John vs John

Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, October 21st, 2008 - 53 comments
Categories: election 2008, john key, kiwisaver, labour - Tags:

Labour’s new television ad is up on Youtube and I’m pleased to see it’s actually pretty bloody good. They’ve managed to draw attention to one of John’s many flipflops, this one on Kiwisaver, in a way that uses humour and sticks to the facts and thereby avoids the nastiness often associated with negative campaigning.

It’s simple, it’s straight to the point, and it’s a format that could be used for any number of John’s flipflops. God knows, there’s enough of them.

53 comments on “John vs John ”

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  1. Ianmac 1
    21 October 2008 at 11:42 am

    About time! Simplicity and funny!

  2. Tim Ellis 2
    21 October 2008 at 11:44 am

    I think it’s an effective ad.

    i think they could have got a Kiwi accent doing the voiceover though.

  3. Felix 3
    21 October 2008 at 11:48 am

    I kind of agree with Tim about the accent.

    But still, very good. Hits just the right tone.

  4. Tane 4
    21 October 2008 at 11:51 am

    Tim, I thought about that, but I reckon they were going for the British accent deliberately.

    To me it brings to mind the kind of voiceover you get on kids’ programmes like Thomas the Tank Engine and I’m guessing that’s what they were after. Keeps it simple and easily understood, and gives it a certain comic effect.

    That in turn helps defuse any potential attack line from National about ‘personal attacks’ and ‘dirty tricks’.

  5. Nick 5
    21 October 2008 at 12:20 pm

    Yes, a very effective ad. Irrefutable really.

  6. Matthew Pilott 6
    21 October 2008 at 12:31 pm

    The Herald quotes someone as saying that an appropriate response from National would be an ad showing Clark’s campaign photo with an unflattering one.

    Yep.

    That’s the level to which the Herald has sunk. The person who said that (to quote Stewie Griffin) “wasn’t so much born as congealed in a gutter”. Kiwisaver policy vs a photo. I almost wish they would, but can’t imagine they are so stupid, even if many National Party faithful persist in that line of gutter attack-politics. It’s a bit of a canary in a coal-mine. If a National supporter doesn’t bring it up, you know that they probably have intelligence worth considering.

  7. Phil 7
    21 October 2008 at 12:33 pm

    It’s a good ad, but is it working? I doubt it.

    As i see it, the fundamental problem Labour faces with this ad is that the majority of voters, rightly or wrongly, percieve ALL politicians as flip-flop back-trackers – I blame Winston 🙂 .

    Surely this just elicit’s a “so what?” response from viewers?

  8. Tim Ellis 8
    21 October 2008 at 12:47 pm

    Matthew said:

    Kiwisaver policy vs a photo. I almost wish they would, but can’t imagine they are so stupid, even if many National Party faithful persist in that line of gutter attack-politics. It’s a bit of a canary in a coal-mine. If a National supporter doesn’t bring it up, you know that they probably have intelligence worth considering.

    Come on Matthew, you’re not going to get away with that. On the weekend I walked past the house of a guy in my street, and he was selling voodoo dolls of John Key, with photoshopped nude pictures of Judith Collins, among other quite obscene things, on the back of the packet. This guy’s a Labour supporter, but I don’t claim all Labour supporters are like that.

    A more appropriate response from National would be: “Helen Clark said borrowing for tax cuts was reckless” (source date mid-2008). Then: “Helen Clark said Labour would borrow for universal student allowances, extra welfare spending, schools plus, deposit guarantee scheme, and TAX CUTS.”

    Except National won’t be doing that sort of thing because it just doesn’t need to. It’s 18 points ahead of Labour. National doesn’t need to take the risks of a negative campaign that Labour’s running now.

  9. Matthew Pilott 9
    21 October 2008 at 12:57 pm

    “This guy’s a Labour supporter, but I don’t claim all Labour supporters are like that.

    Exactly what I was saying. The dumb National supporters will do stupid and offensive things and the smarter ones won’t. What am I trying to get away with? I even said that there were smart ones out there, and one useful way to spot them when you talk to them. Perhaps you read the post a bit too fast.

    You’re right, that would be an appropriate response, if not factual. You came up with that in no time. I wonder why getting some half-wit talking about photoshopping is the best that the NZ Herald can come up with? I suppose it’s only there to make money, and not inform people.

    How is cherry-picking polls going for you? A word of warning – you’ll set yourself up for disappointment on election night if you keep it up!

  10. Tim Ellis 10
    21 October 2008 at 1:14 pm

    Well, Matthew, you did say “many National Party faithful persist in that line of gutter-attack politics”. I didn’t say that many Labour Party faithful persist in gutter-attack politics against John Key, although it does sometimes seem like it.

    Maybe I did read the post too quickly.

    So the 18 point poll reference, I admit, was a cherry-pick–about as much as Helen Clark’s was the other day when she said polls showed Labour neck and neck with National. 08wire does some excellent poll analysis, however, and he is hardly a bastion of right-wing propaganda. He’s got a 13 point gap between Labour and National. He says the gap is narrowing slowly. It may well do. But it’s got a long way to go to make them neck and neck, and not a lot of time to do it.

  11. DeeDub 11
    21 October 2008 at 1:15 pm

    Radar would have been the perfect voiceover for that one.

    Or for something less contemporary but nonetheless essentially Kiwi, John Clarke.

  12. John Stevens 12
    21 October 2008 at 1:52 pm

    Attack the man when you have no new ideas.

    How original. How about Clarks flip flop about parental smacking?
    BTW, where are the policies for the December Fiscal statement from the Fiscal Fool?

  13. higherstandard 13
    21 October 2008 at 1:59 pm

    Now this is a bit unfair – I don’t think our elections been all that dirty to date ?

    http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4492

  14. Felix 14
    21 October 2008 at 2:11 pm

    Tim:

    “Helen Clark … said polls showed Labour neck and neck with National.”

    Source? Link?

    As I recall she said Labour + Greens were about = Nat + ACT but perhaps you’re referring to something I missed.

  15. Felix 15
    21 October 2008 at 2:16 pm

    John:

    It’s not attacking the man to point out his inconsistencies on major policy areas.

    It’s a bit “Palinesque” to suggest that any mention of Key is an attack. Srsly.

  16. Matthew Pilott 16
    21 October 2008 at 2:27 pm

    Tim, my “many National Party faithful persist in that line of gutter-attack politics’. line was perhaps a bit far – but I’ve seen a whole lot of it recently. Very sad stuff.

    I don’t think many would expect neck-and neck polling on election night, though I’d sure welcome it.

    John Stevens – so you’re saying that criticising someone’s statements on policy is ‘attacking the man’. How do you justify that, it’s a pretty irregular position. And if it is ‘attacking the man’, why do you jump right in and commit a similar sin, attacking Clark’s comments? I suppose you knew the first comment was utter rubbish, so didn’t see anything wrong with the second – you were right in that thinking, but to follow through isn’t an intelligent look.

  17. Matthew Pilott 17
    21 October 2008 at 2:31 pm

    HS – the differnce between ‘worst of the worst’ between New Zealand and Russia is a bit of a yawning gulf! Google bomb vs ordering someone to be shot…

  18. Quoth the Raven 18
    21 October 2008 at 3:06 pm

    From the article HS linked to:
    Worst of the worst: Why Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua (ie: A Pathological Liar, Hypocrite and Usurper) and the Satanic and Corrupt People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Must Go Now
    —the title of a book published by the “Save Nigeria Campaign Organization,’ an independent funding organization that supports a political party, the Action Congress

    I didn’t know Ian Wishart was in Nigeria.

  19. Ianmac 19
    21 October 2008 at 3:19 pm

    I wish someone clever could do something clever with my image of: “The Smiling Assassin with His Razor Gang!”

  20. Sarah 20
    21 October 2008 at 3:54 pm

    The only people who are going to be attracted to the ad is the far lefties. Hell, you guys are going to have a feast over it. But it’s not at all going to work for the mainstream public. It feels far too pretentious and the ending kills it.

  21. Felix 21
    21 October 2008 at 4:04 pm

    Why are you still pretending to be a woman, Sarah?

    Is it a fetish thing?

  22. Sarah 22
    21 October 2008 at 4:11 pm

    Oh you know felix, thought I might take out those stilettos for a run.

  23. randal 23
    21 October 2008 at 4:26 pm

    It is a brillliant ad. the word is that kids like it and the message is really starting to get through. Of course the manques and misanthropes like “SARAH” whoever he is are going to pooh pooh it but then everybody knows that they are trolls.

  24. Phil 24
    21 October 2008 at 4:29 pm

    Why are you pretending to be Lenny Kravitz, Felix?

    🙂

  25. Felix 25
    21 October 2008 at 4:39 pm

    Why is Lenny Kravitz pretending to be me?

    (and doing a piss poor job of it I might add)

  26. Phil 26
    21 October 2008 at 5:11 pm

    🙂

    A couple of day’s ago you claimed to be using your real name and photo, but I’ve always thought that the little picture thingee was the awesome rock-legend Lenny Kravitz.

  27. Felix 27
    21 October 2008 at 6:27 pm

    I do see the resemblance now that you mention it. In that pic I mean, not in 3D real life.

    You can also tell us apart by the retro-styled psychedelic mansion crawling with gorgeous models. I don’t think Lenny has one of those.

  28. Brett Dale 28
    21 October 2008 at 7:38 pm

    I doubt the ad will change one person to change their vote, the hard left will be clapping like trained circus seals over it, national fans will shrug their shoulders and ask “Is this the best they can do?” While the independents will take no notice.

  29. randal 29
    21 October 2008 at 7:46 pm

    Well then why did you bother to comment? Methinks youare jealous that these ads are cogent and will sway the undecided voter with a clear message of what is in store for them if they vote for the tory wreckers.

  30. jake 30
    21 October 2008 at 8:36 pm

    As a rightie, I really, really hope you guys decide these ads are doing the job and keep on down this path.

  31. Pascal's bookie 31
    21 October 2008 at 8:43 pm

    I see what you did there jake. Very subtle.

    As a rightie what do you think of Key’s Labour plus strategy? Will you be happy to have a National led government that doesn’t change anything? Or are you hoping he’s a liar?

  32. theodoresteel 32
    21 October 2008 at 9:02 pm

    Pascal’s bookie. I sure hope JKs a liar, I am seriously worried about 40% super mandatory in NZ. but I am actually starting to doubt that he is. I suppose that’s good for the left though. Policy wins are better than election wins.

  33. Pascal's bookie 33
    21 October 2008 at 9:15 pm

    I think that 40% thing is stupid as well theo. How long before the Cullen fund will own the entire nzx? Talk about your dancing bloody cossacks. I think it’s a gimmick though. What he means is he’ll gut the cullen fund to pay for PPP’s, or something equally bloody stupid.

    And I think we agree that when the other side’s party is stealing your side’s party’s policy, it means you’re winning.

  34. dave 34
    21 October 2008 at 9:24 pm

    who’s the smiling woman at the end of the video? They said ” You know you can trust Helen Clark and Labour” -but although the nice young man looked like John Key, the woman didn’t look like Helen Clark at all. Whats going on?

  35. Pascal's bookie 35
    21 October 2008 at 9:37 pm

    …and Pilott’s Law claims another victim!

  36. mike 36
    21 October 2008 at 9:43 pm

    There is no way Key would give away the high ground he won after helens embarrassing “shout at your kids” outburst the other night.

    This ad is really very desperate stuff from labour and it seems the NZ public know it. I hope they have more of the same.

  37. Chris G 37
    21 October 2008 at 9:51 pm

    mike,

    This ad is true, correct? Therefore I miss why it is ‘desperate stuff” and I’d love to know how you know the ‘NZ public know it’

  38. Tim Ellis 38
    21 October 2008 at 10:02 pm

    Pascal’s bookie said:

    What he means is he?ll gut the cullen fund to pay for PPP?s, or something equally bloody stupid.

    I don’t understand this argument. Recently I have heard Labour MPs say that PPPs are just a means to deliver profits to big international businesses like Macquaries. Presumably this means that PPPs are profitable for private business to invest in. Why would they be profitable for private business, but not for super funds?

    I very much doubt that a 40% shareholding in New Zealand means that all the investments will be in the NZX. 40% of the Super Fund is only $5.5 billion at present. It would have bought Auckland International Airport. It would have paid for the Wellington lines company. If Kiwirail had been a viable business venture, it could have paid for that. There are many New Zealand companies, presently with large international shareholdings, that could remain NZ-owned.

  39. gobsmacked 39
    21 October 2008 at 10:02 pm

    I haven’t seen the ad on TV. I usually hit mute anyway, or make a cuppa.

    But I have seen coverage of this ad on TV news, various newspaper websites, heard stories about it on Checkpoint, commercial radio etc. And John Key was talking about it.

    Therefore, it’s a successful ad.

  40. Swampy 40
    21 October 2008 at 10:04 pm

    It is actually quite loathsome in stooping to a low personal attack on Key. The last time we had anything this bad was Muldoon and the dancing cossacks way back in 1975.

  41. Robinsod 41
    21 October 2008 at 10:12 pm

    Oh fuck off you cock. I love it when you rightards get all sanctimonious and use words like “loathsome”. Here’s a tip swampy – your use of “loathsome” doesn’t make you sound offended. It makes you sound camp. Very very camp…

  42. lprent 42
    21 October 2008 at 10:21 pm

    PB: The Culllen fund is ‘currently’ unable to take control of companies. But yes they are at 23% of the investment in NZ and that is slated to fall rather than rise. The NZX simply doesn’t have enough capitalization.

    So yes, the only reason to turn that amount of money loose is so that Key and his mates in the Nay’s can plunder it for things like PPP’s. Thereby reducing the return on the investment as well as decreasing the risk for their private partners (ie friends).

    It is an interesting scenario. At present the Nay’s haven’t told us why this can’t happen.

  43. Pascal's bookie 43
    21 October 2008 at 10:24 pm

    Tim, If you can’t see what’s wrong with the 40% thing, I can’t help you. How long will 40% equal 5.5 billion? Is this policy a gimmick for a few years? Do you think it will become politically difficult to divest the NZ 40% share? What effect will this have as the fund grows on a small market like NZ’s. Bubble bubble toil and trouble.

    If PPP projects are viable for super funds to invest in, why do they need the taxpayer’s dollars?

  44. Pascal's bookie 44
    21 October 2008 at 10:27 pm

    lprent, crossposted.

    Tory pirates ahoy! arrrgh.

  45. lprent 45
    21 October 2008 at 10:40 pm

    TE: The Cullen fund is slated to grow to over 100 billion. What is the current capitalisation of the NZX?.

    Well to give you an idea of the effect look at the total amount of capital raised in the NZX last year – $5.5 billion.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4347846a13.html

    Essentially 40% of the Cullen fund as it grows will flood the market and it will be after safe investments. It is a teensy market so it is likely there is a reason that Key wants that amount of capital sloshing in the local market.

  46. Tim Ellis 46
    21 October 2008 at 11:55 pm

    LP, PB: Yes, I agree that the Super Fund will eventually grow to $100 billion. But it is a long way from that now, and is only growing at $2-3 billion a year. That’s about a billion a year to go into NZ investments.

    That could easily be accommodated within New Zealand, and not just from the NZX. The market capitalisation of the NZX is $62 billion. In twenty years, it’s likely to be of the order of $200 billion. Assuming all of the 40% of the Super Fund went into the NZX within twenty years, that’s still only 20% of the market capitalisation of the NZX.

    Except nothing like all of the Super Fund’s 40% of NZ investments would be in the NZX. Big chunks of it would be in government stock, or in New Zealand banks, or in companies presently internationally owned or not trading on the NZX. In twenty years, Fonterra could well be trading on the New Zealand exchange, or be a viable place for depositing New Zealand investment capital.

    Nothing John Key has said indicates that he wants to direct the super fund guardians as to what they invest in. There is far more than a billion dollars a year of new FDI in New Zealand. There is plenty of scope for the Super Fund to replace that.

  47. exbrethren 47
    22 October 2008 at 7:44 am

    Why is this an “attack”? If the ad said John Key was a lying big-nosed hissing $5 haircut freak then fair enough.

    Simply printing his own statements is not an attack.

    Where were these Nat whiners at the last election when their ad took the piss out of George Hawkins because he’d had a stroke – that was real attack politics.

  48. Janet 48
    22 October 2008 at 8:19 am

    National Radio just ran an interview with John Ansell of those nasty iwi/kiwi and 2005 nasty Nat Party anti-Labour TV ads, attacking this John/John ad. What breathtaking hypocrisy!

  49. dad4justice 49
    22 October 2008 at 8:43 am

    Janet – Hypocrisy is the motto for all pollies! What a load of rubbish and it’s little wonder politicians are regarded with utter contempt by any sane person!!!

  50. lprent 50
    22 October 2008 at 8:55 am

    Nothing John Key has said indicates that he wants to direct the super fund guardians as to what they invest in.

    Except that JK has started on the slippery slope of the government directing investment in the fund into lower yielding returns for political gain. Who knows where that will end? Done once, it is easier to do next time.

    He hasn’t given even any idea why he has decided that this will be a good idea. However his ‘infastructure’ plans using PPP’s will require investment funds which is what I’m picking.

    The point about the super fund is it is there to cover future superannuation costs. To reduce the costs to future tax-payers, it needs to accumulate funds efficiently. It isn’t there to play political games with. Of course the Nay’s have a track record of doing exactly that with superannuation. They have a bad habit of thinking short-term and trying to pass costs onto future generations.

  51. randal 51
    22 October 2008 at 9:00 am

    But John Key has never denied he is bad tempered and yellsa t his wife and kids. What sort of high ground is that?

  52. Tim Ellis 52
    22 October 2008 at 9:20 am

    I agree with your point regarding the purpose of the Super Fund LP. I disagree with the following:

    Except that JK has started on the slippery slope of the government directing investment in the fund into lower yielding returns for political gain. Who knows where that will end? Done once, it is easier to do next time.

    You may have missed reports that Michael Cullen intends to encourage more NZ investment by the Super Fund, with the following:

    Labour would issue long term infrastructure bonds with a tax-free inflation indexed element with a 20 year life to fund large projects such as extending the electrified rail network into Auckland’s North Shore and beyond.

    Goodness me. That sounds a lot like the PPPs idea for roading. I wonder where the money might come from?

    Dr Cullen did not say so directly, but these bonds could be taken up by the New Zealand Superannuation Fund and KiwiSaver providers who he wanted to invest more in New Zealand.

    Well, there’s an idea.

    “It is a question of how we can be sure that the developing assets we have in New Zealand… can also drive New Zealand’s economy from within,” Dr Cullen said.

    Interesting. What else did he say?

    “I am certainly not saying we want to direct those (funds), but (we will look at) what changes in policy would encourage those running KiwiSaver funds, the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation Fund to say ‘let’s up our allocation to the New Zealand market’.”

    BINGO!

  53. the boss 53
    25 October 2008 at 11:45 am

    It is try hard and talks to the 50,000 people who live a breath politics. Lets say this is an ad for them.

    The other 3,950,000 don’t get it or want to get it. And they are the ones voting. Who ever did it must be a failed ex ad guy.

    I wish Labour just just stuck to telling us the good things they have done.

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    Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Ending The Quest.
    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    2 days ago

  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    3 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago

  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
    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 in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago

  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago

  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago

  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago

  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago

  • “That's how I roll”
    It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • “Comity” versus the rule of law
    In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
    Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder. In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago

  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago

  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago

  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government saves access to medicines
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.    “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Pharmac Chair appointed
    Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
    Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says.  “Every day, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Diplomacy needed more than ever
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.    “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
    Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service.  It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
    Distinguished guests -   It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders.   Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
    Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia.   Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
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    1 week ago

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