Daily review 27/09/2023
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5:30 pm, September 27th, 2023 - 68 comments
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- Dance Magic
Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chairWhispering that same prayer half a million timesIt's a lie, though buried in disciplesOne page of the Bible isn't worth a lifeThere's nothing wrong with youIt's true, it's trueThere's something wrong with the villageWith the villageSomething wrong with the villageSongwriters: Andrew Jackson ...9 hours ago - Government Forces Universities to Enforce “Free Speech” While Limiting Universities̵...
ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...9 hours ago - Fact brief – Are we heading into an ‘ice age’?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Are we heading ...21 hours ago - As Our Power Lessens: Published
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The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, “saving the planet” is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...1 day ago - Bernard’s last Saturday Soliloquy for 2024
The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...1 day ago - Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Saturday, December 21
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on UnsplashEvery morning I get up at 3am to go around the traps of news sites in Aotearoa and globally. I pick out the top ones from my point of view and have been putting them into my Dawn Chorus email, which goes out with a podcast. ...2 days ago - 2024 OIA stats
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- ZB’s Power Couple
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Our economy has experienced its worst recession since 1991. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, December 20 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above and the daily Pick ‘n’ Mix below ...2 days ago
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Open access notables An intensification of surface Earth’s energy imbalance since the late 20th century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment: Tracking the energy balance of the Earth system is a key method for studying the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, accurately estimating the surface energy balance ...3 days ago
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In 1998, in the wake of the Paremoremo Prison riot, the Department of Corrections established the "Behaviour Management Regime". Prisoners were locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day, with no fresh air, no exercise, no social contact, no entertainment, and in some cases no clothes and ...5 days ago
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New data released by the Treasury shows that the economic policies of this Government have made things worse in the year since they took office, said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney. “Our fiscal indicators are all heading in the wrong direction – with higher levels of debt, a higher deficit, and ...5 days ago
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At the 2023 election, National basically ran on a platform of being better economic managers. So how'd that turn out for us? In just one year, they've fucked us for two full political terms: The government's books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term ...5 days ago
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AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...5 days ago - Minimum wage ‘increase’ is an effective cut
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that don’t see workers fall further behind, in response to today’s announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. “With inflation forecast ...5 days ago
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This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob Henson In this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...5 days ago
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Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...6 days ago
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- Thank You
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...7 days ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #50
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I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...1 week ago - Nothing here but the shadows
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Hi,“What I love about New Zealanders is that sometimes you use these expressions that as Americans we have no idea what those things mean!"I am watching a 30-something year old American ramble on about how different New Zealanders are to Americans. It’s his podcast, and this man is doing a ...1 week ago - Chris Penk’s Hate Parade
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Returning to the model that was failing for most polytechnics and Institutes of Technology is not the answer. ...2 days ago
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It’s been revealed that National has cancelled 60 percent of its housing projects planned before mid-2025 amidst housing woes. ...2 days ago
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The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...3 days ago - Release: Nicola Willis spirals country deeper into recession
The economy shrank 1% this quarter and New Zealand has tumbled into the depths of a recession of Nicola Willis’ making. ...3 days ago
- Release: Hikes for company directors but not ordinary Kiwis
Working people are going backwards while company directors are being given huge pay hikes. ...4 days ago
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The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...4 days ago
- Release: Strengthening Justice Services for New Zealanders
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...4 days ago
- Release: Labour will continue fight against destructive projects
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...5 days ago
- Green Government will revoke dodgy fast-track projects
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...5 days ago
- Government for the wealthy keeps pushing austerity
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...5 days ago
- Release: Visa changes let migrant workers be paid less
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...5 days ago
- Release: Nightmare before Christmas for Nicola Willis
With more debt and a larger deficit, Nicola Willis’ reputation is in tatters after her failure to return the Government’s books to surplus. ...5 days ago
- Warning to Fast-Track Applicants – ‘Exploit the Whenua, Face the Consequences’
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...5 days ago
- Release: Govt cuts wages for lowest paid NZers… again
For the second year running, the government has effectively cut wages for the lowest paid workers in New Zealand. ...5 days ago
- Govt’s miserly 1.5% minimum wage will take workers backwards
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...5 days ago
- Release: Govt shirking responsibility for rate hikes
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...5 days ago
- Luxon’s ‘localism’ strikes again
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt breaks promise on EV chargers
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...6 days ago
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The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...6 days ago
- Govt child poverty targets allow for increase in poverty
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...1 week ago
- Release: Four weeks annual leave under threat
The Government’s attack on workers continues with news it is scrapping work on the Holidays Act. ...1 week ago
- Govt’s emissions plan for measly 1% reduction
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...1 week ago
- Greens stand in solidarity with Whakaata Māori on sad day
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...1 week ago
- Sanctions regime to create more hardship for families
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...1 week ago
- Govt gifts renters housing anxiety for Christmas
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...1 week ago
- Release: National Party urged to support modern slavery legislation
Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery. ...1 week ago
- Release: Labour has lost confidence in the Speaker
The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament made an unprecedented decision on the government amendment to the Fast Track Approvals Bill last night. ...1 week ago
- One year on, still no progress on new ferries
Today’s announcement from the Government on its plan for new ferries throws more uncertainty on the future of the country’s rail network. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Nicola Willis’ smaller ferries will cost more
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...2 weeks ago
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TV1 poll tonight:
Lab 26 Gr 13 TPM 2
Nat 36 ACT 12
NZF 6
It's 41-48 if NZF doesn't get 5%. It's still close enough to be in doubt-I don't believe TPM is on only 2%. The Greens continue to rise. Go Hipkins tonight in the debate.
Absolutely BG. Still there to be won.
First 15min of Leader's Debate Newshub. Hipkins is well ahead on points. The audience laughed at Luxons loose replies. He couldn't get away with his usual bluster. Law gangs so far. Chippy alive!
Just turned off the "leaders!!" debate, an absolute gabblefest. Only certainty is that Gower is a bumbling idiot.
Reinforces the decision not to vote.
Did you notice that Luxon is getting agitated, breathing faster because Paddy and CH are holding to Lux answer. eg How many people will loose their jobs under the Nat cull? Lux can only spill his lines but after 3 asks no answer, again.
Must be why you turned off Johnr.
I noticed a few instances where Luxon bordered on agitation /anger. It seems the image he’s trying to cultivate – amiable, magnanimous, the voice of reason, the slightly underdog “I’ve never debated before” (demonstrated to be a falsehood) nice guy- slipped somewhat tonight.
ianmac, in answer to the number of job losses in the Public Service, Luxon said,
"I don't know" and I think he doesn't care.
@ ianmac (3.1) … yes, I did notice how Luxon was getting agitated, when Chippy and Paddy were pushing him.
Can you imagine Luxon as PM, with Seymour on one side and Peters on the other side, leaning on him? I don't think he would be able to handle things too well somehow, considering how he was getting flustered with Hipkins and Gower.
A great performance from Chippy last night
Luxons cassette tape has finally worn too thin………the heads are worn and the white noise is painful..
Watched an item on TV1 news re- todays press conference where Hipkins and Robertson released their fiscal costings. I watched it live and was impressed with the clear and concise explanations from both of them. It had the ring of truth about them and had been examined by Infometrics who backed up their claims.
After a brief excerpt of Robertson, the item crossed to Nicola Willis for a response. I have no qualms in stating she is the most dishonest woman politician I have seen. She tries to pass herself as compassionate and genuine. She is a thoroughly nasty piece of work and I make no apologies for saying so.
See for yourself:
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/one-news-at-6pm
The item starts at around 21:12 mins.
Perhaps the rot started at the top; Mr Luxon. I think they are both dishonest. Maybe why their vote is fading given that watchers are beginning to see through them.
Quite the business model; charge losers $499/month to by-pass consent safeguards and harass unsuspecting women.
If you get a message from someone you never matched with on Tinder, it's not a glitch — it's part of the app's expensive new subscription plan that it teased earlier this year, which allows "power users" to send unsolicited messages to non-matches for the small fee of $499 per month.
As Bloomberg reports, the new VIP subscription tier, the highest of the company's new "Tinder Select" service, does come with an important caveat: it will only be offered to fewer than one percent of the app's user base, and even they'll have to apply in addition to paying the enormous subscription cost.
https://futurism.com/the-byte/tinder-select-rizzless
Sept 27: Chris Hipkins starts to fight the election campaign. Unfortunately 8 months late.
He exposed Luxon's emptiness in that debate: a constant repetition of "Let me be clear" and "Have a look at", not being clear at all.
Hipkins had quick wits, Luxon had a script. In a Presidential election there would only be one winner, but this isn't. Instead, it was a preview of a fraud PM who will suddenly have to make decisions, confront reality, and explain to voters … things he is incapable of.
God help us.
Yeah – a bit of a bloodbath. Felt like an actual sentient human being versus a C-suite robot programmed some time in the early 1990's by undergraduate right-wing Comp Sci students and repeating scripted lines. Let's hope it makes a difference.
Josie Pagani, sounding like Luxons roadie, should have gone out and changed his cassette tape for a fresh one during one of the ad breaks…….
Anytime I see Josie Pagani, the supposed left wing commentator, alarm bells sound. She has spent the last six years attacking Labour and fangirling National.
Its been going on longer than six years. I think it started around 2011/12 when David Shearer was leader. Nothing to do with him as far as I know, but the party lost faith in both Josie and her spouse John Pagani. They effectively dumped them and Josie Pagani has had it in for Labour since. I don't know why the MSM use her, because she rarely has anything of substance to say.
Thank you for that information Anne, it really puts things in context and perspective.
At a years ago previous Election, I wondered who Josie Pagani was? As she was being touted as a "from the left" commentator ? Not having heard of her before…it really didnt seem much like !
I asked on the Standard…and Patricia Bremner gave me a heads up.
: )
She is a great friend of Jenna Lynch..
say no more!!
Laughter is a very good test, because unlike keyboard responses (social media, and us on here) it is not filtered. We can't spin an instinctive response, it's genuine.
The audience were laughing at Luxon. And not in a good way.
e.g. Gower asking "Judith Collins or Winston Peters?" to Luxon, and he couldn't even answer that! Cue Hipkins, on form: "But she's on your team!". Laughter.
observer- you’re spot on- spontaneous reactions speak volumes, and the audience reaction to Luxon’s blatant disloyalty to his own team member (Collins) was telling. It’s evident that Luxon is ruthless and would sell out his own team members at the drop of a hat.
Note that despite the Michael Woods debacle, the audience didn’t laugh when Hipkins expressed loyalty to Woods. Loyalty counts for a lot and is a reflection of personal integrity, something Luxon seems to come up short on.
AB your comment is hilarious and apt.
100% AB
Hipkins still looked worried though. I agree he scored some good points. The thing gelled after about 20/30 mins and Gower worked some magic via goodwill, so we got audience resonance naturally & that made the two leaders relaxed & friendly.
Which would have irritated many rightists, given how much common ground they agreed too! Luxon surprised me by doing way better than the first debate – came across authentic after that initial awkward stage. I bet any undecideds who made up their mind fell his way tonight. The panel verdicts were interesting but I disagreed with their consensus: they reckoned Hipkins did better on points.
Still seems to me that Labour never got enough runs on the board this term & only the flakey con-man image of Lux can save them – which didn't really show up tonite…
Seriously? What actual, factual answers did Luxon give?
When Hipkins chided him for never answering a question, the audience laughed. Because they knew it.
Yeah. The one about not knowing Winston was a classic! He meant personally, which was a valid point, but failed to say so & therefore looked a fool.
I wouldn't cite any factual answers from Luxon even if he gave some. His demeanor was the difference in this debate. He was happy, assured, confident, knowing he's already a winner. I'm not saying he's right – we don't know that yet & I still think it's more likely to be a moot outcome on election night.
Hipkins did what he ought to have done in the first debate, but probably insufficient to make a difference now. A game-changer could be if Luxon's facade slips on the finance thing…
That was about the only thing that did turn up! Luxon is a salesman, mouthing slogans and platitudes and saying whatever necessary to make a sale. He's as shallow as a puddle after 10 minutes of drizzle!
And Chippie quite rightly pulled him up on some of his non answers!
I agree re non-answers & shallow but in a debate style matters and he brought his A game into play after the first half-hour. Mainstreamers are always conned by a smooth operator and that's where the numbers are.
Dennis-defeatist posts like yours are not helping anyone.
Tell me, do you really think Labour has done a bad job in this term compared with what Nats/ACT/NZF are saying they will will do in the next term if they win?
If the answer is no then stop slagging Labour off.
Better to be realistic though (not defeatist). I think the rightist troika is likely to be a shit-show. Re your third point, the only way the left will ever learn from poor performance is by trying to. Retreat into denial never works.
Dennis-it is your "poor performance" assessment that I, and most people on TS, don't accept.
Covid, two cyclones and the Ukranian war have been massive challenges that this government has dealt with well. But obviously these massive issues have impacted on economic performance.
I respect your personal opinion on that. I agree that those 4 factors are valid points in favour of Labour. The problem is that folks generally don't see it that way, according to the poll trend, which has seen an inexorable tide go out on Labour ever since they rightly got a landslide win last time.
Re impact on the economy, yeah but no recession anyway & you think that impresses those floaters? Mood shifts in the masses are ephemeral.
Has he been preoccupied or did he think he had to be restrained and priministerial? Is it too late to break the media conviction that it's the nats' turn?
"Abortion tantamount to..murder." Chris Luxon…
He never did retract that.
Aye BG. Was a bit of a standout….for worse
I wouldn't give it to Hipkins so quickly. It's say he bolstered spirits, but wouldn't have necessarily gained a heap of undecideds. His high voice made him seem a little whiny at times too, sad that's that's even an issue these days.
Luxon was surprisingly resilient to Chippy's hassles, even if his blathering didn't answer any questions.
I agree if Chippy had shown a bit more of this mongrel earlier it could have woken up a few more swingers.
High whiny voice? wtf ? Strange comment
Roy, what an odd, petty little comment. You’re clearly trying to start some sort of BS narrative about Hipkins’ voice. Come on, surely you can do better than that?!
Roy is pointing out that perception matters.
And it is Roys ..perception. And a fucking strange one at that.
Sure, but whose perception is that? Roy’s?
"…sad that's that's even an issue these days."
The voice of Nicola Willis drives me mental. I cannot listen to her pathetic blathering. That is my perception.
Ditto !!
Its that somewhat coarse version of the Kiwi accent that grates on me, but maybe I am biased. My English mother brought us up to speak 'naicly' with varying amounts of success.
To be fair, Ginny Anderson's accent also grates on me.
I'm not trying to 'start something' but if these things are to be judged like talent shows, that's how he came across to me.
It's the case with these 'presidential' debates. Their likeability is under the microscope.
I don't give a shit about how they look or sound (I prefer to decide on policy), like I said, I wish it didn't matter. I'm trying to see it like a tv show audience might.
Roy, while I understand the notion of trying to view the debate in terms of how a TV audience might view it, it doesn’t follow that something you have perceived is in fact a reality for anyone else.
Fair enough, it probably doesn't help to rag on him just when he's perking up either.
I should have said, he definitely won the debate side, not convinced about the 'talent show' aspect.
Anyway, I'm in the minority, thank goodness.
Thank you Roy for your reply
Grace Petrie singing 'Farewell To Welfare' This is the future if the left don't win.
And we've got a recession to beat
Let's put more money into the monarchy and a millionaire in Downing Street
And someone's got to foot the bill
Let's start with the disabled and the mentally ill
Hipkins came across really well in tonight’s debate- his integrity, strength of character, directness, and decisiveness came through.
Luxon on the other hand presented as slippery, evasive, condescending, equivocating, and with an unfortunate habit of lapsing into speeches when brief answers were required.
Hipkins won the debate by a mile!
Well said Sapphire. Great summary!
Onya, SapphireGem ! IMO Chris Hipkins ran rings around Luxon…had him on the ropes..several times. Luxon, when up against it…was lost.
There was an interesting sad moment during the review before 9pm. An older couple were there to ask what could be done to their wrecked farm after the storms. Trees and rubbish from plantations needed actions. They said that Labour were useless and that they hadn't fixed the problems. Luxon had visited and he was going to look into the matter. Labour made them sour. Luxon will fix it all. Really?
ianmac- I feel very sorry for this couple as they have been through a hellish experience and are clearly desperate. It’s so cheap of Luxon to capitalise on their misfortune. As Hipkins said, you can’t just shut down a forestry company and leave the trees unharvested. As usual, Hipkins gave the intelligent response whereas Luxon went with the easy, cheap, expedient answer. Typical.
The woman in that couple had venom for Labour dripping from every word. Labour had provided 'nothing' in support for them after Gabrielle. Groundswell attitude. I'd never expect that type to acknowledge the $1B support provided for the regions affected by that disaster.
Hmm, for sure "some" would have an attack Labour agenda…and what better place than national tv to air that?
Really.. what was Chris Hipkins to say to them? "Heres, have some free money?" IMO he gave the best response. As SapphireGem at # 12.1
Setting aside the nightmare they have been through and are still going through, I think you will find they were never supporters of the Labour Party.
Paddy asked about a big health issue: bowel cancer.
But nothing about a bigger health issue: Dental health.
Why?
Would having someone suffering from poor dental health care, in the audience and being interviewed afterwards, be too shocking
Prime Minister Hipkins by a country mile. Luxon was flummoxed most of the time and had to resort to inanities. ‘ I feel like I should give you a hug’ to PM. because he was down in the quagmire. Absolute idiot.
He's been watching some of Muldoon's debates for inspiration. Mind you the last one Muldoon ever did came back to haunt him when he said after Lange had given him one of his brilliant broadsides "and I love you too". It marked the beginning of the end of Muldoon.
We enjoyed the debate. Chris Hipkins clearly won. I think this may be a pivotal point. It follows the excellent presentation of the fiscal plan today. More of this.
I wholeheartedly agree Patricia.
please fix the typo in your email address so you don’t get caught in the spam filter.
Apologies weka- has it come through properly this time?
After the debate Luxon seemed assured before media, the thinking/instruction clearly was that he merely had to remain composed and on message as he was ahead on points – the polls.
He's developing his capacity to blather reassurance while presiding over poor policy design (it is of course to cater to privilege, not be good for New Zealand as a society or as a functioning modern nation state).