Gilmore Goes

Written By: - Date published: 5:59 pm, May 12th, 2013 - 68 comments
Categories: Media, same old national - Tags:

Aaron Gilmore has given into pressure from his National “mates” and resigned.

The dirt National continued to fling at him – in a desperate bid to remove the stain from their beloved leader – eventually became too much embarrassment.  The media pressure and gossip that they were spreading “would only serve to cause my loved ones more upset”.  The media and National have their pound of flesh of a job well done.

You can now look forward to scrutiny of Claudette Hauiti.

Gilmore will get his final word before obscurity on Tuesday in Parliament.

68 comments on “Gilmore Goes ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Tiger Mountain 1
    12 May 2013 at 6:04 pm

    Don’t just go AG, piss off! The Nat dirt machine vill now turn on ze other targets.

  2. Paul 2
    12 May 2013 at 6:06 pm

    Yes the Nats certainly know how to throw the dirt.

  3. QoT 3
    12 May 2013 at 6:13 pm

    And now we’ll never know what the rest of the dirt they had on him was. I’m almost sad, yet confident that Claudette “Am I still a party member?” Hauiti will provide some amusement to make up for it.

  4. Aotearoean 4
    12 May 2013 at 6:13 pm

    Absolutely brutal decimation of Gilmore’s character by the National Party. Shame he had so many skeletons in his closet. He could have survived otherwise.

    It really makes you wonder why the National Party turn a blind eye to the faults of its MPs until it is time to get rid of them.

    And how good is his replacement? It looks like they are scraping the bottom of the barrel.

    • Paul 4.1
      12 May 2013 at 6:52 pm

      That’s why they employ people like Slater and Farrar.
      Most of the NATs will be owned by some corporate interest. So they know how to vote just in case they need reminding. Probably applies to Labour too.
      It’s been quite an enlightening episode showing how raw power is applied when needed.
      The power behind the throne.

    • BM 4.2
      12 May 2013 at 7:05 pm

      You’re right, a Maori lesbian what place has she got in politics.

      • Lindsey 4.2.1
        12 May 2013 at 7:41 pm

        Do they ever deserve Claudette! She does take fools gladly and she will stick up for what she believes in – no matter what.

        • BM 4.2.1.1
          12 May 2013 at 8:03 pm

          Which is probably why she’s on the list.
          Going by her background, she should do well.

    • emergency mike 4.3
      13 May 2013 at 12:28 pm

      “It really makes you wonder why the National Party turn a blind eye to the faults of its MPs until it is time to get rid of them.”

      Sycophants, yes-men, unprincipaled useful idiots are very handy to have. They’ll do whatever dirty work you want with a smile on their faces. It’s also good to have some dirt in their background so you can pull them back into line if they start getting big ideas about their place. Or in Happy Gilmore’s case, to persuade them to piss off when they have a public brain explosion.

  5. Anne 5
    12 May 2013 at 6:17 pm

    Be assured threats, intimidation and inferences that members of his family will be affected were in the mix…

    Yes, he lied and he behaved like a dickhead. He was only mimicking his former mentor, John Key.

  6. Rhinocrates 6
    12 May 2013 at 6:31 pm

    Rather interesting commentary by Bryce Edwards on Morning Report (RNZ) last Friday, noting that Gilmore was merely a symptom of the problem with current politics – that party membership is in the depths of a steep decline and the only people who stand now are narcissists and careerists who want only the limelight, rather than the opportunity and duty to serve.

    Gilmore is a particularly revolting/amusing example, but we see that narcissism and careerism in people in other parties too – incompetents shoulder-tapped to “serve” such as Shearer, apparatchiks such as Robertson, Min-me’s such as Chippy, has-beens who know that they have no hope in any other job such as Goff, King and the rest of the ABC club.

    Sorry if I’m beating on “Labour”, but my anger towards them is based on my rotting hope that they could have been better.

    The Tories on the other hand, I never expected to be anything else than what they are.

    • gobsmacked 6.1
      12 May 2013 at 6:44 pm

      Well, at least we’ll now be spared Shearer being asked in tomorrow’s interviews if he thinks Gilmore should go. He was asked by the media several times last week, and somehow he managed to avoid saying “Yes”. Even after everyone else had stated the obvious, he was still ummming …

    • Arfamo 6.2
      12 May 2013 at 6:45 pm

      The Tories on the other hand, I never expected to be anything else than what they are.

      The Nats have exceeded my expectations. I always thought they’d be bad, but they’re far, far worse than I expected.

    • Herodotus 6.3
      12 May 2013 at 6:49 pm

      Many of those you have issues within labour are well supported at their local electrate, just because they don’t have he national profile does not mean that they don’t do a great job at a local level. Those who have lost their local support base yet are still ” Protected” at a party level are those that should be dismissed. Robertson at a local level as one example has a strong local support, similar to George Hawkins in Manuerewa.

      • Rhinocrates 6.3.1
        12 May 2013 at 7:19 pm

        Robertson at a local level as one example has a strong local support

        Third in party support in Wellington Central? I think not.

        God only knows why he has any support – his electorate office is right across the road from a WINZ branch. Work that he does at a local level? Nothing. If he spent any time at his office instead of stuffing his pie hole at Bellamy’s, he’d see the people lining up across the road and perhaps care about them instead of wasting everyone’s time issuing meaningless press releases designed to “reassure” the ever so delicate Market that he won’t upset them.

        I’d call him spineless, but that would be an insult to all molluscs. I guess arthropods, coelenterates, fungi and bacteria might be quite upset too.

        • just saying 6.3.1.1
          12 May 2013 at 7:32 pm

          I think s/he might have been referring to Ross Robertson, MP for Manukau East.
          Absolutely atrocious MP. Infamously so. As for local support, that seems to largely come from his fundamentalist community. He’s certainly not known as even a decent elctorate MP.
          Grant is a star by comparison. But that’s not saying much.

          • Rhinocrates 6.3.1.1.1
            12 May 2013 at 7:41 pm

            I think that touches on a real problem in our democracy. Bryce Edwards commented the other day that the political parties have very small memberships now, and few activists. It’s emerged that Gilmore really only got his list position because the barrel was empty. The people who actively run for positions in government now are by and large useless careerists and narcissists who either only want the privileges and the limelight or who are shoulder-tapped and have no idea what they might do otherwise (like Shearer).

            I wonder if a lottery system might ultimately be better? However, that would be a case of what we deserve rather than what we need, which is quality.

        • Herodotus 6.3.1.2
          12 May 2013 at 7:38 pm

          From feedback (admittedly ) in the election of 1994 – 02 when our family was linked to papatoetoe nth primary ( manukau east electorate that encompassed papatoetoe , manukau east and botany Ross’ s reputation preceded him as a strong local candidate, since then the area I live in has been at best: poorly serviced by mp’s (bar pansy- that gave us our 5 minutes of fame). He had a high profile and was active in working for the local area. Perhaps he has past his “best before date” and my past impressions do not hold as if today, yet I am to hear of any dissenting or negative comments from friends who still live within his electorate.

          • just saying 6.3.1.2.1
            12 May 2013 at 8:03 pm

            They may have been taught by one of my sisters. There are some excellent but usually underappreciated teachers in South Auckland.
            My experience, and it’s reasonably wide, is that without the backing of the fundamentalist Christians, Robertson would have be out decades ago. Unfortunately there is quite a strong fundamentalist consitituency there, as there so often is in deprived communities.

            • Colonial Viper 6.3.1.2.1.1
              12 May 2013 at 9:31 pm

              People have to believe in something. And if it’s not in economic growth and becoming a property investor, what else is it going to be?

        • Hayden 6.3.1.3
          13 May 2013 at 9:01 am

          Third in party support in Wellington Central? I think not.

          Many Wellington Central voters would have voted for Robertson and party vote Green; I know our household did.

          On the other hand, had the Greens stood a candidate (did they?) we might have had a National MP for Wellington Central.

      • Hami Shearlie 6.3.2
        12 May 2013 at 11:45 pm

        Coming THIRD in the party vote BEHIND the Greens doesn’t sound like someone very popular to me!! Grant Robertson -very mediocre compared to “the name that must never be mentioned”!!

    • Psycho Milt 6.4
      12 May 2013 at 8:49 pm

      …Gilmore was merely a symptom of the problem with current politics – that party membership is in the depths of a steep decline and the only people who stand now are narcissists and careerists who want only the limelight, rather than the opportunity and duty to serve.

      Danyl posted about the flip side, that the political parties are keen to meet monied narcissists who’ll throw cash into contesting unwinnable electoral seats in exchange for list places that will only put them in Parliament if a main opposition party as bad as the one we have right now is contesting the election. Neither aspect is good for anyone but media scandalmongers (that’s you, Gower).

      Gilmore’s resignation is disappointing but inevitable, I guess. The fact that we were all keen to see him hang around embarrassing the shit out of National until the election must have been a dead giveaway that he wasn’t helping the monied-loudmouth demographic at all.

    • Blue 6.5
      12 May 2013 at 9:19 pm

      Yeah, I think the idea of duty and service has largely died since the era of individualism and materialism dawned.

      Being an MP is a pretty horrible deal. Everyone hates politicians and gives them a hard time, and the media kick the shit out of all but the major powerbrokers.

      To deal with all that, you need to be either a hardcore activist or a blinkered narcissist.

      • Arfamo 6.5.1
        12 May 2013 at 9:26 pm

        Nah. You just need to like the idea of an MPs salary and perks and hope for a lucrative sinecure and a parliamentary pension eventually.

      • lprent 6.5.2
        12 May 2013 at 10:19 pm

        More importantly the work is pretty boring for anyone with actual talent for anything else. Takes at least 6 years to get good at the basic roles because it is such a multifaceted set of tasks.

        You tend get most elected people either underestimating the effort or overestimating their abilities and crashing out on some part of it. Few get up and work through it. A lot wind up in cruise mode. A few have the required will to work through and push through something productive.

        I keep an eye on those I met prior to getting elected, and look at the performance against my personal assessments. Has tended to be pretty accurate over time.

        Always looked too boring to me, and I’d have to be at least superficially nice. Preferred programming. Supported a few people instead.

        • King Kong 6.5.2.1
          13 May 2013 at 10:44 am

          Brilliant, last week lprent stated that he could have been the NZ Warren Buffet if making a screed load of money wasn’t so boring. This week it is prime minister though again, it is just too beneath him (and would require a functioning personality).

          I imagine astronaught would be a cinch as well if it wasn’t such a crushing bore.

    • Hami Shearlie 6.6
      12 May 2013 at 11:43 pm

      It’s pretty much the way I see it with Labour’s ABCers too, Rhino!!! In it for the big pay packet and only concerned with personal advancement!!!

  7. felix 7
    12 May 2013 at 7:06 pm

    A sad day for lolz. RIP dickhead.

    • Pascal's bookie 7.1
      12 May 2013 at 7:10 pm

      Well, given his wording, and the gloating from corners whale, that speech he wants in parliament my be lolzworthy. One last run with the privilege.

  8. Tom Barker 8
    12 May 2013 at 7:06 pm

    One down, 58 to go.

    • Alanz 8.1
      12 May 2013 at 10:29 pm

      Gilmore goes to join National’s roll call of notoriety that includes Richard Worth and Pansy Wong.

      • tc 8.1.1
        13 May 2013 at 7:30 am

        Banks also along with smarter ones like Power, Carter, Lockwood and a few others who knew when enough was enough and left the shonkey corruption circus to stench up a second term without them.

        Speaking of bent whats dodgy Mcully up to lately, haven’t seen his foot in mouth routine lately.

      • tc 8.1.2
        13 May 2013 at 7:31 am

        Banks also along with smarter ones like Power, Carter, Lockwood and a few others who knew when enough was enough and left the shonkey corruption circus to stench up a second term without them.

        Speaking of bent whats dodgy Mcully up to lately, haven’t seen his foot in mouth routine awhile..

  9. Morrissey 9
    12 May 2013 at 7:15 pm

    Claudette Hauiti was involved in iwi radio many years ago, which obviously furnished her with a host of National Party contacts, but don’t expect anything at all from her in parliament; she’s a classic timeserver, who has never, to my knowledge, done, said or written anything interesting.

    At least Gilmore was interesting: he won the Quiz on Backbenchers a few weeks ago, and he turned his brief time in Parliament into an entertaining piece of performance art, especially the last couple of weeks of it. Let me say right now, however: Claudette Hauiti is not half the man that Aaron Gilmore is.

    As an occasional guest on Jim Mora’s Panel, Hauiti distinguished herself as a shallow and even bewildered commentator. Like another Panel regular, Chris Wikaira, she is one of that extremely rare breed, a Māori member of the largely anti-Māori National Party.

    Hauiti and Wikaira have both been remarkable for the vacuity of their Panel contributions. Interestingly, and depressingly, Wikaira is also being lined up for a high list position for next year’s election.

    • Rhinocrates 9.1
      12 May 2013 at 7:23 pm

      Seen her on Citizen A too. While I’m no fan of “Bomber”, she certainly indistinguished herself as a strident and shallow self-promoter, a Rogernome late to the party, so the show at least did some service.

      • Morrissey 9.1.1
        12 May 2013 at 7:55 pm

        Sounds very interesting. Can you provide a link for that?

        • Rhinocrates 9.1.1.1
          12 May 2013 at 9:58 pm

          Well, googling “Citizen A” and “Hauiti” gets plenty of links. She’s an interesting commentator, nothing scandalous or any skeletons in her closet, but very arrogant, abrasive and Rogernomish “Me, ME, MEEEEE!”

  10. Jimmie 10
    12 May 2013 at 8:03 pm

    Good – I’m glad he is gone.

    No room in Parliament for a super egoed dork who lives most of his time in a fantasy world and/or troughing up large at the tax payers expense.

    Hmmm – should be a few more heading the same way.

    • Morrissey 10.1
      12 May 2013 at 8:21 pm

      No room in Parliament for a super egoed dork who lives most of his time in a fantasy world and/or troughing up large at the tax payers expense.

      So why is Bill English still there?

  11. mickysavage 11
    12 May 2013 at 8:33 pm

    Various reporters on twitter are claiming that the Government will announce its decision on Sky City tomorrow morning at 8 am. It appears they were waiting to see what would happen to Gilmore before doing it as his support could not be guaranteed.

    Shame he is not going to hang around …

    • veutoviper 11.1
      12 May 2013 at 9:22 pm

      Shame indeed. But putting the Gilmore ‘thing’ to one side, things seem to have swung into high gear over recent weeks to get as much of their agenda into place asap. I know it is Budget week and all that goes with that, but IMO there is this feeling of unusual urgency this far out from a scheduled election.

  12. Tanz 12
    12 May 2013 at 9:45 pm

    Poor Aaron. It was a witch hunt. The guy just got drunk. What crime did he commit?

    • felix 12.1
      12 May 2013 at 9:47 pm

      Risked making his leader look weak.

    • infused 12.2
      12 May 2013 at 11:47 pm

      Nothing really. If he had actually told the truth from the get go, said “Yeah I was a moron and I’m sorry” I don’t think things would have escalated. The problem was, he didn’t say sorry and tried to blame everyone else.

    • mac1 12.3
      13 May 2013 at 9:54 am

      Getting drunk is not necessarily the problem- it’s what one does while under the influence. Being drunk is not an excuse for bad behaviour, either.

      All that said, I’d like to see some heat come off Gilmore now, so that he can reflect upon his past behaviours, good and bad, and perhaps mature and grow from his experience.

      I do find it personally galling, having in my own life put “the good of the party ahead of my own personal ambition”, to see a commentator say that this resignation in putting the good of the party first will show that National does have high standards.

      I believe that the manner of the dirt coming out on Gilmore, sourced and sanctioned from within National, puts a lie to that claim. Nor does Gilmore fully redeem himself because the belated and mendacious way that the truth came out did not reflect well upon him.

      The heat should come upon National, now, for all the other lying, deceitful, rorting members and friends that it has. A good time to put out far and wide how far this behaviour has spread.

      Time to criticise National, too, for its List election procedures and outcomes.

      Time for all parties to address the quality of all their list and candidate selections.

    • RJL 12.4
      13 May 2013 at 12:17 pm

      Made Key look foolish and ineffective, and continues to make Key look hypocritcal (because he went because he was untruthful about what he had done and knew).

  13. Tanz 13
    12 May 2013 at 9:54 pm

    Key is weak, that is not news. Key has said daft things too.

    • felix 13.1
      12 May 2013 at 9:57 pm

      True, it’s not news. But his own underlings aren’t permitted to point it out.

  14. Tanz 14
    12 May 2013 at 10:00 pm

    point taken. I think Aaron should have stayed though, he just made a mistake, that is all.

    • Arfamo 14.1
      12 May 2013 at 10:06 pm

      I reckon Aaron will be compensated in some way we haven’t been told about.

      • Colonial Viper 14.1.1
        12 May 2013 at 10:14 pm

        Goes without saying. Tories have plenty of ways of moving unwanted MPs on….Labour has very few.

        • Arfamo 14.1.1.1
          12 May 2013 at 11:01 pm

          Well, I expect we’ll find out about his nicer qualities in Woman’s Day when the dust has settled.

      • jaymam 14.1.2
        13 May 2013 at 1:52 am

        Surely he can’t have been offered money.
        Let’s just see what job he does next.

        • tc 14.1.2.1
          13 May 2013 at 7:35 am

          Keep an eye on EQC and a few other troughs the Nats have lying around in his region.

  15. Johnny 15
    13 May 2013 at 9:10 am

    Perhaps they downloaded his parliamentary service phone aka brendan horan and found some interesting things on it. politics can be ugly

  16. Ed 16
    13 May 2013 at 9:25 am

    Boag on Nat Radio this morning inferred that the “leak” of employment records about Gilmore was likely to have been from the public service. Pure spin – we had been told it was an OIA request that presumably can be proved to have been signed off in record time by a Minister – and how did the journalist know what to ask?

  17. Johnny 17
    13 May 2013 at 11:29 am

    She reacted badly when Bryce said Mr Gilmore was pressured and demanded he show the evidence. A classic raw nerve being hot moment. Shame the media can’t OIA the parliamentary service for the photos and text downloaded off Mr Gilmore’s work phone by the PM’s staff

  18. veutoviper 18
    13 May 2013 at 1:10 pm

    Oh dear – the story that keeps on giving. Gilmore apparently sent Utu texts to people, including National party people and Slater, yesterday afternoon treatening revence on those who effected his downfall.

    His father also said that Gilmore’s valedictory speech would be “a big story”.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8663752/Disgraced-Gilmore-sends-utu-texts

    Can they stop him giving his valedictory speech?

  19. Arfamo 19
    13 May 2013 at 9:11 pm

    Anyone heard what time Aaron will be delivering his maledictory?

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  • Weekly Roundup 6-September-2024

    Welcome to another Friday and another roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. As always, this and every post is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew. If you like our work and you’d like to see more of it, we invite you to join our regular ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies; Excerpt Four.

    Internal versus external security. Regardless of who rules, large countries can afford to separate external and internal security functions (even if internal control functions predominate under authoritarian regimes). In fact, given the logic of power concentration and institutional centralization of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • A Hole In The River

    There's a hole in the river where her memory liesFrom the land of the living to the air and skyShe was coming to see him, but something changed her mindDrove her down to the riverThere is no returnSongwriters: Neil Finn/Eddie RaynerThe king is dead; long live the queen!Yesterday was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Bright Blue His Jacket Ain’t But I Love This Fellow: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power E...

    My conclusion last week was that The Rings of Power season two represented a major improvement in the series. The writing’s just so much better, and honestly, its major problems are less the result of the current episodes and more creatures arising from season one plot-holes. I found episode three ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    4 days ago
  • Who should we thank for the defeat of the Nazis

    As a child in the 1950s, I thought the British had won the Second World War because that’s what all our comics said. Later on, the films and comics told me that the Americans won the war. In my late teens, I found out that the Soviet Union ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36 2024

    Open access notables Diurnal Temperature Range Trends Differ Below and Above the Melting Point, Pithan & Schatt, Geophysical Research Letters: The globally averaged diurnal temperature range (DTR) has shrunk since the mid-20th century, and climate models project further shrinking. Observations indicate a slowdown or reversal of this trend in recent decades. ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago
  • Media Link: Discussing the NZSIS Security Threat Report.

    I was interviewed by Mike Hosking at NewstalkZB and a few other media outlets about the NZSIS Security Threat Report released recently. I have long advocated for more transparency, accountability and oversight of the NZ Intelligence Community, and although the … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • How do I make this better for people who drive Ford Rangers?

    Home, home again to a long warm embrace. Plenty of reasons to be glad to be back.But also, reasons for dejection.You, yes you, Simeon Brown, you odious little oik, you bible thumping petrol-pandering ratfucker weasel. You would be Reason Number One. Well, maybe first among equals with Seymour and Of-Seymour ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • A missed opportunity

    The government introduced a pretty big piece of constitutional legislation today: the Parliament Bill. But rather than the contentious constitutional change (four year terms) pushed by Labour, this merely consolidates the existing legislation covering Parliament - currently scattered across four different Acts - into one piece of legislation. While I ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Nicola Willis Seeks New Sidekick To Help Fix NZ’s Economy

    Synopsis:Nicola Willis is seeking a new Treasury Boss after Dr Caralee McLiesh’s tenure ends this month. She didn’t listen to McLiesh. Will she listen to the new one?And why is Atlas Network’s Taxpayers Union chiming in?Please consider subscribing or supporting my work. Thanks, Tui.About CaraleeAt the beginning of July, Newsroom ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Inflation alive and kicking in our land of the long white monopolies

    The golden days of profit continue for the the Foodstuffs (Pak’n’Save and New World) and Woolworths supermarket duopoly. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 5:The Groceries Commissioner has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The thermodynamics of electric vs. internal combustion cars

    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler I love thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is like your mom: it may not tell you what you can do, but it damn well tells you what you can’t do. I’ve written a few previous posts that include thermodynamics, like one on air capture of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Three.

    The notion of geopolitical  “periphery.” The concept of periphery used here refers strictly to what can be called the geopolitical periphery. Being on the geopolitical periphery is an analytic virtue because it makes for more visible policy reform in response … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Venus Hum

    Fill me up with soundThe world sings with me a million smiles an hourI can see me dancing on my radioI can hear you singing in the blades of grassYellow dandelions on my way to schoolBig Beautiful Sky!Song: Venus Hum.Good morning, all you lovely people, and welcome to the 700th ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • I Went to a Creed Concert

    Note: The audio attached to this Webworm compliments today’s newsletter. I collected it as I met people attending a Creed concert. Their opinions may differ to mine. Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Government migration policy backfires; thousands of unemployed nurses

    The country has imported literally thousands of nurses over the past few months yet whether they are being employed as nurses is another matter. Just what is going on with HealthNZ and it nurses is, at best, opaque, in that it will not release anything but broad general statistics and ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • A Time For Unity.

    Emotional Response: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addresses mourners at the tangi of King Tuheitia on Turangawaewae Marae on Saturday, 31 August 2024.THE DEATH OF KING TUHEITIA could hardly have come at a worse time for Maoridom. The power of the Kingitanga to unify te iwi Māori was demonstrated powerfully at January’s ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago
  • Climate Change: Failed again

    National's tax cut policies relied on stealing revenue from the ETS (previously used to fund emissions reduction) to fund tax cuts to landlords. So how's that going? Badly. Today's auction failed again, with zero units (of a possible 7.6 million) sold. Which means they have a $456 million hole in ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Two.

    A question of size. Small size generally means large vulnerability. The perception of threat is broader and often more immediate for small countries. The feeling of comparative weakness, of exposure to risk, and of potential intimidation by larger powers often … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • Nicola Willis’s Very Unserious Bungling of the Kiwirail Interislander Cancellation

    Open to all with kind thanks to all subscribers and supporters.Today, RNZ revealed that despite MFAT advice to Nicola Willis to be very “careful and deliberate” in her communications with the South Korean government, prior to any public announcement on cancelling Kiwirail’s i-Rex, Willis instead told South Korea 26 minutes ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • Satisfying the Minister’s Speed Obsession

    The Minister of Transport’s speed obsession has this week resulted in two new consultations for 110km/h speed limits, one in Auckland and one in Christchurch. There has also been final approval of the Kapiti Expressway to move to 110km/h following an earlier consultation. While the changes will almost certainly see ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    6 days ago
  • What if we freed up our streets, again?

    This guest post is by Tommy de Silva, a local rangatahi and freelance writer who is passionate about making the urban fabric of Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland more people-focused and sustainable. New Zealand’s March-April 2020 Level 4 Covid response (aka “lockdown”) was somehow both the best and worst six weeks of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    6 days ago
  • No Alarms And No Surprises

    A heart that's full up like a landfillA job that slowly kills youBruises that won't healYou look so tired, unhappyBring down the governmentThey don't, they don't speak for usI'll take a quiet lifeA handshake of carbon monoxideAnd no alarms and no surprisesThe fabulous English comedian Stewart Lee once wrote a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Five ingenious ways people could beat the heat without cranking the AC

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons Every summer brings a new spate of headlines about record-breaking heat – for good reason: 2023 was the hottest year on record, in keeping with the upward trend scientists have been clocking for decades. With climate forecasts suggesting that heat waves ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • No new funding for cycling & walking

    Studies show each $1 of spending on walking and cycling infrastructure produces $13 to $35 of economic benefits from higher productivity, lower healthcare costs, less congestion, lower emissions and lower fossil fuel import costs. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • 99

    Dad turned 99 today.Hell of a lot of candles, eh?He won't be alone for his birthday. He will have the warm attention of my brother, and my sister, and everyone at the rest home, the most thoughtful attentive and considerate people you could ever know. On Saturday there will be ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago
  • Open Government: National reneges on beneficial ownership

    One of the achievements of the New Zealand’s Open Government Partnership Fourth National Action Plan was a formal commitment from the government to establish a public beneficial ownership register. Such a register would allow the ultimate owners of companies to be identified - a vital measure in preventing corruption, money ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt One.

    This project analyzes security politics in three peripheral democracies (Chile, New Zealand, Portugal) during the 30 years after the end of the Cold War. It argues that changes in the geopolitical landscape and geo-strategic context are interpreted differently by small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Tea and Toast

    When the skies are looking bad my dearAnd your heart's lost all its hopeAfter dawn there will be sunshineAnd all the dust will goThe skies will clear my darlingNow it's time for you to let goOur girl will wake you up in the mornin'With some tea and toastLyrics: Lucy Spraggan.Good ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • NLTP 2024 released – destroying pipeline of shovel ready local projects

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Waka Kotahi yesterday released the latest National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) for 2024-27. The NLTP sets out what transport projects will be funded for the next three years, including both central and local government projects. As expected given the government’s extremely ideological transport policy, it’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    1 week ago
  • Can Brown deliver his roads

    The Government’s unveiling of its road-building programme yesterday was ambitious and, many would say, long overdue. But the question will be whether it is too ambitious, whether it is affordable, and, if not, what might be dropped. The big ticket items will be the 17 so-called Roads of National Significance. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago
  • New paper about detecting climate misinformation on Twitter/X

    Together with Cristian Rojas, Frank Algra-Maschio, Mark Andrejevic, Travis Coan, and Yuan-Fang Li, I just published a paper in Nature Communications Earth & Environment where we use the Computer Assisted Recognition of Denial and Skepticism (CARDS) machine learning model to detect climate misinformation in 5 million climate tweets. We find over half ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • Excerpting “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies.”

    In the late 2000s-early 2010s I was researching and writing a book titled “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Chile, New Zealand and Portugal.” The book was a cross-regional Small-N qualitative comparison of the security strategies and postures of three small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Hating for the Wrong Reasons: Of Rings of Power, Orcs and Evil

    A few months ago, my fellow countryman, HelloFutureMe, put out a giant YouTube video, dissecting what went wrong with the first season of Rings of Power (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ6FRUO0ui0&t=8376s). It’s an exceptionally good video, and though it spans some two and a half hours, it is well worth your time. But ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: “Least cost” to who?

    On Friday the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment released their submission on National's second Emissions Reduction Plan, ripping the shit out of it as a massive gamble based on wishful thinking. One of the specific issues he focused on was National's idea of "least cost" emissions reduction, pointing out that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Israeli Lives Matter

    There is no monopoly on common senseOn either side of the political fenceWe share the same biology, regardless of ideologyBelieve me when I say to youI hope the Russians love their children tooLyrics: Sting. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Luxon Cries

    Over the weekend, I found myself rather irritably reading up about the Treaty of Waitangi. “Do I need to do this?” It’s not my jurisdiction. In any other world, would this be something I choose to do?My answer - no.The Waitangi Tribunal, headed by some of our best legal minds, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Just one Wellington home being consented for every 10 in Auckland

    A decade of under-building is coming home to roost in Wellington. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday September 2:Wellington’s leaders are wringing their hands over an exodus of skilled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Container trucks on local streets: why take the risk?

    This is a guest post by Charmaine Vaughan, who came to transport advocacy via her local Residents Association and a comms role at Bike Auckland. Her enthusiasm to make local streets safer for all is shared by her son Dylan Vaughan, a budding “urban nerd” who provided much of the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    1 week ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #35

    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, August 25, 2024 thru Sat, August 31, 2024. Story of the week After another crammed week of climate news including updates on climate tipping points, increasing threats from rising ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • An Uncanny Valley of Improvement: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episodes 1-3 (Season ...

    And thus we come to the second instalment of Amazon’s Rings of Power. The first season, in 2022, was underwhelming, even for someone like myself, who is by nature inclined to approach Tolkien adaptations with charity. The writing was poor, the plot made no sense on its own terms, and ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Alcohol debris and Crocodile Tears

    I write to you this morning from scenes of carnage. Around the floor lie young men who only hours earlier were full of life, and cocktails, and now lie silent. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • When Do We Look Away?

    Hi,The first time I saw something that made me recoil on the internet was a visit to Rotten.com. The clue was in the name — but the internet was a new thing to me in the 90s, and no-one really knew what the hell was going on. But somehow I ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • The decades just fly by

    You turn your back for a moment and a city can completely transform itself. It was, oh, just the other day I was tripping up to Kuala Lumpur every few months to teach workshops and luxuriate in the tropical warmth and fill my face with Char Kway Teow.It has to ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • 2024 Reading Summary: August

    Completed reads for August: Aesop’s Fables (collection), by Aesop Berserk: Volume XXV (manga), by Kentaro Miura Benighted, by J.B. Priestly Berserk: Volume XXVI (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVIII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXIX (manga), by Kentaro Miura ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Is recent global warming part of a natural cycle?

    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 John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is recent global warming part ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • White Noise

    Now here we standWith our hearts in our handsSqueezing out the liesAll that I hearIs a message, unclearWhat else is there to decide?All that I'm hearing from youIs White NoiseLyrics: Christopher John CheneyIs the tide turning?Have we reached the high point of the racist hate and lies from Hobson’s Pledge, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • The Death Of “Big Norm” – Exactly 50 Years Ago Today.

    Norman KirkPrime Minister of New Zealand 1972-1974Born: 6 January 1923 - Died: 31 August 1974Of the working-class, by the working-class, for the working-class.Video courtesy of YouTubeThese elements were posted on Bowalley Road on Saturday, 31 August 2024. ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Claims and Counter-Claims.

    Whose Foreshore? Whose Seabed? When the Marine and Coastal Area Act was originally passed back in 2011, fears about the coastline becoming off-limits to Pakeha were routinely allayed by National Party politicians pointing out that the tests imposed were so stringent  that only a modest percentage of claims (the then treaty ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • Interim fix to GST adjustment rules to support businesses

    Inland Revenue can begin processing GST returns for businesses affected by a historic legislative drafting error, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says. “Inland Revenue has become aware of a legislative drafting error in the GST adjustment rules after changes were made in 2023 which were meant to simplify the process. This ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago
  • Strong uptake for cervical screening self-test

    More than 80 per cent of New Zealand women being tested have opted for a world-leading self-test for cervical screening since it became available a year ago. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti and Associate Minister Casey Costello, in her responsibility for Women’s Health, say it’s fantastic to have such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document sets ambitious direction

    Regulation Minister David Seymour welcomes the Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document, which sets out how the Ministry will carry out its work and deliver on its purpose. “I have set up the Ministry for Regulation with three tasks. One, to cut existing red tape with sector reviews. Two, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Māori Education Advisory Group established

    The Education Minister has established a Māori Education Ministerial Advisory Group made up of experienced practitioners to help improve outcomes for Māori learners. “This group will provide independent advice on all matters related to Māori education in both English medium and Māori medium settings. It will focus on the most impactful ways we can lift ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • First of five new Hercules aircraft takes flight

    Defence Minister Judith Collins today welcomed the first of five new C-130J-30 Hercules to arrive in New Zealand at a ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base Auckland, Whenuapai. “This is an historic day for our New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and our nation. The new Hercules fleet ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Have your say on suicide prevention

    Today, September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, a time to reflect on New Zealand’s confronting suicide statistics, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “Every death by suicide is a tragedy – a tragedy that affects far too many of our families and communities in New Zealand. We must do ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Action to grow the rural health workforce

    Scholarships awarded to 27 health care students is another positive step forward to boost the future rural health workforce, Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “All New Zealanders deserve timely access to quality health care and this Government is committed to improving health outcomes, particularly for the one in five ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Pharmac delivering more for Kiwis following major funding boost

    Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed the increased availability of medicines for Kiwis resulting from the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our Government assumed office, New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Sport Minister congratulates NZ’s Paralympians

    Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop has congratulated New Zealand's Paralympic Team at the conclusion of the Paralympic Games in Paris.  “The NZ Paralympic Team's success in Paris included fantastic performances, personal best times, New Zealand records and Oceania records all being smashed - and of course, many Kiwis on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations

    A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report.  “It will have the mandate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New appointments to the FMA board

    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister has today announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) board. Tracey Berry, Nicholas Hegan and Mariette van Ryn have been appointed for a five-year term ending in August 2029, while Chris Swasbrook, who has served as a board member ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • District Court judges appointed

    Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new District Court judges. The appointees, who will take up their roles at the Manukau Court and the Auckland Court in the Accident Compensation Appeal Jurisdiction, are: Jacqui Clark Judge Clark was admitted to the bar in 1988 after graduating ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government makes it faster and easier to invest in New Zealand

    Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged by significant improvements to overseas investment decision timeframes, and the enhanced interest from investors as the Government continues to reform overseas investment. “There were about as many foreign direct investment applications in July and August as there was across the six months ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New Zealand to join Operation Olympic Defender

    New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government commits to ‘stamping out’ foot and mouth disease

    Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says that a new economic impact analysis report reinforces this government’s commitment to ‘stamp out’ any New Zealand foot and mouth disease incursion. “The new analysis, produced by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, shows an incursion of the disease in New Zealand would have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Improving access to finance for Kiwis

    5 September 2024  The Government is progressing further reforms to financial services to make it easier for Kiwis to access finance when they need it, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.  “Financial services are foundational for economic success and are woven throughout our lives. Without access to finance our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Prime Minister pays tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia

    As Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to Kotahitanga will have a lasting impact on our country. “Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Resource Management reform to make forestry rules clearer

    Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced proposals to reform the resource management system that will provide greater certainty for the forestry sector and help them meet environmental obligations.   “The Government has committed to restoring confidence and certainty across the sector by removing unworkable regulatory burden created by the previous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • More choice and competition in building products

    A major shake-up of building products which will make it easier and more affordable to build is on the way, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Today we have introduced legislation that will improve access to a wider variety of quality building products from overseas, giving Kiwis more choice and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Joint Statement between the Republic of Korea and New Zealand 4 September 2024, Seoul

    On the occasion of the official visit by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand to the Republic of Korea from 4 to 5 September 2024, a summit meeting was held between His Excellency President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Comprehensive Strategic Partnership the goal for New Zealand and Korea

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol. “Korea and New Zealand are likeminded democracies and natural partners in the Indo Pacific. As such, we have decided to advance discussions on elevating the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • International tourism continuing to bounce back

    Results released today from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) confirm international tourism is continuing to bounce back, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey says. The IVS results show that in the June quarter, international tourism contributed $2.6 billion to New Zealand’s economy, an increase of 17 per cent on last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government confirms RMA reforms to drive primary sector efficiency

    The Government is moving to review and update national level policy directives that impact the primary sector, as part of its work to get Wellington out of farming. “The primary sector has been weighed down by unworkable and costly regulation for too long,” Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.  “That is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Weak grocery competition underscores importance of cutting red tape

    The first annual grocery report underscores the need for reforms to cut red tape and promote competition, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “The report paints a concerning picture of the $25 billion grocery sector and reinforces the need for stronger regulatory action, coupled with an ambitious, economy-wide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government moves to lessen burden of reliever costs on ECE services

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government has listened to the early childhood education sector’s calls to simplify paying ECE relief teachers. Today two simple changes that will reduce red tape for ECEs are being announced, in the run-up to larger changes that will come in time from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Over 2,320 people engage with first sector regulatory review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says there has been a strong response to the Ministry for Regulation’s public consultation on the early childhood education regulatory review, affirming the need for action in reducing regulatory burden. “Over 2,320 submissions have been received from parents, teachers, centre owners, child advocacy groups, unions, research ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs women in horticulture

    “The Government is empowering women in the horticulture industry by funding an initiative that will support networking and career progression,” Associate Minister of Agriculture, Nicola Grigg says.  “Women currently make up around half of the horticulture workforce, but only 20 per cent of leadership roles which is why initiatives like this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government to pause freshwater farm plan rollout

    The Government will pause the rollout of freshwater farm plans until system improvements are finalised, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard announced today. “Improving the freshwater farm plan system to make it more cost-effective and practical for farmers is a priority for this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Milestone reached for fixing the Holidays Act 2003

    Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden says yesterday Cabinet reached another milestone on fixing the Holidays Act with approval of the consultation exposure draft of the Bill ready for release next week to participants.  “This Government will improve the Holidays Act with the help of businesses, workers, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • New priorities to protect future of conservation

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