“If Winston Peters is part of a Labour-led government, his party won’t support plans to introduce new taxes, like the planned water tax”
If Winston Peters is part of a Labour-led government, his party won't support plans to introduce new taxes, like the planned water tax pic.twitter.com/WBAYz4G13C
To be fair though micky Labour need to shoulder some of the blame for this. They should have been expecting the attacks over tax and had it all shut down before the campaign started.
I’m struggling with the criticism. Basically your premise is they should have anticipated National would make shit up and should have been ready to reply. Parties should be punished for making shit up, not rewarded.
On the other hand with the crazy way the polls have been going we can expect equally mad swings in the final Newshub-Reid poll when it comes out. That one will have Labour up 7 from 37 to 44 and National down 7 from 47 to 40 or something like that.
They’ll also reverse the Green/NZF vote percentages.
Does anyone understand what is going on?
What kind of demented troll stalks a left leaning website at 6.01pm to gloat in unhinged and delirious glee at others’ potential misfortune? You should be ashamed of yourself and go book an appointment with a shrink
Not really. It puts them 1 percentage point ahead of Labour + Greens. Given the margin of error, that could just as easily be reversed. If National happen to be just a bit lower, and especially if NZ 1st don’t get in, they lose.
Having said that, the enrolment stats could equally mean that National will effectively poll higher. This poll really only says that it’s mighty close.
Don’t know 7% , Declined 6% , margin of error?
It’s One news Poll, they’ve been consistently 4 to 6% out with final poll versus Votes cast over the last 3 elections.
Kiwis are far thicker than Morgan could possibly imagine, if they elect a National government after their display of incompetence throughout this campaign.
Kiwis are far thicker than Morgan could possibly imagine, if they elect a National government after their display of incompetence throughout this campaign.
OK. I think CB is landline only. Few youth votes will be recorded except the tory twitletts still living at home with mummy and daddy. Add to that the Nat campaign of lying, cheating, deceiving, corrupt behaviour… and the moribund and ignorant voters fall for it yet again. As for the shallow, witless james’ of this world… karma will sort them in due course.
Sorry, stages of grief and all that, but you can’t keep smashing the voters like that and then expect them to vote for you.
IF (big if) the poll is realised on Saturday and we end up with English & Co back in charge again, then Labour have to think pretty hard about why it happened. Sneering at the electorate as ‘moribund and ignorant’ isn’t going to help.
You have to think why (if) they opted for National. After all, last week they were smart and engaged because the CB showed them supporting Labour.
Nah. Supporters of both parties are always calling each other idiots on no uncertain terms, and it’s nothing new. Unless they hold office or are running to do so, I don’t think it makes a blind bit of difference.
There’s a big problem with the “young people don’t have cellphones” argument – it ignores the fact that young people have ALWAYS been hard to reach for opinion polling, even before cellphones became commonplace.
The polling companies have had to deal with low response-rates amongst young people for many decades, and adjust their weightings and strategies accordingly. Cellphones probably make an already big problem a bit bigger, but if thats the main defence the left is going to rely on for polls today, it’s probably going to be a tough night on Saturday.
You’re entitled to be skeptical of whatever you want to be skeptical of, but the fact remains that the track record of polling companies in New Zealand, for at least the last couple of decades, has been pretty good.
Polling is hard, but these are experienced professional companies that have every incentive to be right (as in correct) not ‘right’ (as in skewed).
All I will say is this; if your belief that the left is going to win the election relies on believing polling is skewed against the left then, on balance of probabilities, you should prepare for a bad election night.
I may as well concede now. I knew this would happen. And it was the farmers wot won it.
Labour has some serious shit to sort out starting Monday. And the Greens can pay themselves on the back all they want about rising to 8%, they are still going to be in opposition.
All this poll shows is that thing are still really unstable. I would not give up yet. Besides Labour/Greens are neck and neck with National. Even on these figures there is everything to aim for.
Yep … It’s deflating – no question about that – but it sure as hell aint over.
Chin up, my bully-boys*. Jacinda’s got the vile sausage-sucking Tory Hun on the run ! Keep Fritzie in panic-mode and I’m sure we’ll all be in Berlin by lunchtime !
If the poll is right it would be the lies that National is telling which tip the balance. Fear and anxiety implemented by unscrupulous people seem to win in NZ.
If the poll is right.
We will do it yet!
Labour has some serious shit to sort out starting Monday,
The shit is: Labour don’t stand up and give back as good as they get. All this relentless positivity doesn’t work. The voters see it as a weakness. The majority of them are self promoting bigots and its time Labour woke up to reality. I’ve been banging on about it for years and so have plenty of others but they… just… won’t… listen.
Oh, and they are still producing policy that’s way too complex. In statistical terms, half the voters have an IQ that is below the average but they seem unable to take that into account. Helen Clark understood and produced the simplistic pledge card in 2005 was it? Whatever, It saved her bacon.
If Labour loses it’s because Labour fucked it up.
Nothing about not attacking or been too nice, it will be because you’re trying to change too much stuff all at once and have spooked the horses.
Have to agree here. Positivity in this neoliberal race to the top goes part way. Sadly, the soft vote wants (as Hosking might say “rightly or wrongly”) cuthroat displays of strength. Jacinda will need to attack to beat those that are expert in the craft of bullshitting soft voters. Meanwhile, those most affected will suffer more. Sorry to be pessimisstic.
Well, I for one Welcome our new National Party Overlords !
And I can assure Fräulein Bennett and Herr Joyce that I’m prepared to sing like a Canary, wildly naming names like an accused Communist at a 1951 McCarthyite Senate hearing.
Normally I’d be a lot more positive about this but my political antenna seems to be a bit wonKey at the moment however its probably not a good sign for Labour
I just hope Labour can keep it seemly and not go to desperate measures over the next couple of days
Full resilts:
1 News Colmar Brunton poll:
NAT 46% (+6),
LAB 37% (-7),
GRN 8% (+1),
NZF 5% (-1),
TOP 2% (NC),
MAO 1% (NC),
ACT 0.3%
Don’t know 7%, Refused 6% (+1). Fieldwork conducted 16-19 September
Oh, certainly not giving up – according to this poll, National’s on 46 % and Labour/Green on 45%. Only a mug would think they could pick the winner at this point.
Yup…..13% is a lot to play for…..who would be most inclined to refuse to say?
Don’t lose heart people….get on the phone and talk to someone and convince them to vote.
The Labour Party certainly don’t avoid it, do they?
They have parroted on most of the year on how National supposedly cut the expenditure on health below what Labour had been doing. It was a clever lie but it was a lie for all that. They did it by taking the first year of the National Government as the base line, rather than taking the last year of the Labour Government.
That way they could pretend that the massive increase in the 2009-2010 year never happened.
They have parroted on most of the year on how National supposedly cut the expenditure on health below what Labour had been doing. It was a clever lie but it was a lie for all that.
His analysis, carried out with the ASMS, indicated the health system’s publicly-funded mental health services in 2017/18 would receive just $18 million in extra funding. That’s an increase of about 1.2%, which works out to a cut in real terms. A 7.3% funding increase is needed in 2017/18 just to maintain the mental health services we already have, given client numbers are increasing at about 5% a year – and more money is needed if the Government wants to improve access to services.
You really can’t help yourself in your defence of National psychopathic policies can you? Typical authoritarian follower. You’re one of the sheep that National relies upon not only to not question them but to defend them and you do it without fail.
I have no idea what the situation is in this part of the health budget.
What I looked at was the total budget and what the Labour Party claims were.
They were false.
I don’t really have the time or inclination to look at this bit of the budget and the figures you are referring to, and you will note that I wasn’t talking about just this facet of the situation.
I was more interested in the whole picture.
The effect of this is to pretend that the first year of the National Government was the norm rather than comparing their numbers with the final year of the Labour Government.
The first year of the National government would be the last year of the Labour government’s final budget.
“The first year of the National government would be the last year of the Labour government’s final budget”
That is quite true. National was in Government for most of that year. However it wasn’t that year they used as the base, normal, year
The 2008 election was on November 8 2008.
The last year of the Labour Government was the 2008-2009 year. It covered the year from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009. http://www.treasury.govt.nz/government/financialstatements/yearend
That was not the year they used as their base though. They used the expenditure in the 2009-2010 year which was the first year that the National Party budget of 2009 was in operation.
If you take the last Labour year as the base you find that the Health expenditure did rise under a National Government above the values for the end of the Labour one.
There was a very large increase in the 2009-2010 year even after you include inflation and demographic changes. National deserve the credit for that surely? Because of the way Labour requested the calculations all this increase was ignored.
Cunning isn’t it?
I didn’t actually claim that the Green Party had done that.
What I said was that they didn’t appear to like the environmental effects of the pipeline.
I also said that they were in favour of using coastal shipping to move goods around.
The Maori Party will win at least two seats, via Te Ururoa Flavell and Howie Tamati, who was 13 points ahead of Adrian Rurawhe a couple of weeks ago. They may get enough party votes to get Marama Fox in as well, but at this stage I would guess not.
If NZFirst don’t make it on those numbers there would be 7% wasted vote which would probably be enough for Nat/Act to govern alone. A sobering thought.
Everybody is better off if NZ1st don’t make it! Then nobody has to deal with Winston.
But in terms of who forms the government, that depends on whether Nats plus clingons or Labour/Greens get more of the votes above the threshold. The Maori Party may end up the deciders.
So if you’re tossing up whether to vote Nats or Winnie, go for Winnie. If you’re tossing up Labour or Greens vs Winnie, then Labour or Greens.
A phrase coined by my old friend Bob in our glory days at Stirling University in the 90s. He was trying to express his disapproval of Ecstasy, because it made you “Dance like a jalopy to really stupid music.”
Bob had a way with words, usually unintentionally.
Both participants in that conversation are now dead – the raver had some sort of bad reaction to E (Bob didn’t think to warn him of that) and Bob himself died a couple of years ago from blood poisoning in India.
.. all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more.
Ah, mortality! But at least Bob’s curious genius will live on a little longer.
Seeing it would immediately require an immediate SAN check. Failure would result in the loss of 1d100 San points, and even those passing would still lose 1d10 SAN.
And aliens could actually invade and enslave us into their galactic empire, but I’m picking neither of those highly unlikely events is going to happen in the near future.
“sometime late Saturday night”.
In terms of the election night result we will have a pretty good idea by about 8pm. There are so many early votes that will be counted before 7pm, and they tend to be similar to the final result.
With the closeness of these numbers though I think we may be sitting around wondering for another couple of weeks. There are all the specials and the overseas voting to come after that.
The official results aren’t due until 7 October. There could be a seat or two swinging then.
In the last few elections National has typically lost a seat to the Greens with the recounts and overseas votes. That could be crucial this time round.
Yes, the Green Party do have a unique pattern of results.
They have polling numbers of X% before the election. Then the drop to about 0.8X on election day. Then they go back up to 0.85X with the specials.
NB I haven’t actually calculated the multipliers but the pattern is accurate.
“That rather diminishes Labours chances as their only coalition party can be the greens.”
Really! – when NZ First is so needed to form a labour lead government rather than a sellout Government?? The last time Labour come to power in 1999 it was a coalition of labour greens/NZ First so you are way out there.
Didn’t you watch what Winston said at his interview with John Campbell the other night? – It was when John asked Winston if he could work with the greens – he said, “everythings negociable”.
I’m afraid your memory is failing you.
The Government after the !999 election was comprised of Labour and the Alliance. Neither New Zealand First nor the Green Party were part of the Government.
I am afraid you are way out there.
Is it possible to have James banned for at least two weeks. His empty triumphalism doesn’t add anything to the discourse. I don’t see why he should be able to sort of start a flame war, and be politely allowed to dance around on our hopes for the future of NZ. So please mods can he be revued and take his tap dancing off to Kiwiblog!
All the trolls seem to be creaming themselves tonight… Based on what? Yet another MSM Poll …
“In this month’s issue of Personality and Individual Differences, a study was published that confirms what we all suspected: internet trolls are horrible people.”
“In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting quarrels or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory,[1] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the intent of provoking readers into an emotional response[2] or of otherwise disrupting normal, on-topic discussion,[3] often for the troll’s amusement.”
About that troll definition. If you get a coven of any gender and say something that doesn’t fit their rigid ideas, it can upset them like hell. Like an innocent insect getting caught in a web you suddenly get attacked so – 1 can invoke an irrational response also 2, and some acceptable etiquette and display of manners is called for before rushing to invoke Rule 109 section 32 (a)(i) or similar in the in-group’s exposition.
When the nuisance is repeated then irritation is justified.
On the other hand…perhaps it is better he is here, where we can keep an eye on him, rather than him roaming the streets getting up to all sorts of evil doings.
Cheer up folks….its a poll…and by definition
.
a hornless animal, especially one of a breed of hornless cattle.
She could have said the same thing in a different way and she’d still be (and the Greens would be on at least 15%) instead they might not even make it back and the parties image is forever tarnished
If she’d something like “I did this a long time ago and I’m sorry I felt I had to do it, I appreciated the support I received from the taxpayer and I paid the money back once I became a lawyer, I’m coming forward now to make sure no one else in my position has to do the same because something needs to change”
Instead she came off as unappreciative and somewhat flippant, perception is everything
interesting. For me she came across as standing her ground in solidarity with beneficiaries. Not saying she didn’t make any mistakes, but that this was more important than appeasing the so called middle NZ.
Paying the money back is very problematic. She wouldn’t have know how much it was, she could have been charged with fraud and had her law career put at risk. She still had a young child at that point. I think you’ve missed some critical parts of the story.
She should have got that stuff sorted before she went public.
The fact that she didn’t is the reason she’s now out of politics, she’s an idiot and the countries far better off not having her in any sort of position where she could have power over others.
What the hell is that about? You are totally out of line making such a comment. You should withdraw and apologise.
[lprent: Please spare me your unintelligent indignation. Please read his comment. There are many possible meanings to OAB’s statement.
It could just be his opinion of Judith Collins that if she is dealing with anything it will be dodgy as fuck. You only have to read Dirty Politics to come to that conclusion.
But certainly her orders as Minster or Energy have disrupted travel. For instance she could have put the priority on aircraft kerosene rather than 91 octane petrol and diesel. It is legitimate to query why a politician she would have done it this way.
It could also deal with the renamed Oravida operation around Ruakaka with a reputation for playing fast and loose with rules that uses diggers to dig Kauri stumps, the one that would be a prime suspect if a digger did damage and she has a family connection to it is another. I’d question if she should be involved in any enquiry myself.
That her husband operates Oravida and for whom she is known to have done what I consider amounts to a sales trip on the taxpayers dime for is another.
Now these are all legitimate political questions that will be raised.
I am sure that in the latter two that when the election is over and in the caretaker government that as a lawyer Judith Collins will see that she will properly recuse herself to allow a real investigation to take place as to the cause of the economic disaster of having the sole fuel line to Auckland cut.
If you had half a brain, you would have figured that out yourself, and not wasted my time. OAB specialises in doing the needle intelligently and so he doesn’t get banned. You could do well to study his opaque technique for revving up simple minded right wingers into defending against what their guilty consciences feel that he must have been meaning.
Keeping Stock -you were flushed out this time last election as an active player in National’s Dirty Politics campaign, to the extent that you had to kill of your own blog and scramble into damage control in your own community.
Why are you here now? What do you hope to achieve by commenting on The Standard at this point? Do you think readers here don’t know about your close association with Farrar and Slater?
Remember that National’s best ever result was 47.3% under Key in 2011. So we’re led to believe that after another 6 years and without Key, National has lost only 1%? I do admire the optimism of some Tories.
I’m not sure that the Labour Party is spending it’s advertising money very wisely.
I just had a look at KiwiBlog to see if Farrar had any comment on this result.
The first thing I got was an ad for the Labour Party.
I don’t think that there are really many votes Labour is going to gain from ads running there.
Oh, it’s well spent alright – how I laughed when I saw it! That phrase about capitalists being willing to sell you the rope you plan to hang them with came to mind.
I miss all the real funny hard case Kiwi comedians like Tui Teka and Billy T James The Laughing Samoans Eteuati Ete and Tofiga Fepulea Fred Dagg / John Clarke OUR Kiwi comedians like them bring a tear to my eyes and I get a sore face.
I’m just wondering why I have not seen these types of comedians on National TV in the last 8 years or so. Tammy Davis /Munter off Outrageous Fortune would make us laugh like them I’m sure there are many more out there Taika Waititi would be fucken funny but he is to busies . Maybe Taika could champion this cause to promote It. I’m sure Taika would have the influence to accomplish this.
The soon to be Queen Knows that we all have sorrows in OUR hearts for her loss we just don’t want to bother her or put her off her campaign.
I’m not even going to talk about what was first on the news as we all Know that come Saturday we will be celebrating a Labour Greens win so chin up I say everyone. Sorry I can not support Tops his policys don’t match my Ideals.
I follow Waititi on twitter, which is intermittent but humorous. Don’t have a TV so not sure what passes for Kiwi humour these days. I guess they’re all doing stand up somewhere. Or have their own whatever show that’s not straight comedy.
One would think that they could put a temporary fix on that pipe I have used them on water and kerosene is not that flammable WTF you just wrap it and band it up seen this fix many times It just has to be a fix till alternative supply is set up. There should have been a plan for this scenario. Some one needs to be sued over this because that is the only way we will find the truth on this fuck up.
Its not rocket science!!!!!!!!!
Yes, they spent lots of money on a web redesign to make it worse, and then refused to listen to complaints about how it was worse. It’s standard practice for state sector organisations these days.
Fancy that, a couple of days out from the election National gets a massive poll turn around signalling to the voters they now have a chance. Utter billshit.
Oh, come on. You can’t blame everything on the Malevolent Right Wing Space Lizards. Maybe a lot of New Zealanders just prefer the idea of Bill English being in charge of stuff?
Just using my intuition. You stated you haven’t voted Labour since the China FTA. This seems to be the crucial policy you have voted on for a decade or more yet you still back National’s import of Chinese capital.
You are anti-Labour, end of story. How do you propose to effect any social change in New Zealand while being so anti-Labour? You are fighting yourself.
I am not ‘anti-Labour.’ I don’t vote for them because they don’t match my politics. And I criticise them when they make mistakes, which – alas- they do with depressing frequency. And I have no time at all for mindless cheerleaders and naive fools.
Still waiting for you to evidence the claim that I am “back National’s import of Chinese capital.” Or were you just making shit up on the internet?
I’m going by your posts which are unfailingly critical of Labour policy. Given the importance of Labour to changing the government, the only logical conclusion is that you are against changing the government.
I imagine your argument will be the argument of all pretend lefties – ‘it’s complicated’
Back to ‘unfailingly critical,’ even though I’ve already disproved that claim.
Since you’re recycling your doggerel, I’ll recycle mine.
I am not ‘anti-Labour.’ I don’t vote for them because they don’t match my politics. I criticise them when they make mistakes. Given people hereabouts like to view their mistakes as brilliant strategic moves (“Let’s make Cunliffe the leader!”) I’m rather busy.
By some obscure alchemy, you seem to construe that that as support for National. That’s your problem. Maybe you’re not as clever at comprehending things, and your intuition is not as good, as you like to think.
Ardern’s worst debate performance.
Just when she needed to be seen fighting the good fight, she looks flat.
When asked about winston not supporting her water tax, why did she not counter about his super position and how that affects the nats?
Most of the pundits Carolyn_nth accept that the Mana/Internet Party/Dotcom Moment of Truth debacle pushed a couple of percent National’s way in the last days.
Probably. I’m not disputing the poll tonight really. It shows what we’ve always known – Lab/Greens pretty much equals National. The unknowables are what happens after that.
What an odious comment you made imodioum shame on you.
National have truly fucked up this country by conducting a mean arsed austerity scheme as bad as the Ruth Richarson black budget was damaging us then by copying that same style of mean cruel inhumanity where the poor are pushed to the gutter to die hungry and sick.
Pretty evident Hosking and English vs Adern.
Least balanced nz debate ive seen
English flat out lying re 11 billion dollar hole and not pulled by Hosking. Dirty politics, possibly working in the polls so he’s doubled down.
Here are some other intriguing headlines on NZ Herald.
NEW ZEALAND
Fake names: Chief referred to Solicitor-General
20 Sep, 2017 5:37pm
Ministry of Social Development found unlawfully using fake names on legal documents
and
NEW ZEALAND
Beneficiaries short-changed by millions
20 Sept 5.58 pm
Introducing e-therapy digital counselling. Bill’s answer to fixing mental health. No one knows what it is but its new, and more internet time will somehow address kid’s mental health.
Well anyone in NZ can call themselves a counsellor so robots it is.
Serves them right for fucking around and failing to ensure their profession is registered as health practitioners by doing something as basic as agreeing.
mauī; – It’s callled in the old fashioned term we all know as ‘Brainwashing’
National are so tied to the control of the mind as we have seen when they removed all our Public affairs programs like ‘close-up’ and they cousins as they were to focused on the negative stuff the current government was doing .
Radio NZ ‘National’is now a trumpet for the ‘National Party’ so on it goes until they will have us alll bowijng to the ‘National God’ himself.
Greatest one liner
” we can never afford poverty”
Responding to bill “now we can NOW afford to help due to government surpluses” , with jacindas response … priceless.
Mike excelled himself. Given his right leaning and anti left he was very impressive
Jacinda won that debate. Thank goodness for that.
As ex Min of Finance Bill can quote facts and figures for ever. Jacinda less so. But this time Mike didn’t allow Bill to run away with his usual Shouty Bill. Jacinda was concise and was able to express politely her concern about after 9 long years and about the “misleading” information that Bill has used.
Herald poll would disagree….I only saw about the last 5 mins….turnout will still be determining factor…..the 80% (?) of relatively disinterested will decide this
Yes. The Herald Poll had it 60% Bill, 34% Jacinda.
It was closer on the Stuff website though.
They had it Bill 56% and Jacinda 37%.
Don’t worry though. Labours little lovie on Stuff, Tracy Watkins, says that Jacinda won so that is all right.
It is hardly surprising the Stuff papers are going down the tubes.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/97025359/live-three-days-to-go-till-the-election
English says “we can make the positive choices now” because there’s been a couple of years of surplus and now they have the money. Ardern says “we could never afford poverty” and under National the situation has slid.
Magic one liner from J.A. In response
Sad for a govt to say that they can only make positive social choices when we are in surplus 🙁
“Filthy waterways, dying patients denied their pain relief of choice, and working families forced to live in their cars, these are some of the big issues that have got New Zealanders fired-up. They’ve also been the focus of political campaigning in the run up to the election. As voting day draws ever closer, we’ve gathered together some of our recent Insight podcasts, to help you get clued up on the big issues before you put pen to ballot paper.”
The list of undone work by Gnashional just makes it seem that they are incompetent or frozen and unable to make decisions for the good of the country. Constipated and can’t get off the pot. The long days till the main voting day only increases their unpleasant persona and aroma.
They are facing off the weight of ridicule and disgust at their connivance and sly lies to satisfy their backers and voters who are either soaked in past-its-date business theory or smarmy wealth craters with no scruples. With a fair unpwind they will be freed from their circular prison to go and dump in someone else’s yard like the poor and drugged derelicts already on the streets.
“Working families with young children and babies are being left homeless and sleeping in cars in Auckland, as they struggle to get into emergency housing, and are turned off or away from Housing New Zealand. Parents say even with accommodation supplement benefits, their wages can’t cover rising rents, and living in garages or spending nights on floors of friends and family are the only options they have.”
Bill and Jacinda stand on the same stair of a flight of stairs.
Bill : “Jacinda are you taking one step up?”
Jacinda: “No, I’m staying where I am.”
Upon which Bill takes one step down and exclaims “Hey Jacinda, I see you’ve taken one step up!”
It is difficult to have respect for a leader who clearly has scant respect for the most basic straight talk and truth.
Gower’s piece should make headlines in all our papers.
The poll must’ve gone well for National. It’s on Kiwiblog within an hour of being broadcast. The Great Informer has been nowhere near as quick when the story hasn’t suited him.
Marama Fox is all about “strategic voting”….’cos that’s what folk are telling her.
” “Since the weekend it’s almost like the bigger issues have started to take a side-step to the strategic voting as an issue. People are not talking to me about homelessness anymore. They are not talking to me about poverty.
“They are talking to me about who can form government and which is the best way to vote in order to make that happen.””
She pins her colours clearly to the mast…
” She said voters were starting to see the “holes” in Labour, including not making te reo Maori compulsory or moving to entrench the Maori seats. Personally, she was quietly confident she would return to Parliament.
“I know everywhere I speak I turn the entire room. I know people are starting to question the ability of Labour’s Maori MPs to affect any change inside their party.”
“We recognise the mood for change … there are Maori voters, a majority of when you are knocking on doors, who have said they want change, but they want us there.”
Ahem, Marama, after nine years snuggling up to National, supporting them to increase poverty and homelessness….. how’s that change going?
Stated earlier, but it seems like you’d like to have the last word James…
Persistent with your personality perhaps …
“In this month’s issue of Personality and Individual Differences, a study was published that confirms what we all suspected: internet trolls are horrible people.”
“In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting quarrels or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory,[1] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the intent of provoking readers into an emotional response[2] or of otherwise disrupting normal, on-topic discussion,[3] often for the troll’s amusement.”
Our National-led government has been undermining New Zealand’s sovereignty and public service for 9 years, and they know what they’re doing – helping NZ millionaires, both established and newly minted, realise assets, including public assets.
How much did Key sell part of his Parnell property for, and who stumped up the cash?
The fact that you made that ridiculous comment James means that you know darn well that she will go the distance and be there when this pack of wankers leaves town and she will be there to make sure they do !!!
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Back in the 90's and early 2000's, the building industry was building leaky homes which should never have been granted consent. Now it turns out they've been building dodgy office blocks as well:New imaging technology has revealed hundreds of major buildings nationwide have defective or missing concrete or reinforcing steel. ...
Local body election results were released over the weekend, to joy or despair depending on where you live. In Auckland, Phil Goff trounced John Tamihere, who is muttering darkly about running for Parliament again (but which party would want him?) Wellington is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weta Workshop, except ...
Two years have now gone by since the Friday afternoon when my university-student son and I headed out of our Barcelona flat to a nearby primary school, designated as a polling station for the vote that was to be held the following Sunday: the referendum on Catalonia’s independence from Spain ...
Overruled: The joint decision of Finance Minister, Grant Robertson (Labour) and his Associate Minister, David Parker (Labour) arguably the two most powerful ministers in Jacinda Ardern’s government, to grant OceanaGold the consents which Land Information Minister, Eugenie Sage (Greens) had earlier denied them, offers bitter proof of how hard fighting ...
More than double the number of people who will vote in this year’s local body elections have tried marijuana or urinated somewhere they shouldn’t have. As local elections look set for the lowest turnout in decades, with many regions falling well short of 40%, the Government is exploring a number ...
A Statement on Abortion Law Reform by the Council of Disobedient Women On the eve of bringing an end to antiquated, anti-women abortion laws Green MP Jan Logie intends to write women out of the Bill. With a stroke of the pen, the woke are aiming for total erasure ...
Musings continue apace about “the experienced businessman!” soon to be taking up a National Party MP position. Or to be more accurate, being parachuted into a seat to shut down their former MP Jamie-Lee Ross, who despite his own shortcomings shed at least some more light on the inner workings ...
The Ugandan government wants to murder gay people:Uganda has announced plans to impose the death penalty on homosexuals. The bill, colloquially known as “Kill the Gays” in Uganda, was nullified five years ago on a technicality, but the government said on Thursday it plans to resurrect it within weeks. The ...
Freedom Of Speech? The Säuberung (cleansing by fire) was the work of the German Student Union which, on 10 May 1933, under the watchful eye of the Nazi Reichminister for Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, consigned 25,000 books to the flames in a ritual exorcism of “un-German thought”. According to the logic of the ...
“There can be no such thing as kaupapa Māori political parties or politics in Aotearoa” (Willie Jackson, Labour Party (2017). Māori TV, General/List Election Special) I begin with that claim because at the time, I was confounded at first that it fell out of Willie Jackson’s mouth, and then ...
New Zealand’s media is doing its part in Japan, reassuring those in the path of the storm that they won’t miss any rugby while away from their flooded homes. New Zealand sports reporters stationed in Japan for the Rugby World Cup have had the rare and heartwarming opportunity to inform ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones is the only Cabinet member in favour of putting it all on green. As Finance Minister Grant Robertson finds himself with an enormous $7.5 billion surplus, the Government has begun intense, at times contentious conversations about whether to put the money on red or black at ...
by Susanne Kemp At the start of September close to 100,000 school teachers went on strike in Jordan. They demanded a 50% pay rise. A pay rise actually agreed to by the regime back in 2014. In early October, however, in the face of government repression and threats, the teachers’ ...
Back in 2011, journalist Nicky Hager published Other People's Wars, an expose on NZDF's activities over the previous decade of the "war on terror". NZDF didn't like this, and especially didn't like the fact that it was base don leaks from their own. So, they had the SIS investigate him ...
The Zero Carbon Bill is due back from select committee in two weeks, and will likely pass its final stages in November. So naturally, farmers are planning a hate-march against it. But they're not just demanding lower methane targets so they can keep on destroying the planet; they're also demanding ...
Last year, California burned. This year, to stop it happening again (or rather, to stop themselves from being found liable if it happens again), Pacific Gas and Electric is cutting power to half the state for a week:Schools are closed. Traffic lights down. Tunnels dark. Businesses unopened. Hospitals running on ...
The Best Way: Missing from the on-line voting debate is any reference to the voting system that produces turn-out figures ranging from 77 to 93 percent of registered voters. The voting system used to collect and count the votes cast in our parliamentary elections. The system that involves citizens making ...
Among the great new bunch of political friends we have been making recently is the excellent Australian-based Marxist gender-critical site, Freer Lives. So we asked the comrade who set up that blog to write something for Redline on the blog, himself, his analysis of the rise of gender politics and ...
by Don Franks The Auckland City Mission is struggling with a 40 percent increase in demand for food parcels this year. A total of 23,020 were needed by June. Last month Missioner Chris Farrelly told the Herald the “cupboards are bare” and without an emergency food drive, he can’t see ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women Massey Wellington Student Association had a sit-in today. Imagine a sit-in. On a campus. Against a women’s rights meeting. Did the ’60s really happen or did we fucking dream it? They gathered in the student square, an echo chamber. Sitting on soft pillows ...
For some reasons, my post about the mystery message from inside the Downing Street bunker seemed to catch people's attention. Quite a lot of hits from NZ (unsurprisingly) and the USA (a bit more puzzlingly, but hi there, USAians!!) and 76 views from the Ukraine.I've celebrated my Ukrainian readers in ...
First, almost a score of Labour MPs seem to have sent a letter to the EU basically begging them to accept a deal - any deal - just so Britain can get the Heck on with Brexiting instead of being trapped in limbo:
by Phil Duncan In 2016 the National-led government suspended the Parent Visa Category, through which migrants were able to bring their parents into New Zealand. Since then over 5,700 people have been in immigration limbo, stuck on the visa wait list. Labour is now bringing back the scheme. Well, sort ...
The following was released yesterday (Tues, October 8) by the women’s liberation organisation Speak Up for Women. On 23 September Speak Up For Women announced that we would be holding an event at the Massey University Theaterette in Wellington. The event is called Feminism 2020. The intention of the event ...
The government is currently consulting on plans to improve freshwater quality. So naturally, farmers oppose it:South Taranaki farmers are preparing to fight proposed national freshwater changes that some fear will bankrupt them. The Government's proposed National Environment Standard on Freshwater Management, released in September, rated the Waingongoro River as one ...
Yesterday was the last day for (reliably) posting your vote away in local body elections. Turnouts are mostly much lower than the equivalent time last year (Palmerston North is down 2.3%), and so naturally people are pushing their online-voting snake oil again. Because the online census worked so well, lets ...
This essay, on the political legacy of the eugenics movement, by Kenan Malik was originally published in the Observer on 6 October 2019, under the headline ‘The spirit of eugenics is still with us, as immigrants know to their cost’. Birth control. Intelligence tests. Town planning. Immigration controls. It’s striking how ...
Another year, and the government has announced another enormous government "surplus". And just like last year, its nothing of the sort. When we have people homeless and sick and hungry, when we have schools and hospitals still falling down, when we have underpaid public servants and infrastucture unmaintained or unbuilt, ...
James Forsyth at The Spectator (I know, I know) has tapped one of his contacts inside Number Ten for an insight into the Johnson administration's thinking and strategy.It is fascinating, unsettling and quite, quite mad. Some key points:Negotiations have stalled and the Johnson administration are keen to blame the EU: ...
Fatal Contact: With the arrival of captain James Cook in October 1769, the islands of what would become New Zealand ceased to be the preserve of Polynesian navigators and settlers and became a part of both the world’s map and the world’s history.THE MAORI NATIONALIST assault upon the historical meaning ...
Another round of tactical talks about forming a Government of National Unity have come to nothing with the Liberal Democrats still refusing countenance putting Jeremy Corbyn into Downing Street:Opposition talks on Monday made little headway over when to try and vote down Boris Johnson's government and who might succeed him as ...
by Nick Rogers The debate around the meaning of sex and gender made an appearance at this year’s British Labour Party conference in Brighton. Women’s Place UK – an organisation that questions the demand that biological males who self-identify as woman should have access to women’s spaces, to all-women shortlists, ...
Yesterday I went down to Wellington to participate in the Extinction Rebellion protest. Its part of the latest global wave of XR actions, with actions happening all over the world. Some of those protests are massively disruptive: in Canada, XR is blocking major bridges, stopping people from getting to work. ...
The Workshop is a charitable trust for public good. The Workshop undertake research to find ways of communicating that will build support for the solutions that work to solve complex social and environmental problems. See their Report on Talking about Poverty and Welfare Reform below. ...
Being and Being Bought (Spinifex Press, 2013) by Kajsa Ekis Ekman A synopsis and commentary of Chapters 1-2 by Daphna Whitmore Ekman, a Swedish journalist and critic, brings together a Marxist and feminist analysis of prostitution and surrogacy in this groundbreaking book She opens the discussion with a definition of ...
I make no claims to having much legal knowledge, so I defer to those trained in this area.I am very much enjoying this twitter stream from m'learned friend in Edinburgh, deciphering the legal arguments around the Scottish court challenge to Boris Johnson, based on the charmingly obscure principle of Nobile ...
Ivory Folly? The University of Auckland’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart McCutcheon, upheld the right of the radical nationalist group, Action Zealandia to exercise their freedom of speech – not matter how distasteful that speech might be. A wiser community of students and scholars would have nodded their agreement and moved on. ...
If you are not convinced terrorist Organisation ‘Extinction Rebellion’ is very, very dangerous – watch this video at one of their recent meetings. Not only is this obviously mentally ill Woman begging the other terrorists to promote killing and “eating” babies and children, if you watch carefully other members nod ...
The Ombudsman has been surveying people about their knowledge of the OIA and the right to information. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that widespread:The Chief Ombudsman says too many New Zealanders were in the dark over their right to access official information. Peter Boshier said an independent survey released yesterday on ...
In the wake of last Friday's climate strike, Peter McKenzie had an article in The Spinoff about protest strategies. The school strike movement is "polite" and cooperates with those in power because that's its kaupapa - its led by schoolkids who understandably don't want to risk arrest. But there's more ...
So, the latest ruminations on the gnews from Westminster (Again, sorry; I'll stop making that pun right now). This follows on from, and likely repeats bits of, my last post, on the suggestion that a Government of National Unity (GNU) should be set up and then oversee a referendum before ...
New Zealand likes to think of itself as not a racist country (despite being founded on the racist dispossession and subjugation of Maori). But for years, we've had a racist refugee policy, which basicly excludes refugees from Africa and the Middle East unless they already have relatives here. Now, the ...
Several people have asked me whether a particular repeat litigant could be declared a vexatious litigant, in light of their recent decision to appeal an adverse High Court ruling. My nascent tweet thread was getting ridiculously long, so it became this blog post instead.The short answer is: no. The particular ...
Appealing To The Past: Action Zealandia, like so many of the organisations springing up on the far-Right, across what they call the “Anglosphere”, is born out of the profound confusion over what a man is supposed to be in the twenty-first century and, more importantly, what he is supposed to do.THE STATUE OF ...
The attempts of anti-democratic transactivists to (often violently) disrupt women’s rights organising is largely ignored by those sections of the left most prone to misogyny and authoritarianism in New Zealand. In Britain, however, scores of trade union and left activists added their names to a letter in July, defending ...
The Justice Committee has reported back on the Criminal Cases Review Commission Bill. The Bill would establish an independent, quasi-judicial body to investigate and review potential miscarriages of justice, and refer them back to the Court of appeal if required. It would be a vital backstop to our judiciary, help ...
by The Spark On September 14, a total of 22 drones and cruise missiles struck two oil installations in Saudi Arabia, the Abqaiq processing facility and the Khurais oil field. Abqaiq is the largest oil production facility in the world. For a few days afterwards, Saudi Aramco, the Saudi national ...
How much will NeoLiberal irregulation of the building sector and subsequent leaky homes crisis cost us? $47 billion, according to a new book:The total cost to fix all of New Zealand's leaky homes would be $47 billion, probably. The estimate comes from a new book, Rottenomics written by journalist Peter ...
Below is the start of another excellent article on the Freer Lives blog. Click onto the link at the end of this extract to read the full article. The punch-a-terf, kill-a-terf message pervades social media, always righteously delivered, chin held high. By contrast, the dehumanised “terfs” themselves, that is gender-critical ...
The Reserve Bank is currently planning tighter banking regulation, requiring banks to hold enough local capital to survive a 1-in-200 year financial crisis in order to protect consumers. The big Aussies banks, those foreign leeches who suck $5 billion in profit out of our economy every year, don't like that, ...
Its the usual story: a police officer beats a handcuffed suspect so hard they break one of their own fingers. The IPCA investigates and concludes that the use of force was unlawful. And the police refuse to do anything about it:A man punched repeatedly in the face by a police ...
From time to time we add links to our blogroll. The latest blog we have added is Freer Lives. This is a Marxist gender-critical blog, based in Melbourne, Australia. On it you will find a bunch of excellent articles which use the tools of Marxist analysis to critique the rise ...
Last Friday say the largest protest in a generation, as 170,000 people joined the school strike and marched to demand real action on climate change. The demands of the school strike were simple and clear: declare a climate emergency, set a climate target of net-zero by 2040, impose a total ...
Labour is a rather middle of the road capitalist party and earlier this year we discussed how far from being ‘transformative’, Ardern’s government is. An article published this week in the Guardian, by Bryce Edwards (political scientist and commentator at Victoria University), looks at Ardern’s business as usual performance. Where ...
In the hours since my last interminable wittering about the possibility of a Government of National Unity (GNU) in Britain, there has been a slight maybe development:A Corbyn-led caretaker government could then sit for several months while it enacted and delivered a referendum with the support of smaller parties and ...
Jeremy Clarkson says much like Greta Thunberg, Anne Frank “didn’t like what was going on”, but “she didn’t have a tantrum about it.” Former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has offered praise to historical figure Anne Frank, comparing her favourably to 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg, who he attacked in ...
Press release by Speak Up For Women Lesbians from women’s rights group Speak Up For Women are furious at reports that Rainbow Tick are threatening Massey University with the removal of their ‘tick’ if they let the group’s event go ahead. The group has been under attack from trans ...
By Duncan Garner Before you jump down my throat, nobody cares about the environment more than me. I have a garden, and since my wife and I broke up, I’ve let it grow wildly out of control, so please don’t tell me I’m not doing enough for plants. They’re ten ...
Local government elections are upon us again. It is a fair bet that, when they are over, we will have all the usual complaints that, despite their undoubted importance, the turnout was depressingly low. So, why do local elections attract so little attention and involvement from the general public? I ...
Yesterday the High Court released its decision in Moncrief-Spittle v Regional Facilities Auckland Limited, on the (alleged) decision by the Auckland Council and Mayor Phil Goff to deny use of a public venue to a pair of visiting nazi grifters. Based on the information available back then, I said that ...
Image credit:45 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting a Blog I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. ...
So, more on the possibility of a Government of National Unity (GNU) in Britain.Two things, first. The numbers in parliament make things very difficult. And anyone who is saying X will happen or Y is impossible is spinning. We can not tell and will not know until votes are actually ...
The government is promising tough action against climate change via the Zero Carbon Bill and a strengthened ETS. Meanwhile, the Overseas investment Office is granting foreign coal companies permission to expand coal mining:Coal Action Network Aotearoa has slammed a decision by the Overseas Investment Office to allow Bathurst Coal to ...
Don't You Dare Let Them Down, Jacinda! Many New Zealanders, especially young New Zealanders, continue to believe that change – real change – is possible. Do we have criticisms about the way in which Jacinda’s government has gone about “transforming” New Zealand? Of course we do. But the very fact ...
. . With some historical and present context, it should become readily apparent to Pakeha that the occupation at Ihumātao is not a free-for-all conflict for any and everyone to become involved in. First, some important dates: . 1840 . The year in which the Treaty of Waitingi was signed. ...
Forestry Minister Shane Jones is considering reining in on conversions of farmland to forestry, and also issued a warning to foreign-owned forestry companies that make up nearly 75 per cent of the industry. He said too many foreign companies had not provided enough access for domestic processors to get timber. ...
Speaking to Radio NZ, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the tightening of the parental category visa is a direct result of the Party’s coalition negotiations with the Labour Party. He said the new changes switch the financial onus from the parent moving to New Zealand to the child ...
The Coalition Government is set to cut red tape in the building and construction sector in an effort to allow more houses to be built, including prefabricated houses. The changes will enable the mass factory production of "high quality" buildings, slash the likely number of building inspections for factory produced ...
Since coming into Government, we’ve worked hard to tackle homelessness and make sure everyone has a warm, dry home. And today, on World Homeless Day, we want to report back and update you on our progress so far. ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has hit back at National Party leader Simon Bridges who criticized the Coalition Government’s approach to crime, and said that the latter isn't credible in his attack on the Government over gang recruitment. "We've got as massive drug problem in this country. It is ...
New Zealand Mānuka honey exporters have welcomed an initiative by the Coalition Government to help secure the term “mānuka honey” to be used exclusively by Kiwi exporters, ensuring that our multimillion-dollar industry is protected. Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones had recently announced that a Provincial Growth Funding of $5.7 ...
Political commentator Mike Hosking has labelled New Zealand First leader Winston Peters as “the voice of reason in a government soft on drugs”, for the Party’s stance on drug testing at music festivals. “If common sense is worth a vote, Winston Peters is quids in,” Mr Hosking said. The Labour ...
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau has announced Provincial Growth Funding to ensure work opportunities in Turangi and Whanganui, through its skills and employment programme, Te Ara Mahi. A fund of $500,000 will go to Rafting NZ in Turangi for a 16-week river guide training course to train ...
Treasury has shown that the Coalition Government has a $7.5 billion surplus, which is $4 billion higher than what was expected in the 2019 Budget unveiled last May. It is also $2 billion higher than the actual surplus unveiled this time last year, and at a size that has not ...
Official Information Act figures released to NZME show there were 350 assaults on officers in the year to the end of June, 79 more than the year before. The increase in attacks have sparked calls for more legal protection for first responders to be enacted. The assaults included officers being ...
“Nobody wants to see babies uplifted”, this was the pronouncement of Minister for Children Hon. Tracey Martin as her department, Oranga Tamariki, faces multiple inquiries into the number of babies being taken from their families. “But a baby can die with a single punch, “the Minister continued. “So sometimes, Oranga ...
We're making progress on tackling the long-term challenges: from homelessness, to strengthening border security, to bringing banking back New Zealand's small towns. ...
Associate Transport Minister Shane Jones has backed the ambitious plan to move Auckland’s port to Northport, at Whangarei harbour, which he says will be the “King Kong of infrastructure”. The plan is part of the recommendations of a six-person independent working group, which has recommended the Ports of Auckland be ...
A six-member independent working group selected the option of moving Auckland’s port to Northport, in Whangarei, ahead of other options. In what could be New Zealand’s most ambitious infrastructure project yet, a major expansion of the Marsden Point port could happen within 15 years. The project, officially called the “Upper ...
The final Electricity Price Review recommended prohibiting prompt payment discounts but allowing “reasonable” late fees. The findings of this review was welcomed by the Coalition Government, but they hope companies will follow through with its recommendations without regulations needed to be passed. Meridian Energy had already stopped prompt payment discounts, ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF)through its skills and employment programme, Te Ara Mahi,will invest nearly $600,000 to ensure work opportunities for locals in Turangia and Whanganui, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “I’m pleased to announce the PGF ...
An export-led economy is one of New Zealand First’s key principles, and our commitment to achieving this is shown by the continuing skyrocketing demand for our beef and sheep meat exports. Beef + Lamb New Zealand's New Season Outlook 2019-20 report forecasts beef, lamb and mutton prices to lift from ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today in Gisborne an investment of $17.27m into bringing “world-leading” food-growing technology and the creation of more than 100 new jobs in the East Coast city. The funding comes from the Provincial Growth Fund, and included a $15 million loan to LeaderBrand, a ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development More than 100 people in Tairāwhiti’s Tolaga Bay will benefit from two employment initiatives supported by the Provincial Growth Fund, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Employment Minister Willie Jackson announced today. “Tolaga Bay is an incredibly tight-knit community, but one in ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is supporting Gisborne business Leaderbrand to produce salad vegetables year round and create more jobs in the Tairāwhiti region, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “Our support for Leaderbrand will help them build large greenhouses ...
“Nobody wants to see babies uplifted”, this was the pronouncement of Minister for Children Hon. Tracey Martin as her department, Oranga Tamariki, faces multiple inquiries into the number of babies being taken from their families. “But a baby can die with a single punch, “the Minister continued. “So sometimes, Oranga ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has praised the promise by New Zealand’s biggest banks not to close any provincial branches while the Coalition Government trials regional banking hubs across the country. The Minister said the announce was the “first sign of hope for regional communities”, many of which have ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First is proud to have delivered an upgrade of the SuperGold Card website and a new smartphone app, which will help unlock the full benefits of the SuperGold Card for 750,000 New Zealand seniors.Party Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters, ...
Delivering a key election campaign promise, New Zealand First is proud to have accomplished a long overdue upgrade of the SuperGold Card today. At an event in Auckland, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters joined Minister for Seniors Hon. Tracey Martin in unveiling the new website and smartphone app which ...
Another busy week, from speaking with world leaders on the world stage about climate change, to equipping our school leavers with everything they need to get ahead in life. ...
New Zealand First MP Shane Jones says Air New Zealand has "an obligation to look after Kiwis", and urged the national carrier not to hike up their prices after Jetstar airline announced their withdrawal from regional flights this week. The Provincial Champion also expressed his disappointment at Jetstar’s decision on ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will help fund a new dredge for the Port of Greymouth to ensure the regional fishing fleet have a reliable and productive harbour, Parliamentary Undersecretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today “Last year the movements of ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones said he was "immensely disappointed" at the withdrawal of the Jetstar airline from regional routes. He has also warned national carrier Air New Zealand not to capitalise on the Australian budget airline’s decision by “gouging” regional air travellers. "Air New Zealand has historically challenged ...
International credit ratings agency Moody's gave a glowing assessment of New Zealand’s economy in its latest report, which ranks the country’s economic strength as "very high" while saying growth remains "robust". The report says it's expected New Zealand's economy will grow between 2.5 and 3 percent in the next few ...
The Coalition Government is allocating nearly $6 million to a campaign to stop Australian beekeepers marketing their products as "mānuka" honey. This move comes after Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones accused Australian honey producers of trying to steal what was indigenous to New Zealand. "The Aussies are trying to ...
The Provincial Growth Fund has provided $400,000 to Great South to help the agency drive Southland's regional economic development aspirations. The funding will allow Great South, which is Southland's economic development agency, to appoint a portfolio manager and a project support adviser, who will provide project management expertise and support ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister of Forestry The One Billion Trees Fund has just hit two significant milestones that will create more than 7,500 hectares of new forest cover, Forestry Minister Shane Jones says. Speaking at a celebratory dinner at Parliament to mark 100 years of the New Zealand Forestry Service, Minister ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and Minister of Defence Ron Mark have announced the New Zealand Government’s decision to again deploy a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 (P-3) maritime patrol aircraft to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea. New ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand continues to have serious concerns for peace and stability in north-east Syria. “Recent reports that hundreds of ISIS-affiliated families have fled from a camp are deeply concerning from a humanitarian and security perspective”, Mr Peters says. “While we acknowledge Turkey’s domestic security ...
Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor is warning travelling Kiwis to be vigilant as the high-season for the crop-eating brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is under way. “We’re on high alert to stop BMSB arriving in NZ. The high season runs until April 30 and we’ve strengthened our measures to stop stink ...
The Government is moving swiftly to change the law to improve the welfare and pastoral care of students living in university halls of residence and other tertiary hostels. Cabinet has agreed to several changes, including creating a new mandatory Code of Practice that sets out the duty of pastoral care ...
The Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage has launched a new comprehensive trapping guide for community trappers to help them protect our native birds, plants and other wildlife, at Zealandia in Wellington today. ‘A practical guide to trapping’, has been developed by the Department of Conservation (DOC), and was launched during ...
Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter welcomes PHARMAC’s move to improve access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs). PHARMAC has today announced it will fund the full cost of Mirena and Jaydess for anyone seeking long term contraception, lifting previous restrictions on access to Mirena. “I welcome women having greater choices ...
The Government has approved the next stage of a major redevelopment of Taranaki Base Hospital, which will deliver new and improved facilities for patients. Health Minister Dr David Clark has announced details of a $300 million dollar project to build a new East Wing at the New Plymouth hospital. It ...
Extra funding will allow Rural Support Trusts to help farming families, says Minister for Rural Communities and Agriculture Damien O’Connor. “I know that rural families are worried about some of the challenges facing them, including the ongoing uncertainty created by the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak. “Those concerns sit alongside ongoing worries ...
Thank you for the opportunity to be here to present certificates to the 16 graduates who have completed a beekeeping course delivered by the Howard League. Let us start by acknowledging Auckland Prison’s Deputy Prison Director Tom Sherlock, and Acting Assistant Regional Commissioner of Corrections Northern Region Scott Walker - ...
Finance Minister Grant Robertson leaves this weekend to attend the APEC Finance Ministers meeting in Santiago, Chile. Discussions between APEC Finance Ministers at the meeting will include the effects of the current global economic uncertainty, risks for APEC economies and sustainable development of the region. While at APEC Grant Robertson ...
The Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio says for Pacific people, language can be a source of strength. It can help ground us and give us confidence. When we speak them, our languages provide us with an immediate and intimate access to our identity and our story - and ...
The Coalition Government has announced an action plan to improve the wellbeing of disabled New Zealanders by addressing inequalities in play, active recreation and sport. The initiative includes training to develop a workforce that understands the needs of children and young people with a range of impairments, advocacy for fit ...
The construction sector is being freed up to allow more homes to be built more quickly as the Government cuts through some of the red tape of the Building Act. “Every New Zealander deserves a warm, dry, safe home and old inefficiencies in the Building Act make building slow and ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has welcomed further details on the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall’s visit to New Zealand next month. Their Royal Highnesses will visit New Zealand from 17-23 November – their third joint visit to New Zealand and first in four years. They arrive in Auckland ...
Minister of State for Trade and Export Growth and Minister of Agriculture, Damien O’Connor, heads to Thailand today to attend the final Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Ministerial meeting, as negotiations enter their final stages. “The RCEP Agreement would anchor New Zealand in a regional agreement that covers 16 countries, ...
Pacific young people living in the Hawke’s Bay, Southland and Otago regions will have access to support services that have proved successful in helping young people find new earning and learning opportunities. “Tupu Aotearoa is about changing Pacific young peoples’ lives. Our young people are talented, they are smart, they ...
Introduction As the Minister for ACC I thank you all for the work that you do supporting New Zealanders in their literally most vulnerable moments. From those who hold people’s lives in their hands, to the people who research technique, technology and trends, your work is highly valued. A special ...
Notes prepared for speeches in Christchurch – Wednesday 9 October 2019 Today’s topic, “trends and opportunities for the New Zealand economy,” is certainly one getting a great deal of commentary at the moment. Looking across the media landscape lately you’ll notice we aren’t the only ones having this discussion. There ...
Minister of Health Dr David Clark and Associate Minister of Health Peeni Henare say this year’s World Mental Health Day theme is a reminder of why the Government’s work on mental health is so important. “This year the World Federation for Mental Health has made suicide prevention the main theme ...
Associate Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni will represent the government at Australia’s Meeting of Cultural Ministers in Adelaide this week. “This year’s meeting is special because New Zealand is expected to become an International Member of the Meeting of Cultural Ministers at this Australian forum,” Carmel Sepuloni said. “The meeting is an opportunity to ...
The Greater Christchurch Claims Resolution Service has resolved 608 insurance and EQC claims in its first year in operation, Minister Megan Woods has announced. The government service, which celebrates its first birthday today, provides a one stop shop to help Cantabrians still battling to get their homes repaired or rebuilt ...
Today’s topic, “trends and opportunities for the New Zealand economy,” is certainly one getting a great deal of commentary at the moment. Looking across the media landscape lately you’ll notice we aren’t the only ones having this discussion. There has been an increasing amount of attention paid to the outlook ...
The Government is acting swiftly to strengthen NZTA’s regulatory role following a review into the Transport Agency, and Ministry of Transport’s performance as its monitor, Transport Minister Phil Twyford said today. An independent review by Martin Jenkins has found NZTA failed to properly regulate the transport sector under the previous ...
The Netherlands and New Zealand have a long-standing and close relationship based on many shared interests and values. We value the rule of law, our democracies, and multilateralism. And we value our environment – at home and globally. Right now there are major global challenges in all of these areas – ...
The Government is putting right a decade’s worth of underpayment to nurses, doctors and other health workers, says Health Minister Dr David Clark. Initial sampling of District Health Boards payroll records has found that around $550-$650 million is owed to DHB staff to comply with the Holidays Act. It’s expected ...
A strong surplus and low debt show the economy is performing well, and means the Government is in a good position to meet the challenges of global economic uncertainty. “The surplus and low levels of debt show the economy is in good shape. This allows the Government to spend more ...
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New Zealanders in Tūranganui-a-Kiwa / Poverty Bay will witness Māori, Pākehā and Pacific voyaging traditions come together today as the Tuia 250 Voyage flotilla assembles for the first time, Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti Minister Kelvin Davis says. “Tuia 250 is a national commemoration and an opportunity for honest conversations ...
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Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: A pair of polls put pressure on the Labour Party, a wild night of weather in the North Island, and Shane Jones snapped brandishing a semi-automatic.Parliament resumes today after a fortnight recess, and MPs were given a welcome-back present in ...
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But he did play a crucial role in helping journeyman Andy Foster knock over Justin Lester. Team Gone By Lunchtime size up the local elections, gaze plaintively at the dramas in the NZ First Party, and ask how bad the new poll is for Jacinda Ardern.Annabelle Lee-Mather, Ben Thomas and ...
In the fifth episode of Actually Interesting, The Spinoff’s monthly podcast exploring the effect Artificial Intelligence has on our lives, Russell Brown speaks to Ben Reid, executive director of the AI Forum, about the role of government in embracing and regulating AI.Subscribe to Actually Interesting via iTunes or listen on the player below.To ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Local government Henry Cooke (Stuff): How to lose an election: Over-promise or under-deliver Simon Collins ...
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The New Zealand First MP and Minister Shane Jones is still backing the firearms ban, despite being pictured with what appears to be an AR-15 semi-automatic while holidaying in Asia. ...
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New collaborative gifting platform Joyable is looking to shake up how we group-purchase gifts. Co-founders (and sisters) Rochelle Sheldon and Kimberley Crossman explain how their latest venture works. Joyable (not to be confused with the social anxiety-reducing app of the same name) is a somewhat left-field move for co-founder Rochelle ...
The extraordinary battle for the Tron has ended in a way no one quite saw coming, with the city relinquishing its stranglehold on the title of New Zealand’s most embarrassing council. Angela Cuming reports.The Spinoff local election coverage is entirely funded by The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Shadow foreign minister Penny Wong says Australia needs to “define the boundaries” of its engagement with China now the relationship between the two countries is in a new phase. Focusing on China policy in a ...
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Updated enrollment stats released today
http://www.elections.org.nz/research-statistics/enrolment-statistics-electorate
Still low enrolment for the younger people 🙁
Young people aren’t necessarily apathetic. We need something like Momentum here.
Does this include people who have enrolled and voted at early vote booths?
New poll and final debate on TV one tonite …
“If Winston Peters is part of a Labour-led government, his party won’t support plans to introduce new taxes, like the planned water tax”
WAHOO !!!!!!
One news poll shows a great position for National.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/new-poll-national-takes-huge-lead-in-bombshell-1-news-colmar-brunton
Nats up 6
Labour down 7
SO SO SO SO HAPPY !!!
Full resilts:
1 News Colmar Brunton poll:
NAT 46% (+6),
LAB 37% (-7),
GRN 8% (+1),
NZF 5% (-1),
TOP 2% (NC),
MAO 1% (NC),
ACT 0.3%
Don’t know 7%, Refused 6% (+1). Fieldwork conducted 16-19 September
And One news have said that this is in line with internal polling by both Labour and National.
Do you agree that in politics telling lies should be rewarded?
To be fair though micky Labour need to shoulder some of the blame for this. They should have been expecting the attacks over tax and had it all shut down before the campaign started.
I’m struggling with the criticism. Basically your premise is they should have anticipated National would make shit up and should have been ready to reply. Parties should be punished for making shit up, not rewarded.
Covering increasing taxes using working groups was bullshit and labour got called
Won’t answer…
Bugger.
Bolger had it best
“Bugger the pollsters”.
On the other hand with the crazy way the polls have been going we can expect equally mad swings in the final Newshub-Reid poll when it comes out. That one will have Labour up 7 from 37 to 44 and National down 7 from 47 to 40 or something like that.
They’ll also reverse the Green/NZF vote percentages.
Does anyone understand what is going on?
What kind of demented troll stalks a left leaning website at 6.01pm to gloat in unhinged and delirious glee at others’ potential misfortune? You should be ashamed of yourself and go book an appointment with a shrink
A Tory troll, the most despicable of them.
I think your colostomy bag has burst.
A leak perhaps – but again I remain cautious for the actual results on the day.
But this is a very positive sign.
Not really. It puts them 1 percentage point ahead of Labour + Greens. Given the margin of error, that could just as easily be reversed. If National happen to be just a bit lower, and especially if NZ 1st don’t get in, they lose.
Having said that, the enrolment stats could equally mean that National will effectively poll higher. This poll really only says that it’s mighty close.
I just think your use of capitals is embarrassing. You seem to have the emotions of a child.
Agreed. Signs of juvenility spoil what could have been more convincing.
Really positive for the homeless
Really positive for the mentally unwell
Really positive for the poor
Don’t know 7% , Declined 6% , margin of error?
It’s One news Poll, they’ve been consistently 4 to 6% out with final poll versus Votes cast over the last 3 elections.
What is up with the Aussie politicians, they seem dead set on being the last country in the west to enact marriage equality.
If the AFL, not exactly a bastion of progressive thinking is supporting why the heck are their politicians dragging their feet.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/09/19/afl-gives-huge-yes-to-marriage-equality-with-new-sign-outside-headqaurters_a_23215736/?ncid=edlinkauhpmg00000003?benref=watoday
Great wee video if you have the time, from a former leader of the liberal party (Tory) in Australia
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/gay-marriage/poll-shows-dip-in-gay-marriage-public-support-as-postal-survey-campaign-continues/news-story/d1685f813cf2592c367f7acfa4ce18b9
Kiwis not as thick as Morgan thought
Kiwis are far thicker than Morgan could possibly imagine, if they elect a National government after their display of incompetence throughout this campaign.
Kiwis are far thicker than Morgan could possibly imagine, if they elect a National government after their display of incompetence throughout this campaign.
In your ever so humble opinion.
OK. I think CB is landline only. Few youth votes will be recorded except the tory twitletts still living at home with mummy and daddy. Add to that the Nat campaign of lying, cheating, deceiving, corrupt behaviour… and the moribund and ignorant voters fall for it yet again. As for the shallow, witless james’ of this world… karma will sort them in due course.
So what if its landlines only – apparently in line with internal polling by both parties.
Karma may be rewarding me – I will know Saturday night !
not if you need nz1.
Might take a few days…
Very true that.
Im not counting any chickens yet – Have said could very be a labour lead government come sunday.
Sorry, stages of grief and all that, but you can’t keep smashing the voters like that and then expect them to vote for you.
IF (big if) the poll is realised on Saturday and we end up with English & Co back in charge again, then Labour have to think pretty hard about why it happened. Sneering at the electorate as ‘moribund and ignorant’ isn’t going to help.
You have to think why (if) they opted for National. After all, last week they were smart and engaged because the CB showed them supporting Labour.
Nah. Supporters of both parties are always calling each other idiots on no uncertain terms, and it’s nothing new. Unless they hold office or are running to do so, I don’t think it makes a blind bit of difference.
The only party that’s ever done that is National and they keep getting voted back in on it. Hell, they’ve done it again this campaign by openly lying.
It’s the trend that matters, not the method of polling
There’s a big problem with the “young people don’t have cellphones” argument – it ignores the fact that young people have ALWAYS been hard to reach for opinion polling, even before cellphones became commonplace.
The polling companies have had to deal with low response-rates amongst young people for many decades, and adjust their weightings and strategies accordingly. Cellphones probably make an already big problem a bit bigger, but if thats the main defence the left is going to rely on for polls today, it’s probably going to be a tough night on Saturday.
… and adjust their weightings and strategies accordingly.
So they say. I’m not convinced. If they do anything at all its highly questionable whether it is accurate.
You’re entitled to be skeptical of whatever you want to be skeptical of, but the fact remains that the track record of polling companies in New Zealand, for at least the last couple of decades, has been pretty good.
Polling is hard, but these are experienced professional companies that have every incentive to be right (as in correct) not ‘right’ (as in skewed).
All I will say is this; if your belief that the left is going to win the election relies on believing polling is skewed against the left then, on balance of probabilities, you should prepare for a bad election night.
3 more years I guess. All over Rover.
I may as well concede now. I knew this would happen. And it was the farmers wot won it.
Labour has some serious shit to sort out starting Monday. And the Greens can pay themselves on the back all they want about rising to 8%, they are still going to be in opposition.
I wish it was all over, but really I dont think you can write off a Labour lead government just yet.
All this poll shows is that thing are still really unstable. I would not give up yet. Besides Labour/Greens are neck and neck with National. Even on these figures there is everything to aim for.
Yep … It’s deflating – no question about that – but it sure as hell aint over.
Chin up, my bully-boys*. Jacinda’s got the vile sausage-sucking Tory Hun on the run ! Keep Fritzie in panic-mode and I’m sure we’ll all be in Berlin by lunchtime !
* As in ‘John Bull’.
If the poll is right it would be the lies that National is telling which tip the balance. Fear and anxiety implemented by unscrupulous people seem to win in NZ.
If the poll is right.
We will do it yet!
No telling if they are right or wrong – but they are all saying about the same thing now.
Labour has some serious shit to sort out starting Monday,
The shit is: Labour don’t stand up and give back as good as they get. All this relentless positivity doesn’t work. The voters see it as a weakness. The majority of them are self promoting bigots and its time Labour woke up to reality. I’ve been banging on about it for years and so have plenty of others but they… just… won’t… listen.
Oh, and they are still producing policy that’s way too complex. In statistical terms, half the voters have an IQ that is below the average but they seem unable to take that into account. Helen Clark understood and produced the simplistic pledge card in 2005 was it? Whatever, It saved her bacon.
”In statistical terms, half the voters have an IQ that is below the average”, these are the people that vote for the left.
MB has just proven my point.
Yes, the commentators on TS are well known for their relentless positivity…..Anyway lets just get out there and vote eh.
If Labour loses it’s because Labour fucked it up.
Nothing about not attacking or been too nice, it will be because you’re trying to change too much stuff all at once and have spooked the horses.
Exactly. Horses are stupid.
Have to agree here. Positivity in this neoliberal race to the top goes part way. Sadly, the soft vote wants (as Hosking might say “rightly or wrongly”) cuthroat displays of strength. Jacinda will need to attack to beat those that are expert in the craft of bullshitting soft voters. Meanwhile, those most affected will suffer more. Sorry to be pessimisstic.
Because it was weakness. Labour had no solid policies till jacinda gave labour a bump.
Well, I for one Welcome our new National Party Overlords !
And I can assure Fräulein Bennett and Herr Joyce that I’m prepared to sing like a Canary, wildly naming names like an accused Communist at a 1951 McCarthyite Senate hearing.
Normally I’d be a lot more positive about this but my political antenna seems to be a bit wonKey at the moment however its probably not a good sign for Labour
I just hope Labour can keep it seemly and not go to desperate measures over the next couple of days
Full resilts:
1 News Colmar Brunton poll:
NAT 46% (+6),
LAB 37% (-7),
GRN 8% (+1),
NZF 5% (-1),
TOP 2% (NC),
MAO 1% (NC),
ACT 0.3%
Don’t know 7%, Refused 6% (+1). Fieldwork conducted 16-19 September
I just hope Labour can keep it seemly and not go to desperate measures over the next couple of days
Like National did with their smear campaign of lies, you mean?
Labour made it far too easy for National, only have themselves to blame
It’s always easy for people who flat-out lie to make you look bad.
I wouldn’t be giving up so easily because the way this election has been going theres probably still time for something else to happen
Oh, certainly not giving up – according to this poll, National’s on 46 % and Labour/Green on 45%. Only a mug would think they could pick the winner at this point.
I’m inclined to agree with you on that.
Quite a hefty 13% Don’t Know/Refused though.
Yup…..13% is a lot to play for…..who would be most inclined to refuse to say?
Don’t lose heart people….get on the phone and talk to someone and convince them to vote.
Agreed, and whilst Jacinda wanting to “have a conversation” about everything was initially hip, it soon became code for ‘lack of coherent policy’.
Maybe its time for another…wait for it…here it comes…”captains call”
Interestingly enough a captains call is defined as (well by urbandictionary):
A decision made unilaterally by a team leader without consulting colleagues, often a massive clusterfuck
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=captain%27s%20call
Another Captain’s call like the one little made you mean?
I think it really is a bit to late to have another change of leader.
nah, it might give the nats some energy if they replaced bill with… whomever.
Ben
How about you spend time on the Labour site and see all of the policy that is there and then come back and say there is a lack of poverty.
Why do people think that lying is a valid political weapon?
The Labour Party certainly don’t avoid it, do they?
They have parroted on most of the year on how National supposedly cut the expenditure on health below what Labour had been doing. It was a clever lie but it was a lie for all that. They did it by taking the first year of the National Government as the base line, rather than taking the last year of the Labour Government.
That way they could pretend that the massive increase in the 2009-2010 year never happened.
And that would be you lying – again.
So-called Budget mental health funding boost is a cut in real terms
You really can’t help yourself in your defence of National psychopathic policies can you? Typical authoritarian follower. You’re one of the sheep that National relies upon not only to not question them but to defend them and you do it without fail.
I have no idea what the situation is in this part of the health budget.
What I looked at was the total budget and what the Labour Party claims were.
They were false.
I don’t really have the time or inclination to look at this bit of the budget and the figures you are referring to, and you will note that I wasn’t talking about just this facet of the situation.
I was more interested in the whole picture.
No, you’re simply defending National’s failure to provide enough health service, their cutting of the health budget in real terms.
I commented on this back in January, and what Labour had done to get their conclusion.
Have a look at these two links.
The first is Labours figures.
The second is what is wrong with their conclusions when they claim that National has cut spending from the levels Labour would have provided.
https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/nzlabour/pages/3092/attachments/original/1438062842/Report_-_Estimated_Core_Crown_Health_Expenditure_(2).pdf?1438062842
The CTU do the same thing
http://www.union.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Did-the-Budget-provide-enough-for-Health-2016.pdf
The effect of this is to pretend that the first year of the National Government was the norm rather than comparing their numbers with the final year of the Labour Government.
The first year of the National government would be the last year of the Labour government’s final budget.
For DTB 12.06am
“The first year of the National government would be the last year of the Labour government’s final budget”
That is quite true. National was in Government for most of that year. However it wasn’t that year they used as the base, normal, year
The 2008 election was on November 8 2008.
The last year of the Labour Government was the 2008-2009 year. It covered the year from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009.
http://www.treasury.govt.nz/government/financialstatements/yearend
That was not the year they used as their base though. They used the expenditure in the 2009-2010 year which was the first year that the National Party budget of 2009 was in operation.
If you take the last Labour year as the base you find that the Health expenditure did rise under a National Government above the values for the end of the Labour one.
There was a very large increase in the 2009-2010 year even after you include inflation and demographic changes. National deserve the credit for that surely? Because of the way Labour requested the calculations all this increase was ignored.
Cunning isn’t it?
This sounds a lot like your lie about the greens wanting the oil pipeline to Auckland to be replaced by shipping.
You never actually supported that claim with evidence, either – you just put a link against oil and a link in favour of shipping freight together.
I didn’t actually claim that the Green Party had done that.
What I said was that they didn’t appear to like the environmental effects of the pipeline.
I also said that they were in favour of using coastal shipping to move goods around.
After a reference to the Rena, which involved a significant oil spill.
oil spill + disliking oil pipeline + in favour of coastal shipping to move “goods” = another disingenuous tory lie.
Um, no – National’s lying is to blame.
What happens if NZ 1st don’t make it?
Serious question
Who is better off?
Andrew Chen reckons if NZF doesn’t make it
That assumes the Māori Party win at least one seat. If they don’t then their party vote gets wasted too.
The Maori Party will win at least two seats, via Te Ururoa Flavell and Howie Tamati, who was 13 points ahead of Adrian Rurawhe a couple of weeks ago. They may get enough party votes to get Marama Fox in as well, but at this stage I would guess not.
Gawd, what an awful (or great) outcome that would be. Imagine a dirty deal in Epsom to a clearly very stupid David Seymour balancing NZ’s parliament.
yeah, but if the 1% off nz1 goes to Labour, it’s a hung parliament.
And don’t forget the margin for error – it could be lab40% nat 44%.
A few days out, it’s too close to call. I certainly didn’t expect that when Little stepped down, that’s for damned sure.
If NZFirst don’t make it on those numbers there would be 7% wasted vote which would probably be enough for Nat/Act to govern alone. A sobering thought.
“Who is better off?”
That is a very easy one to answer.
NEW ZEALAND is.
And yes, I do think that would be worth shouting about.
Everybody is better off if NZ1st don’t make it! Then nobody has to deal with Winston.
But in terms of who forms the government, that depends on whether Nats plus clingons or Labour/Greens get more of the votes above the threshold. The Maori Party may end up the deciders.
So if you’re tossing up whether to vote Nats or Winnie, go for Winnie. If you’re tossing up Labour or Greens vs Winnie, then Labour or Greens.
I try very hard to lament the undemocratic wasted vote while punching the air and and dancing like a jalopy.
Dancing like a jalopy?
https://giphy.com/gifs/car-ILmTS0fYgVFEQ
A phrase coined by my old friend Bob in our glory days at Stirling University in the 90s. He was trying to express his disapproval of Ecstasy, because it made you “Dance like a jalopy to really stupid music.”
Bob had a way with words, usually unintentionally.
Both participants in that conversation are now dead – the raver had some sort of bad reaction to E (Bob didn’t think to warn him of that) and Bob himself died a couple of years ago from blood poisoning in India.
.. all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more.
Ah, mortality! But at least Bob’s curious genius will live on a little longer.
Bob lives on.
Hey Lurgee,
Put it up on Youtube so we can learn that dance.
Oh by the way I never believe polls and the only poll that counts is the once Saturday.
We all said that the UK and the US election polls got it all wrong so it is quite likely that it will hapen here too.
Seeing it would immediately require an immediate SAN check. Failure would result in the loss of 1d100 San points, and even those passing would still lose 1d10 SAN.
And they call it democracy? Would prefer STV.
Glen
If nzf don’t win northland then Nats get in alone
National could actually end up governing alone, how crazy is that the apprentice does better than the master.
Having said that no one has any idea until sometime late Saturday night.
Peters will get over 5% though having come out against farmers getting stung with water taxes,
That rather diminishes Labours chances as their only coalition party can be the greens.
And you will still be crawling around in the sewer as always.
No Compadre?
Are you trying to speak Spanish or something?
Sewers already rented out.
National could actually end up governing alone…
And aliens could actually invade and enslave us into their galactic empire, but I’m picking neither of those highly unlikely events is going to happen in the near future.
Am I guessing you’d probably prefer galactic alien enslavement to an outright win for National?
Have to say, fuck that would be crushing for the left 4 wins to National each election the margin getting bigger.
Haven’t we already had that? Key never did satisfactorily explain that shapeshifting reptilian thing he had going.
I don’t see any difference between a National Government and alien enslavement.
Am I guessing you’d probably prefer galactic alien enslavement to an outright win for National?
That is a tough one, now you mention it.
National could actually end up governing alone, how crazy is that the apprentice does better than the master
Would you like to put your money where your mouth is? 🙂
If you seriously think National could end up governing alone, I suggest you buy a Lotto ticket.
“sometime late Saturday night”.
In terms of the election night result we will have a pretty good idea by about 8pm. There are so many early votes that will be counted before 7pm, and they tend to be similar to the final result.
With the closeness of these numbers though I think we may be sitting around wondering for another couple of weeks. There are all the specials and the overseas voting to come after that.
The official results aren’t due until 7 October. There could be a seat or two swinging then.
In the last few elections National has typically lost a seat to the Greens with the recounts and overseas votes. That could be crucial this time round.
Yes, the Green Party do have a unique pattern of results.
They have polling numbers of X% before the election. Then the drop to about 0.8X on election day. Then they go back up to 0.85X with the specials.
NB I haven’t actually calculated the multipliers but the pattern is accurate.
“That rather diminishes Labours chances as their only coalition party can be the greens.”
Really! – when NZ First is so needed to form a labour lead government rather than a sellout Government?? The last time Labour come to power in 1999 it was a coalition of labour greens/NZ First so you are way out there.
Didn’t you watch what Winston said at his interview with John Campbell the other night? – It was when John asked Winston if he could work with the greens – he said, “everythings negociable”.
I’m afraid your memory is failing you.
The Government after the !999 election was comprised of Labour and the Alliance. Neither New Zealand First nor the Green Party were part of the Government.
I am afraid you are way out there.
To the drink,– the drink.
Is it possible to have James banned for at least two weeks. His empty triumphalism doesn’t add anything to the discourse. I don’t see why he should be able to sort of start a flame war, and be politely allowed to dance around on our hopes for the future of NZ. So please mods can he be revued and take his tap dancing off to Kiwiblog!
+100.
And others!
All the trolls seem to be creaming themselves tonight… Based on what? Yet another MSM Poll …
“In this month’s issue of Personality and Individual Differences, a study was published that confirms what we all suspected: internet trolls are horrible people.”
https://www.sott.net/article/286185-Internet-trolls-are-narcissists-psychopaths-and-sadists
“In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting quarrels or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory,[1] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the intent of provoking readers into an emotional response[2] or of otherwise disrupting normal, on-topic discussion,[3] often for the troll’s amusement.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll
About that troll definition. If you get a coven of any gender and say something that doesn’t fit their rigid ideas, it can upset them like hell. Like an innocent insect getting caught in a web you suddenly get attacked so – 1 can invoke an irrational response also 2, and some acceptable etiquette and display of manners is called for before rushing to invoke Rule 109 section 32 (a)(i) or similar in the in-group’s exposition.
When the nuisance is repeated then irritation is justified.
Whoa. Why do you think his tap dancing would be welcome at Kiwiblog? It is a place for serious debate, not for whooping and childish behaviour.
You’ve missed your calling. You would make an excellent comedian.
Funniest comment of the night!
+100000000000
Ed That’s so childish! Just kidding and other witticisms. Got to keep up the irony factor.
On the other hand…perhaps it is better he is here, where we can keep an eye on him, rather than him roaming the streets getting up to all sorts of evil doings.
Cheer up folks….its a poll…and by definition
.
a hornless animal, especially one of a breed of hornless cattle.
I think we should be Friesian’ him out.
At some stage more people have to realise that lying works. Being honest and truthful are old fashioned notions.
Unless being sprawled on the road with the boots of liars stomping in your face is still seen as a noble position to be in.
How did Turei’s honesty serve her and her party? How did the lack of honesty and hiding of the truth serve others?
It wasn’t the honesty of Turie, it was how she came across that did the Greens in
it was still the right thing to do.
She could have said the same thing in a different way and she’d still be (and the Greens would be on at least 15%) instead they might not even make it back and the parties image is forever tarnished
What do you mean in a different way?
If she’d something like “I did this a long time ago and I’m sorry I felt I had to do it, I appreciated the support I received from the taxpayer and I paid the money back once I became a lawyer, I’m coming forward now to make sure no one else in my position has to do the same because something needs to change”
Instead she came off as unappreciative and somewhat flippant, perception is everything
interesting. For me she came across as standing her ground in solidarity with beneficiaries. Not saying she didn’t make any mistakes, but that this was more important than appeasing the so called middle NZ.
Paying the money back is very problematic. She wouldn’t have know how much it was, she could have been charged with fraud and had her law career put at risk. She still had a young child at that point. I think you’ve missed some critical parts of the story.
She should have got that stuff sorted before she went public.
The fact that she didn’t is the reason she’s now out of politics, she’s an idiot and the countries far better off not having her in any sort of position where she could have power over others.
Turei well and truly darwined herself.
Does the poll cover Judith Collins’ greed and corruption disrupting thousands of people’s travel plans?
OAB
wot?
What the hell is that about? You are totally out of line making such a comment. You should withdraw and apologise.
[lprent: Please spare me your unintelligent indignation. Please read his comment. There are many possible meanings to OAB’s statement.
It could just be his opinion of Judith Collins that if she is dealing with anything it will be dodgy as fuck. You only have to read Dirty Politics to come to that conclusion.
But certainly her orders as Minster or Energy have disrupted travel. For instance she could have put the priority on aircraft kerosene rather than 91 octane petrol and diesel. It is legitimate to query why a politician she would have done it this way.
It could also deal with the renamed Oravida operation around Ruakaka with a reputation for playing fast and loose with rules that uses diggers to dig Kauri stumps, the one that would be a prime suspect if a digger did damage and she has a family connection to it is another. I’d question if she should be involved in any enquiry myself.
That her husband operates Oravida and for whom she is known to have done what I consider amounts to a sales trip on the taxpayers dime for is another.
Now these are all legitimate political questions that will be raised.
I am sure that in the latter two that when the election is over and in the caretaker government that as a lawyer Judith Collins will see that she will properly recuse herself to allow a real investigation to take place as to the cause of the economic disaster of having the sole fuel line to Auckland cut.
If you had half a brain, you would have figured that out yourself, and not wasted my time. OAB specialises in doing the needle intelligently and so he doesn’t get banned. You could do well to study his opaque technique for revving up simple minded right wingers into defending against what their guilty consciences feel that he must have been meaning.
Please don’t waste my time again. ]
[deleted]
[be a bit more careful please – weka]
You have evidence of that?
Keeping Stock -you were flushed out this time last election as an active player in National’s Dirty Politics campaign, to the extent that you had to kill of your own blog and scramble into damage control in your own community.
Why are you here now? What do you hope to achieve by commenting on The Standard at this point? Do you think readers here don’t know about your close association with Farrar and Slater?
Muttonhead, think before you comment.
I’m sure lprent will be stoked have defamation papers served on him.
[lprent: It isn’t defamation. Read it again. Where did he state a fact that was defamatory. Please don’t waste my time with billshit ]
Collins and co have already threatened to do that to one who saw the digger at work.
The fellow who was driving past on Wednesday 06 Sept – has he been threatened?
MPI “found” the files.
So much for threats. I suppose the next tool in the box is a bleach attack.
Lol. Not an expert but that log in pic 2 looks no more than a few days old matching eyewitness accounts.
Remember that National’s best ever result was 47.3% under Key in 2011. So we’re led to believe that after another 6 years and without Key, National has lost only 1%? I do admire the optimism of some Tories.
But 4% went to the Cons last time around, and most of those have probably drifted back to the Nats.
We will know on Saturday.
Its either the optimism of the National supporters, or the delusion of he left to refuse to recognise it.
I’m not sure that the Labour Party is spending it’s advertising money very wisely.
I just had a look at KiwiBlog to see if Farrar had any comment on this result.
The first thing I got was an ad for the Labour Party.
I don’t think that there are really many votes Labour is going to gain from ads running there.
You getting those ads because you troll here. The computer thinks you are socially conscious.
lol, it’s not an ad “on” kiwiblog.They facilitate a platform to target you……and based on your internet usage…..Labour’s algorithm fits your Bill!
Oh, it’s well spent alright – how I laughed when I saw it! That phrase about capitalists being willing to sell you the rope you plan to hang them with came to mind.
I miss all the real funny hard case Kiwi comedians like Tui Teka and Billy T James The Laughing Samoans Eteuati Ete and Tofiga Fepulea Fred Dagg / John Clarke OUR Kiwi comedians like them bring a tear to my eyes and I get a sore face.
I’m just wondering why I have not seen these types of comedians on National TV in the last 8 years or so. Tammy Davis /Munter off Outrageous Fortune would make us laugh like them I’m sure there are many more out there Taika Waititi would be fucken funny but he is to busies . Maybe Taika could champion this cause to promote It. I’m sure Taika would have the influence to accomplish this.
The soon to be Queen Knows that we all have sorrows in OUR hearts for her loss we just don’t want to bother her or put her off her campaign.
I’m not even going to talk about what was first on the news as we all Know that come Saturday we will be celebrating a Labour Greens win so chin up I say everyone. Sorry I can not support Tops his policys don’t match my Ideals.
I follow Waititi on twitter, which is intermittent but humorous. Don’t have a TV so not sure what passes for Kiwi humour these days. I guess they’re all doing stand up somewhere. Or have their own whatever show that’s not straight comedy.
Well its not as good as the Kiwi humour we had a few years ago I don’t want to say to much as someone mite start crying
Hi eco, try auckward love. It’s a webseries and its on tvnz on demand.
I have also enjoyed ‘the katering show’ and ‘get krackin’.
They are ozzy but still funny. The language can be a little savoury.
Just catching up on the quakes in Invercargill and Wellington today. Is it just me or is the Geonet website not as user friendly as it used to be?
When were the quakes?
mid afternoon in Invercargill. The Wellington one was later.
Thanks.
One would think that they could put a temporary fix on that pipe I have used them on water and kerosene is not that flammable WTF you just wrap it and band it up seen this fix many times It just has to be a fix till alternative supply is set up. There should have been a plan for this scenario. Some one needs to be sued over this because that is the only way we will find the truth on this fuck up.
Its not rocket science!!!!!!!!!
gas build up makes it dangerous apparently.
eco Maori/kiwi, It could be contaminated though, and not suitable for aviation.
The pipeline pressure is ~3000psi/ 200bar.
Agreed Weka it’s a mess.
Yes, they spent lots of money on a web redesign to make it worse, and then refused to listen to complaints about how it was worse. It’s standard practice for state sector organisations these days.
fuck. Was just going to say to Adrian glad it’s not just me and I might give them some feedback, lol.
I think the ways the public service has been monkey wrenched in the past 9 years is one of the biggest hurdles for a new govt.
To Weka and others,
Try this website if you are having problems Geonet.
http://quakelive.co.nz/
Fancy that, a couple of days out from the election National gets a massive poll turn around signalling to the voters they now have a chance. Utter billshit.
Oh, come on. You can’t blame everything on the Malevolent Right Wing Space Lizards. Maybe a lot of New Zealanders just prefer the idea of Bill English being in charge of stuff?
You do. That is for certain.
I do not.
Your commentary suggests otherwise.
That’s down to your interpretation of my comments.
You are what other people see you as…
Perhaps you are not good at communication online?
Nah, you’ve developed an idée fixe and ignore contrary evidence.
Just using my intuition. You stated you haven’t voted Labour since the China FTA. This seems to be the crucial policy you have voted on for a decade or more yet you still back National’s import of Chinese capital.
You know there are more than two parties in New Zealand?
Why do you think I “back National’s import of Chinese capital”?
Because you unfailingly criticise the only alternative option.
‘Unfailingly’?
I praised Ardern’s commitment to an inquiry into abuse of children in state care.
Go on. You’re just getting started now.
You said ‘unfailingly.’
I showed that wasn’t true.
Perhaps you are not good at communication online?
You are anti-Labour, end of story. How do you propose to effect any social change in New Zealand while being so anti-Labour? You are fighting yourself.
I am not ‘anti-Labour.’ I don’t vote for them because they don’t match my politics. And I criticise them when they make mistakes, which – alas- they do with depressing frequency. And I have no time at all for mindless cheerleaders and naive fools.
Still waiting for you to evidence the claim that I am “back National’s import of Chinese capital.” Or were you just making shit up on the internet?
I’m going by your posts which are unfailingly critical of Labour policy. Given the importance of Labour to changing the government, the only logical conclusion is that you are against changing the government.
I imagine your argument will be the argument of all pretend lefties – ‘it’s complicated’
Back to ‘unfailingly critical,’ even though I’ve already disproved that claim.
Since you’re recycling your doggerel, I’ll recycle mine.
I am not ‘anti-Labour.’ I don’t vote for them because they don’t match my politics. I criticise them when they make mistakes. Given people hereabouts like to view their mistakes as brilliant strategic moves (“Let’s make Cunliffe the leader!”) I’m rather busy.
By some obscure alchemy, you seem to construe that that as support for National. That’s your problem. Maybe you’re not as clever at comprehending things, and your intuition is not as good, as you like to think.
lurgee – I also see you as a conundrum. How do you want us to see you?
Tell you what Hosking is giving English a hard time in the leaders debate, I reckon he has had a recent epiphany!
Hes always been fair, in debates
Dont trust him. Hes only hedging his bets for his job.
Maybe WK but when did you last see this level of “hedging” from Hosking ?
Anyone watch Newshub? Gower gave an absolute slating to NAT. Comparisons with Trump and extreme in angle.
They won’t be used to that.
(Pity half the country’s voted, but oh well.)
Not quite half the country, more like a quarter.
Why doesn’t Hosking just ask English to leave and do the debating for National himself TVNZ – So biased.
Thank goodness we don’t have exit polls.
Ardern’s worst debate performance.
Just when she needed to be seen fighting the good fight, she looks flat.
When asked about winston not supporting her water tax, why did she not counter about his super position and how that affects the nats?
Final Colmar Brunton poll before 2014 election:
Nat = 45
Lab =25
GP = 12
NZF = 8
Con = 4.5
Maori = 1.6
ACT =0.6
Election result
Nat = 47.04
Lab =25.13
GP = 10.7
NZF = 8.66
Con = 3.97
Maori = 1.32
ACT =0.69
Most of the pundits Carolyn_nth accept that the Mana/Internet Party/Dotcom Moment of Truth debacle pushed a couple of percent National’s way in the last days.
OK. So then CB was pretty accurate.
Probably. I’m not disputing the poll tonight really. It shows what we’ve always known – Lab/Greens pretty much equals National. The unknowables are what happens after that.
My memory is that the final 2014 election result was pretty close between Government bloc (Nat-ACT-Mao-UF and Lab-Gp and NZF on cross benches.
So Lab-GP go into this election closer to Nats, and a lot depends on which way NZF swings – as has been indicated in polls all this term.
how so?
weka let’s not go there FFS. Shall we concentrate on the poll that’s coming up – not the one’s we’ve already lost.
A cynic would suggest they are one and the same.
ok. I just thought it was an interesting theory but didn’t really understand the rationale.
yes but there was the damaging moment of truth after that poll
I keep hearing how National have had 9 years to fix everything -this would imply everything was broken when they took over from labour????
No. That they started fucking it up from day one.
What an odious comment you made imodioum shame on you.
National have truly fucked up this country by conducting a mean arsed austerity scheme as bad as the Ruth Richarson black budget was damaging us then by copying that same style of mean cruel inhumanity where the poor are pushed to the gutter to die hungry and sick.
Bill the ‘ holey’ man , now , eh ?
Liar.
Hosking did well as the National spokesman.
Pretty evident Hosking and English vs Adern.
Least balanced nz debate ive seen
English flat out lying re 11 billion dollar hole and not pulled by Hosking. Dirty politics, possibly working in the polls so he’s doubled down.
Revealed: China’s network of influence in New Zealand – NZ Herald
http://www.nzherald.co.nz › Business
Here are some other intriguing headlines on NZ Herald.
NEW ZEALAND
Fake names: Chief referred to Solicitor-General
20 Sep, 2017 5:37pm
Ministry of Social Development found unlawfully using fake names on legal documents
and
NEW ZEALAND
Beneficiaries short-changed by millions
20 Sept 5.58 pm
Introducing e-therapy digital counselling. Bill’s answer to fixing mental health. No one knows what it is but its new, and more internet time will somehow address kid’s mental health.
Well anyone in NZ can call themselves a counsellor so robots it is.
Serves them right for fucking around and failing to ensure their profession is registered as health practitioners by doing something as basic as agreeing.
Bill doesn’t give a fuck for those in poverty, after all they don’t vote National.
mauī; – It’s callled in the old fashioned term we all know as ‘Brainwashing’
National are so tied to the control of the mind as we have seen when they removed all our Public affairs programs like ‘close-up’ and they cousins as they were to focused on the negative stuff the current government was doing .
Radio NZ ‘National’is now a trumpet for the ‘National Party’ so on it goes until they will have us alll bowijng to the ‘National God’ himself.
Greatest one liner
” we can never afford poverty”
Responding to bill “now we can NOW afford to help due to government surpluses” , with jacindas response … priceless.
For once Hosking has done a good job, and I rate Jacinda ahead of Bill on tonight . Well done.
Yep me too, and did you notice how smug English looked?
His paymasters certainly paid a lot for his cover of Crosby textor spin.
Bill’s smugness evaporated as time went on.
Why did Bill look a foot taller than anyone else on the show?
Me too garibaldi. I thought Hoskings did OK. And both leaders were fine too. It’s not going to make any difference really.
A few issues?
Bronwyn Hayward @BMHayward 37m
beyond shocked just angry at role Hosking & TVNZ playing in eroding public confidence in MMP democracy & the role of coalitions #decision17
Cameron Eade @cam_eade
Replying to @BMHayward
Watching Bill continue “$11b hole” lie, then Hosking saying “Let’s agree to disagree”, is astonishingly shameful for #nzpol 😠
Bronwyn Hayward @BMHayward
This was crucial- The host made one intervention then sat back as post truth politics was debated live in an otherwise managed interview
Hayward is a political science professor.
https://twitter.com/BMHayward/status/910414407636803585
Mike excelled himself. Given his right leaning and anti left he was very impressive
Jacinda won that debate. Thank goodness for that.
As ex Min of Finance Bill can quote facts and figures for ever. Jacinda less so. But this time Mike didn’t allow Bill to run away with his usual Shouty Bill. Jacinda was concise and was able to express politely her concern about after 9 long years and about the “misleading” information that Bill has used.
Jacinda 9 out of 10.
Bill 5 out of 10
Herald poll would disagree….I only saw about the last 5 mins….turnout will still be determining factor…..the 80% (?) of relatively disinterested will decide this
Yes. The Herald Poll had it 60% Bill, 34% Jacinda.
It was closer on the Stuff website though.
They had it Bill 56% and Jacinda 37%.
Don’t worry though. Labours little lovie on Stuff, Tracy Watkins, says that Jacinda won so that is all right.
It is hardly surprising the Stuff papers are going down the tubes.
meh…only 3 more sleeps and we will know
What the actual f**k? Tracy Watkins is the epitome of a National cheerleader. There is no NZ journalist who better qualifies for the description.
You have got the wrong one alwyn. Tracey is anti Labour and she is very pro National.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/97025359/live-three-days-to-go-till-the-election
English says “we can make the positive choices now” because there’s been a couple of years of surplus and now they have the money. Ardern says “we could never afford poverty” and under National the situation has slid.
Magic one liner from J.A. In response
Sad for a govt to say that they can only make positive social choices when we are in surplus 🙁
NEW ZEALAND
Debate: Ardern attacks ‘negative campaign from National’
20 Sep, 2017 7:42p
Latest from NZ Herald link above at 30
Jacinda was better than Bill tonight. He just spewed Bullshit.
Don’t you mean Billshit?
Unfortunately, it looks like New Zealanders are in the market for it.
“Filthy waterways, dying patients denied their pain relief of choice, and working families forced to live in their cars, these are some of the big issues that have got New Zealanders fired-up. They’ve also been the focus of political campaigning in the run up to the election. As voting day draws ever closer, we’ve gathered together some of our recent Insight podcasts, to help you get clued up on the big issues before you put pen to ballot paper.”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/insight/audio/201858527/your-big-election-listens-from-rnz-insight
The list of undone work by Gnashional just makes it seem that they are incompetent or frozen and unable to make decisions for the good of the country. Constipated and can’t get off the pot. The long days till the main voting day only increases their unpleasant persona and aroma.
They are facing off the weight of ridicule and disgust at their connivance and sly lies to satisfy their backers and voters who are either soaked in past-its-date business theory or smarmy wealth craters with no scruples. With a fair unpwind they will be freed from their circular prison to go and dump in someone else’s yard like the poor and drugged derelicts already on the streets.
Calm down everyone.
If Trump could win, so can Jacinda !
Roll on Saturday !
No. Jacinda wins on her merit. End of story.
Completely different.
Beneficiaries short changed by millions. MSD has known for a couple of years but did nothing
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11924050
Another of these WTF happened to NZ stories
“Working families with young children and babies are being left homeless and sleeping in cars in Auckland, as they struggle to get into emergency housing, and are turned off or away from Housing New Zealand. Parents say even with accommodation supplement benefits, their wages can’t cover rising rents, and living in garages or spending nights on floors of friends and family are the only options they have.”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/insight/audio/201787942/when-a-child-s-home-is-a-car
“Under my leadership there will be action …. no more autopilot.”
Great closing line from Jacinda . (TVNZ1 leaders’ debate tonight.)
Bill and Jacinda stand on the same stair of a flight of stairs.
Bill : “Jacinda are you taking one step up?”
Jacinda: “No, I’m staying where I am.”
Upon which Bill takes one step down and exclaims “Hey Jacinda, I see you’ve taken one step up!”
It is difficult to have respect for a leader who clearly has scant respect for the most basic straight talk and truth.
Gower’s piece should make headlines in all our papers.
The poll must’ve gone well for National. It’s on Kiwiblog within an hour of being broadcast. The Great Informer has been nowhere near as quick when the story hasn’t suited him.
If NZ First miss out (unlikely), Maori Party could end up with the balance of power.
Otherwise, even at 46%, the Nats can’t govern with just ACT and the Maori Party, so Winston gets to decide who the PM will be.
Marama Fox is all about “strategic voting”….’cos that’s what folk are telling her.
” “Since the weekend it’s almost like the bigger issues have started to take a side-step to the strategic voting as an issue. People are not talking to me about homelessness anymore. They are not talking to me about poverty.
“They are talking to me about who can form government and which is the best way to vote in order to make that happen.””
She pins her colours clearly to the mast…
” She said voters were starting to see the “holes” in Labour, including not making te reo Maori compulsory or moving to entrench the Maori seats. Personally, she was quietly confident she would return to Parliament.
“I know everywhere I speak I turn the entire room. I know people are starting to question the ability of Labour’s Maori MPs to affect any change inside their party.”
“We recognise the mood for change … there are Maori voters, a majority of when you are knocking on doors, who have said they want change, but they want us there.”
Ahem, Marama, after nine years snuggling up to National, supporting them to increase poverty and homelessness….. how’s that change going?
A vote for the Maori party is a vote for National. National will always be thier first choice.
IF National win the election – I wonder if Jacinda will bother staying on as leader for Labour.
Is it her choice – or does it go to the party to decide?
Stated earlier, but it seems like you’d like to have the last word James…
Persistent with your personality perhaps …
“In this month’s issue of Personality and Individual Differences, a study was published that confirms what we all suspected: internet trolls are horrible people.”
https://www.sott.net/article/286185-Internet-trolls-are-narcissists-psychopaths-and-sadists
“In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting quarrels or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory,[1] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the intent of provoking readers into an emotional response[2] or of otherwise disrupting normal, on-topic discussion,[3] often for the troll’s amusement.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll
Yeah – I reckon she will quit. Jacinda won’t be leading labour into the 2020 campaign if she loses this one.
Are you an exhibitionist James? Revealing yourself like that! Not for the first time either.
WTF??!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11924169
and
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11924498
Thanks for those links, Pat – WTF indeed.
Our National-led government has been undermining New Zealand’s sovereignty and public service for 9 years, and they know what they’re doing – helping NZ millionaires, both established and newly minted, realise assets, including public assets.
How much did Key sell part of his Parnell property for, and who stumped up the cash?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/celebrity-homes/96673228/sir-john-keys-sprawling-parnell-mansion-sold-for-20m
They’ll (Thiel?) be right, Jack.
The fact that you made that ridiculous comment James means that you know darn well that she will go the distance and be there when this pack of wankers leaves town and she will be there to make sure they do !!!