"So let me get this straight. National spend months — during a global pandemic — undermining, sabotaging and heckling NZ's world-leading response to Covid… but we can't be mean to them today? Yet we've had to tolerate their counter-productive scheming as if they've been acting in good faith?
Let's be honest and call out the Emperor's new clothes.
National's problem is they're looking for a leader who doesn't embody their culture. Just embrace it guys. Double down. Michael Woodhouse and Judith Collins all the way.
(Meanwhile, you might want to beg Act not to stand candidates in your electorates. You do wanna get 5 percent.)"
Collins would be the panic pick, if you ask me – The nat caucus hates her almost as much as left wingers. She'll only get the nod if the members have been reading the tory rags and swallowing it down whole. Maybe she will get it to stop the leeching of votes to act.
Kaye for some sort of continuity, not that it's been long enough to count on, or Adams as the supposed soft face of conservatism they think will win over the middle ground.
Anne – you remember me predicting that Todd would disappear, and that Nikki might be brought forth (supported by compliant media) as the new version of Jacinda?
From what I have seen to date, no chance. Nikki seems vacant compared to Jacinda.
But has she been lying low (as I suspect Jacinda did until Andrew stood down)?
I doubt that National are going to decide quickly on this, and Nikki will be temporary leader for a good day or two.
I cannot see Nikki suddenly blossoming forth, but if she does it will have been well crafted.
That is how we pedantic conspiracists see things..
There is juicy irony here, National with it's dedicated Dirty Politics team, it's Intelligence Unit set up to dog for dirt on Labour, being undone itself, by itself, without Labour doing anything about it. Hoisted by their own petard so to speak, and now they want sympathy and pity? I got a few swear words to say to that! & Khan is brilliant, his opinion pieces are must reads.
but more than being mean to National, I note that the two journalists I respect the most in NZ, Nicky Hager and Gordon Campbell both say its almost impossible that Muller didn't know about the Boag leak…….
Quite right, you'd expect NZF to pick up some the disenfranchised Nat supporters
Great to see support for the Greens jump, was it after or before the tax announcement.
I just read an article from Bolger about Mullers demise saying from his perspective, the Nats need to recognise that under current Covid 19 conditions and the cost of negating those problems, that Tax increases were essential.
I don't know if any potential Nat leaders were listening but I must say, I agree with him.
I want to be able to laugh in clear consience at the ridiculous US electoral college system. Time for the party threshold to be reduced as recommended by the previous electoral commission. Up to one in twenty party votes being wasted is too many. (Yes, I did consider Mr Craig being an MP as a consequence).
Conducted over a 3-4 week period throughout June … so a bit out of date now … they seem to have been sitting on it for a couple of weeks.
RM is usually strongest for the Greens (overstating support) … so people probably shouldn't read too much into the 9% figure.
Does seem to confirm my theory that (due to an outlier in May) the June Colmar Brunton significantly overstated the swing away from Labour a month ago.
but more than being mean to National, I note that the two journalists I respect the most in NZ, Nicky Hager and Gordon Campbell both say its almost impossible that Muller didn't know about the Boag leak…….
I think I'm going to be sad – I think it's today, yeah
The girl that's driving me mad is going away
She's got a ticket to ride — (but I don't care!)
(Words changed a bit. And the girl driving me mad, and everyone else just teetering on sanity, will go away; we'll hold the ticket to ride even till Covid-19 has passed. )
So we have JC for grittiness and the force majeure and Brownlee for his stalwart qualities, almost as good as a Berlin wall separating the entitled from the great unwashed, so to speak. National feels the need for a heavyweight in their line-up following on from Jenny Shipley.
For the simple reason they thrive on drama and division. If you hear their radio promo's they're a combination of every combination of fears that will touch the nerves of most of the population but especially the gullible. It's the sole point of difference they work on to try to maintain an audience
The Gullibles – I reckon there are some like this at heart in the Gnats – just good at putting on a good show. After they've done their bit Sir Humphrey shows how to deal with knotty problems when you're in gummint.
Peter Dunne keeps trying to peddle this line that National can somehow hold on to all their current MPs and ACT can gain 4, 5 or even 6 more. He doesn’t seem to understand that it’s a zero sum game, every new ACT MP is one less for National. He’s really bloody annoying.
"Sometimes things stuff up or individual MPs go rogue, but high-profile investigative journalist Nicky Hager says there was a "distinct smell from the beginning" of a covert, organised campaign strategy by National as last week's Covid-19 patient information scandal unfolded."
"“I’m confident we’ll get a new leader tonight, if not then by lunch time tomorrow and we just have to get on with it, and we’ll be running a very competitive campaign, there’s no doubt about that.”"
Seemed like it was. Got confirmed about 10 mins ago. Voting on the deputy is taking longer than I expected – maybe close competition? Newshub panel got word that Brownlee is likely to get it, but a contender for the future as well would make more sense…
Well there goes the small false dawn of the Nats trying to be a moral and ethical party. One thing for certain Jude will never resign over anything. It will probably need the mythical stake through the heart to get her out of the job. Funny I've always seen her alternate job after some of those photo's standing on cars as the Dom of the party.
Chris Bishop has unveiled plans for new roads in Tauranga, Auckland and Northland that will cost up to a combined $10 billion. Photo: Lynn GrievesonLong stories short from Aotearoa political economy around housing, poverty and climate in the week to Saturday, April 26:Chris Bishop ploughed ahead this week with spending ...
Unless you've been living under a rock, you would have noticed that New Zealand’s government, under the guise of economic stewardship, is tightening the screws on its citizens, and using debt as a tool of control. This isn’t just a conspiracy theory whispered in pub corners...it’s backed by hard data ...
The budget runup is far from easy.Budget 2025 day is Thursday 22 May. About a month earlier in a normal year, the macroeconomic forecasts would be completed (the fiscal ones would still be tidying up) and the main policy decisions would have been made (but there would still be a ...
On 25 April 2021, I published an internal all-staff Anzac Day message. I did so as the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs, which is responsible for Australia’s civil defence, and its resilience in ...
You’ve likely noticed that the disgraced blogger of Whale Oil Beef Hooked infamy, Cameron Slater, is still slithering around the internet, peddling his bile on a shiny new blogsite calling itself The Good Oil. If you thought bankruptcy, defamation rulings, and a near-fatal health scare would teach this idiot a ...
The Atlas Network, a sprawling web of libertarian think tanks funded by fossil fuel barons and corporate elites, has sunk its claws into New Zealand’s political landscape. At the forefront of this insidious influence is David Seymour, the ACT Party leader, whose ties to Atlas run deep.With the National Party’s ...
Nicola Willis, National’s supposed Finance Minister, has delivered another policy failure with the Family Boost scheme, a childcare rebate that was big on promises but has been very small on delivery. Only 56,000 families have signed up, a far cry from the 130,000 Willis personally championed in National’s campaign. This ...
This article was first published on 7 February 2025. In January, I crossed the milestone of 24 years of service in two militaries—the British and Australian armies. It is fair to say that I am ...
He shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.Age shall not weary him, nor the years condemn.At the going down of the sun and in the morningI will remember him.My mate Keith died yesterday, peacefully in the early hours. My dear friend in Rotorua, whom I’ve been ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: on news New Zealand abstained from a vote on a global shipping levy on climate emissions and downgraded the importance ...
Hi,In case you missed it, New Zealand icon Lorde has a new single out. It’s called “What Was That”, and has a very low key music video that was filmed around her impromptu performance in New York’s Washington Square Park. When police shut down the initial popup, one of my ...
A strategy of denial is now the cornerstone concept for Australia’s National Defence Strategy. The term’s use as an overarching guide to defence policy, however, has led to some confusion on what it actually means ...
The IMF’s twice-yearly World Economic Outlook and Fiscal Monitor publications have come out in the last couple of days. If there is gloom in the GDP numbers (eg this chart for the advanced countries, and we don’t score a lot better on the comparable one for the 2019 to ...
For a while, it looked like the government had unfucked the ETS, at least insofar as unit settings were concerned. They had to be forced into it by a court case, but at least it got done, and when National came to power, it learned the lesson (and then fucked ...
The argument over US officials’ misuse of secure but non-governmental messaging platform Signal falls into two camps. Either it is a gross error that undermines national security, or it is a bit of a blunder ...
Cost of living ~1/3 of Kiwis needed help with food as cost of living pressures continue to increase - turning to friends, family, food banks or Work and Income in the past year, to find food. 40% of Kiwis also said they felt schemes offered little or no benefit, according ...
Hi,Perhaps in 2025 it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the CEO and owner of Voyager Internet — the major sponsor of the New Zealand Media Awards — has taken to sharing a variety of Anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish conspiracy theories to his 1.2 million followers.This included sharing a post from ...
In the sprint to deepen Australia-India defence cooperation, navy links have shot ahead of ties between the two countries’ air forces and armies. That’s largely a good thing: maritime security is at the heart of ...
'Cause you and me, were meant to be,Walking free, in harmony,One fine day, we'll fly away,Don't you know that Rome wasn't built in a day?Songwriters: Paul David Godfrey / Ross Godfrey / Skye Edwards.I was half expecting to see photos this morning of National Party supporters with wads of cotton ...
The PSA says a settlement with Health New Zealand over the agency’s proposed restructure of its Data and Digital and Pacific Health teams has saved around 200 roles from being cut. A third of New Zealanders have needed help accessing food in the past year, according to Consumer NZ, and ...
John Campbell’s Under His Command, a five-part TVNZ+ investigation series starting today, rips the veil off Destiny Church, exposing the rot festering under Brian Tamaki’s self-proclaimed apostolic throne. This isn’t just a church; it’s a fiefdom, built on fear, manipulation, and a trail of scandals that make your stomach churn. ...
Some argue we still have time, since quantum computing capable of breaking today’s encryption is a decade or more away. But breakthrough capabilities, especially in domains tied to strategic advantage, rarely follow predictable timelines. Just ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Pearl Marvell(Photo credit: Pearl Marvell. Image credit: Samantha Harrington. Dollar bill vector image: by pch.vector on Freepik) Igrew up knowing that when you had extra money, you put it under a bed, stashed it in a book or a clock, or, ...
The political petrified piece of wood, Winston Peters, who refuses to retire gracefully, has had an eventful couple of weeks peddling transphobia, pushing bigoted policies, undertaking his unrelenting war on wokeness and slinging vile accusations like calling Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick a “groomer”.At 80, the hypocritical NZ First leader’s latest ...
It's raining in Cockermouth and we're following our host up the stairs. We’re telling her it’s a lovely building and she’s explaining that it used to be a pub and a nightclub and a backpackers, but no more.There were floods in 2009 and 2015 along the main street, huge floods, ...
A recurring aspect of the Trump tariff coverage is that it normalises – or even sanctifies – a status quo that in many respects has been a disaster for working class families. No doubt, Donald Trump is an uncertainty machine that is tanking the stock market and the growth prospects ...
The National Party’s Minister of Police, Corrections, and Ethnic Communities (irony alert) has stumbled into yet another racist quagmire, proving that when it comes to bigotry, the right wing’s playbook is as predictable as it is vile. This time, Mitchell’s office reposted an Instagram reel falsely claiming that Te Pāti ...
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...
In a world crying out for empathy, J.K. Rowling has once again proven she’s more interested in stoking division than building bridges. The once-beloved author of Harry Potter has cemented her place as this week’s Arsehole of the Week, a title earned through her relentless, tone-deaf crusade against transgender rights. ...
Health security is often seen as a peripheral security domain, and as a problem that is difficult to address. These perceptions weaken our capacity to respond to borderless threats. With the wind back of Covid-19 ...
Would our political parties pass muster under the Fair Trading Act?WHAT IF OUR POLITICAL PARTIES were subject to the Fair Trading Act? What if they, like the nation’s businesses, were prohibited from misleading their consumers – i.e. the voters – about the nature, characteristics, suitability, or quantity of the products ...
Rod EmmersonThank you to my subscribers and readers - you make it all possible. Tui.Subscribe nowSix updates today from around the world and locally here in Aoteaora New Zealand -1. RFK Jnr’s Autism CrusadeAmerica plans to create a registry of people with autism in the United States. RFK Jr’s department ...
We see it often enough. A democracy deals with an authoritarian state, and those who oppose concessions cite the lesson of Munich 1938: make none to dictators; take a firm stand. And so we hear ...
370 perioperative nurses working at Auckland City Hospital, Starship Hospital and Greenlane Clinical Centre will strike for two hours on 1 May – the same day senior doctors are striking. This is part of nationwide events to mark May Day on 1 May, including rallies outside public hospitals, organised by ...
Character protections for Auckland’s villas have stymied past development. Now moves afoot to strip character protection from a bunch of inner-city villas. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories shortest from our political economy on Wednesday, April 23:Special Character Areas designed to protect villas are stopping 20,000 sites near Auckland’s ...
Artificial intelligence is poised to significantly transform the Indo-Pacific maritime security landscape. It offers unprecedented situational awareness, decision-making speed and operational flexibility. But without clear rules, shared norms and mechanisms for risk reduction, AI could ...
For what is a man, what has he got?If not himself, then he has naughtTo say the things he truly feelsAnd not the words of one who kneelsThe record showsI took the blowsAnd did it my wayLyrics: Paul Anka.Morena folks, before we discuss Winston’s latest salvo in NZ First’s War ...
Britain once risked a reputation as the weak link in the trilateral AUKUS partnership. But now the appointment of an empowered senior official to drive the project forward and a new burst of British parliamentary ...
Australia’s ability to produce basic metals, including copper, lead, zinc, nickel and construction steel, is in jeopardy, with ageing plants struggling against Chinese competition. The multinational commodities company Trafigura has put its Australian operations under ...
There have been recent PPP debacles, both in New Zealand (think Transmission Gully) and globally, with numerous examples across both Australia and Britain of failed projects and extensive litigation by government agencies seeking redress for the failures.Rob Campbell is one of New Zealand’s sharpest critics of PPPs noting that; "There ...
On Twitter on Saturday I indicated that there had been a mistake in my post from last Thursday in which I attempted to step through the Reserve Bank Funding Agreement issues. Making mistakes (there are two) is annoying and I don’t fully understand how I did it (probably too much ...
Indonesia’s armed forces still have a lot of work to do in making proper use of drones. Two major challenges are pilot training and achieving interoperability between the services. Another is overcoming a predilection for ...
The StrategistBy Sandy Juda Pratama, Curie Maharani and Gautama Adi Kusuma
As a living breathing human being, you’ve likely seen the heart-wrenching images from Gaza...homes reduced to rubble, children burnt to cinders, families displaced, and a death toll that’s beyond comprehension. What is going on in Gaza is most definitely a genocide, the suffering is real, and it’s easy to feel ...
Donald Trump, who has called the Chair of the Federal Reserve “a major loser”. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories shortest from our political economy on Tuesday, April 22:US markets slump after Donald Trump threatens the Fed’s independence. China warns its trading partners not to side with the US. Trump says some ...
Last night, the news came through that Pope Francis had passed away at 7:35 am in Rome on Monday, the 21st of April, following a reported stroke and heart failure. Pope Francis. Photo: AP.Despite his obvious ill health, it still came as a shock, following so soon after the Easter ...
The 2024 Independent Intelligence Review found the NIC to be highly capable and performing well. So, it is not a surprise that most of the 67 recommendations are incremental adjustments and small but nevertheless important ...
This is a re-post from The Climate BrinkThe world has made real progress toward tacking climate change in recent years, with spending on clean energy technologies skyrocketing from hundreds of billions to trillions of dollars globally over the past decade, and global CO2 emissions plateauing.This has contributed to a reassessment of ...
Hi,I’ve been having a peaceful month of what I’d call “existential dread”, even more aware than usual that — at some point — this all ends.It was very specifically triggered by watching Pantheon, an animated sci-fi show that I’m filing away with all-time greats like Six Feet Under, Watchmen and ...
Once the formalities of honouring the late Pope wrap up in two to three weeks time, the conclave of Cardinals will go into seclusion. Some 253 of the current College of Cardinals can take part in the debate over choosing the next Pope, but only 138 of them are below ...
The National Party government is doubling down on a grim, regressive vision for the future: more prisons, more prisoners, and a society fractured by policies that punish rather than heal. This isn’t just a misstep; it’s a deliberate lurch toward a dystopian future where incarceration is the answer to every ...
The audacity of Don Brash never ceases to amaze. The former National Party and Hobson’s Pledge mouthpiece has now sunk his claws into NZME, the media giant behind the New Zealand Herald and half of our commercial radio stations. Don Brash has snapped up shares in NZME, aligning himself with ...
A listing of 28 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 13, 2025 thru Sat, April 19, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. The formatting is a ...
“What I’d say to you is…” our Prime Minister might typically begin a sentence, when he’s about to obfuscate and attempt to derail the question you really, really want him to answer properly (even once would be okay, Christopher). Questions such as “Why is a literal election promise over ...
Ruth IrwinExponential Economic growth is the driver of Ecological degradation. It is driven by CO2 greenhouse gas emissions through fossil fuel extraction and burning for the plethora of polluting industries. Extreme weather disasters and Climate change will continue to get worse because governments subscribe to the current global economic system, ...
A man on telly tries to tell me what is realBut it's alright, I like the way that feelsAnd everybody singsWe are evolving from night to morningAnd I wanna believe in somethingWriter: Adam Duritz.The world is changing rapidly, over the last year or so, it has been out with the ...
MFB Co-Founder Cecilia Robinson runs Tend HealthcareSummary:Kieran McAnulty calls out National on healthcare lies and says Health Minister Simeon Brown is “dishonest and disingenuous”(video below)McAnulty says negotiation with doctors is standard practice, but this level of disrespect is not, especially when we need and want our valued doctors.National’s $20bn ...
Chris Luxon’s tenure as New Zealand’s Prime Minister has been a masterclass in incompetence, marked by coalition chaos, economic lethargy, verbal gaffes, and a moral compass that seems to point wherever political expediency lies. The former Air New Zealand CEO (how could we forget?) was sold as a steady hand, ...
Has anybody else noticed Cameron Slater still obsessing over Jacinda Ardern? The disgraced Whale Oil blogger seems to have made it his life’s mission to shadow the former Prime Minister of New Zealand like some unhinged stalker lurking in the digital bushes.The man’s obsession with Ardern isn't just unhealthy...it’s downright ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is climate change a net benefit for society? Human-caused climate change has been a net detriment to society as measured by loss of ...
When the National Party hastily announced its “Local Water Done Well” policy, they touted it as the great saviour of New Zealand’s crumbling water infrastructure. But as time goes by it's looking more and more like a planning and fiscal lame duck...and one that’s going to cost ratepayers far more ...
Donald Trump, the orange-hued oligarch, is back at it again, wielding tariffs like a mob boss swinging a lead pipe. His latest economic edict; slapping hefty tariffs on imports from China, Mexico, and Canada, has the stench of a protectionist shakedown, cooked up in the fevered minds of his sycophantic ...
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...
One pill makes you largerAnd one pill makes you smallAnd the ones that mother gives youDon't do anything at allGo ask AliceWhen she's ten feet tallSongwriter: Grace Wing Slick.Morena, all, and a happy Bicycle Day to you.Today is an unofficial celebration of the dawning of the psychedelic era, commemorating the ...
It’s only been a few months since the Hollywood fires tore through Los Angeles, leaving a trail of devastation, numerous deaths, over 10,000 homes reduced to rubble, and a once glorious film industry on its knees. The Palisades and Eaton fires, fueled by climate-driven dry winds, didn’t just burn houses; ...
Four eighty-year-old books which are still vitally relevant today. Between 1942 and 1945, four refugees from Vienna each published a ground-breaking – seminal – book.* They left their country after Austria was taken over by fascists in 1934 and by Nazi Germany in 1938. Previously they had lived in ‘Red ...
Good Friday, 18th April, 2025: I can at last unveil the Secret Non-Fiction Project. The first complete Latin-to-English translation of Giovanni Pico della Mirandola’s twelve-book Disputationes adversus astrologiam divinatricem (Disputations Against Divinatory Astrology). Amounting to some 174,000 words, total. Some context is probably in order. Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463-1494) ...
National MP Hamish Campbell's pathetic attempt to downplay his deep ties to and involvement in the Two by Twos...a secretive religious sect under FBI and NZ Police investigation for child sexual abuse...isn’t just a misstep; it’s a calculated lie that insults the intelligence of every Kiwi voter.Campbell’s claim of being ...
New Zealand First’s Shane Jones has long styled himself as the “Prince of the Provinces,” a champion of regional development and economic growth. But beneath the bluster lies a troubling pattern of behaviour that reeks of cronyism and corruption, undermining the very democracy he claims to serve. Recent revelations and ...
Give me one reason to stay hereAnd I'll turn right back aroundGive me one reason to stay hereAnd I'll turn right back aroundSaid I don't want to leave you lonelyYou got to make me change my mindSongwriters: Tracy Chapman.Morena, and Happy Easter, whether that means to you. Hot cross buns, ...
New Zealand’s housing crisis is a sad indictment on the failures of right wing neoliberalism, and the National Party, under Chris Luxon’s shaky leadership, is trying to simply ignore it. The numbers don’t lie: Census data from 2023 revealed 112,496 Kiwis were severely housing deprived...couch-surfing, car-sleeping, or roughing it on ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: on a global survey of over 3,000 economists and scientists showing a significant divide in views on green growth; and ...
Simeon Brown, the National Party’s poster child for hubris, consistently over-promises and under-delivers. His track record...marked by policy flip-flops and a dismissive attitude toward expert advice, reveals a politician driven by personal ambition rather than evidence. From transport to health, Brown’s focus seems fixed on protecting National's image, not addressing ...
Te Pāti Māori are appalled by Cabinet's decision to agree to 15 recommendations to the Early Childhood Education (ECE) sector following the regulatory review by the Ministry of Regulation. We emphasise the need to prioritise tamariki Māori in Early Childhood Education, conducted by education experts- not economists. “Our mokopuna deserve ...
The Government must support Northland hapū who have resorted to rakes and buckets to try to control a devastating invasive seaweed that threatens the local economy and environment. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill that would ensure the biological definition of a woman and man are defined in law. “This is not about being anti-anyone or anti-anything. This is about ensuring we as a country focus on the facts of biology and protect the ...
After stonewalling requests for information on boot camps, the Government has now offered up a blog post right before Easter weekend rather than provide clarity on the pilot. ...
More people could be harmed if Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey does not guarantee to protect patients and workers as the Police withdraw from supporting mental health call outs. ...
The Green Party recognises the extension of visa allowances for our Pacific whānau as a step in the right direction but continues to call for a Pacific Visa Waiver. ...
The Government yesterday released its annual child poverty statistics, and by its own admission, more tamariki across Aotearoa are now living in material hardship. ...
Today, Te Pāti Māori join the motu in celebration as the Treaty Principles Bill is voted down at its second reading. “From the beginning, this Bill was never welcome in this House,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader, Rawiri Waititi. “Our response to the first reading was one of protest: protesting ...
The Green Party is proud to have voted down the Coalition Government’s Treaty Principles Bill, an archaic piece of legislation that sought to attack the nation’s founding agreement. ...
A Member’s Bill in the name of Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter which aims to stop coal mining, the Crown Minerals (Prohibition of Mining) Amendment Bill, has been pulled from Parliament’s ‘biscuit tin’ today. ...
Labour MP Kieran McAnulty’s Members Bill to make the law simpler and fairer for businesses operating on Easter, Anzac and Christmas Days has passed its first reading after a conscience vote in Parliament. ...
Nicola Willis continues to sit on her hands amid a global economic crisis, leaving the Reserve Bank to act for New Zealanders who are worried about their jobs, mortgages, and KiwiSaver. ...
Once or twice a week, Dr Margaret Henley rolls up the door on a windowless storage locker in central Auckland, pulls her plastic chair up to a picnic table and sifts through the history of netball in New Zealand.She works alongside netball archivist and statistician Todd Miller, together trawling through ...
Corin DannThe time is 7:36am on Wednesday, April 23, and you’re listening to Morning Report, New Zealand’s voice of the educated left on good incomes. I’m joined now by acting Prime Minister Winston Peters. Good morning Mr Peters.Winston PetersIt was, until I saw you. I much prefer your brother.Corin DannLiam ...
When Professor David Krofcheck got an email congratulating him on winning the Oscar of the science world, he dismissed it as a hoax.“I thought it was a scam, I thought it was a phishing email,” recalls Krofcheck, nuclear physicist at Auckland University.“Yeah right, I’ve won the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in ...
Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was.I’ve been re-watching Girls lately, the HBO classic that perfectly captures millennial women in the most painful way. I highly recommend it especially if you haven’t watched it before. Every character on the show is deeply flawed and frustrating in their own ...
With the double-header long weekend comes a welcome chance to escape streaming slop, writes Alex Casey. Over Easter I texted my husband Joe a sentence that perhaps nobody in human history has ever texted: “hurry up geostorm is starting”. No punctuation, no capitalisation, not because I was trying to ...
April 27 is Moehanga Day, the anniversary of the day in 1806 when Ngāpuhi warrior Moehanga became the first Māori to visit England. This is his story. The wooden ship sailed down the River Thames, past smoke stacks and brick factories, until it reached a wharf in industrial south London. ...
Heidi Thomson on how her husband’s illness and Daniel Kalderimis’s book Zest have enhanced her understanding of George Eliot’s great novel.Sometimes a book finds you at just the right time. In early December my husband John had a stroke. At the time we were both reading George Eliot’s Middlemarch, ...
The musician, actor and star of upcoming documentary Marlon Williams: Ngā Ao E Rua – Two Worlds takes us through his life in television. Musician Marlon Williams has been on our My Life in TV wish list ever since he revealed during his My Boy tour that he wrote ‘Thinking ...
When she walked dripping into the lounge, hair wet from the shower, she took one look at Hamish and dropped her towel.He was holding her phone.—How long has it been going on for?His blue eyes blazed. She wanted to pluck them out and blow on them gently, cool them off. ...
A citizens’ assembly of 100 Porirua locals has provided the city council with more than a dozen recommendations about how to tackle climate change and make sure the region is resilient to worsening extreme weather events.Ranging from expanding access to renewable energy and incentivising the planting of native trees through ...
Comment: Democracy globally is in crisis. Around the world we are seeing the rise of nationalism and declining trust in democratic institutions. Politicians, even in Aotearoa, undermine the authority of core institutions like the media and the courts, which are critical for a functioning democracy. To live well together, in ...
Journalist Rod Oram, who died last year, would have been delighted to see the commitment to addressing climate change shown by the 23-year-old winner of a prize established in his memory.Mika Hervel, a student at Victoria University of Wellington, is today named winner of the Rod Oram Memorial Essay Prize, ...
COMMENTARY:By Nour Odeh There was faint hope that efforts to achieve a ceasefire deal in Gaza would succeed. That hope is now all but gone, offering 2.1 million tormented and starved Palestinians dismal prospects for the days and weeks ahead. Last Saturday, the Israeli Prime Minister once again affirmed ...
An ocean conservation non-profit has condemned the United States President’s latest executive order aimed at boosting the deep sea mining industry. President Donald Trump issued the “Unleashing America’s offshore critical minerals and resources” order on Thursday, directing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to allow deep sea mining. The ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In this election, voters are more distrustful than ever of politicians, and the political heroes of 2022 have fallen from grace, swept from favour by independent players. A Roy Morgan survey has found, for ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor The former head of BenarNews’ Pacific bureau says a United States court ruling this week ordering the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) to release congressionally approved funding to Radio Free Asia and its subsidiaries “makes us very happy”. However, Stefan Armbruster, who has ...
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 25, 2025. Labor takes large leads in YouGov and Morgan polls as surge continuesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne With just eight days until the May 3 federal election, and with in-person early voting well under way, Labor has taken a ...
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 Butter by Asako Yuzuki (Fourth Estate, $35) Fictionalised true crime for foodies. 2 Sunrise on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Taneshka Kruger, UP ISMC: Project Manager and Coordinator, University of Pretoria Healthcare in Africa faces a perfect storm: high rates of infectious diseases like malaria and HIV, a rise in non-communicable diseases, and dwindling foreign aid. In 2021, nearly half of ...
Australia and New Zealand join forces once more to bring you the best films and TV shows to watch this weekend. This Anzac Day, our free-to-air TV channels will screen a variety of commemorative coverage. At 11am, TVNZ1 has live coverage of the Anzac Day National Commemorative Service in Wellington. ...
Our laws are leaving many veterans who served after 1974 out in the cold. I know, because I’m one of them.This Sunday Essay was made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.First published in 2024.As I write this story, I am in constant pain. My hands ...
An MP fighting for anti-trafficking legislation says it is hard for prosecutors to take cases to court - but he is hopeful his bill will turn the tide. ...
NONFICTION1 No Words for This by Ali Mau (HarperCollins, $39.99)2 Everyday Comfort Food by Vanya Insull (Allen & Unwin, $39.99)3 Three Wee Bookshops at the End of the World by Ruth Shaw (Allen & Unwin, $39.99)
This Anzac Day marks 110 years since the Gallipoli landings by soldiers in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps - the ANZACS. It signalled the beginning of a campaign that was to take the lives of so many of our young men - and would devastate the ...
The violent deportation of migrants is not new, and New Zealand forces had a hand in such a regime after World War II, writes historian Scott Hamilton. The world is watching the new Trump government wage a war against migrants it deems illegal. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials and ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.This Sunday Essay was made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
A new poem by Aperahama Hurihanganui, about the name of Aperahama and Abby Hauraki’s three-year-old son, Te Hono ki Īhipa (which translates to ‘The Connection to Egypt’). Te Hono ki Īhipa what’s in a name? te hono – the connection to your tīpuna, valiant soldiers of the 28th Māori Battalion ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 25 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Pacific Media Watch The Fijians for Palestine Solidarity Network today condemned the Fiji government’s failure to stand up for international law and justice over the Israeli war on Gaza in their weekly Black Thursday protest. “For the past 18 months, we have made repeated requests to our government to do ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Michelle Grattan and Amanda Dunn discuss the fourth week of the 2025 election campaign. While the death of Pope Francis interrupted campaigning for a while, the leaders had another debate on Tuesday night and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Whatever the result on May 3, even people within the Liberals think they have run a very poor national campaign. Not just poor, but odd. Nothing makes the point more strongly than this week’s ...
The Finance Minister says the leftover funding from the unexpectedly low uptake of the FamilyBoost policy will be redistributed to families who need it. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Ghezelbash, Professor and Director, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney People who apply for asylum in Australia face significant delays in having their claims processed. These delays undermine the integrity of the asylum system, erode ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Every election cycle the media becomes infatuated, even if temporarily, with preference deals between parties. The 2025 election is no exception, with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Hortle, Deputy Director, Tasmanian Policy Exchange, University of Tasmania For each Australian federal election, there are two different ways you get to vote. Whether you vote early, by post or on polling day on May 3, each eligible voter will be ...
"So let me get this straight. National spend months — during a global pandemic — undermining, sabotaging and heckling NZ's world-leading response to Covid… but we can't be mean to them today? Yet we've had to tolerate their counter-productive scheming as if they've been acting in good faith?
Let's be honest and call out the Emperor's new clothes.
National's problem is they're looking for a leader who doesn't embody their culture. Just embrace it guys. Double down. Michael Woodhouse and Judith Collins all the way.
(Meanwhile, you might want to beg Act not to stand candidates in your electorates. You do wanna get 5 percent.)"
Raybon Khan
Ah Raybon Khan….hes supposed to be a comedian but ends up being accurately unfunny
Hurrah for Raybon Khan.
Here's my pick: Judith Collins.
And if Woodhouse comes in as her deputy then we all know nothing has changed. Its Dirty Politics all the way.
TBH its more likely to be deputy Mark the Mercenary Mitchell. Wow! What a team – not.
Collins would be the panic pick, if you ask me – The nat caucus hates her almost as much as left wingers. She'll only get the nod if the members have been reading the tory rags and swallowing it down whole. Maybe she will get it to stop the leeching of votes to act.
Kaye for some sort of continuity, not that it's been long enough to count on, or Adams as the supposed soft face of conservatism they think will win over the middle ground.
Anne – you remember me predicting that Todd would disappear, and that Nikki might be brought forth (supported by compliant media) as the new version of Jacinda?
From what I have seen to date, no chance. Nikki seems vacant compared to Jacinda.
But has she been lying low (as I suspect Jacinda did until Andrew stood down)?
I doubt that National are going to decide quickly on this, and Nikki will be temporary leader for a good day or two.
I cannot see Nikki suddenly blossoming forth, but if she does it will have been well crafted.
That is how we pedantic conspiracists see things..
There is juicy irony here, National with it's dedicated Dirty Politics team, it's Intelligence Unit set up to dog for dirt on Labour, being undone itself, by itself, without Labour doing anything about it. Hoisted by their own petard so to speak, and now they want sympathy and pity? I got a few swear words to say to that! & Khan is brilliant, his opinion pieces are must reads.
Agree with Raybon…….
but more than being mean to National, I note that the two journalists I respect the most in NZ, Nicky Hager and Gordon Campbell both say its almost impossible that Muller didn't know about the Boag leak…….
Don't forget the great Jon Stephenson!
Morrissey
Today's geek tragedy: R.I.P. Grant Imahara
https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/300056911/mythbusters-host-grant-imahara-dies-at-49
I wondered why MB was trending, sorry to hear about that, he had great presence as "straight science guy" on that show.
Latest Roy Morgan poll is out (link here).
As expected, bad news for National … I'm gonna make a big call here, Muller has to go.
Labour/Greens doing well, especially the latter. ACT gain from Nats.
(as always, treat Morgan polls with caution, but in line with other "private" polling).
Great poll. Good to see the greens up to 9% and NZfist under 2%
and ACT benefiting from disillusioned Nat voters…..JC the obvious fillip
To plug the
brainshame drain. lolno shame in the base, only certainty of position.
They know what they want and what we all need.
We are only talking about 4% of voters going to Act. NZ first has lost many voters. Labour is picking up the majority
we are talking about 4% in current polling….national will be looking to the only poll that matters
My thoughts exactly Allen
If these numbers are repeated up to polling day, then fingers crossed for the bloke up against the 'salvor' of the north.
Yep the Green number is encouraging.
What's not to like?
Solar panels (PV), batteries, grid tied inverter (made in Chch?).
Jobs, training, local industry boost, grid and community resilience.
And only rich folks anxiety, about tax on wealth beyond their first million, to feel concerned about.
Looks pretty grim for NZF, 1.5%.
NZF have got a lot of Billboards out in Northland
Heading:
Vote Jones for Jobs
With a nice pic of Winston and Jones
RM was taken in June. Going to be really interesting if NZF picks up any of the disaffected Nat vote from the past two weeks.
Quite right, you'd expect NZF to pick up some the disenfranchised Nat supporters
Great to see support for the Greens jump, was it after or before the tax announcement.
I just read an article from Bolger about Mullers demise saying from his perspective, the Nats need to recognise that under current Covid 19 conditions and the cost of negating those problems, that Tax increases were essential.
I don't know if any potential Nat leaders were listening but I must say, I agree with him.
the welfare policy was announced on the 28 June so I doubt it's reflected in this poll.
I want to be able to laugh in clear consience at the ridiculous US electoral college system. Time for the party threshold to be reduced as recommended by the previous electoral commission. Up to one in twenty party votes being wasted is too many. (Yes, I did consider Mr Craig being an MP as a consequence).
Conducted over a 3-4 week period throughout June … so a bit out of date now … they seem to have been sitting on it for a couple of weeks.
RM is usually strongest for the Greens (overstating support) … so people probably shouldn't read too much into the 9% figure.
Does seem to confirm my theory that (due to an outlier in May) the June Colmar Brunton significantly overstated the swing away from Labour a month ago.
I am happy to see National in turmoil. More, I wish we can develop a strong economy that grows jobs with equitable outcomes.
Without any meretricious National Party input.
Yeah I'd take a mere to that Gnat Trishis.
It's coming, all good things take time, low wage economies are an economic failure for the majority, the current Govt is well aware of that.
Agree with Raybon…….
but more than being mean to National, I note that the two journalists I respect the most in NZ, Nicky Hager and Gordon Campbell both say its almost impossible that Muller didn't know about the Boag leak…….
Newshub are doing a live stream special in anticipation of an outcome.
Apparently, mark mitchell and louise upston have formed a 'ticket' and simon isn't interested in returning as leader.
Here's the link for the stream…
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/shows.html
They've got a ticket – to ride!
I think I'm going to be sad – I think it's today, yeah
The girl that's driving me mad is going away
She's got a ticket to ride — (but I don't care!)
(Words changed a bit. And the girl driving me mad, and everyone else just teetering on sanity, will go away; we'll hold the ticket to ride even till Covid-19 has passed. )
So we have JC for grittiness and the force majeure and Brownlee for his stalwart qualities, almost as good as a Berlin wall separating the entitled from the great unwashed, so to speak. National feels the need for a heavyweight in their line-up following on from Jenny Shipley.
Cometh the hour, cometh the women. Judith Collins.
Then it will be Cersei Lannister taking on Danerys Targaryen.
Update from the Newshub live stream: SB not standing, Mitchell & Upston standing as a combo. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/shows.html
Oh, I see Cinny beat me by a minute with that.
Dennis, on Stuff they are floating the idea of chris bishop.
Crikey could they be any more divided.
Sounds like they will be unable to make a decision tonight.
There is still a possibility that Todd gets voted back in as leader.
Todd who?
The MullaFulla
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1514512538720915&set=a.596777487161096&type=3&eid=ARDR3RL1sn3abWuj6eC-9qN5GzNBfq5xH41POZSfGsbJJkfLnuw8TQqB8LIRCtkOrephUfP3IF3TlPeb
The Newshub gang couldn’t really be pushing any harder for Collins.
For the simple reason they thrive on drama and division. If you hear their radio promo's they're a combination of every combination of fears that will touch the nerves of most of the population but especially the gullible. It's the sole point of difference they work on to try to maintain an audience
The Gullibles – I reckon there are some like this at heart in the Gnats – just good at putting on a good show. After they've done their bit Sir Humphrey shows how to deal with knotty problems when you're in gummint.
Peter Dunne keeps trying to peddle this line that National can somehow hold on to all their current MPs and ACT can gain 4, 5 or even 6 more. He doesn’t seem to understand that it’s a zero sum game, every new ACT MP is one less for National. He’s really bloody annoying.
Cometh the hour, cometh the harpy!
"Sometimes things stuff up or individual MPs go rogue, but high-profile investigative journalist Nicky Hager says there was a "distinct smell from the beginning" of a covert, organised campaign strategy by National as last week's Covid-19 patient information scandal unfolded."
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/covid-patient-info-scandal-reeks-organised-campaign-national-author-nicky-hager-argues?
"“I’m confident we’ll get a new leader tonight, if not then by lunch time tomorrow and we just have to get on with it, and we’ll be running a very competitive campaign, there’s no doubt about that.”"
Lawrence Yule
Il rêve… (He's dreaming..)
Zut alors.
JC is leader! Tova got message from inside, unconfirmed as yet…
Collins as leader means business as usual, onward with "dirty politics at any expense"
A leak?
Seemed like it was. Got confirmed about 10 mins ago. Voting on the deputy is taking longer than I expected – maybe close competition? Newshub panel got word that Brownlee is likely to get it, but a contender for the future as well would make more sense…
Who’s on the Newshub panel?
So we're gonna get St. Jude! Allegedly. What better project for the patron saint of lost causes and hopeless cases?
Any chance of unbanning Puckish? There would be some lolz for sure.
Yessiree. Bring back Puck!
Judithulhu: why settle for a lesser evil?
CrusherSmusherMusher!
Jacinda will simply divert Collins' attacks to her various deputies. Game over.
They’ll have lots of material to work with.
Well there goes the small false dawn of the Nats trying to be a moral and ethical party. One thing for certain Jude will never resign over anything. It will probably need the mythical stake through the heart to get her out of the job. Funny I've always seen her alternate job after some of those photo's standing on cars as the Dom of the party.
In the image, is Key inhaling the scent of Collins' hair? And is she encouraging him?
And just like that Barry Soper pops up…
Oh dear
I did not think National were that stupid.
It will take a mighty conspiracy with cooperation of media to give Judith any chance at all.
Jesus the standup is something else. They’ve all lost it.
I recognised the symptoms, I've been there. In politics or sport or even school.
It's when you know you've lost and you might as well have some fun. It's "what the hell" time. The manic laughter gives it away.
Judith Collins is not going to let Jacinda get away with any more of her nonsense.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/judith-collins-new-national-party-leader-1-news-understands
As bitchy as ever.
That’s faint praise coming from Collins.