Can anyone tell me if there has been anything about Nationals position on State Asset sales? Seems very quiet on that front.
I think they ruled it out last election, but not this one.
I have a feeling if they get back in they will begin the process again oh joy, country being flogged off til nothings left.
Weka; – Kiwirail, & possibly more hospitals will sold or PPP private, & roads & Ports will go PPP of sold as Port of Napier is mooted now being set up.
National have a long list of asset stipping to go forward with.
To totally wreck all of us and our futures for generations.
Postoffice, Kiwibank, Air NZ, Conservation Department land. Ect.
yes, they lie quite a lot, I’m not sure why we would be expected to trust them on this particular issue. That’s the problem with lying a lot and doing it from a position power, it means you end up being untrustworthy.
Anyone who has been here since 2008 has the same mistrust of this bloody lying Government with all the backroom slimy selloffs and you have not seen them?
Where have you been?
Every month we have seen new plans emerge by this mob planning to shift Government agencies out of Government owned buildings and into rented buildings for a start!!!!! It has been this Governments role to do thid repeatedly time & time again.
Remember Napier Port going into the press two months ago and our local Labour MP Stuart Nash put signs up around Napier protesting the intention made by the port to sell the port?
The councils are now under supervision of government and a birdie advised they were pressured to sell.
If you are the failed National Candidate from 2014 who ran for Napier who was called Wayne, then you know what I am referring to.
Better that you explain why your National Party have sold so many assets since 2008 that they didn’t run on at during an election time, like the sale of state houses and Landcorp land?
Like I said, we have seen National lie so many timees and still are, then slip in some policy to sell or PPP some public asset!!!!!!
The funnction of using PPP of any asset like roads, hospitals or Government buildings are being used frequently by National for selling off assets.
I remember even our Tradie Petone Institute of Technology was floged off during the very first National government term 20008-11 you probably was not here then.
Then of course there was the forced Government sale of Hilllside Rail engineering Kiwirail workshops as well in Dunedin and everyone really got riled about that engineering marvel we all lost. Now you knowthat Joyce had control over kiwirail administration because of management of their failing budget and still are in Government oversight.
There were so many public assets sites that this Government had quietly linned up to flog off without a care in the world chappie.
National’s history of lying and bullshit is obvious.
Not to mention Joyce throwing a dead cat into the election debate, and proving he can’t do arithmetic, at the same time. Aren’t you ashamed of them? Or, is lying and cheating your way into power, fine with you!
Evidently only 5-6% of the people in the country read the party’s policies so I take it most people are making their decisions on who to vote for by listening to MSM or friends and family ?
Barfly. If you need help please book in to see a doctor. I agree that this incident highlights that something is not right in NZ and that many people are falling through the cracks that the National Party is creating. Please don’t be one of them!
If you are merely thinking out loud and not serious then I say ‘chin up’, there’s even more work to be done if these clowns get to take NZ further down the wrong path.
I survived one suicide attempt – my first breakdown
I experienced 2 more breakdowns with 1-2 years clinical depression each time
My most likely cause of death is at my own hand after falling foul of some random WINZ harassment. I think this is more likely than the heart disease, diabetes and alcoholism that I also get to “enjoy”.
Election years are a bastard to me in 2011 and 2014 it was National’s shoot the beneficiary season. This year it’s just so depressing that greed and what I see as “evil” appear likely to triumph.
Thank you for your consideration
Edit: Muttonbird – My doctor is good probably saved my life on occasion without knowing
Kia Kaha Barfly. You are brave sharing your experience on here – thank you. I hope you take some comfort that there are a lot of us despairing with this current political environment, and you are not alone in that. I hope your own personal circumstances improve.
Barfly we have an alcoholic son. So we can feel your pain. Kia kaha as each day is a battle. Sadly other illnesses go with this. ( Irritable bowel.) Wish I could give you a hug.
Reward yourself with simple things when you manage. Spend time with pets.
Keep talking to us. We are always here. I suffer with aches and often wake 1or 2 hours before meds are due, so I come online and read others’ views.
We are more likely to win than they believe. Two days to go and over 800000 have voted. Keep the faith. 3rd time lucky.
Barfly;
Try the herb St Johns wart barfly its cheaply available at most health food shops or supermarkets.
My Daughter had deep depression after childbirth as a solo mum and the regular
Meds they put her on drove her into almost a suicide space but she stop taking the anti-deppressant Prozac and went on St Johns and now is free of depression and is back as my daughter we all love dearly.
Good luck.
Hang in there Man! They’re Light at the end of the tunnel!
Glad, at least you have a good DOC, They’re hard to come by!
( Sounds like wank) But:
Where to get help:
Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason.
Lifeline: 0800 543 354
Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO (24/7). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.
Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 (24/7)
Samaritans: 0800 726 666 (24/7)
Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254
Healthline: 0800 611 116
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
Barfly – do you have any family or friends who love and support you ? If you need to go to WINZ always take a knowledgable support person / advocate – WINZ don’t like witnesses.
I’ve been the rabbit hole 3 times in the last twelve mths (one overseas on deployment, other on 26 Jan of this and the other before I went on cse) since I’ve done stabilisation case for my PTSD a mths ago. The run down the rabbit hole is not as far as it use to be, but with a good treatment team, good support network around you and there will a light at the end of tunnel for you. Yes you will hit a few bumps along way as it’s long slow journey back to recovery.
As for me atm I go med broad in early December and if things go to plan a full medical discharge in Jun/Jul with a pension of some sort. I have to go back for the stabilisation cse again before I can do the close treatment cse as I unloaded at the assessment phase for the close treatment cse. In the near future my partner and I ( well she wants to there) back to East Timor to finally close that chapter of my life, but South Sudan and the Gan will have to wait a while. I take every day as it’s comes, I have a good day and bad days.
I’m going to in NZ in late Nov this yr, so if you live around the Plamy Nth/ Feilding area and if you want to have chat? I’ll make the time to come to you. Never never be afraid to ask for help.
Sorry I did Not realize the topic/ kappa when I put my post up Kia kaha Barfly I try to look for something positive in most situations and the positive here is the awesome support our fellow bloggers are giving you keep up the good work people and get ready for a sore face on Saturday nite
Yes, it’s good to see follow bloggers offering support to Barfly and it was the same a me a few mths ago here at the Standard despite my opinions on certain policies here at the Standard. But as we are all a bunch of lefties here, we don’t kick poor bugger down road, we extend our hand out to support our follow human regardless of gender, sexuality, race etc and get he or she back on a even keel so he or she can feel they are a part of society again.
Being in caring society achieves far more when we work together as team/ collective for the greater good than being a selfish individual who doesn’t give a toss about his or her follow human/ environment as long as I’m ok, or as we called it in the military going Jack on your mates and those type of people tend not to last long in the military.
So roll on Saturday night and hope I don’t have a sore head on Sunday morning as I’ve my Bush Firefighting training on this weekend.
We mite have to start growing rice with all this unseasonable rain.
One of my idea”s to minimize nitrogen leaching from cows was if they could be encourage to walk like deer when urinating as this action would spread the urinal patch maybe twice the normal patch and the grass would be able to absorb more of the nitrates and leaching should be lowered maybe a device that gets cows to move I.E when a cow raises its tail that’s the trigger to have a device to encourage her to walk this would only work in theory on a flat farm and the device could train them while they are young.
Farmers should be able to grow weed crops as well as cows, cannabis loves loves loves nitrogen. There is a balance to be found there, some growers companion plant medicine crops next to nitrogen producing plants.
Eco M, the kids went on a school trip yesterday, and they were fuming when they returned, they saw cows mucking around in the fords, no fencing or cocky in sight.
Animals are similar to babies when it comes to communication.
However the cows should not have been in the stream coming off the mountain on the way to a pristine lake.
In tonight’s Newshub poll 37% think NZF will go with Nats and 31% think NZF will go with Lab, but more interestingly to me, in the more detailed breakdown of that, 45% of NFZ supporters think NZF will go with Nats while only 35% think NZF will go with Lab. That doesn’t look promising for your thought that Winnie won’t go with the Nats. I think NZF has likely held onto more disaffected former Nats than it has held onto disaffected former Labourites. I think many of those moved away from NZF and went back to Labour once Jacinda became leader.
Thanks Cinny. So, the Nats in round figures are 76%. That’s a difference of 9%.
I received a phone call from the National Party yesterday. Think it was from Farrar’s Curia outfit reminding me to vote.
Two hours ago I received a recorded call from Bill English telling me that the elderly (I don’t class myself as ‘elderly’ 😡 ) are better off under National. Another gross lie. Presume there are recorded calls going out on landlines nationwide.
Ewwws re the recorded message, ‘better off under’, yup because nat’s will never put anyone before themselves.
Am really interested in the election results compared with the poll results, as polls appear to be landline only based, and in our digital age skewers accuracy.
Thrilled about the Greens going up again.
Have really enjoyed following the leadup and election via TS with you and everyone else here 😀
As soon as I hear his bloody voice I hang up on him – he can’t even speak personally, has to record it – what contempt for the voters. Heaven knows what goes on in the confessional with his confessor priest – I don’t think the double dipper would recognise a sin if it knocked him in the head.
I dunno …. she use to run the socialist youth that had members from Lebanon, Palestine and Israel – so Labour / Greens / Winny should be a walk in the park
[lprent: And the US, Israel, and any number of other obnoxious places. There was no point to that comment. You are just trying to start a flamewar. I’d suggest that you get very cautious if you want to carrying on commenting because my finger was on the very lengthy peace for moderators button. ]
I have been saying that was in the bag since forever ago – the price was JK leaving.
Not enough stardust for Jacinda – or it wore off too quickly.
I could be wrong with Winston – but he has always discussed with the largest party first and Labour are dropping back again – too far away from National to be credible.
“It goes all the way to people who have a real clinical disorder called the Narcissistic Personality Disorder and that is marked by extreme forms of a desire for attention, grandiosity, lack of empathy, sense of entitlement, a willingness to exploit others and so often a sense of fragility, so that underneath the narcissism is quite an unstable sense of self or self-esteem, so the person is quite brittle and can be easily ashamed and that is when they begin to lash out in rage. There is the grandiosity on the surface, but there can be underneath an underlying fragility or vulnerability and a panic where they are really worth as much as they say.”
Winston is really pissed off about his pension overpayment details being leaked by National…and the health scare attack he believes National leaked last Friday….look forward to Prime Minister Jacinda, probably with the Greens shut out of the coalition.
Baubles trump everything BG. National have no moral principles. They are open to shady deals… if you come with us we”ll let you be PM for the second half and we’ll implement your policies… and we’ll build your bridges in the next 12 months and… a new railway line which we’ll name after you blah blah blah.
innit…and with such a late surge you would expect a comparable turnout….i.e. they havnt registered and forgotten, probably registered and voted at same time
I’d been working on getting a colleague to vote for the past few months and today at lunchtime he let me drag him to CAB and we voted together – first time at 29. He heard Jacinda singing on Mai FM this morning and said he liked the sound of her and what she said, etc. He’d previously said he ‘went his own way’ and always brushed off my rants that politics wasn’t his place. It seemed to me that deep down he didn’t feel he had permission – until this morning. Anyway, thanks Mai FM. I now have a bit of hope back after last nights shitty poll.
That should always happen…. and just has 😀 Thanks for the link Pat
“Between writ day [August 23] and September 20, the number of people enrolled has increased by 62,169, which is a 39.2 percent increase on the same period in 2014, when the roll increased by 44,674.”
Last day to enroll as you vote tomorrow, the start of the Spring Equinox, an auspicious day. Am going to vote then, went to early vote but it was closed, has been happening a bit around the nelson/tasman regions
Bill’s rump government has finally established a parallel with the last days of the Diem government https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TglBTa32j_k
A corrupt and ineffectual colonial regime propped up by foreign capitalists but hated by the people they oppress has reached the point where burning oneself alive is a more attractive option that enduring further misery and misgovernance.
“but hated by the people they oppress has reached the point where burning oneself alive is a more attractive option that enduring further misery and misgovernance.”
Its sick using that poor persons situation for a cheap political shot – but that says a lot about you.
Funnily enough it seems that all those oppressed people still find it more attractive to support National than voting Labour.
James happy to accept poisoned rivers, increasing poverty and inequality, more mental health issues, worsening health and education services….
as long as he is alright and gets his flash holidays and flash car.
40 to 45 % of New Zealanders happy to accept poisoned rivers, increasing poverty and inequality, more mental health issues, worsening health and education services….
as long as they’re alright and get their flash holidays and flash cars.
And you don’t care about poisoned rivers, increasing poverty and inequality, more mental health issues, worsening health and education services….
Words fail me.
Houston was built for cars. What happens when Harvey destroys 250,000 vehicles? Three weeks after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas with the worst rainfall event in U.S. history, many low-income residents are still stuck at home, unable to afford a replacement vehicle and get back to work.
Prior to the hurricane, 94.4 percent of households in the Houston area owned cars, making it second only to Dallas in vehicle ownership. While people in the city center can commute by bus or bike, it’s much harder for residents in the city’s sprawling suburbs, living far from bus lines, to get into town without their own wheels.
“I don’t have nothing to do,” one construction worker in northeast Houston told the Texas Tribune. “I don’t have work. I don’t have a car.”
Car culture and sprawl carried to it’s inevitable end.
Yesterday an intelligent well educated man said, “It really shook me when I saw the huge full page ad in the press by the Taxpayers Union which shows how we are all going to pay for a change of Government.”
If he was scared off what about all the others?
The total for National claims that National will only cost $8.3 billion of new spending.
The total for Labour was $20 billion.
Something wrong there.
I braved their web site and found this proviso near the bottom. Note: The Bribe-O-Meter does not include Budget 2017 announcements (for National) as they are seen as the baseline.
To my mind this denies all the Budget 2017 “promises” that National made at that time.
Under the Electoral act isn’t that misleading (lying) political advertising on behalf of the National Party via Farrar via the taxpayer Union?
The ‘true oil’, no big reveal about a Cabinet Minister happened. In the end that’s all the difference could be. On the other hand the big reveal(s) about Peters could make a significant difference to the make-up in the end.
I despise the term “Bribe-O-Meter” and all its variants (Pork-O-Meter, etc.). The implication that any public spending constitutes a “bribe” or some sort of frivolity is simple-minded, neoliberal bullshit.
Labour or Greens? Would Michael Wood be transport minister or Julie Anne Genter? Swarbrick instead of Seymour. Mariana Davidson. Not sure about Shaw. Do wanna vote Labour, but how many NZF preferring cabinet members are there? Will we zombie walk into a odd TPPA? But Jacinda! Tell me internets. Genuinely unsure
There’s a zillion posts telling you to vote Green (or Labour) 😉
The case for the Greens is this. One they’ve got more progressive policies e.g. on climate change they will do more, faster, and with better care for transforming NZ to a post-carbon economy. They really are the experts on this.
It’s possible they could drop below 5% and be out of parliament. Which would be a tragedy in and of itself, but it also jeopardises Labour being able to form government.
The more Greens there are the less influence NZF will have and the more likely it is that Labour will choose them as coalition partners over NZF.
The Greens are packed with talent. This isn’t to say there aren’t good people in Labour, there are. But Labour are going to have a lot of MPs and they have different experience to the Greens. So a higher party vote for the Greens means we get more diversity of experience and in areas that we need (CC, ending poverty, cleaning up rivers).
The Greens are very opposed to the TPPA. Labour is kind of, but will probably compromise on it.
Julie Anne Genter should be transport minister. Shaw should be something important (CC I guess, or associate finance). Davidson’s influence on welfare seems crucial. For that to happen the Greens need more votes.
They want to renegotiate a bunch of things. Or they did (there were five). I’m not that clear on what they intend now.
This is about the Greens, but it has some info about Labour in it, and a bunch of discussion from Labour supporters and those that don’t trust Labour on this,
The clear message it sends is that political ads will always be treated as opinion, and that as long as a party has a fleck of a sliver of a shard of justification for its claims, these bodies will not call them out even if their ads are very seriously misleading and misinforming people about issues that are pivotal to the election.
Oh well, looks like Labour has been given a green light to scare-monger at the next election.
Oh good God, no. The immediate prospect in terms of adverse consequences is that they produce negative ads against the Greens if the Left vote gets squeezed. The long-term prospect is that everybody ends up flinging poo left, right, up, down and round and round until even comparatively engaged and informed voters have no idea what any party might do. A better solution would be to raise the standards required in the broadcasting act and of candidates and parties in general.
Man set himself on fire in front of Parliament. Every second report makes the point that it has been done only two days before the election. Pretty sad that someone doing a desperate act like that can only enter the news spectrum if there is some connection with the election. Ordinarily it would have been quite run-of-the-mill./sarc
People are desperate – my simple recipe for a better future is the promise and action that all will be done that helps with problems with kindness and practicality. It would make so much difference if 99% of actions were considered quickly to see if they were in line with those words and meanings.
‘The most terrifying part of the last poll before the election is that 45.8% of NZ’s voters support more homelessness, more poisoned rivers, more property speculation, less mental health funding, more experiments in education, no infrastructure investment, more NZers in prisons and 300000 kids in poverty in return for $20 extra a week and half a dozen more bloody roads!’
Support a party that publically pretends they are going to do something about it, while in reality intending to make things worse.
Lying is paying off, for National.
That looks OK Swordfish. Still an open door. But of course NZF. Can they agree to Lab+Green+ NZF.
There appears to be early warnings that a downturn economy is is imminent.
Sources told Newsroom that National’s latest internal polling has it at 43 percent and Labour at 39 percent. NZ First and the Greens were both on six percent. But there were suggestions from those close to National that its figures had softened overnight
Im not religious myself, but I don’t see how Bill English can reconcile the social teachings of Jesus and the National Party’s policies on wealth, homelessness, poverty….
He must get into some convolutions justifying the chasm between the two philosophies.
What mystifies me is he has admitted opently to being a committed, practising Roman Catholic which means he attends Mass each week. As I know it you cannot receive the sacrament at Mass unless you have attended confession and confessed of your venal or mortal sins. How does he cope with going into the confessional knowing he is dirty and a liar – the deleting of his emails – leaning on the police over the investigation of his MP in Dipton, the backing up of Joyce’s big hole theory which was pure spin and lies and many other transgressions. He doesn’t do the church a service at all and I am surprised the church doesn’t actually come out more vocally over the poverty and disgraceful treatment of unwell fragile people.
You can see why so many people turn away from their traditional religions and look at them in contempt.
It does feel like there is a war within Catholicism sometimes. Between those who accept Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, and those who reject it.
Those who reject it, generally are on the spectrum of Christofascism. And have natural allies in the far right church groups.
In NZ that link up is most notable between the exclusive brethren and their relationship with bill english. Also the national party and fundamentalist churches like equippers, the life churches, city impact church, and other wealth theology focused churches who are mainly Pentecostal.
Jeez Louise ! … Greens best not get too complacent … they’re by no means out of the woods yet. Usually over-stated by 1-4 percentage points in final polls
Greens %
Last 6 Polls (latest 1st)
UMR 7
RR 7.1
CB 8
CB 7
RR 4.9
RM 9
greens have averaged something like 1.3 % below polling over MMP elections so safe enough…plus it appears youth vote up, which likely to favour their numbers
p.s.
(is that 1 to 4 or 1 point 4 in your post)
Definitely don’t want NZF to fall below the 5% threshold (+ lose Northland). On the latest Colmar Brunton & Reid Research numbers (adjusting slightly for historic Final Poll vs Election Result differentials) that would give the Nats a big enough boost to see them winning a majority of seats and the ability to govern alone.
The possibility of a Labour-led Government depends on NZF (& the Greens) staying above that 5% barrier. Fortunately, a 5% Colmar Brunton & 7% Reid Research final poll rating probably means 6-9% on Election Night for NZF (also taking into account the previous CB and the last RR from 10 days ago).
Can’t quite bring myself to strategically Party-Vote for Winnie. But we better hope NZF make it. The declarations (on TS last night) of secret joy at the thought of Winnie’s electoral demise are possibly just a teensy-weensy bit self-indulgent for the Left ? Be bloody careful what you wish for.
I can’t see how he can win the seat again, last time he had Labour and Greens voting for him to “send them a message”, but those voters will be voting for their parties and candidates, he’ll need more than 5%
NZF falling below threshold benefits whichever bloc gets the highest number without NZF, as they will get even bigger.
If you believe Nats are ahead of Labour, Greens, and the Māori Party taken together (or ahead of Labour + Greens and that the Māori Party are as fickle as Peters is) then and only then is NZF going under threshold and losing Northland a bad thing.
Matthew, any chance you could take a look at the Green Party manifesto thread? I have some questions over there and wondered if you could answer. Thanks! A.
On the latest Colmar Brunton & Reid Research numbers (adjusting slightly for historic Final Poll vs Election Result differentials) that would give the Nats a big enough boost to see them winning a majority of seats and the ability to govern alone.
“The citizenship application file of the National MP who taught English to spies has been released – but key information about whether he disclosed this when moving to New Zealand has been withheld.”
Another redacted answer responded to the question “Have you ever received a benefit, allowance or compensation from a government department or agency?”
The NZ Herald has made an urgent request for the Office of the Ombudsman to review the redactions.”
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A short opinion piece – Friday 26th June 2020 Whilst our Government has treated many financial victims of the current Covid-19 virus with appropriate generosity, the same cannot be said for those of the two earlier “epidemics” in NZ. The “Covid-84” virus (also called “Rogernomics”) spread systemic greed, with the ...
Everyone deserves a a decent life. We know this is possible with a fairer approach to income support and tax Read the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Poverty Action Plan here ...
After a long break, the government is back inserting secrecy clauses in legislation. This time its the Overseas Investment Amendment Bill (No 3), which in its clause allowing Ministers to exempt purchasers of farm land from the usual rules also allows them to exempt an exemption from the publication requirement: ...
Over the past two years the government has repeatedly delayed a scheme to put cameras on boats to monitor Mew Zealand's pervasively criminal fishing industry. But it turns out that the industry actually wants cameras: Three of the country's biggest seafood companies have broken ranks with the rest of the ...
Louise Delany (public health lawyer)Health and emergency laws have played a critical role in this country’s successful elimination of community transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic. This blog details key aspects of the legislation and comments on issues around testing, payments by incoming travellers for quarantine costs, and mask use. ...
I like Andrew Curry’s succinct and insightful futures blog The Next Wave. His most recent post is about social change. In particular, the decadal-long periods usually required for changes in values. He highlights a 2016 paper by Inglehart and Norris, who examined whether economic insecurity or a “cultural backlash” ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Stop making sense: why it's time to get emotional about climate changeThe science has been settled to the highest degree, so now ...
MONDAY JULY 6Washington (History, Sky 073, 7.30pm). The brilliant Doris Kearns Goodwin is the executive producer of this six-part series about America's first president. It combines interviews with live action and is narrated by Jeff Daniels. It's engaging, said Salon.TUESDAY JULY 7The ABC Murders (Prime, 8.30pm). Sarah Phelps has done incredible things with ...
I think we can all agree that the mainstream media in New Zealand has a very different set of rules for the right wing compared to the left. While Labour and Green Party politicians don’t seem to be able to fart without it becoming a sackable offence, National and Act ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, June 28 through Sat, July 4, 2020Editor's Choice'2040': A funny, entertaining, upbeat climate documentaryA timely Australian documentary takes a 'solutions' approach, with the filmmaker inspired by visions of ...
Racist National MP Hamish WalkerEven before Todd Muller's coup ousted Simon Bridges by a single vote, it was patently obvious that the National Party promotes and stands for white privilege. In fact they’ve always worked to ensure the discriminatory status quo in New Zealand doesn’t change.So it’s no surprise that ...
Dave HeatleyZero community transmission. Just a handful of active cases, all in quarantine. New Zealand is in an attractive situation, at least compared to much of the world. The situation could be robust and enduring – or it might be fragile, just one border incursion away from a “second ...
Is the consequence of the Simpson Report proposals for restructuring the health system poorer accountability to people? When in doubt, centralise‘ has been a persistent theme in New Zealand public policy throughout our history. The current government is no exception. Here are some examples. - The regional polytechs have been ...
I wrote earlier in the week about the Scientology front organisations Drug Free World and Drug Free Ambassadors and their quite prominent role in anti-cannabis reform "coalition" assembled by Family First and a newloca branch of the American prohibitionist organisation SAM.It turns out Family First aren't the only ones helping ...
Nik GreenMuch of the public debate about the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has focused on the extent to which government regulations have restricted personal and business activity.Oxford University Blavatnik School of Government Here in New Zealand, the question of when to change Alert Levels dominated the ...
James Higham, University of OtagoUnprecedented border closures and the domestic lockdown have paralysed New Zealand’s $40.9 billion a year tourism industry. In the process, the vulnerability of the sector to external shocks and the tenuous nature of tourism employment have been exposed. While New Zealand’s handling of the pandemic ...
Raising The Bar: Would that the Prime Minister and her colleagues would listen as intently to what the people – as opposed to the power elites – are saying as the Greens. Were they so disposed, the popular clamour for a transformational post-Covid reset would be loud in their ears. ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzDo you think the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown will slow or ...
A bit like a letter home. I have now been full-time at the University of Melbourne since 2019. Before that, I was 20 years at the University of Otago, Wellington. Indeed, I set up this very Public Health Expert Blog with Nick Wilson ten years ago. Now I am your ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections House Democrats have released a comprehensive report showing how – if they control the White House and both the Senate and the House of Representatives – they might move forward on climate change. Their “Climate Crisis Action Plan,” released June 30 by the ...
A ballot for three Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Electoral (Integrity Repeal) Amendment Bill (David Carter) Harmful Digital Communications (Unauthorised Posting of Intimate Visual Recording) Amendment Bill (Louisa wall) Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Bill (Judith ...
Not Ready: Todd Muller’s lack-lustre and self-contradictory performances offer conclusive proof that a political leader cannot be managed into competence. National’s new boss has Janet Wilson handling his media and Matthew Hooton writing his speeches. Both are highly professional political and public relations specialists, and Muller is lucky to have ...
Unfortunately, due to a medical emergency, I have landed in hospital so am not able to do a current update on the NZ blog statistics. Let’s hope I can get back to this in good time. ...
It started as a family story, about a step-father who went out one night to break into an embassy in Wadestown, Wellington. John Daniell wanted to understand what his family had been part of when his mother and then step-father work for New Zealand’s Security Intelligence. He wanted to know ...
The Greens have shaken up the election campaign with the announcement of their radical poverty and action plan to reform welfare provision and introduce a new wealth tax for millionaires. It’s a big-thinking, controversial policy and has generated a lot of disagreement over how radical it is, whether it could ...
My house is currently supplied electricity by Meridian. As soon as I can change I will because Meridian spilled water to hike electricity prices. They got consumers to spend an extra $80 million on power unnecessarily. Clever them. The Electricity Authority has called their behaviour an “undesirable trading situation”, or ...
When Jacinda Ardern unexpectedly became the Labour Party leader shortly before the 2017 general election, she promised to lead a government of transformation. After nearly three years occupying the Treasury benches, health professionals working in public hospitals have been keenly waiting for transformational progress, including in the capacity and quality ...
Last night, One News ran a follow-up story to its Colmar Brunton poll results on the cannabis referendum, headed here as Government accuses big American anti-cannabis group of interfering in NZ politics.In truth it wasn't just the government: Justice minister Andrew Little, National's Shane Reti and the Greens' Chloe Swarbrick ...
When the government refused to put cameras on fishing boats to ensure fishers obeyed the law, Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash claimed that coalition partner NZ First (which has received large donations from the fishing industry) was not responsible for the decision. He has repeated that claim repeatedly since then. But ...
Heroic Evasions: Labour needs to be unequivocal in its communications with the electorate. Either it has a plan to prevent their fellow New Zealanders from falling off the economic cliff, or it doesn’t. Either it has a fiscal policy equal to the task of funding that plan, or it hasn’t. ...
Prof John Potter*Elimination has been an effective strategy for New Zealand in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic virus (SARS-CoV-2). Most other countries have not pursued this goal and are ignoring the opportunity even now. SARS-CoV-2 is not manageable by the influenza playbook; its longer incubation period makes tracing ...
This is a re-post from Weather Underground by Bob HensonAbove: This rainbow appears unusually low in the sky because it has formed early in the afternoon, rather than toward sunset. For a rainbow to form, water droplets must be present in the air in front of an observer ...
On Monday, Todd Muller gave an important speech to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, He spoke firmly about his belief in the need for foreign investment, for the public sector to partner with the private sector rather than boss it around and, crucially, demanded the government deliver a clear strategy ...
Todd Muller's first act on become party leader was to appoint an all-white front bench. This understandably raised eyebrows, so he is now apparently reconsidering caucus and list rankings. Which is obviously necessary, but there's still the underlying problem: National doesn't have a lot of Māori MP's. And the reason ...
Mark Patterson MP, Spokesperson for Primary Industry New Zealand First is supporting calls by hunters and the New Zealand Tahr Foundation (NZTF) to halt a large scale cull of Himalayan Tahr by the Department of Conservation in National Parks. The calls are supported by a 40,000 strong petition and the ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand First leader Winston Peters today scoffed at suggestions that a team of six political operatives have been dispatched to New Zealand to assist his campaign. ‘As President Ronald Reagan once said, ‘there they go again.’ ‘The clickbait journos can’t ...
New Zealand First is pleased to announce Jenny Marcroft as the party’s election 2020 candidate for the Auckland Central electorate. Jenny spent years working in Auckland Central, having spent a vast proportion of her broadcasting career there. She says she, "knows the place and knows the people." Ms Marcroft says ...
New Zealanders deserve healthy rivers and lakes that are safe to swim in - but they have been getting worse for decades. That's why, with our latest announcement, we're investing in projects that will help clean up our rivers and lakes and restore them to health, within a generation. ...
This week we moved into the second half of 2020 - and our Government delivered another week of big changes and major progress for New Zealanders. Read below for a wrap of the key things moments from the week - from extending paid parental leave, to making major investments in ...
The Green Party has opposed the COVID-19 Recovery Fast-track Consenting Bill which shortcuts normal consenting processes under the Resource Management Act (RMA), reduces public participation and narrows environmental considerations. ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister of Regional Economic Development A regional freight hub for the lower North Island will be built just northeast of Palmerston North, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. The Government is investing $40 million through the Provincial Growth Fund to designate and buy land and design ...
Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson is calling for the introduction of a Guaranteed Minimum Income to lift hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty and prevent more families entering into further debt with the Ministry of Social Development. ...
There has been renewed focus on New Zealand First acting as a handbrake on the Government after our decision to not support Auckland light rail. We are a handbrake for bad ideas, that istrue, but our track record since 2017 has seen New Zealand First constructively also serve as an ...
Mark Patterson MP, New Zealand First List MP New Zealand First’s Fair Residency for Superannuation Bill passed its First Reading in Parliament today. The Bill makes a significant change to NZ Super by raising the minimum residency requirement from 10 to 20 years, after age 20. “Currently, a migrant of ...
Darroch Ball MP, Spokesperson for Law and Order A New Zealand First member’s bill in the name of Darroch Ball introducing a six-month minimum prison sentence for assaults on first responders has passed its second reading in Parliament. The new offence of "injuring a first responder or corrections officer with ...
Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Deputy Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand First welcomes the launch of the new Criminal Cases Review Commission, gifted with the name from Waikato-Tainui - Te Kāhui Tātari Ture, announced in Hamilton today by Justice Minister Andrew Little. “New Zealand First has long believed in and ...
The Green Party is celebrating over $800m in new funding for green projects, which will get people into jobs while solving New Zealand’s long-term challenges. ...
Mark Patterson MP, Spokesperson for Primary Industries New Zealand First is appalled that Meridian seems to have been unnecessarily spilling water from its dams to drive up its profits."While New Zealanders have been coming together in some of our darkest hours, we don’t expect power gentailers to waste water and ...
We wrapped up the first half of 2020 with a busy month, taking additional steps to support New Zealanders as we continue with our economic recovery. We rolled out targeted packages to support key industries like tourism and construction, helped create jobs in the environmental and agriculture sectors, and set ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Infrastructure Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones has welcomed the appointment of Maurice Davis and his deep infrastructure and construction experience to the board of the Infrastructure Commission. Mr Davis (Ngāti Maniapoto), is the seventh and final appointment to the board led by former Reserve Bank Governor ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand’s click bait journalism is taking a turn for the worse, with yet another example of sensationalist, wilful-misrepresentation of the facts. “New Zealand First has worked constructively with its Coalition partner on hundreds of pieces of legislation and policy, and ...
The Green Party is today unveiling its Poverty Action Plan, which includes a Guaranteed Minimum Income to ensure people have enough to live with dignity. ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Rotorua Museum redevelopment and Whakarewarewa and Tokorangi Forest projects will be accelerated thanks to a $2.09 million Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) boost, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher ...
This week, we rolled out the next steps of our recovery plan, with new infrastructure investment, extra support for tourism operators, and a new programme to get Kiwis into agriculture careers. The global economic consequences of COVID-19 will continue to be a challenge, but we have a detailed plan to ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First welcomes the passage of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Bill through its final reading in Parliament today fulfilling a coalition agreement commitment. “This is an important step in saving the lives of New Zealanders and delivers a key coalition commitment ...
Whakatāne has been given a $2.5 million boost to speed up previously funded projects and create more than 450 jobs in the next decade. Of those, the equivalent of 160 full-time jobs could be delivered in the next six weeks. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters is in town to make ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $2.5 million to accelerate three infrastructure projects in Whakatāne, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “This package is about ...
Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones is throwing his weight behind a bid by the Auckland Council to fast-track the more than doubling of the city's water allowance from the Waikato River. And he's coming out strongly against anyone who plans on getting in the way of this campaign. "It is my ...
The Green Party is thrilled to see changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that mean consents for large projects can be declined if they will have significant climate change implications that are inconsistent with the Zero Carbon Act and Aotearoa New Zealand’s Paris Agreement obligations. ...
Hon Ron Mark, Minister of Defence The Royal New Zealand Navy’s new ship, Aotearoa, set sail for New Zealand on 10 June from the Republic of Korea, and is due to arrive in Auckland tomorrow, announced Minister of Defence Ron Mark. “Aotearoa is the Royal New Zealand Navy’s new fleet ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Racing Racing Minister Winston Peters has today welcomed the Racing Industry Bill passing its third reading, creating the legislative framework for revitalising the racing industry while limiting the need for future government intervention. “For too long our domestic racing industry has ...
The Green Party has today put forward an amendment to the Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Bill to ensure all people in prisons can vote in general elections. ...
The Green Party welcomes the decision to not proceed with Public Public Investment (PPI) delivery of Auckland’s light rail project and to instead run the process through the public service. ...
Hon Ron Mark, New Zealand First List MP based in the Wairarapa New Zealand First List MP Hon Ron Mark welcomes the announcement of Provincial Growth Funding investment of $1.4 million to help secure the Wairarapa’s water supply. The funding boost will allow the Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC), and ...
New Zealand First list MP Mark Patterson has been selected to represent the party in the newly formed Taieri electorate at the upcoming election. Mr Patterson, his wife Jude and two daughters farm sheep and beef at Lawrence and Waitahuna. He previously stood in the Clutha-Southland electorate however boundary changes ...
Hon Shane Jones, Associate Minister for State Owned Enterprises A new ‘super depot’ to be built for NZ Post in Wellington will create around 350 jobs during construction, Associate Minister for State Owned Enterprises Shane Jones says. Shane Jones today attended a ground-breaking and blessing ceremony for the parcel-processing depot ...
Our strong economic management prior to COVID-19 - with surpluses, low debt and near-record-low unemployment - put us in a good position to weather the impact of the virus and start to rebuild our economy much earlier than many other countries.Now we're putting our plan to recover and rebuild ...
Darroch Ball MP, New Zealand First Spokesperson for Law and Order Recently released Police fleeing driver statistics have shown yet another increase in incidents with another record-high in the latest quarter. “This new quarterly record-high is the latest in a string of record-high numbers since 2014. The data shows incidents ...
The Minister of Police says a major operation against the Mongrel Mob in Waikato will make a big dent in drug harm and violent offending linked to organised crime networks. “Senior leadership of the Waikato Mongrel Mob has been taken out as a result of Operation Kingsville, which resulted in ...
The Government is extending the border exception criteria to enable some offshore victims and support people of the Christchurch mosque attacks to attend the sentencing of the accused beginning on 24 August2020, says Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway. “We want to support our valued Muslim brothers and sisters who were directly ...
A project to support volunteer efforts to look after streams and rivers is getting a boost thanks to support from DOC’s Community Conservation Fund announced Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage today. “The government is backing efforts to look after waterways with $199,400 for the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust from ...
Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter today announced that funding for the COVID-19 Community Fund for women and girls will be doubled, as the first successful funding applications for the initial $1million were revealed. “Women and girls across the country have suffered because of the effects of COVID-19, and I ...
The Government’s books were better than forecast with a higher GST take as the economy got moving again after lockdown, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Crown Accounts for the 11 months to the end of May indicate the year end results for tax revenue will be stronger than forecast. ...
A plan to revitalise New Zealand’s strong wool sector and set it on a new, more sustainable and profitable path was unveiled today by Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. The newly-released report - Vision and Action for New Zealand’s Wool Sector - was developed by the Wool Industry Project Action Group ...
Community efforts to create a Predator Free Whangārei will receive a $6 million boost, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage announced today. The new funding, through Government company Predator Free 2050 Ltd, will create around 12 jobs while enabling the complete removal of possums over ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced that the New Zealand Government is reviewing the settings of its relationship with Hong Kong. “China’s decision to pass a new national security law for Hong Kong has fundamentally changed the environment for international engagement there,” Mr Peters said. “New Zealand remains deeply ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced details of a multimillion-dollar investment in Whangārei for infrastructure projects that will help it recover from the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 200 jobs are expected to be created through the $26 million investment from the Government’s rejuvenation package ...
Following a second incident in which a person escaped from a managed isolation facility, security is being enhanced, including more police presence onsite, Minister Megan Woods said. “The actions of some individuals who choose to break the very clear rules to stay within the facilities means that more resourcing is ...
Waste reduction and recycling programmes in Kaipara are set to get a boost with Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage today announcing a $361,447 grant from the Ministry for the Environment’s Waste Minimisation Fund (WMF) Sustainable Kaipara. “The new funding will allow Sustainable Kaipara to partner with local schools, kura, community ...
The Government will support the Southland economy in the wake of multinational mining company Rio Tinto’s decision to follow through with its long signalled closure of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter. “This day has unfortunately been on the cards for some time now, but nevertheless the final decision is a ...
New tools being developed to help boost Aotearoa’s Predator Free 2050 effort were unveiled today by Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage and Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau. A new rat poison, a camera with predator recognition software to detect and report predators, a new predator lure and a ...
The Coalition Government has approved the purchase of a fleet of Bushmaster vehicles to replace the New Zealand Army’s armoured Pinzgauers, Defence Minister Ron Mark has announced today. The new fleet of 43 Australian-designed and built Bushmaster NZ5.5 will provide better protection for personnel and improved carrying capacity. “The age ...
The Government’s three prevention frameworks to reduce family violence in Aotearoa were launched this week by Associate Minister for Social Development Poto Williams. The frameworks were developed in partnership with communities around New Zealand, and build on the work the Government has already begun with its new family violence prevention ...
The Government is pleased to confirm funding for improvements to radiology and surgical services at Hawke's Bay DHB, Health Minister Chris Hipkins says. "The Minister of Finance the Hon Grant Robertson and former Health Minister Dr David Clark approved funding for Hawke's Bay DHB’s redevelopment of their radiology facilities ...
• New funding for four beds at Napier’s Springhill Residential Addiction Centre • A new managed withdrawal home and community service, and peer support before and after residential care at Tairāwhiti DHB • A co-ordinated network of withdrawal management services throughout the South Island • Peer support in Rotorua and ...
Introduction, seafarers and POAL Good morning everyone, I am delighted to be online with you all today. Before I begin, I have to acknowledge that COVID-19 has disrupted the maritime sector on an unprecedented scale. The work of seafarers and the maritime industry is keeping many economies around the world ...
A $13 million investment from Government will create jobs and improve the resilience of the rail connection between Christchurch and the West Coast, Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones and Regional Economic Development Under-Secretary Fletcher Tabuteau say. The funding comes from the tagged contingency set aside in Budget 2020 for infrastructure projects ...
The Government is investing $761 million to assist local government upgrade under-pressure water services across the country, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. The announcement was made at the site of the water bore that was found to be the source of the fatal ...
Recognised Seasonal Employers and migrant seasonal workers stranded in New Zealand will be able to continue working and supporting themselves with more flexible hours and roles, says Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway. The time-limited visa changes are: Stranded RSE workers will be able to work part-time (a minimum of 15 hours ...
The Government is making immediate short-term changes to visa settings to support temporary migrants already onshore in New Zealand and their employers, while also ensuring New Zealanders needing work are prioritised, Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. We are: Extending temporary work visas due to expire by the end of 2020 ...
Professor Peter Skelton CNZM has been appointed as Chief Freshwater Commissioner and Alternate Environment Court Judge Craig James Thompson as Deputy Chief Freshwater Commissioner for the newly established Freshwater Planning Process (FPP). Environment Minister David Parker today also announced the appointment of Chief Environment Court Judge Laurie Newhook as the ...
Auckland Queen’s Counsel Neil Campbell has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Campbell graduated with a BCom and LLB (Hons) from the University of Auckland in 1992. He spent two years with Bell Gully Buddle Weir in Auckland before travelling to the United ...
The Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Poto Williams, is seeking feedback on a proposal to better enable the development and operation of commercial film and video facilities in Christchurch. The Proposal, developed by Regenerate Christchurch in response to a request from Christchurch City Council, asks that powers under section ...
The Government has launched a bold plan to boost primary sector export earnings by $44 billion over the next decade, while protecting the environment and growing jobs. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today released Fit for a Better World – Accelerating our Economic Potential, a 10-year roadmap to unlock greater value ...
A new approach to prevent family harm that encourages greater collaboration across government and community groups is being celebrated at the opening of a new facility in Auckland. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today opened the Multi-Disciplinary Family Harm Prevention Hub Te Taanga Manawa in Lambie Road in Manukau. The facility ...
The Government has released a major new report on the options for relocating the Port of Auckland’s freight operations while deferring any decision on the issue. “That decision needs to be informed by policy analysis that is still to be completed. As a result it will be up to a ...
The history of Rāpaki is being restored through the inclusion of te reo in thirteen official place names on Te Pātaka-o-Rākaihautū / Banks Peninsula and around Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō, the Minister for Land Information, Eugenie Sage, announced today. “I am pleased to approve the proposals from Te Hapū o Ngāti ...
Bookings for seats on Air New Zealand flights into New Zealand will be managed in the short term to ensure the Government is able to safely place New Zealanders arriving home into a managed isolation or quarantine facility, says Housing Minister Megan Woods. “Last week Air Commodore Darryn Webb and I ...
Grant Robertson has today announced the first major release of funding from the $265 million Sport Recovery Package announced at Budget 2020. “Today we’re setting out how $80 million will be invested, with $54 million of that over the 2020/2021 financial year for organisations from community level through to elite ...
The Government is maintaining current levy rates for the next 2 years, as part of a set of changes to help ease the financial pressures of COVID-19 providing certainty for businesses and New Zealanders, ACC Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. “New Zealanders and businesses are facing unprecedented financial pressures as a ...
Small businesses are getting greater certainty about access to finance with an extension to the interest-free cashflow loan scheme to the end of the year. The Small Business Cashflow Loan Scheme has already been extended once, to 24 July. Revenue and Small Business Minister Stuart Nash says it will be ...
A package of 23 projects across the country will clean up waterways and deliver over 2000 jobs Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Environment Minister David Parker announced today. The $162 million dollar package will see 22 water clean-up projects put forward by local councils receiving $62 million and the Kaipara ...
Tena koutou katoa Nga tangata whenua o tenei rohe o Pōneke, tena koutou Nau mai, haere mai ki te hui a tau mo te roopu reipa Ko tatou! Ko to tatou mana! Ko to tatou kaupapa kei te kokiri whakamua Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena tatou katoa Welcome. I ...
The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $1.5 million to ensure QE Health in Rotorua can proceed with its world class health service and save 75 existing jobs, Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development, Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. The PGF funding announced today is in addition to the $8 million ...
A new programme, which sets a firm course for the Building and Construction sector to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, has been announced by the Minister for Building and Construction Jenny Salesa. “A significant amount of New Zealand’s carbon emissions come from the building and construction sector. If we’re serious ...
The Provincial Growth Fund is investing more than $7.5 million in Northland ventures to combat the economic impact of the COVID-19 virus, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones have announced. The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) investment is going to the Northern Adventure Experience and ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Education Minister Chris Hipkins today announced significant funding for Auckland’s Northcote College as part of the first wave of a new nationwide school redevelopment programme to upgrade schools over the next 10 years. The $48.5 million project brings the total investment in Northcote College to ...
The Government has opened an urgent response fund to support schools and early learning services to get children and young people back on track after the Covid-19 lockdown. “While we are seeing improvements in attendance under Alert Level 1 Ministry of Education data shows that attendance rates in our schools ...
National MP Michael Woodhouse also received Covid-19 patient emails from Michelle Boag, and deleted them when he realised she was implicated in a separate email scandal. National Party leader Todd Muller says no further MPs in his party received confidential information from Michelle Boag, after revelations today that Michael Woodhouse also ...
Ever wanted to be Iron Man? Sam Brooks prefers Pepper Potts, but he had a great time stepping into the iron suit anyway.The first few moments of Iron Man VR are where it plays its hand, confidently and assuredly. You hold your palms out in front of you, and Iron ...
SAP has released to the public a policy paper, “Helping Kiwis get back to work: How data and technology can drive a bigger, better, faster economic recovery.” ...
A new poem by Jordan Hamel.Mermaids When you lose grip and start to drift.The first thing you’re supposed to do issteer into it or steer away? Not all mermaids are royaltysomeone needs to audit the oceanprovide cashflow projectionssome mermaids are actuallymiddle-aged accountants named Stephendreaming of a land-view holiday home. I saw a ...
Want to work for The Spinoff? We’re looking for someone to fill an exciting new role based in our Auckland office. We’re looking for a video and podcast content manager: an experienced writer or sub-editor with a strong understanding of social media to manage our video and podcast content across various channels. ...
National Party leader Todd Muller says no further MPs in his party received confidential information from Michelle Boag, after revelations today that Michael Woodhouse also received four unsolicited emails. ...
By RNZ News Opposition National list MP Dr Jian Yang has announced his retirement from New Zealand politics and says he will not stand in the 2020 general election after three terms in the party caucus. He said politics was “demanding” and he wanted to spend more time with his ...
Bayer-Monsanto's June 24 announcement of a US$10.9 billion pay out (1) to people who have been harmed by Glyphosate, is effectively an admission of guilt. Spokesperson for The People’s Inquiry 2020 Asha Andersen says, “The Ministry of Health, The ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has filed a complaint with the Electoral Commission and the Parliamentary Speaker’s Office over Lawrence Yule’s new taxpayer funded billboards promoting Mr Yule as the ‘Voice in Tukituki’. Union spokesman, Louis Houlbrooke ...
Ten points, two plans. Which points are whose? With an election within spitting distance, Aotearoa’s two biggest political parties are all about the plans. “You don’t have a plan!” says one party to the other. “Yes we have a plan, or certainly a plan to have a plan, or a plan ...
Four months after he announced his re-selection, a National Party MP whose links to Chinese spy agencies attracted the interest of New Zealand’s Security Intelligence Service has announced he will not stand in the next election A three-term National Party MP who studied at an elite Chinese spy school before moving to ...
National list MP Dr Jian Yang announced his retirement from politics and said he would not stand in the 2020 general election after three terms in the party caucus. ...
A new political party, the New Zealand TEA Party, with headquarters in Auckland, has been established. The party aims to contest the queen- or kingmaker position to form a coalition with the largest parliamentary party as part of the general elections ...
A review has determined fish oils are non-hazardous and no longer require oversight by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). We regulate pesticides, household chemicals and other dangerous goods and substances under the Hazardous Substances ...
New Conservative calls on the government to join with our Five Eyes allies and add New Zealand's signature to a joint statement condemning the continued removal of freedoms in Hong Kong. New Conservative also calls on the government to give safe-haven ...
Latest from the Beehive – Hard on the heels of the government promising help for the Southland economy in the wake of Rio Tinto’s decision to close the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter, it was announcing the delivery of more money to the North, at the other end of the country. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luciano Beheregaray, Professor in Biodiversity Genomics, Flinders University As the global climate shifts, it’s important to know which species have adaptations to survive. Our research published today in PNAS found it largely depends on where they evolved. We looked at the capacity ...
From eggplant emojis and twerking llamas to sweaty anthropomorphic butts, we present some of the most fascinating, hilarious and outrageous complaints dismissed by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) from 2019 to now.Avocadon’t (January 2019)The ad: In this ad from Specsavers, a man gets ready to join a cricket match, but ...
They might sound like the same thing, but light rail is quite different from light metro – the system that transport minister Phil Twyford now favours for Auckland. Katy Wakefield and Jessica Rose of Women in Urbanism explain why the metro option is a poor substitute for LRT. Transport is ...
Why isn't the Government spending $30m to extend Tiwai Point's 2,600 jobs until after the Covid-19 recession, after Manapouri's power can be transmitted elsewhere, and after there's a hydrogen plan for the smelter site, Bernard Hickey asks. The sense of shock and foreboding about the future was clear in Invercargill Mayor ...
An intensive care doctor is outraged health officials are giving helicopter rescue trusts a daily list of Covid-19 patients, saying it's completely unnecessary. ...
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Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Major implications from Tiwai Pt closure, diplomatic rift over Hong Kong deepens, and grim new approach to managed isolation.The story of Rio Tinto pulling out of the Tiwai Point smelter is one that shows the deep connections between regional stories ...
How can Southland cope without its engine and biggest employer, the Tiwai Point smelter? Invercargill's deputy mayor Toni Biddle and Dee St businesswoman Anne Marie Thomas on what happens nowToni Biddle: "We've always known this could potentially happen. So, therefore, there has been a huge amount of work done in the background ...
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Talented teenage shooter Khiarna Williams is committed to travelling 18 hours a week - after school - to realise her netball dreams. Three times a week, 17-year-old Khiarna Williams gets picked up from school to make a six-hour round trip, from Whakatāne to Hamilton, to train with the Magic. Her designated driver ...
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In theory, the closure of Tiwai Point aluminium smelter should bring down electricity prices and help get New Zealand closer to its Carbon Zero 2050 goal. In practice, that isn’t so easy. The announcement Tiwai Point aluminium smelter will close by August next year is a massive blow for the ...
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The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union is welcoming National Party Leader Todd Muller's commitment to limiting Crown debt incurred in the COVID-19 recovery and targeting infrastructure investment, should he be elected in September. Taxpayers' Union spokesperson ...
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Latest from the Beehive – Northland was missing from the regions to benefit from government announcements in the past 24 or so hours. Southland, on the other hand, is being promised government support for its economy in the aftermath of Rio Tinto’s decision to close its operations at Tiwai ...
E tū union is calling for a ‘Just Transition’ for workers in the wake of Rio Tinto’s announcement it will be closing its smelter at Tiwai Point. Around 1000 workers directly employed by the smelter will be affected, as well as at least a ...
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The announced closure of Tiwai Point is welcome news for the clean energy future of New Zealand, and presents huge opportunities in areas such as electrifying transport and developing new, high-tech industries, Coal Action Network Aotearoa said today. ...
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Daily Review 21/09/2017 
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Scary stuff.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/97105434/man-reportedly-set-himself-on-fire-outside-parliament-police-say
And from our cousins across the ditch, scary as well.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-09-21/afl-house-evacuated-after-hoax-threat
Thanks adam, I put up a post, link below.
Can anyone tell me if there has been anything about Nationals position on State Asset sales? Seems very quiet on that front.
I think they ruled it out last election, but not this one.
I have a feeling if they get back in they will begin the process again oh joy, country being flogged off til nothings left.
Watch out for rest of electricity generation, Transpower, ACC, state housing.
They want to sell off Landcorp farms. And are busy rushing through some TPPA negotiations.
Weka; – Kiwirail, & possibly more hospitals will sold or PPP private, & roads & Ports will go PPP of sold as Port of Napier is mooted now being set up.
National have a long list of asset stipping to go forward with.
To totally wreck all of us and our futures for generations.
Postoffice, Kiwibank, Air NZ, Conservation Department land. Ect.
Do you you actually have any evidence for this, for instance like a statement from any National Party MP whatsoever.
Or is it just your own fantasy?
In the real world in 2011 National actively campaigned on partial sales of the power generators. That was all they sold. Nothing else.
This time it is some Landcorp farms. Nothing else has been mentioned. Therefore none of your imaginings will happen.
Can you guarantee that Wayne? Because whatever else is going on, I think it’s reasonable for NZers to not trust that National won’t sell assets.
National lied about GST.
yes, they lie quite a lot, I’m not sure why we would be expected to trust them on this particular issue. That’s the problem with lying a lot and doing it from a position power, it means you end up being untrustworthy.
Yet their fearmongering seems to scare some voters.
Another Nat happy to place his interests above the vulnerable.
Wayne, happy to accept poisoned rivers, increasing poverty and inequality, more mental health issues, worsening health and education services…
as long as he is alright and gets his flash holidays and flash car.
Wayne being disingenuous again…..
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/potential-hospital-partners-identified
Nats can’t help themselves.
Liars- the lot of them.
certainly appears to be a party-wide affliction
https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/national-will-look-sell-landcorp-farms-if-re-elected-b-207702
Will Wayne admit his lie?
Haven’t come across a National supporter, particularly ex-MP ones, admitting that National lies despite all the evidence.
IIRC, Blinglish said that he would get rid of Kiwibank eventually.
did they campaign on selling off state houses?
Wayne is remarkably quiet.
The budget for rebuilding Dunedin hospital is zero. They depended on privatizing it.
Go back to sleep Wayne,
Anyone who has been here since 2008 has the same mistrust of this bloody lying Government with all the backroom slimy selloffs and you have not seen them?
Where have you been?
Every month we have seen new plans emerge by this mob planning to shift Government agencies out of Government owned buildings and into rented buildings for a start!!!!! It has been this Governments role to do thid repeatedly time & time again.
Remember Napier Port going into the press two months ago and our local Labour MP Stuart Nash put signs up around Napier protesting the intention made by the port to sell the port?
The councils are now under supervision of government and a birdie advised they were pressured to sell.
If you are the failed National Candidate from 2014 who ran for Napier who was called Wayne, then you know what I am referring to.
Better that you explain why your National Party have sold so many assets since 2008 that they didn’t run on at during an election time, like the sale of state houses and Landcorp land?
Like I said, we have seen National lie so many timees and still are, then slip in some policy to sell or PPP some public asset!!!!!!
The funnction of using PPP of any asset like roads, hospitals or Government buildings are being used frequently by National for selling off assets.
I remember even our Tradie Petone Institute of Technology was floged off during the very first National government term 20008-11 you probably was not here then.
Then of course there was the forced Government sale of Hilllside Rail engineering Kiwirail workshops as well in Dunedin and everyone really got riled about that engineering marvel we all lost. Now you knowthat Joyce had control over kiwirail administration because of management of their failing budget and still are in Government oversight.
There were so many public assets sites that this Government had quietly linned up to flog off without a care in the world chappie.
Like “Read my lips, no more taxes”. Eh Wayne.
National’s history of lying and bullshit is obvious.
Not to mention Joyce throwing a dead cat into the election debate, and proving he can’t do arithmetic, at the same time. Aren’t you ashamed of them? Or, is lying and cheating your way into power, fine with you!
Evidently only 5-6% of the people in the country read the party’s policies so I take it most people are making their decisions on who to vote for by listening to MSM or friends and family ?
Been considering this myself
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/97105434/man-reportedly-set-himself-on-fire-outside-parliament-police-say
There’s a post up about this now.
Barfly. If you need help please book in to see a doctor. I agree that this incident highlights that something is not right in NZ and that many people are falling through the cracks that the National Party is creating. Please don’t be one of them!
If you are merely thinking out loud and not serious then I say ‘chin up’, there’s even more work to be done if these clowns get to take NZ further down the wrong path.
If you ever do feel like this – please see somebody, talk to a friend or family.
Its not a joking matter.
No James it’s not a joking matter
I survived one suicide attempt – my first breakdown
I experienced 2 more breakdowns with 1-2 years clinical depression each time
My most likely cause of death is at my own hand after falling foul of some random WINZ harassment. I think this is more likely than the heart disease, diabetes and alcoholism that I also get to “enjoy”.
Election years are a bastard to me in 2011 and 2014 it was National’s shoot the beneficiary season. This year it’s just so depressing that greed and what I see as “evil” appear likely to triumph.
Thank you for your consideration
Edit: Muttonbird – My doctor is good probably saved my life on occasion without knowing
Kia Kaha Barfly. You are brave sharing your experience on here – thank you. I hope you take some comfort that there are a lot of us despairing with this current political environment, and you are not alone in that. I hope your own personal circumstances improve.
Winz are disproportionately responsible for a lot of unnecessary stress and I suspect suicides.
Hang in there BF!
Barfly we have an alcoholic son. So we can feel your pain. Kia kaha as each day is a battle. Sadly other illnesses go with this. ( Irritable bowel.) Wish I could give you a hug.
Reward yourself with simple things when you manage. Spend time with pets.
Keep talking to us. We are always here. I suffer with aches and often wake 1or 2 hours before meds are due, so I come online and read others’ views.
We are more likely to win than they believe. Two days to go and over 800000 have voted. Keep the faith. 3rd time lucky.
Barfly;
Try the herb St Johns wart barfly its cheaply available at most health food shops or supermarkets.
My Daughter had deep depression after childbirth as a solo mum and the regular
Meds they put her on drove her into almost a suicide space but she stop taking the anti-deppressant Prozac and went on St Johns and now is free of depression and is back as my daughter we all love dearly.
Good luck.
Barfly, I’m Genuinely sorry to hear that.
Then stop gloating over the possibility that his favoured party might lose.
+1000
Hang in there Man! They’re Light at the end of the tunnel!
Glad, at least you have a good DOC, They’re hard to come by!
( Sounds like wank) But:
Where to get help:
Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason.
Lifeline: 0800 543 354
Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO (24/7). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.
Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 (24/7)
Samaritans: 0800 726 666 (24/7)
Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254
Healthline: 0800 611 116
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
+ 1
How you doing man?
Here’s a track for You. Sure you know it!
I do.
Catch up tomorrow K
Barfly – do you have any family or friends who love and support you ? If you need to go to WINZ always take a knowledgable support person / advocate – WINZ don’t like witnesses.
Barfly,
I’ve been the rabbit hole 3 times in the last twelve mths (one overseas on deployment, other on 26 Jan of this and the other before I went on cse) since I’ve done stabilisation case for my PTSD a mths ago. The run down the rabbit hole is not as far as it use to be, but with a good treatment team, good support network around you and there will a light at the end of tunnel for you. Yes you will hit a few bumps along way as it’s long slow journey back to recovery.
As for me atm I go med broad in early December and if things go to plan a full medical discharge in Jun/Jul with a pension of some sort. I have to go back for the stabilisation cse again before I can do the close treatment cse as I unloaded at the assessment phase for the close treatment cse. In the near future my partner and I ( well she wants to there) back to East Timor to finally close that chapter of my life, but South Sudan and the Gan will have to wait a while. I take every day as it’s comes, I have a good day and bad days.
I’m going to in NZ in late Nov this yr, so if you live around the Plamy Nth/ Feilding area and if you want to have chat? I’ll make the time to come to you. Never never be afraid to ask for help.
Sorry I did Not realize the topic/ kappa when I put my post up Kia kaha Barfly I try to look for something positive in most situations and the positive here is the awesome support our fellow bloggers are giving you keep up the good work people and get ready for a sore face on Saturday nite
Yes, it’s good to see follow bloggers offering support to Barfly and it was the same a me a few mths ago here at the Standard despite my opinions on certain policies here at the Standard. But as we are all a bunch of lefties here, we don’t kick poor bugger down road, we extend our hand out to support our follow human regardless of gender, sexuality, race etc and get he or she back on a even keel so he or she can feel they are a part of society again.
Being in caring society achieves far more when we work together as team/ collective for the greater good than being a selfish individual who doesn’t give a toss about his or her follow human/ environment as long as I’m ok, or as we called it in the military going Jack on your mates and those type of people tend not to last long in the military.
So roll on Saturday night and hope I don’t have a sore head on Sunday morning as I’ve my Bush Firefighting training on this weekend.
PS, I voted last Friday while I was in Darwin.
We mite have to start growing rice with all this unseasonable rain.
One of my idea”s to minimize nitrogen leaching from cows was if they could be encourage to walk like deer when urinating as this action would spread the urinal patch maybe twice the normal patch and the grass would be able to absorb more of the nitrates and leaching should be lowered maybe a device that gets cows to move I.E when a cow raises its tail that’s the trigger to have a device to encourage her to walk this would only work in theory on a flat farm and the device could train them while they are young.
Farmers should be able to grow weed crops as well as cows, cannabis loves loves loves nitrogen. There is a balance to be found there, some growers companion plant medicine crops next to nitrogen producing plants.
Eco M, the kids went on a school trip yesterday, and they were fuming when they returned, they saw cows mucking around in the fords, no fencing or cocky in sight.
When animals are in your care you learn to observe them they ain’t going to tell you when they are crook are they.
Animals are similar to babies when it comes to communication.
However the cows should not have been in the stream coming off the mountain on the way to a pristine lake.
Paddy. Gower. has. started. speaking. in. one. word. sentences.
Greens. Are. Up. 😀
James? James? Are you there?
Sorry – was just having a end of week wine with friends (having a long weekend).
But here I am ScottGN. What did you want?
Reid Research Poll is similar to CB. Someone will link but in round figures:
National 45%
Labour 37%
Greens 7%
NZ First 7%.
The lies win.
Jacinda’s personal rating tracking downwards. Not enough aggression against a tidal wave of lies and deceit.
Prediction: Winston… will… go… with… National.
That will be a car-crash of a government.
And you really think Lab/Green/NZF wouldn’t be?
All the more reason to vote Labour!
Or green
Doubt NZF will go with National however if NZF do they will have Bill over a barrell ?
Agreed with you Hongi Ika.
Peope watch what winston said here and find the clues it is obvious it will be labour. http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=201858966
I’ll bet on it.
In tonight’s Newshub poll 37% think NZF will go with Nats and 31% think NZF will go with Lab, but more interestingly to me, in the more detailed breakdown of that, 45% of NFZ supporters think NZF will go with Nats while only 35% think NZF will go with Lab. That doesn’t look promising for your thought that Winnie won’t go with the Nats. I think NZF has likely held onto more disaffected former Nats than it has held onto disaffected former Labourites. I think many of those moved away from NZF and went back to Labour once Jacinda became leader.
Here’s the link
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/09/newshub-election-poll-either-national-labour-could-take-power.html
Thanks Cinny. So, the Nats in round figures are 76%. That’s a difference of 9%.
I received a phone call from the National Party yesterday. Think it was from Farrar’s Curia outfit reminding me to vote.
Two hours ago I received a recorded call from Bill English telling me that the elderly (I don’t class myself as ‘elderly’ 😡 ) are better off under National. Another gross lie. Presume there are recorded calls going out on landlines nationwide.
Sweet as Anne 😀
Ewwws re the recorded message, ‘better off under’, yup because nat’s will never put anyone before themselves.
Am really interested in the election results compared with the poll results, as polls appear to be landline only based, and in our digital age skewers accuracy.
Thrilled about the Greens going up again.
Have really enjoyed following the leadup and election via TS with you and everyone else here 😀
Recorded Voice Mail (RVM) gets around the autodialer laws.
Billy Bullshit strikes again
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/201859424/pensioners-in-poverty-quarter-of-caravan-park-residents-over-65
Far out that’s not OK, woah, that’s upsetting
Peter Thiel calling perhaps…
We’ve had 2 calls from National today – if it hadn’t been a recorded message I would have debated a few issues.
As soon as I hear his bloody voice I hang up on him – he can’t even speak personally, has to record it – what contempt for the voters. Heaven knows what goes on in the confessional with his confessor priest – I don’t think the double dipper would recognise a sin if it knocked him in the head.
What lies and cheating?
Funny thing is Little could have probably worked a deal out between Labour/Greens and NZ First.
Jacinda. not a chance.
I dunno …. she use to run the socialist youth that had members from Lebanon, Palestine and Israel – so Labour / Greens / Winny should be a walk in the park
[lprent: And the US, Israel, and any number of other obnoxious places. There was no point to that comment. You are just trying to start a flamewar. I’d suggest that you get very cautious if you want to carrying on commenting because my finger was on the very lengthy peace for moderators button. ]
Good point, also she’s probably had to deal with the odd drunken customer at that fish and chip shop she used to work at.
I’ve changed my mind, Peters will be no match.
Was that you? You seem the type.
Order for Bum. Two fishi and shit!
Jacinda could always do a captain’s call.
All the well documented ones by National.
But, then, you already knew that so all you’re here to do is psychopathically defend them – as per ALL RWNJs.
“Prediction: Winston… will… go… with… National.”
I have been saying that was in the bag since forever ago – the price was JK leaving.
Not enough stardust for Jacinda – or it wore off too quickly.
I could be wrong with Winston – but he has always discussed with the largest party first and Labour are dropping back again – too far away from National to be credible.
Playing the safe ground eh.
What were you saying about Predictions again ? .. And the links to Jacinda’s background?
PS Still waiting for a reply from an earlier question to you today… Just look in the Reply box.
But will elaborate here to save you disturbing All your friends over a wine …
http://thewireless.co.nz/articles/narcissistic-men-are-more-likely-to-troll-on-facebook-study
Or
“It goes all the way to people who have a real clinical disorder called the Narcissistic Personality Disorder and that is marked by extreme forms of a desire for attention, grandiosity, lack of empathy, sense of entitlement, a willingness to exploit others and so often a sense of fragility, so that underneath the narcissism is quite an unstable sense of self or self-esteem, so the person is quite brittle and can be easily ashamed and that is when they begin to lash out in rage. There is the grandiosity on the surface, but there can be underneath an underlying fragility or vulnerability and a panic where they are really worth as much as they say.”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/201815681/the-new-culture-of-narcissism
NZF may be able to keep National from straying too far right. While ACT and the Maori Party are all pro private everything. Not all doom.and gloom
Winston is really pissed off about his pension overpayment details being leaked by National…and the health scare attack he believes National leaked last Friday….look forward to Prime Minister Jacinda, probably with the Greens shut out of the coalition.
Thats whats makes Winston so much fun – who knows what he will do.
Still – I doubt he will support a ‘leader’ in the mid to high 30’s
Baubles trump everything BG. National have no moral principles. They are open to shady deals… if you come with us we”ll let you be PM for the second half and we’ll implement your policies… and we’ll build your bridges in the next 12 months and… a new railway line which we’ll name after you blah blah blah.
Jacinda has just as many baubles to offer, or simply agree to,
It is a straight choice, and he hates the Nats.
….he hates the Nats.
Not all of them BG. He went to some length to tell John Campbell the other night… they’re not all bad, some of them are good.
Not exactly a ringing endorsement
Actually, she has more as more of Labour/Greens policy coincide with NZFirst’s.
prediction:….the poll will not be reflected….it appears the youth vote may have finally mobilised
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/09/decision-17-youthquake-arrives-in-new-zealand.html
Nothing could give me more pleasure than to be proved wrong. 🙂
and Im guessing winston wont be involved
Interesting – if all the pollsters are using demographic weights to correct their sample bias, then all of those weights could be off significantly.
Not opening the lindauer yet, but still…
those weightings are almost certainly off given that a week ago youth registrations were 20 % down on last election and are now apparently 30 % up
That’s huge
innit…and with such a late surge you would expect a comparable turnout….i.e. they havnt registered and forgotten, probably registered and voted at same time
I’d been working on getting a colleague to vote for the past few months and today at lunchtime he let me drag him to CAB and we voted together – first time at 29. He heard Jacinda singing on Mai FM this morning and said he liked the sound of her and what she said, etc. He’d previously said he ‘went his own way’ and always brushed off my rants that politics wasn’t his place. It seemed to me that deep down he didn’t feel he had permission – until this morning. Anyway, thanks Mai FM. I now have a bit of hope back after last nights shitty poll.
kaipai e hou
correction, 20,000 down a week ago (not 20%)
That should always happen…. and just has 😀 Thanks for the link Pat
“Between writ day [August 23] and September 20, the number of people enrolled has increased by 62,169, which is a 39.2 percent increase on the same period in 2014, when the roll increased by 44,674.”
Last day to enroll as you vote tomorrow, the start of the Spring Equinox, an auspicious day. Am going to vote then, went to early vote but it was closed, has been happening a bit around the nelson/tasman regions
Voting only on Saturday no enrollments.
Bill’s rump government has finally established a parallel with the last days of the Diem government https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TglBTa32j_k
A corrupt and ineffectual colonial regime propped up by foreign capitalists but hated by the people they oppress has reached the point where burning oneself alive is a more attractive option that enduring further misery and misgovernance.
“but hated by the people they oppress has reached the point where burning oneself alive is a more attractive option that enduring further misery and misgovernance.”
Its sick using that poor persons situation for a cheap political shot – but that says a lot about you.
Funnily enough it seems that all those oppressed people still find it more attractive to support National than voting Labour.
The sickness James, lies in trying to construct a defense of a government so bad its people are burning themselves to death.
But go on – tell us how this is a ‘problem of success’ and leads to an even more aspirational society – you twisted piece of subhuman trash.
He is quite hateful.
James happy to accept poisoned rivers, increasing poverty and inequality, more mental health issues, worsening health and education services….
as long as he is alright and gets his flash holidays and flash car.
Which oppressed people James? The working poor living in cars who can’t enrol to vote because they have no permanent address?
40 to 45 % of New Zealanders happy to accept poisoned rivers, increasing poverty and inequality, more mental health issues, worsening health and education services….
as long as they’re alright and get their flash holidays and flash cars.
Yeah pretty bloody tragic isn’t it?
Thing is, they won’t get them for much longer as the greed of such a position undermines society and it’s ability to create wealth.
actually – the last couple of polls have National on 46% – so its a little higher than what you think.
And you don’t care about poisoned rivers, increasing poverty and inequality, more mental health issues, worsening health and education services….
Words fail me.
Wheels of Misfortune
Car culture and sprawl carried to it’s inevitable end.
What Cindy needs to do now, is declare that would be open to ditching the water tax in return for Peters’ support.
The stench of desperation from that move would probably give National outright victory.
Yesterday an intelligent well educated man said, “It really shook me when I saw the huge full page ad in the press by the Taxpayers Union which shows how we are all going to pay for a change of Government.”
If he was scared off what about all the others?
The total for National claims that National will only cost $8.3 billion of new spending.
The total for Labour was $20 billion.
Something wrong there.
I braved their web site and found this proviso near the bottom.
Note: The Bribe-O-Meter does not include Budget 2017 announcements (for National) as they are seen as the baseline.
To my mind this denies all the Budget 2017 “promises” that National made at that time.
Under the Electoral act isn’t that misleading (lying) political advertising on behalf of the National Party via Farrar via the taxpayer Union?
The ‘true oil’, no big reveal about a Cabinet Minister happened. In the end that’s all the difference could be. On the other hand the big reveal(s) about Peters could make a significant difference to the make-up in the end.
I despise the term “Bribe-O-Meter” and all its variants (Pork-O-Meter, etc.). The implication that any public spending constitutes a “bribe” or some sort of frivolity is simple-minded, neoliberal bullshit.
Labour or Greens? Would Michael Wood be transport minister or Julie Anne Genter? Swarbrick instead of Seymour. Mariana Davidson. Not sure about Shaw. Do wanna vote Labour, but how many NZF preferring cabinet members are there? Will we zombie walk into a odd TPPA? But Jacinda! Tell me internets. Genuinely unsure
There’s a zillion posts telling you to vote Green (or Labour) 😉
The case for the Greens is this. One they’ve got more progressive policies e.g. on climate change they will do more, faster, and with better care for transforming NZ to a post-carbon economy. They really are the experts on this.
It’s possible they could drop below 5% and be out of parliament. Which would be a tragedy in and of itself, but it also jeopardises Labour being able to form government.
The more Greens there are the less influence NZF will have and the more likely it is that Labour will choose them as coalition partners over NZF.
The Greens are packed with talent. This isn’t to say there aren’t good people in Labour, there are. But Labour are going to have a lot of MPs and they have different experience to the Greens. So a higher party vote for the Greens means we get more diversity of experience and in areas that we need (CC, ending poverty, cleaning up rivers).
The Greens are very opposed to the TPPA. Labour is kind of, but will probably compromise on it.
Julie Anne Genter should be transport minister. Shaw should be something important (CC I guess, or associate finance). Davidson’s influence on welfare seems crucial. For that to happen the Greens need more votes.
🙂
+ 100%
what does compromise on the TPPA mean?
seems like a take or leave it deal. With no backsies. and not one with a lot of benefits at that
They want to renegotiate a bunch of things. Or they did (there were five). I’m not that clear on what they intend now.
This is about the Greens, but it has some info about Labour in it, and a bunch of discussion from Labour supporters and those that don’t trust Labour on this,
Meanwhile National have received a free pass over their false and misleading advertising. Lawyer Steven Price isn’t happy.
http://www.medialawjournal.co.nz/?p=682
The clear message it sends is that political ads will always be treated as opinion, and that as long as a party has a fleck of a sliver of a shard of justification for its claims, these bodies will not call them out even if their ads are very seriously misleading and misinforming people about issues that are pivotal to the election.
Oh well, looks like Labour has been given a green light to scare-monger at the next election.
Oh good God, no. The immediate prospect in terms of adverse consequences is that they produce negative ads against the Greens if the Left vote gets squeezed. The long-term prospect is that everybody ends up flinging poo left, right, up, down and round and round until even comparatively engaged and informed voters have no idea what any party might do. A better solution would be to raise the standards required in the broadcasting act and of candidates and parties in general.
Good poll Project
What poll?
http://www.maoritelevision.com/news/regional/effects-voting-and-not-voting-were-laid-out-on-manu-korero-stage
Good to see
Man set himself on fire in front of Parliament. Every second report makes the point that it has been done only two days before the election. Pretty sad that someone doing a desperate act like that can only enter the news spectrum if there is some connection with the election. Ordinarily it would have been quite run-of-the-mill./sarc
There is a report about the child’s mother being taken away written on a card.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/97105434/Man-sets-himself-on-fire-outside-Parliament-in-Wellington
People are desperate – my simple recipe for a better future is the promise and action that all will be done that helps with problems with kindness and practicality. It would make so much difference if 99% of actions were considered quickly to see if they were in line with those words and meanings.
The final internal Lab UMR Poll leaked
National 43%
Labour 38%
NZF 8%
Green 7%
TOP 2.7%
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/09/21/latest-umr-poll-national-43-labour-38-nzf-8-green-7-top-2-7/
Bomber’s thought on the Reid Research poll.
‘The most terrifying part of the last poll before the election is that 45.8% of NZ’s voters support more homelessness, more poisoned rivers, more property speculation, less mental health funding, more experiments in education, no infrastructure investment, more NZers in prisons and 300000 kids in poverty in return for $20 extra a week and half a dozen more bloody roads!’
Support a party that publically pretends they are going to do something about it, while in reality intending to make things worse.
Lying is paying off, for National.
That looks OK Swordfish. Still an open door. But of course NZF. Can they agree to Lab+Green+ NZF.
There appears to be early warnings that a downturn economy is is imminent.
MoE?…am guessing around 3%
3.6
small sample….750?
where are you getting that info from?…i had a look at the link and didnt see it….and 750 equates but usual sample is 1000
That 45-43 and Winston hating the Nats looks bloody good to me.
My best cab sauv is on the bench and ready to toast our 3rd female PM.
National Latest Internal Poll
Nat 43%
Lab 39%
NZF 6%
Greens 6%
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/09/20/48879/election-2017-live-an-awkward-jet-fuel-crisis
Still everything to play for – “softened” = Voters swinging back to Left ???
Im not religious myself, but I don’t see how Bill English can reconcile the social teachings of Jesus and the National Party’s policies on wealth, homelessness, poverty….
He must get into some convolutions justifying the chasm between the two philosophies.
10 Bill ion Hail Mary’s
What mystifies me is he has admitted opently to being a committed, practising Roman Catholic which means he attends Mass each week. As I know it you cannot receive the sacrament at Mass unless you have attended confession and confessed of your venal or mortal sins. How does he cope with going into the confessional knowing he is dirty and a liar – the deleting of his emails – leaning on the police over the investigation of his MP in Dipton, the backing up of Joyce’s big hole theory which was pure spin and lies and many other transgressions. He doesn’t do the church a service at all and I am surprised the church doesn’t actually come out more vocally over the poverty and disgraceful treatment of unwell fragile people.
You can see why so many people turn away from their traditional religions and look at them in contempt.
Take it away, Mr Hitchens.
It does feel like there is a war within Catholicism sometimes. Between those who accept Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, and those who reject it.
http://vatican2voice.org/
Those who reject it, generally are on the spectrum of Christofascism. And have natural allies in the far right church groups.
In NZ that link up is most notable between the exclusive brethren and their relationship with bill english. Also the national party and fundamentalist churches like equippers, the life churches, city impact church, and other wealth theology focused churches who are mainly Pentecostal.
I gather you’re talking about Lefebvre’s Society of Saint Pius X, not Voris’ mob
shaker of salt required
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/339942/poll-of-the-final-polls-too-complicated-to-call
Some talk today about ACT possibly creating 121 overhang but I would’ve thought Māori Party the more likely culprit
Jeez Louise ! … Greens best not get too complacent … they’re by no means out of the woods yet. Usually over-stated by 1-4 percentage points in final polls
Greens %
Last 6 Polls (latest 1st)
UMR 7
RR 7.1
CB 8
CB 7
RR 4.9
RM 9
greens have averaged something like 1.3 % below polling over MMP elections so safe enough…plus it appears youth vote up, which likely to favour their numbers
p.s.
(is that 1 to 4 or 1 point 4 in your post)
1 to 4
Eg (higher end) Final Reid Research
2014 14.4 (over-states by 3.7)
2011 13.4 (over-states by 2.34)
2008 9 (over-states by 2.28)
RR 2017 … 7.1% = not quite as rosy as you might initially assume
Take out the rogue, add in some tactical voting, and all is well.
Greens gained a seat and nat’s lost a seat after the specials were counted last election
Definitely don’t want NZF to fall below the 5% threshold (+ lose Northland). On the latest Colmar Brunton & Reid Research numbers (adjusting slightly for historic Final Poll vs Election Result differentials) that would give the Nats a big enough boost to see them winning a majority of seats and the ability to govern alone.
The possibility of a Labour-led Government depends on NZF (& the Greens) staying above that 5% barrier. Fortunately, a 5% Colmar Brunton & 7% Reid Research final poll rating probably means 6-9% on Election Night for NZF (also taking into account the previous CB and the last RR from 10 days ago).
Can’t quite bring myself to strategically Party-Vote for Winnie. But we better hope NZF make it. The declarations (on TS last night) of secret joy at the thought of Winnie’s electoral demise are possibly just a teensy-weensy bit self-indulgent for the Left ? Be bloody careful what you wish for.
Agreed Swordfish-can’t believe I’m saying this but I hope Winnie wins Northland.
I can’t see how he can win the seat again, last time he had Labour and Greens voting for him to “send them a message”, but those voters will be voting for their parties and candidates, he’ll need more than 5%
NZF falling below threshold benefits whichever bloc gets the highest number without NZF, as they will get even bigger.
If you believe Nats are ahead of Labour, Greens, and the Māori Party taken together (or ahead of Labour + Greens and that the Māori Party are as fickle as Peters is) then and only then is NZF going under threshold and losing Northland a bad thing.
Matthew, any chance you could take a look at the Green Party manifesto thread? I have some questions over there and wondered if you could answer. Thanks! A.
You may have missed the bit where I said
Dodgy looking dealings with nat MP Jian Yang
“The citizenship application file of the National MP who taught English to spies has been released – but key information about whether he disclosed this when moving to New Zealand has been withheld.”
“Among the redactions is Yang’s response to the question: “Who have you worked for in New Zealand and overseas in the last 10 years?”
Another redacted answer responded to the question “Have you ever received a benefit, allowance or compensation from a government department or agency?”
The NZ Herald has made an urgent request for the Office of the Ombudsman to review the redactions.”