Gilbert calls out Nat “tribalists” who continued to back the lies

Written By: - Date published: 2:07 pm, October 4th, 2017 - 67 comments
Categories: national, useless - Tags: , , , , ,

Outspoken sociologist Dr Jarrod Gilbert has written a piece that needed writing for The Herald – Jarrod Gilbert: Continuing curse of blinkered believers

I need to talk about political tribalism, this phenomenon that so often mocks the principles that uphold our democracy while chipping away at its foundations.

Such an unwavering devotion to one political party means nothing done by that party can ever offend the diehard supporter. Any action that threatens to rattle a devotee’s true belief is responded to with the rationalisation that the sneaks on the other side would have done ten times worse given the same circumstances.

When this happens objective notions of right and wrong vanish, and what is left is a sickening reverence.

While I could look at the hardcore Green voters who lashed out at the media for the demise of Meteria Turei, without question the most egregious example was the defence by blinkered National supporters of Steven Joyce’s $11.9b fiscal hole claim. One such supporter was Bill English, a man who to this point I have only ever written positively about.

Whether of not Joyce set out to cause mischief, or he simply misread the books and embarrassment and pigheadedness meant he was unable to back down (the latter theory I favour), we’re all aware that a swath of leading economists came out and debunked what he said.

What did Joyce do? Deny, deny, attack, deny, deny. And, of course, many of his people defended it, made excuses, or misrepresented the evidence.

All good people should have called that nonsense out in unison.

To the tribalists who didn’t I ask this: if Labour had made the same accusation against National and not a single economist supported it, would you have reacted the same way?

No. Of course not. And that’s what defines you as a moron.

What ugliness awaits us now that this brazen low has been established? Where is our ambition for a democracy that exists on open debate and the exchange of ideas?

Wherever our allegiances fall we must not allow ourselves to be the foolish. The integrity of our system must stand before our desire for our team to win. Let us be a country that exhibits the best in politics and doesn’t embrace the very worst.

Hey Nat voters – how do you justify voting for the party of dirty politics and lies?

67 comments on “Gilbert calls out Nat “tribalists” who continued to back the lies ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Ed 1
    4 October 2017 at 2:20 pm

    Wayne has already justified the lies.
    To quote him, Gilbert is a sore loser…..
    thereby proving the point of the article!

    https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-04102017/#comment-1395788

  2. Mickey Boyle 2
    4 October 2017 at 2:56 pm

    Yes, the left have never lied about anything……hypocrisy. Of course the Nats lied but lets not try and take the moral high ground because the left has lied too, the lies may not have been as dramatic and confronting as the Nats but a lie is still a lie.

    • DoublePlusGood 2.1
      4 October 2017 at 3:14 pm

      Ah, so it’s ok for National to compulsively and continuously lie about basically everything because Labour have occasionally lied about some things in the past.

      Good to know that you basically have no morals whatsoever.

      • Wayne 2.1.1
        4 October 2017 at 4:48 pm

        On the specific issue of $11 billion hole Steven Joyce explained his reasoning right from the get go. It was clearly stated the calculation was based on the fact it was not credible for Labour to have zero new spending in their 2019 and 2020 budgets.

        It was obviously his opinion that Labour would have $3.7 billion new spending in each of those years. But that was made perfectly clear at the time. I personally think $2 billion per year would have been a more appropriate figure, given that Labour had made provision for extra spending in health and education. The $2 billion would have been extra DOC spending, more on restorative justice, more on foreign aid, more on civil servants salaries.

        People may disagree with with Joyce’s opinion, but an opinion is not a lie.

        As for Jarrod Gilbert, well his columns annoy me more than anyone elses. It is not so much what he says, but how he says it. Trying to seriously compare English and Joyce with Nixon is the realm of fantasy. For a comparison while I may not agree with Rachel Stewart, at least her columns are a stimulating (as opposed to annoying) read.

        • Robert Guyton 2.1.1.1
          4 October 2017 at 4:55 pm

          “It was obviously his opinion …”
          Indeed. It. Was.
          Facts, opinions? Who can say which is more real? Not Wayne.

          • rhinocrates 2.1.1.1.1
            4 October 2017 at 5:11 pm

            Hey, they’re facts – alternative facts!

          • Ian 2.1.1.1.2
            4 October 2017 at 8:39 pm

            Jarrod Gilbert is anti police,and his research is based on having a close relationship with the gangs supplying Methamphetamine to your kids ,and probably a good percentage of the commenters on this blog . I judge people on the company they keep.

            • Shona 2.1.1.1.2.1
              4 October 2017 at 8:50 pm

              @Ian Who the fuck are you to judge me????Arrogant twat.
              Gilbert’s research is invaluable. I realise his work is way above your reading age but here’s a heads up some of us manage to raise offspring who do not use P. And never would. P is for the desperate souls whose primary drug habit is usually alcohol. Or for those who came from families where alcohol consumption is a daily occurrence. You would know that if you could comprehend Gilbert’s work!

            • miravox 2.1.1.1.2.2
              4 October 2017 at 11:14 pm

              “I judge people on the company they keep.”

              And yet, Ian, here you are. Keeping company with people who you think “a good percentage of” are meth addicts.

            • tracey 2.1.1.1.2.3
              5 October 2017 at 8:08 am

              Should we judge parents who vote for govts that repeatedly lie? I mean, what morality must they be modelling for their children? Lies are rewarded when they benefit you kids?

        • McFlock 2.1.1.2
          4 October 2017 at 5:00 pm

          It might initially have been his opinion, but when his opinion has been demonstrated repeatedly ,and in ever-decreasing word counts, and even in pictures, to be at odds with reality and he still stands by it… well, one must either question his intelligence or his truthfulness.

          • rhinocrates 2.1.1.2.1
            4 October 2017 at 5:10 pm

            But not his truthiness.

            • Once was Tim 2.1.1.2.1.1
              4 October 2017 at 6:26 pm

              I reckon Wayne is the next up and coming MSM sage. Michelle Boag – watch out! you’ve got competition.
              I might go trout fishing – at least I can eat ’em

              • rhinocrates …
                4 October 2017 at 10:03 pm

                Depends on which river they’ve been swimming in. Maybe one of the pristine, clean rivers that flow on the satellite of Planet Key, Wayne’s World. Apparently that has proper toilets.

        • Anne 2.1.1.3
          4 October 2017 at 5:25 pm

          On the specific issue of $11 billion hole Steven Joyce explained his reasoning right from the get go.

          It…. was…. a…. lie….from….woe… to… go.

        • Andre 2.1.1.4
          4 October 2017 at 5:28 pm

          Wayne, I just love the way you blindly keep demonstrating Gilbert’s main point over and over again.

        • Stuart Munro 2.1.1.5
          4 October 2017 at 5:29 pm

          Blake’s chestnut “A truth that’s told with bad intent beats all the lies you can invent.” used to suffice for politicians – but Joyce thought he could do better. He couldn’t.

          • tracey 2.1.1.5.1
            5 October 2017 at 8:11 am

            Except 46% voted for his party

            • Brigid 2.1.1.5.1.1
              5 October 2017 at 3:35 pm

              No. The election day count showed less than a third of registered voters voted for his party.

              • tracey …
                5 October 2017 at 3:42 pm

                46% of voters didnt vote National? Cos in reality it doesnt matter if registered voters did not vote cos they have abdicated a right to form part of any discussion about mandates or no? Or have I confused what you mean?

                • McFlock …
                  5 October 2017 at 4:05 pm

                  lol depends if you mean a mandate that reflects endorsement or a mandate that simply is least unpopular.

                  What if only a third of people vote? Is the majority winner goven a mandate to rule? Bureaucratically, yes, but in an everyday sense of the word it rings hollow.

                  But maybe that was part of the hope – if the nats behaved disgracefully and made enough voters think that all parties are liars and profiteers, so enough lefties bow out in disgust that the vote is skewed.

                  I think turnout might have been up on last time, so if Joyce’s lie was malice from the start rather than stupidity, it failed.

        • marty mars 2.1.1.6
          4 October 2017 at 5:40 pm

          Lol you’re a useful gnat idiot Wayne – Joyce and English and you know the porkies well. Talk about losing respect lol

        • Robert Guyton 2.1.1.7
          4 October 2017 at 5:49 pm

          Wayne said:
          “People may disagree with with Joyce’s opinion, but an opinion is not a lie.”

          There it is. Was Joyce’s claim presented as his “opinion”?
          Did Joyce say, ” In my opinion”?
          Did Bill English say, “In Steven Joyce’s opinion…”
          Was it made clear that the “11.7 billion dollar hole” was opinion ?
          No
          NO
          NO NO NO NO!
          Therein lies the BIG LIE.
          There were, of course, plenty of lesser lies.

          • marty mars 2.1.1.7.1
            4 October 2017 at 5:57 pm

            Hang on – Wayne has studied this in great detail. How could he possibly be so far out in right field – to be disagreeing and calling respected economists wrong. There must be more to it surely, there must be a rational explanation for this massive discrepancy and his intransigent behaviour. What is it? Maybe when his memoir is published the REAL truth will put.

            • Robert Guyton 2.1.1.7.1.1
              4 October 2017 at 6:06 pm

              You mean, Steven, and Bill and Wayne were right ???
              How could we have been so thick???
              Steven’s opinion is to be trusted from now on.
              ‘Cause Wayne said.

        • Pete 2.1.1.8
          4 October 2017 at 6:35 pm

          Congratulations Wayne, this is the biggest lot of piffle I’ve read today.

          You find Gilbert’s columns annoying? Do you think your level of annoyance is more than mine about the lying of English and Joyce?

          Or your level of annoyance is deeper than my absolute disgust at their behaviour and then people like you making excuses and prevaricating about it?

        • Ankerrawshark 2.1.1.9
          4 October 2017 at 8:14 pm

          Wayne do you admit the 11 billion dollar hole was a lie? At very best a mistake that was not retracted? Dead cat strategy?

          That is the issue Gilbert was writing about

        • Gareth 2.1.1.10
          4 October 2017 at 10:07 pm

          It was in fact, a dead cat: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/97215740

          Even now we’re arguing about the dead cat instead of other stuff that really matters like what those taxes people are so scared of are meant to be spent on: Housing, health, education. All the stuff that’s been underfunded for years.

          Show me an economist who agreed with Stephen Joyce… surely one of them could follow his reasoning and arrive at the same opinion.

        • tracey 2.1.1.11
          5 October 2017 at 8:07 am

          ” It was clearly stated the calculation was based on the fact it was not credible for Labour to have zero new spending in their 2019 and 2020 budgets. ”

          Bill English and Nats ran zero budgets in 2014 and 2015 Wayne. Was that credible, or not?

      • Mickey Boyle 2.1.2
        4 October 2017 at 6:02 pm

        I do have morals, thats what I was trying to say, both sides of politics lie, to say its all purely one sided is in fact a lie and disengenuous, open your eyes, we need better standards from all those you supposedly serve the public, and that includes local government also.

    • Ed 2.2
      4 October 2017 at 3:21 pm

      Can you provide an example please?
      I believe you are tinkering with moral relativism.

    • Robert Guyton 2.3
      4 October 2017 at 3:51 pm

      “Of course the Nats lied”
      QFT

    • tracey 2.4
      5 October 2017 at 8:05 am

      So does that mean you voted neither National or Labour or voted for National and just proved Gilberts point.

      I havent voted for Labour since they misused taxpayer money with the “card”. It took me a while to turn but that and their disability/sickness process in 2007 were the last nails in the coffin.

      What would stop you voting for poor behaviour?

  3. esoteric pineapples 3
    4 October 2017 at 3:20 pm

    “While I could look at the hardcore Green voters who lashed out at the media for the demise of Meteria Turei,”

    I suspect this sentence was put in so that the author doesn’t look too biased rather than being a fair comment.

    • Draco T Bastard 3.1
      4 October 2017 at 7:08 pm

      Yep. There was no need for it.

      But, then, he does say that he’d been glowingly reporting on Blinglish for-ever. Kinda shows his bias.

    • tracey 3.2
      5 October 2017 at 8:30 am

      See, I understand that people do not like that Turei lied/broke the law about the people living with her. I dont understand why they hated her lie with so much more vehemence than lies/law breaking by highly paid Cab Ministers. People like Bennett who broke the law to silnce beneficiaries, Collins who broke the law resulting in a man getting death threats, Smith abused his position of power to help a friend, almost every kiwi who did a cash job or paid cash for a job.

  4. Sparky 4
    4 October 2017 at 3:31 pm

    in my opinion this is hardly a measure of the extent of the problems associated with National and I can’t say I feel what happened to Meteria Turei was justified in any way shape or form.

    Much of the MSM in my opinion are a big part of the problem mostly backing every move the far right makes and then irony of ironies complain when it all turns sour.

    To my mind a moron is someone who blithely reads, watches and listens to their banter without scrutiny and then believes they are “informed”.

    • Ed 4.1
      4 October 2017 at 3:48 pm

      The msm is in the front set of trenches for the corporations, fighting their war for them.

  5. Keith 5
    4 October 2017 at 3:39 pm

    “Whether of not Joyce set out to cause mischief, or he simply misread the books and embarrassment and pigheadedness meant he was unable to back down (the latter theory I favour)”.

    “Mischief”…..oh… my ….God!

    From that massively ridiculous understatement and what looks like a new word to replace lie and or 100% pure bullshit, Dr Gilbert deserves the National Party’s supreme Joseph Goebbels award.

    Cue rapturous applause!

    • Ed 5.1
      4 October 2017 at 3:46 pm

      Sounds like the nonsense/lies Farrar spouts when he is ‘fomenting happy mischief’ on Kiwiblog.

  6. WILD KATIPO 6
    4 October 2017 at 3:54 pm

    Yes !,… a message cast in gold !

    Tribalism ,… equals blinkers and blindfolds .

    Time to stop your messing around , better think of your future ,…

    the specials – a message to you rudy ‘lyrics in description’ – YouTube
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocsUfVElspI

  7. geoff 7
    4 October 2017 at 4:45 pm

    Are they ‘believers’ or just competitive, grasping and stubborn?

  8. Stuart Munro 8
    4 October 2017 at 5:20 pm

    Gnats are, not to put too fine a point on it, obtuse. Their intellectual development reached its peak in Bolger, and it’s been all downhill ever since.

    But it’s their moral decay that is of greatest concern, never before were they as uniformly dishonest or as generally corrupt.

  9. Ant 9
    4 October 2017 at 5:23 pm

    Aside from the moral issue the trouble with being economical with the truth, especially when those we “look up to” are perpetrators, is the slippery slide into a world governed by impression rather than fact, – in which those with the biggest bank balances will eagerly deploy the most sought after spin organisations. We will move increasingly into a world of shadows, illusion and subtly woven deceit.

    It is horrifying to contemplate the consequences. Greed amongst the powerful would bring high-end competition amongst the few and helpless inequality amongst the millions.

    Against this backdrop (and the current taste for alternative facts and false truth), actual truth takes on an almost mystical quality of utter desirability, – an all-compelling motivation to ‘do the right thing’ to honour the highest and best that is in humankind.

    • WILD KATIPO 9.1
      4 October 2017 at 5:29 pm

      … ” being economical with the truth ” …

      In other words, – outright dishonest bastards .

      • Stuart Munro 9.1.1
        4 October 2017 at 5:55 pm

        Or, as deepsea fishermen are wont to describe them: “Full of shit heaps of shit”.

        “Listen, you full of shit heap of shit…” they say.

  10. mosa 10
    4 October 2017 at 6:47 pm

    All National voters are MORONS and will believe …..anything the National party tell them.

  11. Whispering Kate 11
    4 October 2017 at 8:22 pm

    I read Dr Jarrod Gilbert’s piece in the Herald and I absolutely agree with him. Devoted followers of National and Act blindly follow their leaders and their policies and will make excuses no matter how absurd and untrue they are about the corruption etc that goes on.

    Even serious stuff that has gone down with my own family, and friends who have known us for 40 years, knowing that we are so disturbed and worried to death over how WINZ is treating a family loved one, they still are trying to find excuses for them (WINZ), it hurts like buggery that people you think are friends can still see good in this caretaker government and try to make good the shit they are perpetuating on an every day occurrance.

    Tribalism is alive and well in this country – these ardent followers of neo-liberalism remind me of a kid having a tantrum, placing their hands over their ears and saying “I don’t want to know, I don’t want to know” – it’s pathetic we have such a loss of critical thinking in this country.

    • WILD KATIPO 11.1
      4 October 2017 at 10:47 pm

      This National government IS SHIT and is the last in the line of 33 years of bullshit neo liberal governments, …. however , … the tide is now obviously starting to turn , – even here in NZ , who , are traditionally a little behind the global pace. But change IT WILL and this is what we are starting to witness.

      It wont be long now.

      Fuck them and their neo liberal filth.

      Sick and tired of hearing all the crap that goes on under them all.

      They are total bullshit.

      New Right Fight – Who are the New Right?
      http://www.newrightfight.co.nz/pageA.html

    • tracey 11.2
      5 October 2017 at 8:33 am

      Kia kaha

  12. Ross 12
    5 October 2017 at 7:11 am

    Wayne says “it was not credible for Labour to have zero new spending in their 2019 and 2020 budgets”.

    It’s apparent that Wayne isn’t an economist and has no aspirations to become one.

    In 2010, NZ’s GDP was US$146.6 billion while in 2016 it was US$185 billion, an increase of 26%. As a result, tax revenue collected by the government increased. In 2009/10, core Crown revenue was $56.8 billion; in 2015/16 it was $76.1 billion, an increase of 34%.

    In other words, spending that the government may not have been able to afford in 2010 may have been affordable in 2016. Labour – like any political party – expects tax revenue to rise over time. Non-zero new spending and avoiding borrowing are entirely consistent. Steven Joyce isn’t a complete moron – he would know that. He just thought it would be a good idea to keep that information from the public while trying to scare the shit out of them.

    http://www.treasury.govt.nz/budget/2009/execsumm/b09-execsumm.pdf
    http://www.treasury.govt.nz/government/revenue

    • tracey 12.1
      5 October 2017 at 8:34 am

      And ignores the zero budgets of English in 2014 and 2015 which did not lead to the sky falling

  13. Pete 13
    5 October 2017 at 11:02 am

    Wayne hasn’t come back. You there Wayne?

    • tracey 13.1
      5 October 2017 at 2:53 pm

      He doesnt really respond. He tends to make a speech and uses the reply button to further it.

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    If there’s one thing the mob loves more than keeping Māori in their place, more than getting tough on the gangs, maybe even more than tax cuts. It’s a good old round of beneficiary bashing.Are those meanies in the ACT party stealing your votes because they think David Seymour is ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • The kindest cuts
    Labour kicks off the fiscal credibility battle today with the release of its fiscal plan. National is expected to follow, possibly as soon as Thursday, with its own plan, which may (or may not) address the large hole that the problems with its foreign buyers’ ban might open up. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Green right turn in Britain? Well, a start
    While it may be unlikely to register in New Zealand’s general election, Britain’s PM Rishi Sunak has done something which might just be important in the long run. He’s announced a far-reaching change in his Conservative government’s approach to environmental, and particularly net zero, policy. The starting point – ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    2 days ago

  • At a glance – How do human CO2 emissions compare to natural CO2 emissions?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • How could this happen?
    Canada is in uproar after the exposure that its parliament on September 22 provided a standing ovation to a Nazi veteran who had been invited into the chamber to participate in the parliamentary welcome to Ukrainian President Zelensky. Yaroslav Hunka, 98, a Ukrainian man who volunteered for service in ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    3 days ago

  • Always Be Campaigning
    The big screen is a great place to lay out the ways of the salesman. He comes ready-made for Panto, ripe for lampooning.This is not to disparage that life. I have known many good people of that kind. But there is a type, brazen as all get out. The camera ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • STEPHEN FRANKS: Press seek to publicly shame doctor – we must push back
    The following is a message sent yesterday from lawyer Stephen Franks on behalf of the Free Speech Union. I don’t like to interrupt first thing Monday morning, but we’ve just become aware of a case where we think immediate and overwhelming attention could help turn the tide. It involves someone ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Competing on cruelty
    The right-wing message calendar is clearly reading "cruelty" today, because both National and NZ First have released beneficiary-bashing policies. National is promising a "traffic light" system to police and kick beneficiaries, which will no doubt be accompanied by arbitrary internal targets to classify people as "orange" or "red" to keep ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Further funding for Pharmac (forgotten in the Budget?) looks like a $1bn appeal from a PM in need of...
    Buzz from the Beehive One Labour plan  – for 3000 more public homes by 2025 – is the most recent to be posted on the government’s official website. Another – a prime ministerial promise of more funding for Pharmac – has been released as a Labour Party press statement. Who ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: The Vested interests shaping National Party policies
    As the National Party gets closer to government, lobbyists and business interests will be lining up for influence and to get policies adopted. It’s therefore in the public interest to have much more scrutiny and transparency about potential conflicts of interests that might arise. One of the key individuals of ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Labour may be on way out of power and NZ First back in – but will Peters go into coalition with Na...
    Voters  are deserting Labour in droves, despite Chris  Hipkins’  valiant  rearguard  action.  So  where  are they  heading?  Clearly  not all of them are going to vote National, which concedes that  the  outcome  will be “close”. To the Right of National, the ACT party just a  few weeks  ago  was ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    3 days ago

  • GRAHAM ADAMS: Will the racists please stand up?
    Accusations of racism by journalists and MPs are being called out. Graham Adams writes –    With the election less than three weeks away, what co-governance means in practice — including in water management, education, planning law and local government — remains largely obscure. Which is hardly ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on whether Winston Peters can be a moderating influence
    As the centre-right has (finally!) been subjected to media interrogation, the polls are indicating that some voters may be starting to have second thoughts about the wisdom of giving National and ACT the power to govern alone. That’s why yesterday’s Newshub/Reid Research poll had the National/ACT combo dropping to 60 ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Tuesday’s Chorus: RBNZ set to rain on National's victory parade
    ANZ has increased its forecast for house inflation later this year on signs of growing momentum in the market ahead of the election. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: National has campaigned against the Labour Government’s record on inflation and mortgage rates, but there’s now a growing chance the Reserve ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • After a Pittsburgh coal processing plant closed, ER visits plummeted
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Katie Myers. This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Pittsburgh, in its founding, was blessed and cursed with two abundant natural resources: free-flowing rivers and a nearby coal seam. ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • September-23 AT Board Meeting
    Today the AT board meet again and once again I’ve taken a look at what’s on the agenda to find the most interesting items. Closed Agenda Interestingly when I first looked at the agendas this paper was there but at the time of writing this post it had been ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Electorate Watch: West Coast-Tasman
    Continuing my series on interesting electorates, today it’s West Coast-Tasman.A long thin electorate running down the northern half of the west coast of the South Island. Think sand flies, beautiful landscapes, lots of rain, Pike River, alternative lifestylers, whitebaiting, and the spiritual home of the Labour Party. A brief word ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Big money brings Winston back
    National leader Christopher Luxon yesterday morning conceded it and last night’s Newshub poll confirmed it; Winston Peters and NZ First are not only back but highly likely to be part of the next government. It is a remarkable comeback for a party that was tossed out of Parliament in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • 20 days until Election Day, 7 until early voting begins… but what changes will we really see here?
    As this blogger, alongside many others, has already posited in another forum: we all know the National Party’s “budget” (meaning this concept of even adding up numbers properly is doing a lot of heavy, heavy lifting right now) is utter and complete bunk (read hung, drawn and quartered and ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    4 days ago

  • A night out
    Everyone was asking, Are you nervous? and my response was various forms of God, yes.I've written more speeches than I can count; not much surprises me when the speaker gets to their feet and the room goes quiet.But a play? Never.YOU CAME! THANK YOU! Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • A pallid shade of Green III
    Clearly Labour's focus groups are telling it that it needs to pay more attention to climate change - because hot on the heels of their weaksauce energy efficiency pilot programme and not-great-but-better-than-nothing solar grants, they've released a full climate manifesto. Unfortunately, the core policies in it - a second Emissions ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • A coalition of racism, cruelty, and chaos
    Today's big political news is that after months of wibbling, National's Chris Luxon has finally confirmed that he is willing to work with Winston Peters to become Prime Minister. Which is expected, but I guess it tells us something about which way the polls are going. Which raises the question: ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • More migrant workers should help generate the tax income needed to provide benefits for job seekers
    Buzz from the Beehive Under something described as a “rebalance” of its immigration rules, the Government has adopted four of five recommendations made in an independent review released in July, The fifth, which called on the government to specify criteria for out-of-hours compliance visits similar to those used during ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Letter To Luxon.
    Some of you might know Gerard Otto (G), and his G News platform. This morning he wrote a letter to Christopher Luxon which I particularly enjoyed, and with his agreement I’m sharing it with you in this guest newsletter.If you’d like to make a contribution to support Gerard’s work you ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • LINDSAY MITCHELL: Alarming trend in benefit numbers
    Lindsay Mitchell writes –  While there will not be another quarterly release of benefit numbers prior to the election, limited weekly reporting continues and is showing an alarming trend. Because there is a seasonal component to benefit number fluctuations it is crucial to compare like with like. In ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • BRIAN EASTON: Has there been external structural change?
    A close analysis of the Treasury assessment of the Medium Term in its PREFU 2023 suggests the economy may be entering a new phase.   Brian Easton writes –  Last week I explained that the forecasts in the just published Treasury Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU 2023) was ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • CRL Progress – Sep-23
    It’s been a while since we looked at the latest with the City Rail Link and there’s been some fantastic milestones recently. To start with, and most recently, CRL have released an awesome video showing a full fly-through of one of the tunnels. Come fly with us! You asked for ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • Monday’s Chorus: Not building nearly enough
    We are heading into another period of fast population growth without matching increased home building or infrastructure investment.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Labour and National detailed their house building and migration approaches over the weekend, with both pledging fast population growth policies without enough house building or infrastructure investment ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Game on; Hipkins comes out punching
    Labour leader Chris Hipkins yesterday took the gloves off and laid into National and its leader Christopher Luxon. For many in Labour – and particularly for some at the top of the caucus and the party — it would not have been a moment too soon. POLITIK is aware ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • Tax Cut Austerity Blues.
    The leaders have had their go, they’ve told us the “what?” and the “why?” of their promises. Now it’s the turn of the would be Finance Ministers to tell us the “how?”, the “how much?”, and the “when?”A chance for those competing for the second most powerful job in the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • MIKE GRIMSHAW:  It’s the economy – and the spirit – Stupid…
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Over the past 30-odd years it’s become almost an orthodoxy to blame or invoke neoliberalism for the failures of New Zealand society. On the left the usual response goes something like, neoliberalism is the cause of everything that’s gone wrong and the answer ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #38
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Sep 17, 2023 thru Sat, Sep 23, 2023. Story of the Week  Opinion: Let’s free ourselves from the story of economic growth A relentless focus on economic growth has ushered in ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • The End Of The World.
    Have you been looking out of your window for signs of the apocalypse? Don’t worry, you haven’t been door knocked by a representative of the Brian Tamaki party. They’re probably a bit busy this morning spruiking salvation, or getting ready to march on our parliament, which is closed. No, I’ve ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Climate Town: The Brainwashing Of America's Children
    Climate Town is the YouTube channel of Rollie Williams and a ragtag team of climate communicators, creatives and comedians. They examine climate change in a way that doesn’t make you want to eat a cyanide pill. Get informed about the climate crisis before the weather does it for you. The latest ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago

  • Has There Been External Structural Change?
    A close analysis of the Treasury assessment of the Medium Term in its PREFU 2023 suggests the economy may be entering a new phase. Last week I explained that the forecasts in the just published Treasury Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU 2023) was similar to the May Budget BEFU, ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    7 days ago

  • Another Labour bully
    Back in June, we learned that Kiri Allan was a Parliamentary bully. And now there's another one: Labour MP Shanan Halbert: The Labour Party was alerted to concerns about [Halbert's] alleged behaviour a year ago but because staffers wanted to remain anonymous, no formal process was undertaken [...] The ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago

  • Climate Change: Ignoring our biggest problem
    Its that time in the election season where the status quo parties are busy accusing each other of having fiscal holes in a desperate effort to appear more "responsible" (but not, you understand, by promising to tax wealth or land to give the government the revenue it needs to do ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago

  • JERRY COYNE: A good summary of the mess that is science education in New Zealand
    JERRY COYNE writes –  If you want to see what the government of New Zealand is up to with respect to science education, you can’t do better than listening to this video/slideshow by two exponents of the “we-need-two-knowledge-systems” view. I’ve gotten a lot of scary stuff from Kiwi ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • Good news on the GDP front is accompanied by news of a $5m govt boost for Supercars (but what about ...
    Buzz from the Beehive First, we were treated to the news (from Finance Minister Grant Robertson) that the economy has turned a corner and New Zealand never was in recession.  This was triggered by statistics which showed the economy expanded 0.9 per cent in the June quarter, twice as much as ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • The Scafetta Saga
    It has taken 17 months to get a comment published pointing out the obvious errors in the Scafetta (2022) paper in GRL. Back in March 2022, Nicola Scafetta published a short paper in Geophysical Research Letters (GRL) purporting to show through ‘advanced’ means that ‘all models with ECS > ...
    Real ClimateBy Gavin
    7 days ago

  • Friday's Chorus: Penny wise and pound foolish
    TL;DR: In the middle of a climate emergency and in a city prone to earthquakes, Victoria University of Wellington announced yesterday it would stop teaching geophysics, geographic information science and physical geography to save $22 million a year and repay debt. Climate change damage in Aotearoa this year is already ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago

  • CHRIS TROTTER: Calling the big dog’s bluff
      For nearly thirty years the pundits have been telling the minor parties that they must be good little puppies and let the big dogs decide. The parties with a plurality of the votes cast must be allowed to govern – even if that means ignoring the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • The electorate swing, Labour limbo and Luxon-Hipkins two-step
     Another poll, another 27 for Labour. It was July the last time one of the reputable TV company polls had Labour's poll percentage starting with a three, so the limbo question is now being asked: how low can you go?It seems such an unlikely question because this doesn't feel like the kind ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    1 week ago

  • A Womance, and a Nomance.
    After the trench warfare of Tuesday night, when the two major parties went head to head, last night was the turn of the minor parties. Hosts Newshub termed it “the Powerbrokers' Debate”.Based on the latest polls the four parties taking part - ACT, the Greens, New Zealand First, and Te ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • When The Internet Rushes To Your Defense
    Hi,You can’t make this stuff up.People involved with Sound of Freedom, the QAnon-infused movie about anti-child trafficker Tim Ballard, are dropping like flies. I won’t ruin your day by describing it here, but Vice reports that footage has emerged of executive producer Paul Hutchinson being inappropriate with a 16-year-old trafficking ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago

  • Doubts about Robertson’s good news day
    The trading banks yesterday concluded that though GDP figures released yesterday show the economy is not in recession, it may well soon be. Nevertheless, the fact that GDP has gone up 0.8 per cent in the latest quarter and that StatsNZ revised the previous quarter’s figure to show a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago

  • The Votes That Media Dare Not Speak Its Name
    .Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work..A recent political opinion poll (20 September) on TV1 presented what could only be called bleak news for the Left Bloc:National: 37%, down two points equating to 46 seatsLabour: 27%, down one point (34 ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    1 week ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #38 2023
    Open access notables At our roots Skeptical Science is about cognition of the results of climate science research in the minds of the entire human population. Ideally we'd be perfectly communicating understanding of Earth's climate, and perfectly understood. We can only approximate that, but hopefully converging closer to perfection. With ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Failing To Hold Back The Flood: The Edgy Politics of the Twenty-First Century.
    Coming Over The Top: Rory Stewart's memoir, Politics On The Edge, lays bare the dangerous inadequacies of the Western World's current political model.VERY FEW NEW ZEALANDERS will have heard of Rory Stewart. Those with a keen eye for the absurdities of politics may recognise the name as that of the ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • New community-level energy projects to support more than 800 Māori households
    Seven more innovative community-scale energy projects will receive government funding through the Māori and Public Housing Renewable Energy Fund to bring more affordable, locally generated clean energy to more than 800 Māori households, Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods says. “We’ve already funded 42 small-scale clean energy projects that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago

  • Huge boost to Te Tai Tokerau flood resilience
    The Government has approved new funding that will boost resilience and greatly reduce the risk of major flood damage across Te Tai Tokerau. Significant weather events this year caused severe flooding and damage across the region. The $8.9m will be used to provide some of the smaller communities and maraes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Napier’s largest public housing development comes with solar
    The largest public housing development in Napier for many years has been recently completed and has the added benefit of innovative solar technology, thanks to Government programmes, says Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods. The 24 warm, dry homes are in Seddon Crescent, Marewa and Megan Woods says the whanau living ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Te Whānau a Apanui and the Crown initial Deed of Settlement I Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me...
    Māori: Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna te Whakaaetanga Whakataunga Kua waitohua e Te Whānau a Apanui me te Karauna i tētahi Whakaaetanga Whakataunga hei whakamihi i ō rātou tāhuhu kerēme Tiriti o Waitangi. E tekau mā rua ngā hapū o roto mai o Te Whānau ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Plan for 3,000 more public homes by 2025 – regions set to benefit
    Regions around the country will get significant boosts of public housing in the next two years, as outlined in the latest public housing plan update, released by the Housing Minister, Dr Megan Woods. “We’re delivering the most public homes each year since the Nash government of the 1950s with one ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Immigration settings updates
    Judicial warrant process for out-of-hours compliance visits 2023/24 Recognised Seasonal Employer cap increased by 500 Additional roles for Construction and Infrastructure Sector Agreement More roles added to Green List Three-month extension for onshore Recovery Visa holders The Government has confirmed a number of updates to immigration settings as part of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Poroporoaki: Tā Patrick (Patu) Wahanga Hohepa
    Tangi ngunguru ana ngā tai ki te wahapū o Hokianga Whakapau Karakia. Tārehu ana ngā pae maunga ki Te Puna o te Ao Marama. Korihi tangi ana ngā manu, kua hinga he kauri nui ki te Wao Nui o Tāne. He Toa. He Pou. He Ahorangi. E papaki tū ana ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Renewable energy fund to support community resilience
    40 solar energy systems on community buildings in regions affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events Virtual capability-building hub to support community organisations get projects off the ground Boost for community-level renewable energy projects across the country At least 40 community buildings used to support the emergency response ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • COVID-19 funding returned to Government
    The lifting of COVID-19 isolation and mask mandates in August has resulted in a return of almost $50m in savings and recovered contingencies, Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Following the revocation of mandates and isolation, specialised COVID-19 telehealth and alternative isolation accommodation are among the operational elements ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Appointment of District Court Judge
    Susie Houghton of Auckland has been appointed as a new District Court Judge, to serve on the Family Court, Attorney-General David Parker said today.  Judge Houghton has acted as a lawyer for child for more than 20 years. She has acted on matters relating to the Hague Convention, an international ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Government invests further in Central Hawke’s Bay resilience
    The Government has today confirmed $2.5 million to fund a replace and upgrade a stopbank to protect the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant. “As a result of Cyclone Gabrielle, the original stopbank protecting the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant was destroyed. The plant was operational within 6 weeks of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Govt boost for Hawke’s Bay cyclone waste clean-up
    Another $2.1 million to boost capacity to deal with waste left in Cyclone Gabrielle’s wake. Funds for Hastings District Council, Phoenix Contracting and Hog Fuel NZ to increase local waste-processing infrastructure. The Government is beefing up Hawke’s Bay’s Cyclone Gabrielle clean-up capacity with more support dealing with the massive amount ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Taupō Supercars revs up with Government support
    The future of Supercars events in New Zealand has been secured with new Government support. The Government is getting engines started through the Major Events Fund, a special fund to support high profile events in New Zealand that provide long-term economic, social and cultural benefits. “The Repco Supercars Championship is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • There is no recession in NZ, economy grows nearly 1 percent in June quarter
    The economy has turned a corner with confirmation today New Zealand never was in recession and stronger than expected growth in the June quarter, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. “The New Zealand economy is doing better than expected,” Grant Robertson said. “It’s continuing to grow, with the latest figures showing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Highest legal protection for New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs
    The Government has accepted the Environment Court’s recommendation to give special legal protection to New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs, Te Waikoropupū Springs (also known as Pupū Springs), Environment Minister David Parker announced today.   “Te Waikoropupū Springs, near Takaka in Golden Bay, have the second clearest water in New Zealand after ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • More support for victims of migrant exploitation
    Temporary package of funding for accommodation and essential living support for victims of migrant exploitation Exploited migrant workers able to apply for a further Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa (MEPV), giving people more time to find a job Free job search assistance to get people back into work Use of 90-day ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Strong export boost as NZ economy turns corner
    An export boost is supporting New Zealand’s economy to grow, adding to signs that the economy has turned a corner and is on a stronger footing as we rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle and lock in the benefits of multiple new trade deals, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. “The economy is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Funding approved for flood resilience work in Te Karaka
    The Government has approved $15 million to raise about 200 homes at risk of future flooding. More than half of this is expected to be spent in the Tairāwhiti settlement of Te Karaka, lifting about 100 homes there. “Te Karaka was badly hit during Cyclone Gabrielle when the Waipāoa River ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Further business support for cyclone-affected regions
    The Government is helping businesses recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and attract more people back into their regions. “Cyclone Gabrielle has caused considerable damage across North Island regions with impacts continuing to be felt by businesses and communities,” Economic Development Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Building on our earlier business support, this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New maintenance facility at Burnham Military Camp underway
    Defence Minister Andrew Little has turned the first sod to start construction of a new Maintenance Support Facility (MSF) at Burnham Military Camp today. “This new state-of-art facility replaces Second World War-era buildings and will enable our Defence Force to better maintain and repair equipment,” Andrew Little said. “This Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Foreign Minister to attend United Nations General Assembly
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will represent New Zealand at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York this week, before visiting Washington DC for further Pacific focussed meetings. Nanaia Mahuta will be in New York from Wednesday 20 September, and will participate in UNGA leaders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Midwives’ pay equity offer reached
    Around 1,700 Te Whatu Ora employed midwives and maternity care assistants will soon vote on a proposed pay equity settlement agreed by Te Whatu Ora, the Midwifery Employee Representation and Advisory Service (MERAS) and New Zealand Nurses Association (NZNO), Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. “Addressing historical pay ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • New Zealand provides support to Morocco
    Aotearoa New Zealand will provide humanitarian support to those affected by last week’s earthquake in Morocco, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “We are making a contribution of $1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to help meet humanitarian needs,” Nanaia Mahuta said. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Government invests in West Coast’s roading resilience
    The Government is investing over $22 million across 18 projects to improve the resilience of roads in the West Coast that have been affected by recent extreme weather, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today.  A dedicated Transport Resilience Fund has been established for early preventative works to protect the state ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Government invests in Greymouth’s future
    The Government has today confirmed a $2 million grant towards the regeneration of Greymouth’s CBD with construction of a new two-level commercial and public facility. “It will include a visitor facility centred around a new library. Additionally, it will include retail outlets on the ground floor, and both outdoor and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Nanaia Mahuta to attend PIF Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will attend the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, in Suva, Fiji alongside New Zealand’s regional counterparts. “Aotearoa New Zealand is deeply committed to working with our pacific whanau to strengthen our cooperation, and share ways to combat the challenges facing the Blue Pacific Continent,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • PREFU shows no recession, growing economy, more jobs and wages ahead of inflation
    Economy to grow 2.6 percent on average over forecast period Treasury not forecasting a recession Inflation to return to the 1-3 percent target band next year Wages set to grow 4.8 percent a year over forecast period Unemployment to peak below the long-term average Fiscal Rules met - Net debt ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • New cancer centre opens in Christchurch
    Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall proudly opened the Canterbury Cancer Centre in Christchurch today. The new facility is the first of its kind and was built with $6.5 million of funding from the Government’s Infrastructure Reference Group scheme for shovel-ready projects allocated in 2020. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Government invests in top of the south’s roading resilience
    $12 million to improve the resilience of roads in the Nelson, Marlborough and Tasman regions Hope Bypass earmarked in draft Government Policy Statement on land transport $127 million invested in the top of the south’s roads since flooding in 2021 and 2022 The Government is investing over $12 million to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

  • New Zealanders continue to support the revitalisation of te reo as we celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Mā...
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