuals and 14 entities providing military and strategic support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Russia is directly supported by its military-industrial complex in its illegal aggression against Ukraine, attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity. New Zealand condemns all entities and ...
A year on from the tragedy at Loafers Lodge, the Government is working hard to improve building fire safety, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I want to share my sincere condolences with the families and friends of the victims on the anniversary of the tragic fire at Loafers ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for having me here in the lead up to my Government’s first Budget. Before I get started can I acknowledge: Simon Bridges – Auckland Business Chamber CEO. Steve Jurkovich – Kiwibank CEO. Kids born ...
New Zealand and Vanuatu will enhance collaboration on issues of mutual interest, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “It is important to return to Port Vila this week with a broad, high-level political delegation which demonstrates our deep commitment to New Zealand’s relationship with Vanuatu,” Mr Peters says. “This ...
Minister for Land Information, Chris Penk will travel to Peru this week to represent New Zealand at a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific region on behalf of Trade Minister Todd McClay. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting will be held on 17-18 May ...
Minister of Education Erica Stanford will head to the United Kingdom this week to participate in the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) and the 2024 Education World Forum (EWF). “I am looking forward to sharing this Government’s education priorities, such as introducing a knowledge-rich curriculum, implementing an evidence-based ...
Minister of Education Erica Stanford has today thanked outgoing New Zealand Qualifications Authority Chair, Hon Tracey Martin. “Tracey Martin tendered her resignation late last month in order to take up a new role,” Ms Stanford says. Ms Martin will relinquish the role of Chair on 10 May and current Deputy ...
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and President Emmanuel Macron of France today announced a new non-governmental organisation, the Christchurch Call Foundation, to coordinate the Christchurch Call’s work to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. This change gives effect to the outcomes of the November 2023 Call Leaders’ Summit, ...
Distinguished public servant and former diplomat Sir Maarten Wevers will lead the independent review into the disability support services administered by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. The review was announced by Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston a fortnight ago to examine what could be done to strengthen the ...
Today’s announcement by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster of a National Gang Unit and district Gang Disruption Units will help deliver on the coalition Government’s pledge to restore law and order and crack down on criminal gangs, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. “The National Gang Unit and Gang Disruption Units will ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today expressed regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric towards New Zealand and its international partners. “New Zealand proudly stands with the international community in upholding the rules-based order through its monitoring and surveillance deployments, which it has been regularly doing alongside partners since 2018,” Mr ...
Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies MNZM is the new Chief of Defence Force, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. The Chief of Defence Force commands the Navy, Army and Air Force and is the principal military advisor to the Defence Minister and other Ministers with relevant portfolio responsibilities in the defence ...
Legislation to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has been introduced to Parliament. The Bill’s introduction reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the safety of children in care, says Minister for Children, Karen Chhour. “While section 7AA was introduced with good intentions, it creates a conflict for Oranga ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins will this week travel to the UK and Italy to meet with her defence counterparts, and to attend Battles of Cassino commemorations. “I am humbled to be able to represent the New Zealand Government in Italy at the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of what was ...
The upcoming Budget will include funding for up to 50 charter schools to help lift declining educational performance, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced today. $153 million in new funding will be provided over four years to establish and operate up to 15 new charter schools and convert 35 state ...
“The results of the public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has now been received, with results indicating over 13,000 submissions were made from members of the public,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “We heard feedback about the extended lockdowns in ...
Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, other Members of Parliament Acting Chief of Defence Force, Secretary of Defence Distinguished Guests Defence and Diplomatic Colleagues Ladies and Gentlemen, Good afternoon, tēna koutou, apinun tru It’s a pleasure to be back in Port Moresby today, and to speak here at the Kumul Leadership ...
Health, infrastructure, renewable energy, and stability are among the themes of the current visit to Papua New Guinea by a New Zealand political delegation, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Papua New Guinea carries serious weight in the Pacific, and New Zealand deeply values our relationship with it,” Mr Peters ...
The coalition Government is launching Roads of Regional Significance to sit alongside Roads of National Significance as part of its plan to deliver priority roading projects across the country, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The Roads of National Significance (RoNS) built by the previous National Government are some of New Zealand’s ...
A high-level New Zealand political delegation in Honiara today congratulated the new Government of Solomon Islands, led by Jeremiah Manele, on taking office. “We are privileged to meet the new Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet during his government’s first ten days in office,” Deputy Prime Minister and ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
On May 18, the Taiwanese community in Christchurch came together for the "Health for All, Taiwan Can Help" march, urging the World Health Organization (WHO) to grant Taiwan participation. ...
The instability comes as the party tries to refresh its brand after six years of being part of a right-wing, pro-imperialist government with both the Labour Party and, from 2017-2020, the far-right NZ First Party. ...
Based on the latest Treasury forecasts, New Zealand Government debt will tick above $90,000 per household for the first time ever at 10pm today, Sunday 19 May 2024. The Taxpayers’ Union is calling it “$90k Debt Day”. Commenting on this, Taxpayers’ ...
Arawata Shane Arawata Shane had wandered long In the wild tangled hills of the West Coast. He came to a stop on the mighty range And looked down at the wide river flats. He breathed in the clean air, And he took in the shadows playing across The face of ...
SPECIAL REPORT:Islands Business in Suva Today is the 24th anniversary of renegade and failed businessman George Speight’s coup in 2000 Fiji. The elected coalition government headed by Mahendra Chaudhry, the first and only Indo-Fijian prime minister of Fiji, was held hostage at gunpoint for 56 days in the country’s ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist and Kelvin Anthony, RNZ Pacific digital journalist Police have used tear gas and stun grenades on rioters at an airport near Nouméa as the chaos in New Caledonia stretched into its sixth day. Five people, including two police officers, have died and hundreds of ...
Asia Pacific ReportThe global human rights watchdog Amnesty International has called on France to not “misuse” a crackdown in the ongoing unrest in the non-self-governing French Pacific territory of Kanaky New Caledonia in the wake of a controversial vote by the French Parliament to adopt a bill changing the territory’s ...
A major provider of school lunches fears the government's new $3 limit for most students will see them eating more pre-packaged and processed food. ...
The star of Dark City: The Cleaner takes us through his life in TV, including the VHS revolution and the John Campbell impression that started it all. Best known for his comedic roles, Cohen Holloway says he struggled at times to maintain the stone cold facade of serial killer on ...
David Hill remembers an old friend, who you’ve probably never heard of. My friend Doug never travelled; he had little interest in the world beyond his own tiny rural town. I’ve rarely known anyone who radiated such contentment. Doug (I’ll call him that) died in March. You won’t know him. ...
Some of the earliest photos of life in Aotearoa are on display at Auckland Museum right now – but the identities of some of the people in them are a mystery.What was it like to be one of the first people in New Zealand to have their photo taken? ...
Since its founding almost a decade ago, Featherston Booktown has grown into one of the country’s most interesting and idiosyncratic literary events. Erin Banks reports from the audience. “Come in, have you had lunch? I’m about to make a cheese toastie.” Mary Biggs, operations manager of Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival, ...
After 33 years abroad, Loveni Enari recently returned to Aotearoa and Samoa in what a friend joked was an “existential crisis”. He learnt and re-learnt so much about his family, friends and both countries. Almost as an afterthought, he got a Samoan tatau. This is his story. (Accompanying it are ...
Nearly 30 years ago, two people told me they’d killed a woman they knew. I thought the truth would come out, that others would tell it. In the end, I had to. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Fact: in 1995, Angela Blackmoore ...
Editor Madeleine Chapman looks back at the week and shines a light on some increasingly rare longform journalism. Mōrena and welcome to The Weekend where there will sadly be no aurora to see. After a busy week last week of short, sharp pieces, this week we swung the other way, ...
ANALYSIS:By David Robie, editor of Asia Pacific Report Jean-Marie Tjibaou, a revered Kanak visionary, was inspirational to indigenous Pacific political activists across Oceania, just like Tongan anthropologist and writer Epeli Hao’ofa was to cultural advocates. Tragically, he was assassinated in 1989 by an opponent within the independence movement during ...
Forget thin is in, apparently now bigger is better … or is it? After over a decade of body positivity, girls, teens and women are even more confused about what body positivity actually is. The movement began with women confronting unrealistic expectations of how their bodies should look. But sub-strands ...
Grace always sat at the bar at the back of The Cambridge, where she could watch who came in. A huge mirror ran the length of the pub, so you could sometimes watch people without them knowing. The mirror made the place seem a lot bigger than it really was. ...
MONDAY Sheriff Mark Mitchell rose at dawn. He had a long day’s ride ahead of him. He was headed for Waikeria. Waikeria! Even the name itself stirred his blood, and set root in his imagination. There was nothing and no one in Waikeria. But he would bend it to his ...
The first phase of the inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones finished this week, turning up plenty of revelations and few answers. But through all the confusion, heartbreak and antipathy on display, the simple fact at the heart of this case remains: if little Lachie’s body had ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roger Benjamin, Professor in Art History, University of Sydney “She’s no oil painting”. Those were the unkind words of a colleague commenting on the subject of Vincent Namatjira’s acrylic painting, Gina. Every one of the prominent Australians and cultural heroes in Namatjira’s ...
Government plans to require local councils hold a referendum on whether to have Māori wards breaches the Treaty of Waitangi, a Waitangi Tribunal report has found. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist, University of Technology Sydney This year the National Rugby League (NRL) opened its season in Las Vegas. It was an audacious move by the league’s ambitious head honcho Peter V’Landys to showcase the game in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Strong, Associate Professor, Music Industry, RMIT University Leading music organisations have praised the federal budget for its investment in the live music sector. The budget includes A$8.6 million for a program called Revive Live: to provide essential support to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marnee Shay, Associate Professor, Principal Research Fellow, The University of Queensland The 2024 federal budget contains A$110 million for Indigenous education. This includes funding for various different organisations to represent and help Indigenous people as well as scholarships in a bid to ...
Air New Zealand has confirmed Nouméa’s Tontouta International airport in New Caledonia is closed until Tuesday. The airline earlier told RNZ it would update customers as soon as it could. Earlier today, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters told RNZ Morning Report government officials had been working on an “hourly basis” ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grant Linley, PhD Candidate in Ecology, Charles Sturt University Grant Linley Australia’s unprecedented Black Summer bushfires in 2019–20 created ideal conditions for misinformation to spread, from the insidious to the absurd. It was within this context that a bizarre story ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marcel Scharth, Lecturer in Business Analytics, University of Sydney OpenAI executive Mira Murati launching GPT-4o.OpenAI Earlier this week OpenAI launched GPT-4o (“o” for “omni”), a new version of the artificial intelligence (AI) system powering the popular ChatGPT chatbot. GPT-4o is promoted ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Treasure McGuire, Assistant Director of Pharmacy, Mater Health SEQ in conjoint appointment as Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Bond University and as Associate Professor (Clinical), The University of Queensland Speedkingz/Shutterstock Menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of a ...
A new poem by Hannah Patterson. Xiāng There’s a pear tree in our backyard And Xiāng tells me She can’t eat them anymore Not after some things that have happened in her life. She tells me, in Mandarin The word for pear sounds the same as the word for disassociation ...
‘Cycling Works’ aims to show business support for citywide cycle infrastructure. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, supermarket giant Foodstuffs lost its attempt to block the construction of a cycle lane outside Thorndon New World in Wellington. The Spinoff’s Wellington editor ...
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.AUCKLAND1 Slow Productivity by Cal Newport (Penguin, $40)Taking out the top spot in Auckland this ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Lowe, Emeritus Professor, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University For decades, Australia has exported uranium – but not used it, other than in the Lucas Heights research reactor. But change is coming. We now face a rapidly deepening commitment to ...
"In future I should walk away," Green MP Julie Anne Genter says after complaints over an exchange in Parliament and from two members of the public. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Graffam, PhD Candidate in Theatre, Monash University Gianna Rizzo/Malthouse Music pumps; lights pulsate; two sweaty bodies sway together, touching, breathing in each other’s scent. A male body framed by downlight restlessly shifts between stances and gestures. He undresses. The intensity ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sandra van der Laan, Professor of Accounting, University of Sydney Mtaya/Shutterstock At some point, you or someone else will need to make a decision about your “send-off”. Most Australians die in an institution, such as a hospital or aged care facility. ...
Asia Pacific Report Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai — who is also Chairman of the Melanesian Spearhead Group — has reaffirmed MSG’s support of the pro-independence umbrella group Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) stance opposing the French government’s constitutional bill “unfreezing” the New Caledonia Electoral Roll. It is ...
Producer Susan Leonard remembers her father Ernie, a pioneer of Māori television, and how his legacy lives on in Pathfinders.My father was a fabulous man. His name was Ernie Leonard and he started in TV in the 1970s when it was still glamorous – when TVNZ made behind the ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk, and Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist The suspected ringleaders of the unrest in New Caledonia have been placed in home detention and the social network TikTok has been banned as French security forces struggle to restore law and order. The French ...
Multi-year appropriations - which give the government authority to spend money without reapplying annually - are loosening Parliament's control of the public purse, auditor-general says. ...
Dr. Eric Chuah who stood for a centrist NZ political party in the October 2023 NZ Elections for Maungakiekie Auckland will stand as a candidate for Tauranga City Council Ward of Matua-=Otumoetai and Mayor of Tauranga. ...
If you can’t get to the comedy fest, let us bring the comedy fest to you. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. The New Zealand International Comedy Festival is in full swing at the moment, with a veritable smorgasboard of comedy treats ...
A new poll commissioned by Unions Wellington shows an overwhelming majority of Wellingtonians oppose the Council’s plan to sell the 34% public stake in Wellington Airport. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aruna Sathanapally, Chief Executive, Grattan Institute, Grattan Institute A central focus of this week’s budget is the treasury’s forecast for inflation. By this time next year, inflation is projected to be back within the Reserve Bank’s 2-3% target range. Inflation has ...
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Who are the Nats aiming at with this? https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/10-12-2018/simon-bridges-must-stop-pandering-to-the-alt-right-on-the-global-compact/
It is flaky. The theory is Bridges is trying to wedge Peters but it is really clumsy and makes them look like Breitbart reading loons.
Wonder if it is driven more by appealing to some of the party’s factions?
or funders.
Selling list places to anyone might have made some more rabid tories a bit angry. They might not change their vote, but with-holding cash would make the nats shit bricks.
hold me back! hold me back!
+1 @ McFlock
You say ‘rabid’, I say feral.
And that’s only because the feral right wing are still doing calculations and wondering how they can dress their thinking up nicely (even amongst their own ranks). If you pushed me hard enough, I’d say there’d be a Satchel (full of ill-gotten gains and notes for a future mercenary’s novel) and others busy on their calculators that go something along the lines:
1 chink = 2 nargies, and 1 chink = 1,000 slopes, and ……..
all the while feigning outrage at those “Chinese sounding names”.
the ‘names’ thing was an unprovoked self-inflicted wound from Labour. Best leave it.
Ah, Richard Harman reads it as wedging Winston First: http://politik.co.nz/en/content/politics/1486/ (apparently paywalled though my simple browser script-blocker seems to defeat that).
Wonder where Nat voters would go once they realise that?
NZF will be at 10-12% come next Election no doubts about it
How do you figure that?
Half the voters at the last election probably wanted Winston to keep National honest so a fair few of them won’t be happy with Winston and Nationals support is holding steady so where will the voters come from because it won’t be Labour with Jacinda as leader and I doubt many Green voters will go with Winston
Puckers
Colmar Brunton (29 September 2017)
https://www.colmarbrunton.co.nz/1-news-colmar-brunton-poll-who-should-nz-first-support-labour-or-national/
You and your facts. 🙂
You mean National 10-12%.
In Australia Scott Morrison and Andrew Scheer the Conservative Party leader in Canada both had a go at this too. All singing from the same songbook. If it’s the UN it must be bad.
Its very clear, National keep asking questions in the house that reflect more on their own failings when in govt. Today was no exception, tomorrow will be the same. Simon Bridges unwittingly keeps cross examining himself and his party’s past poor performance.
Meanwhile the Hosk plans to spend the holidays boning up on his questions in the faint hope he may trip up the PM next year. Not likely if this years spinouts are anything to go by.
The chooser of the image for tonights DR might think about saying taihoa on calling SB out. It is going very well thank you as things are so why not let sleeping dogs lie instead of falling to the temptation to kick whenever passing?
Nah, Bridges is a dickhead and should be kicked till he leaves. I say give each opposition MP a go at being leader and show them Nats up for the rotten, useless waste of space that they are.
No no keep going, the more Soimon is kicked the sooner he’s replaced by someone else…
National are at least over 40% with an unpopular leader so imagine what might happen if they get a leader that people like or at least respect or has recognition or…something
Bridges is the best of all the dickheads in the opposition, thats the big problem for the Nats.
We’ll take that under advisement
And it won’t be Judith Collins.
Judith’s lacklustre performance over the last few months must be concerning for her sycophants.
She used to have some charisma and energy, but now she just looks bored and uninspiring. She’s been in Parliament for 16 years and she still can’t get enough support from her colleagues. Paula’s a better leadership prospect now than tired worn out Judith.
Judith represents the past, not the future.
@Fireblade (3.2.1.2) … Agree with you re Judith Collins.
However I can’t see Paula as leader. She’s too lazy. Hasn’t achieved much, if anything at all as deputy leader of Natz that I can see, other than pulling odd faces and rolling her eyes in Parliament, if that can be considered as anything achievable!
You mean they are not at 46%?
I read someone say they were on 38%.
It wasn’t that long ago Labour had its own issues with internal polling, if you remember however if Nationals polling at 41% with an unpopular leader imagine what National could poll if he’s replaced by someone that can inspire (even Labour managed it, eventually) Nationals supporters
Anything could happen after a decade, a not so dickish head may even be found. Keep searching Nats.
I imagine they could get as high as 45% with a competent leader, PR. And assuming Winston sticks with Labour, National need 48.5% plus their Epsom charity case to even come close. However, I’ve already made the case that the next potential National PM isn’t currently in Parliament anyway. I mean, have you looked at the current Tory caucus? Not exactly a Ministry of All the Talents.
Well if a weeks a long time in politics a couple of years is an eternity
However its not guaranteed Winston, the Greens or both will be back in power given how most minor parties lose support (I suspect the Greens will get back in) and that would make things interesting
However heres a prediction for you, the next leaders debate will be between Jacinda, Nationals leader…and Winston
To win, National most likely need to make friends or hope Labour lose their friends.
To win, Labour just need to keep their friends.
It is true Nationals road back to power is hard no doubt about that but Labours certainly isn’t all smooth either
National does have the bonus that that they ousted for being “bad” as such, the economy was running well, unemployment was low and all that so the lingering feelings of resentment arn’t there or at least as bad as other former governments
Just reminds me of 2008.
Reasonably popular new coalition government with a few minor problems and new policies that infuriate the faithful on the other side. The opposition with major issues in their ranks and leaking like a sieve with barely concealed blood-letting and slowly descending in the polls. Less in the first term than they did in later terms.
Could you remind me how long the Key government lasted? And please don’t weep. The site needs work – not being drowned in tears.
That fact is that the electorate carries a lot of inertia about changing governments. From memory there were only two one term governments since the 1940s – the last in 1972-75. Overturning them required the concerted lying by National politicians and their braying friends in a concentrated media. I don’t think that kind of thing can happen now. There is simply too much independent scrutiny to play the authoritative voice ploy.
There are similarities for sure except the blood letting is happening sooner rather than later (and should have started much earlier in my opinion) and the opposition is still over 40%
But yes it is disappointing that National doesn’t seem to have learnt anything from Labours time in the wilderness…maybe National need a strong leader, a take no prisoners type of leader to sort out the naughty boys causing problems
lol
When BM stops being so darned sour I’ll think maybe the nats are on the rise again.
” … the next leaders debate will be between Jacinda, Nationals leader…and Winston”
Or just between Jacinda and Winston 😉
(Hell, why not cut the crap and just let Winston debate a mirror. He gets to choose the winner anyway)
(Hell, why not cut the crap and just let Winston debate a mirror. He gets to choose the winner anyway)
Would he agree with himself or end up arguing with himself?
I suspect he’d fall in love.
You have a very fertile imagination TRP.
I imagine so 😉
The long, deeply sad tale of Emil and Xaver, full of twists and turns and the translation isn’t quite there, but worth the read.
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1071151411436666880.html
thanks for that. What a lovely find.
Emil and Xaver are are indeed interred in Sighisoara but I’m pretty sure the author’s applied a fair dollop of his own dramatic license to the yarn.
every good story contains a lot of yarn. Can’t knit without it. 🙂
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/109252701/justice-minister-andrew-little-urges-british-media-to-ensure-justice-for-grace-millane
Yeah this is the problem, its not hard to find out the accused name yet I’m not sure what can be done unless every country signed up to the same name suppression laws but even then…
Makes you wonder why the defence pressed for name suppression doesn’t it puckers. No. not really.
Timely.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/109254302/paremoremo-prison-an-inmates-view-from-the-inside
good read.
US doing exactly what it accuses China of doing : https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/109255452/us-warning-to-new-zealand-on-china
Creepy AF.
Since Millane’s death, her personal Facebook page has been turned into a remembrance page now dubbed “Remembering Grace Emmie Rose Millane”.
One of the posts on her page on November 29 was made by the man now accused of taking her life.
https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/murder-accused-messaged-beautiful-grace-on-her-fb-page/
Scrutinizing Jane Clifton’s claims as an exemplar of the current Media Orthodoxy
.
Jane Clifton (Politics column in latest Listener ‘For Whom the Polls Tell’ December 15 2018)
.
First :
.
Right, so what is that “enduring poll trend” that Clifton deems absolutely phenomenal ?
.
2018 Colmar Bruntons
Nat ratings
Feb 43% … , April 44% … , May 45% … , Aug 45% … , Oct 43% … , Nov 46%
.
Is it true that: “No first-term Opposition Party in living memory has polled anywhere near” these figures ?
As it happens … No, it Bloody Isn’t !
Back in September, I did a comparison of Major Opposition Party support 10 Months after their Election defeat (ie comparing the Bridges-led Nats Aug 2018 45% rating with its 6 predecessors at the same stage into their First Term). Here are the results:
_________________________________________
Table 1
_________________________________________
(In order Highest to Lowest Ratings)
1991 … Moore-led Labour 47.0%
2018 … Bridges-led National 45.0%
2000 … Shipley-led National 44.0%
1973 … Marshall-led National 44.0%
1985 … McLay-led National 43.0%
1976 … Rowling-led Labour 40.0%
2009 … Goff-led Labour 33.0%
____________________________________________
As Table 1 shows, National’s 45% support level was certainly above average but you’d have to say a long way from remarkable, phenomenal or Herculean.
Not only was Mike Moore’s 1991 Labour Party more popular at the 10 month mark but three other newly-defeated Opposition Parties (the Shipley / Marshall / McLay-led National Parties of 2000 / 1973 / 1985) each cluster immediately below their 2018 descendants, just a point or two adrift.
In all, fully 4 of the Bridges-led National Party’s predecessors were polling at or above the 43% rating that defined the Nats 2018 minimum (Feb / Oct), with one receiving more than its 46% maximum (Nov).
And this is in the context of a 2018 National Party that has managed to gobble up almost the entire Right Bloc vote. This dominance and consolidation on the Right, this muscling in on Minor Right-wing Party territory, not only results in an artificially boosted poll rating that inherently flatters National (because it’s not coming at the expense of the Coalition) but also encourages an exaggerated perception of broader Opposition Bloc popularity.
It’s quite clear, for instance, that – despite National’s reasonably good (as opposed to “phenomenal”) individual ratings at the 10 Month mark – overall opposition to the current Government was not in fact particularly strong at all.
Even when you conceive of Opposition Blocs in the most narrow possible terms (restricted solely to Opposition parties of close ideological proximity) (Table 2), the 2018 Nat+ACT Opposition still drops to third place, only slightly above the average.
_____________________________________
Table 2: Opposition Bloc Overall Support
(Close Ideological Proximity)
10 Month Mark
_____________________________________
1991 … 65.0%
2000 … 48.0%
2018 … 46.1%
1973 … 44.0%
1985 … 43.0%
1976 … 40.0%
2009 … 37.7%
_____________________________________
And when you broaden it out to Oppo Blocs in their widest possible sense (Table 3) the Bridges-led Nat+ACT Opposition falls to a decidedly average fourth out of seven.
_________________________________________
Table 3: Opposition Bloc Overall Support
(Broader Opposition)
10 Month Mark
________________________________________
1991 … 65.0
2000 … 51.0
1985 … 47.0
2018 … 46.1
1973 … 44.0
1976 … 40.0
2009 … 39.4
____________________________________________
.
Second
Clifton goes on to assert:
To see just how outrageous this claim is … go back to the comparative figures at the 10 month mark (Table 1).
“Mighty Impressive” compared to the 2009 Goff-led Labour Party (33%) ? … perhaps … compared to every other newly-defeated Opposition Party predecessor ? (40%, 43%, 44%, 44%, 47%) … I mean, give me a break, Not even Remotely !
And compared to Oppo Blocs as a whole ? … pitiful.
And remember, the Moore-led Labour Party of 1991 scored 47% despite its fellow Oppo Party (the newly-minted Alliance) skyrocketing up the polls as well … 18% at the 10 month mark, 32% at the 13 month mark.
Third
As always with the current Media Orthodoxy, Clifton erroneously tries to read the broader political zeitgeist from a myopic focus on National’s specific rating … a tactic that obscures far more than it reveals.
She – like almost every other senior political journalist – ignores the absolutely crucial flip side of the coin … comparative Government support.
My research at the 10 month mark suggests that while the Nats were mildly (3 points) above the average of their 6 predecessors … the Ardern Coalition was, at one and the same time, significantly (8 points) above its predecessors’ average.
(Reason why both above average … Unusually high support for Parliamentary parties / low support for extra-Parliamentary parties in the August 2018 Colmar Brunton compared to 10 month polls of previous First Terms).
The Ardern Administration was the second most popular and enjoyed the second widest lead over the Opposition at the 10 month mark (compared to its 6 predecessors)
See Table 4
_____________________________________________________________
Table 4 Govt vs Oppo Lead
10 month mark
_____________________________________________________________
Lead (1) Govt vs Oppo Bloc
Lead (2) Govt vs Major Oppo Party
_____________________________________________________________
2009 Lead (1) Govt + 20.6 … Lead (2) Govt + 27.0
2018 Lead (1) Govt + 6.9 … Lead (2) Govt + 8.0
1976 Lead (1) Govt + 6.0 … Lead (2) Govt + 6.0
1973 Lead (1) Govt + 3.0 … Lead (2) Govt + 3.0
1985 Lead (1) Oppo + 6.0 … Lead (2) Oppo + 2.0
2000 Lead (1) Oppo + 8.0 … Lead (2) Oppo + 1.0
1991 Lead (1) Oppo + 38.0 … Lead (2) Oppo + 20.0
_____________________________________________________________
Fourth
Jane Clifton goes on to suggest:
She discusses this in the context of voters supposedly being less than happy with the change of Government / the Party with the highest vote turfed out into Opposition.
But take a look at these figures and ask yourself whether or not there had been a Mood for Change in 2017:
_______________________________________________________________
Table 5: Right Bloc support at General Elections
2005-2017
_______________________________________________________________
2005 45.4%
2008 51.9% (+ 6.5)
2011 53.1% (+ 1,2)
2014 53.3% (+ 0.2)
2017 46.4% (- 6.9)
_________________________________________________________________
A 6.5 percentage point surge propelled the Key Govt into power and a 6.9 point plunge threw it out again.
(Figures include the Maori Party … but excluding them makes very little difference … the resultant stats would be … 2008 (+ 6.2), 2011 (+ 2.2), 2014 (+ 0.3), 2017 (- 6.8) )
And finally … just to emphasise that this truly is a broad Media Orthodoxy … here is a sampling of the excitable hyperbole generated by National’s 43-46% poll ratings this year:
“remarkable” (Jane Clifton), “astonishing” (Chris Trotter), “astounding” (HDPA), “staggering” (Tracy Watkins), “phenomenal” (Clifton), “Herculean” (Clifton), “near miraculous” (Matthew Hooton), “outstanding shape” (Hooton), “such high polling” (Hooton), “remarkably consistent” (Kathryn Ryan), “strong ratings” (Stephen Mills), “remarkable” (David Farrar), “astonishing” (Farrar), “frankly incredible” (Farrar), “excellent” (Farrar), “a great result for National” (Farrar), “a minor miracle” (Toby Manhire), “National’s continual strength” (Tim Watkin), “quite an achievement” (Watkin), “a worryingly large number of voters” (Trotter), “a big group of voters” (HDPA), “an alarmingly large number of New Zealanders” (Trotter), “a formidable unitary force” (Trotter), “steadfast opposition” (Trotter), “the most popular party” (Mike Hosking), “the biggest Opposition in history” (Hosking), “they’re doing fine” (Hosking), “They’re riding high and well” (Hosking), “largest party by a mile” (Hosking), “number one by some margin” (Hosking), “45% is a very, very good number by anyone’s standards” (Hosking), “The numbers tell you all you need to know about who’s got the upper hand right now” (Hosking), “historic levels” (Trish Sherson), “how could you not be happy with being at 46% after 9 years in power” (Kathryn Ryan), “there is much for National to be pleased about and a lot for Labour to be concerned about – namely the party vote” (Audrey Young), “brand National is stronger than they thought” (Young), “National’s high polling numbers” (Tracy Watkins), “National’s heroically high standing in the Polls” (Jane Clifton), “barnacle-like support” (Watkins), “probably unprecedented for a first-term Opposition” (Clifton), “still the more popular Party” (Watkins), “the only way is down” (Watkins), “National continues to ride high in the polls and that should be a huge wake-up call for Labour … Labour could lose” (Watkins).
Whew !!! And yet … as we’ve seen … National does not even remotely deserve all this hyperbolic overdrive
Great work Swordfish. Given the nature of MMP it could be that National have hit peak vote as they currently represent all the collective opposition. Red, black and green could be around for quite a while which presents a major conundrum for the blue team unless a new party or independent support emerges. How long before the Fourth Estate get their heads around the new reality.
I note the most egregiously positive voices in that cavalcade of compliance belong to Chris Trotter, Stephen Mills, Toby Manhire, and Tim Watkin. Always eager to curry favour with the right, these “liberals” are afraid to utter a word of dissent.
Here is Stephen Mills back in January 2016, scoffing at unions, and pouring cold water on both Bernie Sanders and Jeremy Corbyn…
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-18012016/#comment-1119733