Hamstrung

Written By: - Date published: 9:12 am, June 21st, 2014 - 46 comments
Categories: Media - Tags:

David Cunliffe forgets an eleven year old pro-forma letter. John Armstrong calls for him to resign.

Then it turns out this was a National Party smear campaign. John Armstrong says he should still have resigned but y’know only to prove the confidence of his caucus.

Two National party ministers, one of them the Deputy Leader, repeatedly change their story about what they and their leader knew about the letter (note: the events they “forgot” were not 11 years ago), and it’s discovered they have manipulated the OIA process as part of their smear. John Armstrong doesn’t write a column about how they should resign.

Armstrong got carried away and has found himself hamstrung by his first absurd position. Now he looks compromised.

My advice John? Front up in your next column, admit you got it wrong, and get on with doing the job properly.

46 comments on “Hamstrung ”

  1. Matthew Hooton 1

    Fran O’Sullivan strongly critical of calls for Cunliffe to resign – thinks he should stay until election. See http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11278532

    • geoff 1.1

      Yeah she basically told armstrong to pull his head in.

    • AB 1.2

      Extraordinary – Fran O’Sullivan has got it almost right. Her colleague John Armstrong is indeed ‘risible’.
      But I say ‘almost right’ – because there is an implied false equivalency, i.e. that the Nats are just playing the same sort of gotcha politics as Labour.
      This isn’t the case – there is a real whiff of corruption coming from National and the entrapment of Cunliffe (or more accurately his staff) was designed to neutralise it.
      And that is exactly what O’Sullivan is saying – it’s all even now, don’t be silly boys and girls and get on with the serious stuff. So she is still subtly ‘on message’ for National.

      Also the damage is done now so she can come across as all reasonable-like, just to ‘prove’ the Herald is not really a sewer of deranged old Tories.

      Still not one of her unhinged outbreaks of neo-liberal delusion, or schoolgirlish worshsip of 2nd-rate business ‘leaders’. So well done – 5/10

      • karol 1.2.1

        well said, AB. My thoughts exactly.

      • Ronnie Chow 1.2.2

        Look at these basic mistakes. He started the year not knowing the crucial details of his baby bonus speech, he then foolishly accused Prime Minister John Key of living in a flash pad while he slummed it in a downmarket $2.5 million mansion in Herne Bay.

        He set up a secret trust for his leadership bid and was caught out. He claimed his grandfather won a war medal when it was his great uncle. His CV had mistakes in it. He used Grant Robertson’s leadership statement as his own and this week – the howler – denied he knew Donghua Liu or had ever advocated for him – before a letter emerged to prove otherwise.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 1.2.2.1

          Ah, sorry to interrupt your false narrative. He criticised the Prime Minister’s dismissal of a Salvation Army report on poverty by pointing out that it’s authors were better placed to judge the problem. The full exchange is in Hansard, and your attempt to re-write history is clearly the result of mendacity or gullibility.

          Asking that someone be provided with a timetable, likewise, is not “advocacy”. So again, you’re either lying deliberately or you’ve swallowed the lies you’ve been fed.

          The trust wasn’t secret: it was declared. Another (deliberate?) lie from you.

          As for the rest, Blip has a list. Have you read it? It makes you look like a partisan shill.

          So, which one is it? Are you dupe or duplicitous? Better get some personal responsibility or you’ll look like a hypocrite as well as a liar.

    • dave 1.3

      hooton bend over we all know you are John keys bum boy .you can take your opinions and shove it where it belongs

    • Bluey 1.4

      Will the next bout of shrieking drown Collins death throes?
      We shall see.

  2. Clean_power 2

    There is no reason for D. Cunliffe to resign.

  3. dimebag russell 3

    Hooton should resign too.
    what business of his is all this stuff.
    it is hard to tell just what side of the street he is walking on. What these so called journalists think is just a a matter of their own opinions and has nothing to do with truth or fact.
    New Zealand is sinking into irreparable infantilism and childishness when it lets these people do their thinking for them.

  4. Jack 4

    Armstrong is a National Party Cheerleader and Mascot, definitely not an independent professional journalist. Obviously picks up a cheque each week.

    Strange how they released Cunliffe’s letter from 11 years ago for the Cunliffe Smear Campaign but have not released National Party Support Letters for Dong Liu, very strange stuff going on in the background here, the whole show is cooked and orchestrated by someone.

    Why don’t we just get the facts from these journalists rather than their self opinionated dribble depending which side of the fence they are sitting on.

  5. Colonial Viper 5

    John Armstrong acted like a wet behind the ears easily manipulated 22 year old grad out of a bad journo school too eager to make his mark. Clearly, Armstrong was given advance notice of what was happening, wrote up a piece ahead of time so it could be published on the designated smear schedule, and in doing so finally definitively revealed himself to be nothing more than a compromised mouthpiece.

    Instead of building up his own credibility as an experienced political journalist able to explain the mechanations and implications of the game being played, he decided to take on the role of a sacrificial pawn within the game itself. Stupid to let himself get used and sold out by the National spin machine like that. They don’t give a fuck that he now looks like a cheap partisan hack.

    And don’t think the editors of the paper didn’t green light his bullshit as well.

    Looking forward to Armstrong losing his access to PM Cunliffe’s office.

  6. Foreign Waka 6

    I have no faith in the reporters in NZ. They have very little chance to change jobs when they want and so effectively have no freedom of opinion. How can anyone expect a true and unbiased word from that profession? Unfortunately, they rank now right after Car sales person being as trustworthy. There is the odd exception but they are either a novelty that wears off or they have to go overseas.

  7. Jrobin 7

    Yes disappointing to see Armstrong so hysterical. I acknowledge he s a conservative but he is usually intelligent and circumspect. Goodness did he succumb to bribery, I doubt it, just got overwhelmed with his own importance. The end of an era perhaps. O Sullivan was very fair on The Nation too. She’s far too smart to burn bridges she may need if the Election goes the way of the Left. She also came out in support of a range of policies from Labour in Herald. Liu now backing off affidavit oh dear so it was all smoke and mirrors. Yes Armstong needs to apologise and fast.

  8. wyndham 8

    I have some sympathy for John Armstrong in that I understand he has severe and unpleasant health problems as well as being elderly. The former can often affect one’s capability to perceive matters dispassionately and the latter often produces grumpy and intolerant views of the world and of one’s fellow beings.
    The really sad thing is that he is allowed to continue venting his spleen per medium of an oft-read political column.

  9. redfred 9

    Ive consigned Amstrongs tripe to the same pile as Whale Oil, Kiwi Blog and Trevett and shall never bother reading it again; pointless, thoughtless, partisan, dribble.

    I think Ill tune into Radio NZ more, I’m sure the Nats will have their knife out for them shortly.

    • Will@Welly 9.1

      Radio NZ are already undergoing a round re-organisation.
      As with any media outlet, you have to be selective over whose articles you read/listen too/watch.
      Fran O’Sullivan is having a ‘big change’ of heart over David Cunliffe. What does she know?

      • redfred 9.1.1

        Your right about the O’Sullivan article reads a bit like ohhh may be we pushed that too far and better back the bus up on the partisan stuff from the editorial staff…. damage done anyway! But yes more thoughtful, perhaps some internal jockeying and position among the political journos at the Herald.. Fran picked up on the general disbelief among most fair minded NZers and its blown up in Amstrongs face… time for some shameless I’m the voice of political reason at the Herald and some self promotion article writing.

      • Lanthanide 9.1.2

        “As with any media outlet, you have to be selective over whose articles you read/listen too/watch.”

        Which is a good way to end up only reading articles / commentators you agree with, giving you a very one-sided view of reality.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 9.1.2.1

          +1

          Reading the Herald is a good way of figuring out what the National Party doesn’t want to talk about.

          • framu 9.1.2.1.1

            i often use your views as a social barometer

            edit – “your views” – ie: the comments section @ the herald

  10. weka 10

    From the original article in the Herald,

    But the Herald can reveal Liu, 53, also paid $15,000 at a Labour Party auction in 2007 for a book signed by Helen Clark, the Prime Minister at the time, according to a party source.

    The source said Liu also hosted Rick Barker, the then Internal Affairs Minister, at a dinner in his hometown of Chongqing.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/jared-savage/news/article.cfm?a_id=304&objectid=11274606

    Why can no-one produce evidence of this donation?

    If the money was donated but counted as part of a pool for the whole auction, what’s the problem?

    See http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21062014/#comment-835622

    Why is Cunliffe responsible for a previous govt’s actions/mistakes from seven years ago (assuming there even is a mistake)?

    • karol 10.1

      Plus, “Show me the book!”

      • weka 10.1.1

        Good point!

        The whole thing is so short on detail that it’s highly suspicious. What’s the name of the book? When was the auction? Where was the auction? These shouldn’t be hard questions to ask, unless someone has an agenda.

        • William 10.1.1.1

          “What’s the name of the book?”

          I’m surprised the sewers haven’t yet suggested it was a copy of Mein Kampf /sarc

          Additionally, all the stories I’ve seen have stated as above “according to a party source”. They’ve never specified which party!

          • cardassian 10.1.1.1.1

            ““What’s the name of the book?”

            I’m surprised the sewers haven’t yet suggested it was a copy of Mein Kampf /sarc”

            We all know it was Chairman Mao’s little red book /sarc

  11. Jrobin 11

    As Blueleoard stated on other post the point is influence not money. If the party are not aware that Liu donated then he has not influenced them. It is the corrupting influence of knowing the donors eg Cabint Club that is problematic. Polling of Nat voters showed that many of them even, disapprove of Cabinet Club. Conservative voters should be challenging this trend towards American style corporate control of Government. They are going to live here too. Or is it win at any cost, forget about democratic process?

  12. freedom 12

    Makes one wonder, where does it lead if NZ can’t retain ownership of our own democracy ? http://thesuperjesus.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/shiny-object.jpg?w=510

  13. The time/date stamp of Armstrong’s earlier online article calling for Cunliffe’s resignation proves he is hopelessly compromised. Who tipped him off ahead of the release of the OIA to The Herald? But good on the other journos now onto the corrupt Immigration officials who withheld the letters of National MPs. That public service corruption needs to be investigated urgently by the Ombudsman….it can’t be allowed to drag till after the election. Relatively simple investigation: what legal grounds are there to distinguish National and Labour letters on the Liu file?

    • AB 13.1

      Should John Armstrong instead be calling for Michael Woodhouse’s resignation?

      • ianmac 13.1.1

        My guess is that Woodhouse was told by the PM to say nothing about the letter. If anyone asks say you did not give the PM the letter. Sadly for Woodhouse the security broke down and he had to “confess”. To Mr Key, Mr Woodhouse is expendable. Deflect heat away from Key at all costs.

  14. infused 14

    It’s best he does stay there.

  15. appleboy 15

    Armstrong is a lousy, politically biased hack. Known it for years and we have now seen it crystal clear . How on earth does the man sleep. Not well I hope.

  16. Hami Shearlie 16

    John Armstrong, the Victor Meldrew (spitting image actually) of the Press Cabal! I can just imagine him realising he’s been had, holding his head and saying “Oh, GODDD!”

  17. finbar 17

    This issue now is dead in the water,and the only one to come out of it with any dignity is Cunliffe,for he has handled it brilliantly,fronting the issue with steadfast resolve and no evasion.I see O!Sullivan,on The Nation this morning, saying along the line of, i beleive Cunliffe,in regard to this issue.

  18. meconism 18

    Armstrong doesn’t sound very well when interviewed. His emphysema seems to be getting worse, how sick is he?

  19. Morrissey 19

    John Armstrong has been exposed as a crybaby and a drip on many occasions, but none more devastatingly than when he foolishly got into a fight with the superior Gordon Campbell….
    http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2012/09/17/gordon-campbell-on-journalism-and-john-armstrong/

    This writer (i.e., moi) has also seen fit to pass comment on Armstrong in the past….
    http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-05042013/#comment-614280

  20. Jenny 20

    One thing that Armstrong got right, was his reporting that David Cunliffe identified those acting against him within the Labour Caucus as “Strikebreakers”.

    I think that David Cunliffe’s gut feeling is right, when it comes to these scabs David needs to get in touch with his viscera more often.

    Maybe even to go as far as outing these scabs and ditching any accommodation with them.

    To help him I thought I would name my top two.

    Scab number 1 David Parker

    This neoliberal dry and leader of the ABCs is an open supporter of the plutocrats and polluters condemning New Zealand under a Labour led administration to Deep Sea Oil Drilling, Fracking and New Coal Mines. David Parker says Labour’s policies are “close” to the government’s.

    Scab number 2 Phil Goff

    This wealthy representative of working class seat of Roskill who resides with all the other millionaires in Cleveland, comes in at number 2 for his open support for the TPP which will sell out out democracy to the foreign multinationals, preventing New Zealand ever again taking a world leading role in social policy. (Not to mention Phil Goff’s history of neoliberal crimes, student fees and debt, selling out over National’s GST rise, and a whole back catalogue of support for Rogernomics.)

    If Cunliffe dropped these sea anchors and started speaking from his gut more often then he might start gaining some traction with the average New Zealand voter.

    After all 80% of New Zealanders unlike fanatic David Parker are opposed to deep sea oil drilling. If Cunliffe dropped this scab and started to come out openly against deep sea oil drilling not just on safety but climate change grounds he could mop up all this support.

    We need more of THIS, rather than the suffocating silence that he has been sentenced to as leader of a divided caucus.

    Time for David Cunliffe to show some leadership steel and lay down the law to these scabs and for him to start leading from the front.

    • Colonial Viper 20.1

      Parker shouldnt be high up your list. Many other far more worthy suspects.

    • dave 20.2

      2011 mt roskill was the only labour electorate to increase there majority by 2000 votes
      not only that mt roskill had the highest stop the asset sale count of any electorate a staggering 14200 signatures collected by goff and his team .

  21. dave 21

    if its any consolation the heralds days are numbered there sales are in terminal decline there online strategy is hopeless and just like Armstrong there a dinosaur

  22. upandcomer 22

    Why are you turning on your lefty rag the Herald? Everyone else is just amazed that Labour is getting even treatment after months of Labour smears and dirt

  23. North 23

    Armstrong has let himself down very badly. Any bets that the passive-aggressive conceit long resident in his heart of hearts has not been replaced by a riveting sense of humiliation ? Or is he too far gone and no ?

    Given his juxtaposition to Fran O’Sullivan it must be excruciating to be ticked off so dissmissively, even if not by name and even if she does entertain an agenda to have the Right monologue seem to retain a modicum of respectable, mature, impartial analysis. The word “risible” ? My goodness.

    Supid, stupid boy/man. Just too, too eager aye ? Very much more stupid for the fact that ‘you read it here first…..’

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Chris Bishop: Smokin’
    Yes. Correct. It was an election result. And now we are the elected government. ...
    My ThinksBy boonman
    10 hours ago
  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science  Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 26, 2023 thru Dec 2, 2023. Story of the Week CO2 readings from Mauna Loa show failure to combat climate change Daily atmospheric carbon dioxide data from Hawaiian volcano more ...
    11 hours ago
  • Affirmative Action.
    Affirmative Action was a key theme at this election, although I don’t recall anyone using those particular words during the campaign.They’re positive words, and the way the topic was talked about was anything but. It certainly wasn’t a campaign of saying that Affirmative Action was a good thing, but that, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    17 hours ago
  • 100 days of something
    It was at the end of the Foxton straights, at the end of 1978, at 100km/h, that someone tried to grab me from behind on my Yamaha.They seemed to be yanking my backpack. My first thought was outrage. My second was: but how? Where have they come from? And my ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    17 hours ago
  • Look who’s stepped up to champion Winston
    There’s no news to be gleaned from the government’s official website today  – it contains nothing more than the message about the site being under maintenance. The time this maintenance job is taking and the costs being incurred have us musing on the government’s commitment to an assault on inflation. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • What's The Story?
    Don’t you sometimes wish they’d just tell the truth? No matter how abhorrent or ugly, just straight up tell us the truth?C’mon guys, what you’re doing is bad enough anyway, pretending you’re not is only adding insult to injury.Instead of all this bollocks about the Smokefree changes being to do ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • The longest of weeks
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Friday Under New Management Week in review, quiz style1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Suggested sessions of EGU24 to submit abstracts to
    Like earlier this year, members from our team will be involved with next year's General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU). The conference will take place on premise in Vienna as well as online from April 14 to 19, 2024. The session catalog has been available since November 1 ...
    2 days ago
  • Under New Management
    1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. Under New Management 2. Which of these best describes the 100 days of action announced this week by the new government?a. Petulantb. Simplistic and wrongheaded c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • While we wait patiently, our new Minister of Education is up and going with a 100-day action plan
    Sorry to say, the government’s official website is still out of action. When Point of Order paid its daily visit, the message was the same as it has been for the past week: Site under maintenance Beehive.govt.nz is currently under maintenance. We will be back shortly. Thank you for your ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • DAVID FARRAR: Hysterical bullshit
    Radio NZ reports: Te Pāti Māori’s co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer has accused the new government of “deliberate .. systemic genocide” over its policies to roll back the smokefree policy and the Māori Health Authority. The left love hysterical language. If you oppose racial quotas in laws, you are a racist. And now if you sack ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • ELE LUDEMANN: It wasn’t just $55 million
    Ele Ludemann writes –  Winston Peters reckons media outlets were bribed by the $55 million Public Interest Journalism Fund. He is not the first to make such an accusation. Last year, the Platform outlined conditions media signed up to in return for funds from the PJIF: . . . ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 1-December-2023
    Wow, it’s December already, and it’s a Friday. So here are few things that caught our attention recently. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt covered the new government’s coalition agreements and what they mean for transport. On Tuesday Matt looked at AT’s plans for fare increases ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    3 days ago
  • Shane MacGowan Is Gone.
    Late 1996, The Dogs Bollix, Tamaki Makaurau.I’m at the front of the bar yelling my order to the bartender, jostling with other thirsty punters on a Friday night, keen to piss their wages up against a wall letting loose. The black stuff, long luscious pints of creamy goodness. Back down ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Dec 1
    Nicola Willis, Chris Bishop and other National, ACT and NZ First MPs applaud the signing of the coalition agreements, which included the reversal of anti-smoking measures while accelerating tax cuts for landlords. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • 2023 More Reading: November (+ Writing Update)
    Completed reads for November: A Modern Utopia, by H.G. Wells The Vampire (poem), by Heinrich August Ossenfelder The Corpus Hermeticum The Corpus Hermeticum is Mead’s translation. Now, this is indeed a very quiet month for reading. But there is a reason for that… You see, ...
    3 days ago
  • Forward to 2017
    The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies.The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. They also describe the processes of the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    3 days ago
  • Questions a nine year old might ask the new Prime Minister
    First QuestionYou’re going to crack down on people ram-raiding dairies, because you say hard-working dairy owners shouldn’t have to worry about getting ram-raided.But once the chemist shops have pseudoephedrine in them again, they're going to get ram-raided all the time. Do chemists not work as hard as dairy owners?Second QuestionYou ...
    More than a fieldingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Questions a nine year old might ask the new Prime Minister
    First QuestionYou’re going to crack down on people ram-raiding dairies, because you say hard-working dairy owners shouldn’t have to worry about getting ram-raided.But once the chemist shops have pseudoephedrine in them again, they're going to get ram-raided all the time. Do chemists not work as hard as dairy owners?Second QuestionYou ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Finally
    Henry Kissinger is finally dead. Good fucking riddance. While Americans loved him, he was a war criminal, responsible for most of the atrocities of the final quarter of the twentieth century. Cambodia. Bangladesh. Chile. East Timor. All Kissinger. Because of these crimes, Americans revere him as a "statesman" (which says ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Government in a hurry – Luxon lists 49 priorities in 100-day plan while Peters pledges to strength...
    Buzz from the Beehive Yes, ministers in the new government are delivering speeches and releasing press statements. But the message on the government’s official website was the same as it has been for the past several days, when Point of Order went looking for news from the Beehive that had ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • DAVID FARRAR: Luxon is absolutely right
    David Farrar writes  –  1 News reports: Christopher Luxon says he was told by some Kiwis on the campaign trail they “didn’t know” the difference between Waka Kotahi, Te Pūkenga and Te Whatu Ora. Speaking to Breakfast, the incoming prime minister said having English first on government agencies will “make sure” ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Top 10 at 10 am for Thursday, Nov 30
    There are fears that mooted changes to building consent liability could end up driving the building industry into an uninsured hole. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Thursday, November 30, including:The new Government’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on how climate change threatens cricket‘s future
    Well that didn’t last long, did it? Mere days after taking on what he called the “awesome responsibility” of being Prime Minister, M Christopher Luxon has started blaming everyone else, and complaining that he has inherited “economic vandalism on an unprecedented scale” – which is how most of us are ...
    4 days ago
  • We need to talk about Tory.
    The first I knew of the news about Tory Whanau was when a tweet came up in my feed.The sort of tweet that makes you question humanity, or at least why you bother with Twitter. Which is increasingly a cesspit of vile inhabitants who lurk spreading negativity, hate, and every ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Dangling Transport Solutions
    Cable Cars, Gondolas, Ropeways and Aerial Trams are all names for essentially the same technology and the world’s biggest maker of them are here to sell them as an public transport solution. Stuff reports: Austrian cable car company Doppelmayr has launched its case for adding aerial cable cars to New ...
    4 days ago
  • November AMA
    Hi,It’s been awhile since I’ve done an Ask-Me-Anything on here, so today’s the day. Ask anything you like in the comments section, and I’ll be checking in today and tomorrow to answer.Leave a commentNext week I’ll be giving away a bunch of these Mister Organ blu-rays for readers in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago
  • National’s early moves adding to cost of living pressure
    The cost of living grind continues, and the economic and inflation honeymoon is over before it began. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: PM Christopher Luxon unveiled his 100 day plan yesterday with an avowed focus of reducing cost-of-living pressures, but his Government’s initial moves and promises are actually elevating ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Backwards to the future
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has confirmed that it will be back to the future on planning legislation. This will be just one of a number of moves which will see the new government go backwards as it repeals and cost-cuts its way into power. They will completely repeal one ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • New initiatives in science and technology could point the way ahead for Luxon government
    As the new government settles into the Beehive, expectations are high that it can sort out some  of  the  economic issues  confronting  New Zealand. It may take time for some new  ministers to get to grips with the range of their portfolio work and responsibilities before they can launch the  changes that  ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    4 days ago
  • Treaty pledge to secure funding is contentious – but is Peters being pursued by a lynch mob after ...
    TV3 political editor Jenna Lynch was among the corps of political reporters who bridled, when Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters told them what he thinks of them (which is not much). She was unabashed about letting her audience know she had bridled. More usefully, she drew attention to something which ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • How long does this last?
    I have a clear memory of every election since 1969 in this plucky little nation of ours. I swear I cannot recall a single one where the question being asked repeatedly in the first week of the new government was: how long do you reckon they’ll last? And that includes all ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • National’s giveaway politics
    We already know that national plans to boost smoking rates to collect more tobacco tax so they can give huge tax-cuts to mega-landlords. But this morning that policy got even more obscene - because it turns out that the tax cut is retrospective: Residential landlords will be able to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • CHRIS TROTTER: Who’s driving the right-wing bus?
    Who’s At The Wheel? The electorate’s message, as aggregated in the polling booths on 14 October, turned out to be a conservative political agenda stronger than anything New Zealand has seen in five decades. In 1975, Bill Rowling was run over by just one bus, with Rob Muldoon at the wheel. In 2023, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • GRAHAM ADAMS:  Media knives flashing for Luxon’s government
    The fear and loathing among legacy journalists is astonishing Graham Adams writes – No one is going to die wondering how some of the nation’s most influential journalists personally view the new National-led government. It has become abundantly clear within a few days of the coalition agreements ...
    Point of OrderBy gadams1000
    4 days ago
  • Top 10 news links for Wednesday, Nov 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my pick of top 10 news links elsewhere for Wednesday November 29, including:The early return of interest deductibility for landlords could see rebates paid on previous taxes and the cost increase to $3 billion from National’s initial estimate of $2.1 billion, CTU Economist Craig Renney estimated here last ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Smokefree Fallout and a High Profile Resignation.
    The day after being sworn in the new cabinet met yesterday, to enjoy their honeymoon phase. You remember, that period after a new government takes power where the country, and the media, are optimistic about them, because they haven’t had a chance to stuff anything about yet.Sadly the nuptials complete ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • As Cabinet revs up, building plans go on hold
    Wellington Council hoardings proclaim its preparations for population growth, but around the country councils are putting things on hold in the absence of clear funding pathways for infrastructure, and despite exploding migrant numbers. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Cabinet meets in earnest today to consider the new Government’s 100-day ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • National takes over infrastructure
    Though New Zealand First may have had ambitions to run the infrastructure portfolios, National would seem to have ended up firmly in control of them.  POLITIK has obtained a private memo to members of Infrastructure NZ yesterday, which shows that the peak organisation for infrastructure sees  National MPs Chris ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • At a glance – Evidence for global warming
    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 ...
    5 days ago
  • Who’s Driving The Right-Wing Bus?
    Who’s At The Wheel? The electorate’s message, as aggregated in the polling booths on 14 October, turned out to be a conservative political agenda stronger than anything New Zealand has seen in five decades. In 1975, Bill Rowling was run over by just one bus, with Rob Muldoon at the wheel. In ...
    5 days ago
  • Sanity break
    Cheers to reader Deane for this quote from Breakfast TV today:Chloe Swarbrick to Brook van Velden re the coalition agreement: “... an unhinged grab-bag of hot takes from your drunk uncle at Christmas”Cheers also to actual Prime Minister of a country Christopher Luxon for dorking up his swearing-in vows.But that's enough ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Sanity break
    Cheers to reader Deane for this quote from Breakfast TV today:Chloe Swarbrick to Brook van Velden re the coalition agreement: “... an unhinged grab-bag of hot takes from your drunk uncle at Christmas”Cheers also to actual Prime Minister of a country Christopher Luxon for dorking up his swearing-in vows.But that's enough ...
    More than a fieldingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • National’s murderous smoking policy
    One of the big underlying problems in our political system is the prevalence of short-term thinking, most usually seen in the periodic massive infrastructure failures at a local government level caused by them skimping on maintenance to Keep Rates Low. But the new government has given us a new example, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • NZ has a chance to rise again as our new government gets spending under control
    New Zealand has  a chance  to  rise  again. Under the  previous  government, the  number of New Zealanders below the poverty line was increasing  year by year. The Luxon-led government  must reverse that trend – and set about stabilising  the  pillars  of the economy. After the  mismanagement  of the outgoing government created   huge ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    5 days ago
  • KARL DU FRESNE: Media and the new government
    Two articles by Karl du Fresne bring media coverage of the new government into considerations.  He writes –    Tuesday, November 28, 2023 The left-wing media needed a line of attack, and they found one The left-wing media pack wasted no time identifying the new government’s weakest point. Seething over ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • PHILIP CRUMP:  Team of rivals – a CEO approach to government leadership
    The work begins Philip Crump wrote this article ahead of the new government being sworn in yesterday – Later today the new National-led coalition government will be sworn in, and the hard work begins. At the core of government will be three men – each a leader ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Black Friday
    As everyone who watches television or is on the mailing list for any of our major stores will confirm, “Black Friday” has become the longest running commercial extravaganza and celebration in our history. Although its origins are obscure (presumably dreamt up by American salesmen a few years ago), it has ...
    Bryan GouldBy Bryan Gould
    6 days ago
  • In Defense of the Media.
    Yesterday the Ministers in the next government were sworn in by our Governor General. A day of tradition and ceremony, of decorum and respect. Usually.But yesterday Winston Peters, the incoming Deputy Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister, of our nation used it, as he did with the signing of the coalition ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Top 10 news links at 10 am for Tuesday, Nov 28
    Nicola Willis’ first move was ‘spilling the tea’ on what she called the ‘sobering’ state of the nation’s books, but she had better be able to back that up in the HYEFU. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of top 10 news links elsewhere at 10 am ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • PT use up but fare increases coming
    Yesterday Auckland Transport were celebrating, as the most recent Sunday was the busiest Sunday they’ve ever had. That’s a great outcome and I’m sure the ...
    6 days ago
  • The very opposite of social investment
    Nicola Willis (in blue) at the signing of the coalition agreement, before being sworn in as both Finance Minister and Social Investment Minister. National’s plan to unwind anti-smoking measures will benefit her in the first role, but how does it stack up from a social investment viewpoint? Photo: Lynn Grieveson ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Giving Tuesday
    For the first time "in history" we decided to jump on the "Giving Tuesday" bandwagon in order to make you aware of the options you have to contribute to our work! Projects supported by Skeptical Science Inc. Skeptical Science Skeptical Science is an all-volunteer organization but ...
    6 days ago
  • Let's open the books with Nicotine Willis
    Let’s say it’s 1984,and there's a dreary little nation at the bottom of the Pacific whose name rhymes with New Zealand,and they've just had an election.Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, will you look at the state of these books we’ve opened,cries the incoming government, will you look at all this mountain ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Climate Change: Stopping oil
    National is promising to bring back offshore oil and gas drilling. Naturally, the Greens have organised a petition campaign to try and stop them. You should sign it - every little bit helps, and as the struggle over mining conservation land showed, even National can be deterred if enough people ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Don’t accept Human Rights Commission reading of data on Treaty partnership – read the survey fin...
    Wellington is braced for a “massive impact’ from the new government’s cutting public service jobs, The Post somewhat grimly reported today. Expectations of an economic and social jolt are based on the National-Act coalition agreement to cut public service numbers in each government agency in a cost-trimming exercise  “informed by” head ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • The stupidest of stupid reasons
    One of the threats in the National - ACT - NZ First coalition agreements was to extend the term of Parliament to four years, reducing our opportunities to throw a bad government out. The justification? Apparently, the government thinks "elections are expensive". This is the stupidest of stupid reasons for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • A website bereft of buzz
    Buzz from the Beehive The new government was being  sworn in, at time of writing , and when Point of Order checked the Beehive website for the latest ministerial statements and re-visit some of the old ones we drew a blank. We found ….  Nowt. Nothing. Zilch. Not a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • MICHAEL BASSETT: A new Ministry – at last
    Michael Bassett writes – Like most people, I was getting heartily sick of all the time being wasted over the coalition negotiations. During the first three weeks Winston grinned like a Cheshire cat, certain he’d be needed; Chris Luxon wasted time in lifting the phone to Winston ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Luxon's Breakfast.
    The Prime Minister elect had his silver fern badge on. He wore it to remind viewers he was supporting New Zealand, that was his team. Despite the fact it made him look like a concierge, or a welcomer in a Koru lounge. Anna Burns-Francis, the Breakfast presenter, asked if he ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • LINDSAY MITCHELL:  Oranga Tamariki faces major upheaval under coalition agreement
     Lindsay Mitchell writes – A hugely significant gain for ACT is somewhat camouflaged by legislative jargon. Under the heading ‘Oranga Tamariki’ ACT’s coalition agreement contains the following item:   Remove Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 According to Oranga Tamariki:     “Section ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago
  • BRIAN EASTON:  Peters as Minister
    A previous column looked at Winston Peters biographically. This one takes a closer look at his record as a minister, especially his policy record. Brian Easton writes – 1990-1991: Minister of Māori Affairs. Few remember Ka Awatea as a major document on the future of Māori policy; there is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago
  • Cathrine Dyer's guide to watching COP 28 from the bottom of a warming planet
    Is COP28 largely smoke and mirrors and a plan so cunning, you could pin a tail on it and call it a weasel? Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: COP28 kicks off on November 30 and up for negotiation are issues like the role of fossil fuels in the energy transition, contributions to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago
  • Top 10 news links at 10 am for Monday, Nov 27
    PM Elect Christopher Luxon was challenged this morning on whether he would sack Adrian Orr and Andrew Coster.TL;DR: Here’s my pick of top 10 news links elsewhere at 10 am on Monday November 27, including:Signs councils are putting planning and capital spending on hold, given a lack of clear guidance ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the new government’s policies of yesteryear
    This column expands on a Werewolf column published by Scoop on Friday Routinely, Winston Peters is described as the kingmaker who gets to decide when the centre right or the centre-left has a turn at running this country. He also plays a less heralded but equally important role as the ...
    7 days ago
  • The New Government’s Agreements
    Last Friday, almost six weeks after election day, National finally came to an agreement with ACT and NZ First to form a government. They also released the agreements between each party and looking through them, here are the things I thought were the most interesting (and often concerning) from the. ...
    7 days ago
  • How many smokers will die to fund the tax cuts?
    Maori and Pasifika smoking rates are already over twice the ‘all adult’ rate. Now the revenue that generates will be used to fund National’s tax cuts. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The devil is always in the detail and it emerged over the weekend from the guts of the policy agreements National ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago
  • How the culture will change in the Beehive
    Perhaps the biggest change that will come to the Beehive as the new government settles in will be a fundamental culture change. The era of endless consultation will be over. This looks like a government that knows what it wants to do, and that means it knows what outcomes ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    7 days ago
  • No More Winnie Blues.
    So what do you think of the coalition’s decision to cancel Smokefree measures intended to stop young people, including an over representation of Māori, from taking up smoking? Enabling them to use the tax revenue to give other people a tax cut?David Cormack summed it up well:It seems not only ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #47
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science  Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 19, 2023 thru Sat, Nov 25, 2023.  Story of the Week World stands on frontline of disaster at Cop28, says UN climate chief  Exclusive: Simon Stiell says leaders must ‘stop ...
    1 week ago
  • Some of it is mad, some of it is bad and some of it is clearly the work of people who are dangerous ...
    On announcement morning my mate texted:Typical of this cut-price, fake-deal government to announce itself on Black Friday.What a deal. We lose Kim Hill, we gain an empty, jargonising prime minister, a belligerent conspiracist, and a heartless Ayn Rand fanboy. One door closes, another gets slammed repeatedly in your face.It seems pretty ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • “Revolution” is the threat as the Māori Party smarts at coalition government’s Treaty directi...
    Buzz from the Beehive Having found no fresh announcements on the government’s official website, Point of Order turned today to Scoop’s Latest Parliament Headlines  for its buzz. This provided us with evidence that the Māori Party has been soured by the the coalition agreement announced yesterday by the new PM. “Soured” ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago
  • The Good, the Bad, and the even Worse.
    Yesterday the trio that will lead our country unveiled their vision for New Zealand.Seymour looking surprisingly statesmanlike, refusing to rise to barbs about his previous comments on Winston Peters. Almost as if they had just been slapstick for the crowd.Winston was mostly focussed on settling scores with the media, making ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • When it Comes to Palestine – Free Speech is Under Threat
    Hi,Thanks for getting amongst Mister Organ on digital — thanks to you, we hit the #1 doc spot on iTunes this week. This response goes a long way to helping us break even.I feel good about that. Other things — not so much.New Zealand finally has a new government, and ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • Thank you Captain Luxon. Was that a landing, or were we shot down?
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Also in More Than A FeildingFriday The unboxing And so this is Friday and what have we gone and done to ourselves?In the same way that a Christmas present can look lovely under the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand welcomes European Parliament vote on the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement
    A significant milestone in ratifying the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was reached last night, with 524 of the 705 member European Parliament voting in favour to approve the agreement. “I’m delighted to hear of the successful vote to approve the NZ-EU FTA in the European Parliament overnight. This is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Further humanitarian support for Gaza, the West Bank and Israel
    The Government is contributing a further $5 million to support the response to urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel, bringing New Zealand’s total contribution to the humanitarian response so far to $10 million. “New Zealand is deeply saddened by the loss of civilian life and the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2023-12-03T10:26:12+00:00