web analytics

Labour Green announcement – working together to change the government

Written By: - Date published: 3:10 pm, May 31st, 2016 - 291 comments
Categories: greens, labour - Tags: ,

I very much hope that Gower is right – let’s wait and see…

Livestream here.

Little:

A memorandum of understanding – Labour and Greens to work together to change the government. Inspired by last week’s failed budget.

Labour and Greens have reached an agreement – common ground. 18 months of work.

This is a significant agreement, and a significant opportunity.

Turei:

NZ needs a new government. Change is on the way.

Voters want more certainty. This MOU supplies clarity – Labour and Greens are the way for change.

We will work together, we will actually change the government – make the goal real.

Thanks Andrew and Annette for cooperation and work.

Look forward to creating a better future.

[All “quotes” very approximate.]

The Memorandum of Understanding is here.

Discussion

Both parties still open to working with others (not a monogamous relationship).

Government formation after election (not get ahead of ourselves) – but parties now have a mature and cooperative relationship.

Still own parties with own policies – agree to disagree clause.

This is necessary for the interests of all NZers.

Questions about NZF, but leaders are focused – determined to change the government. Any other parties who can agree and want to come on board are welcome.

New Zealanders will see two parties working together towards the next election – change the government!

[finished]

Long overdue – good work all!

You can:
DONATE TO LABOUR HERE
DONATE TO THE GREENS HERE

update link to recording of press conference

291 comments on “Labour Green announcement – working together to change the government ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Clare 1
    31 May 2016 at 3:18 pm

    YES!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!

    • Manuka AOR 1.1
      31 May 2016 at 3:47 pm

      Finally!!!!!

      there is hope for the future yet

      • whateva next? 1.1.1
        31 May 2016 at 6:29 pm

        small step for Labour, (and Green Party) Giant leap forward for New Zealand, great news, mature, cohesive MMP thinking.

        • Chooky 1.1.1.1
          31 May 2016 at 6:56 pm

          ..how come they didnt think of it before the last Election and include Mana/Internet in the ‘memorandum of understanding’?!

          ….actually i am a bit underwhelmed

          ( the cynical side of me says it is a marriage of convenience because they are both languishing in the polls …)

          • whateva next? 1.1.1.1.1
            31 May 2016 at 7:25 pm

            as Billy Bragg said, it is cynicism that is the enemy of socialism, not capitalism? Take heart Chooky, cohesion and cooperation will win the day, not competition…

          • mickysavage 1.1.1.1.2
            31 May 2016 at 8:45 pm

            It was a really messy campaign and Kim Dotcom’s presence did not help. I am really pleased they have made this statement today. And like many I do not care who activists go to as long as they go to one or the other.

  2. Chris 2
    31 May 2016 at 3:22 pm

    No, but Labour’s will be:

    “Regardless of anything we say about working with the Greens, the Labour Party will remain hell-bent on propping up this nasty right-wing government with continued support for a neo-liberal agenda, erosion of a democratic Parliament through its abysmal track-record as an Opposition including voting with the government for war on the poor legislation and continued failure to even recognise that we have an ever-increasing underclass, let alone do anything about.”

    There, no need to bother listening.

    • Anne 2.1
      31 May 2016 at 3:28 pm

      Oh good, don’t listen Chris. Then you can’t comment about it with any degree of authority.

      I see Lab. and the Greens as being two branches of the same tree. Together they could/should be a force to be reckoned with.

      • maninthemiddle 2.1.1
        31 May 2016 at 3:41 pm

        Why? In recent polls popular support just shifts between the two, without any overall gain by the left. it seems to me this will hurt the Greens by association.

        • Whateva next? 2.1.1.1
          1 June 2016 at 7:11 am

          We elect these people to make some difficult decisions, to research and debate and Cooperate for the greater good.
          Not sure why everyone elects them, then expects them to do what only they want? There are quite a few people living in NZ, do you imagine they all hold the same goals, opinions, values?
          Of course they don’t , so let the MP’s get on with working out how to unite those with social awareness please.

          • maninthemiddle 2.1.1.1.1
            1 June 2016 at 9:48 am

            “There are quite a few people living in NZ, do you imagine they all hold the same goals, opinions, values?”

            No, of course not. That’s why Helen Clark and John Key are the experts at MMP. They understand to be successful a political party has to be a ‘broad church’. Labour is moving in entirely the opposite direction, chasing an ever declining electorate on the left of politics.

            “let the MP’s get on with working out how to unite those with social awareness please.”

            Which people are these? Only those who vote on the left of politics?

            • whateva next? 2.1.1.1.1.1
              1 June 2016 at 7:39 pm

              trying to make FPP into MMP doesn’t count, true MMP means compromise and cooperation, not manipulation and control smaller parties by baubles and patronisation

              • maninthemiddle …
                2 June 2016 at 1:51 pm

                Act have achieved Partnership Schools. Maori Party Whanau Ora. Both excellent policy ideas. National have also cooperated with the Greens on policy. Key knows how MMP works, Little hasn’t a clue.

                • whateva next? …
                  2 June 2016 at 5:48 pm

                  We will have to agree to disagree with most of those statements….

      • Chris 2.1.2
        31 May 2016 at 3:55 pm

        For goodness sake, Anne, it’s a challenge to Labour to start being a proper Opposition and to start saying and doing things we expect from a progressive left movement. Labour hasn’t been doing any of this for years and years. All glimpses of any suggestion of change in the past have amounted to nothing except voting with the government for anti-poor legislation. Why should we believe Labour now with not a jot of evidence they’ll ever change and every bit of evidence of more of the same. And it’s those who believe what Labour says now that keeps things that way.

        I agree entirely with you that Labour and the Greens should be two branches of the same tree and that together they could and should be a force to be reckoned with. But I say what I say as a challenge to Labour to actually make that happen, because to date the evidence is to the contrary. I am the first person to say that I hope I am wrong. I’d love to see Labour and the Greens roll this government with real and meaningful policies that create an inclusive society that everyone can fully participate in. It’s just that at the moment there’s nothing to suggest that Labour still don’t need to be pushed into doing it.

        • Anne 2.1.2.1
          31 May 2016 at 4:59 pm

          I was a bit hasty there Chris. Assumed you were a rwnj trying to drive a wedge. Apols. Hope your fears have been assuaged. It’s a great start… and long may it continue.

        • Draco T Bastard 2.1.2.2
          31 May 2016 at 5:55 pm

          I’d love to see Labour and the Greens roll this government with real and meaningful policies that create an inclusive society that everyone can fully participate in. It’s just that at the moment there’s nothing to suggest that Labour still don’t need to be pushed into doing it.

          QFT

          There’s nothing from labour to show that they’ve dropped the failed neo-liberal BS that they brought in three decades ago.

    • Anthony Rimell 2.2
      31 May 2016 at 5:45 pm

      Could not disagree with you more. The two parties have come together to show how much they have in common, and how much we need to see our current government defeated.

      • Chris 2.2.1
        31 May 2016 at 7:39 pm

        As I said to Anne, I very much hope you’re correct and I hope I’m wrong. Of course change has to start somewhere but even as recent as Grant Robertson’s latest speech about what he sees as our “greatest challenges” there’s still no mention of our burgeoning underclass and what Labour’s going to do apart from the usual rhetoric based on the assumption it’ll all trickle down. So let’s just see, eh?

    • M. Gray 2.3
      1 June 2016 at 8:05 am

      At least Labour still have a social agenda Chris (housing ) unlike the current lot who are getting richer and selling all our silverware to there fat cat mates they have shown in the last few months they don’t give a damn about the homeless and we all know increasing poverty rates and homelessness is not good for our country

      • Chris 2.3.1
        1 June 2016 at 12:33 pm

        Another Labour apologist, I see. Labour voted with Key et al on the last lot of anti-poor legislation. That amendment Act included removing Work and Income’s ability to not recover beneficiary debt which had been relied on to relieve beneficiaries of the undue hardship such debt causes. In this respect Labour has in fact helped to remove options that were available to the government to relieve beneficiaries of the ridiculous amounts of debt beneficiaries have been forced into because of the housing crisis. This is just one example of Labour’s handy work since 1999 when it comes to social legislation. When are people going to stop apologising for Labour by taking the most unhelpful and in fact destructive “at least they’re better than National” bullshit line that just lets them off the hook. By all means be hopeful that Labour can change, but don’t slap them on the back until they prove that what they say doesn’t turn into yet another complete and utter flip-flop.

  3. Lanthanide 3
    31 May 2016 at 3:28 pm

    About effing time.

  4. mary_a 4
    31 May 2016 at 3:30 pm

    A coalition announcement … I hope so, please!

  5. M. Gray 5
    31 May 2016 at 3:35 pm

    NZ first need to jump on this bandwagon to but they won’t cause Winston wont want to declare who he will work with he might lose his center voters

  7. Ad 7
    31 May 2016 at 3:41 pm

    Good solid political signal.

    Thankyou Greens and Labour for doing this.

    Makes me more inclined to donate again.

    • Bearded Git 7.1
      31 May 2016 at 3:48 pm

      Yes I like the “we need a change of government” joint message.

      • Colonial Viper 7.1.1
        31 May 2016 at 4:02 pm

        It is a good message. They must be clear on what the replacement govt is going to deliver for the country.

  8. Kiwiri 8
    31 May 2016 at 3:51 pm

    Fantastic!

    In an MMP system, I would love also to see the Green-Labour Cabinet reflect, proportionately, the number of Green and Labour ministers.

    Even better if the Deputy Prime Minister (Meteria!) will be Green, and a Deputy Finance Minister who is Green (James Shaw!).

    • billmurray 8.1
      31 May 2016 at 7:30 pm

      Kiwiri, I agree with you entirely, both Metiria and James must be promised the two positions you have nominated, the Greens must come out of this memorandum with high standings in a future co-alition Greens/ Lab/ NZ First government.
      Work to be done.

    • Colonial Viper 8.2
      31 May 2016 at 7:34 pm

      In an MMP system, I would love also to see the Green-Labour Cabinet reflect, proportionately, the number of Green and Labour ministers.

      And NZ First.

  9. McFlock 9
    31 May 2016 at 3:53 pm

    Good.
    Damned good.

  10. Colonial Viper 10
    31 May 2016 at 3:54 pm

    A good and necessary move which shows that a lot of hard work has gone on behind the scenes.

    Ideally the Greens will drag Labour to the left – and not the other way around.

    • leftie 10.1
      31 May 2016 at 6:28 pm

      Sometime back, Andrew Little did say that he was in discussions.

    • UncookedSelachimorpha 10.2
      31 May 2016 at 7:52 pm

      “Ideally the Greens will drag Labour to the left – and not the other way around.”

      Hope so. Overall, good to see them working together. Changing the government is just the first step – need to roll back the whole neoliberal nonsense – that will take quite a few years I think. A couple of generations maybe.

      • Colonial Viper 10.2.1
        31 May 2016 at 7:55 pm

        Labour Greens will have two terms at the most, to make the changes that they want to.

      • Draco T Bastard 10.2.2
        31 May 2016 at 9:12 pm

        Changing the government is just the first step – need to roll back the whole neoliberal nonsense – that will take quite a few years I think.

        ’84 to ’90 to put it in place. Since then it’s been entrenched but the previous system had been entrenched since the 1930s so it shouldn’t take generations to remove neo-liberalism.

        • UncookedSelachimorpha 10.2.2.1
          1 June 2016 at 7:13 am

          I hope you are right. But while only 84-90 to put in place – has had another 26 years since then to become entrenched in people’s thinking.

          • Draco T Bastard 10.2.2.1.1
            1 June 2016 at 9:20 am

            Put it this way: Neo-liberalism was imposed against the will of the people after the previous system had been entrenched for around 15 years longer.

            This time, though, it will take a Left-wing party to explain what they’re doing before they do it.

            • Nessalt 10.2.2.1.1.1
              1 June 2016 at 11:59 am

              against the will of the people? why have they been voting for the continuation of the status quo ever since? you are badly deluded

              • Draco T Bastard …
                1 June 2016 at 12:20 pm

                against the will of the people?

                Yes. People did not know what they were getting when the 4th Labour government got voted in to power. That’s why there was so many protests about it. They got a second term because people still didn’t trust National from the ’70s.

                Then National got voted in because they pretty much promised to end Labour’s attack on the country but ended up extending it. It’s why their vote collapsed from 1990 to 1993.

                why have they been voting for the continuation of the status quo ever since?

                Because they’ve believed* that they had no fucken choice. It was neo-liberal Labour or neo-liberal National.

                * There were the other new parties but NZers didn’t trust them at all because we seem to be terrified of change.

  11. BM 11
    31 May 2016 at 3:56 pm

    Since labour’s no longer a major party, I guess it had no other option.

    Not sure if this is a good move or not.

    • Anno1701 11.1
      31 May 2016 at 3:59 pm

      not sure whether your opinion is of any real validity in this context

    • Puckish Rogue 11.2
      31 May 2016 at 4:04 pm

      I think this will be good for the bulk of the left wing voters but overall it may make a few of Winstons more conservative voters want to nudge the party to the right in response

      But time will tell I guess

      • Bearded Git 11.2.1
        31 May 2016 at 4:08 pm

        All bets will be off after the election-if Little wants power and Winston offers it he will dump the Greens whose only option will be to give Lab/NZF the votes to govern.

        Lets hope its Labour 35% Greens 15% and they can rule without Winnie.

        • Puckish Rogue 11.2.1.1
          31 May 2016 at 4:16 pm

          That’s…hopeful for Labour but quite doable for the Greens

        • Colonial Viper 11.2.1.2
          31 May 2016 at 5:11 pm

          Labour 25% +/-3%

          Labour could cross over 30% on election day but I see the chances of that being very small; I see people disaffected with NATs preferring to vote NZF or GR.

          • red-blooded 11.2.1.2.1
            31 May 2016 at 10:55 pm

            Hey, good luck to the Greens, but let’s remember that all sorts of polls and pundits have predicted them at 15% in the past and they’ve never achieved anything like that. (I seem to remember 11% last time.) Don’t be so quick to write Labour off. They’ve got a much better vibe than they did at the last election.

            • Colonial Viper 11.2.1.2.1.1
              31 May 2016 at 11:00 pm

              Don’t be so quick to write Labour off. They’ve got a much better vibe than they did at the last election.

              Have you got this feeling from your neighbours and friends?

      • BM 11.2.2
        31 May 2016 at 4:19 pm

        Won’t harm the greens but I’d be surprised if Labour doesn’t drop.

        Not every one in Labour is enamored with the greens, I’d expect both National and NZ First to rise a few percentage points.

        • Bob 11.2.2.1
          31 May 2016 at 5:09 pm

          True, they may lose a bit of their neo-lib support base (which is obviously quite entrenched within the party itself), but it may actually be exactly what Labour needed

      • Rodel 11.2.3
        31 May 2016 at 9:29 pm

        Ho ho PR. That’s Joyce’s mantra ..trying to divide by using Winston…or are you just continuing to foment your happy mischief?

    • leftie 11.3
      31 May 2016 at 6:13 pm

      That’s not true BM, after the nats, Labour is the second largest political party.

  12. The Pink Postman 12
    31 May 2016 at 3:56 pm

    My remits to my party have been for co-operation with Greens since the 1900s so at last . M really chuffed . No let’s stop squabbling ,lets kick out the so called LP people who spend their time finding fault with anything Labour says and those idiots who try to find fault with our elected leaders .I for one am sick to death of these Tories in Left-wing cloaks . Lets tell them to piss off to their own lot.

  13. Alan 13
    31 May 2016 at 3:57 pm

    fantastic, lets get Mana and the Internet party too….no …wait……

  14. Rosie 14
    31 May 2016 at 3:58 pm

    F*cking awesome! I got the MOU in my inbox a few minutes ago and immediately replied with my feedback about how I’d been waiting for this for a very long time and how thrilled I was with this announcement.

    I have always had a lot of respect for the Green Party – so I welcome Greens with open arms.
    It is a strategic move on behalf of the Greens and Labour to work together to defeat this government that is breaking our country in two. It shows the parties mean business and are prepared to put the future of the country before personal political gain.

    Well done to both parties for coming to this agreement shout outs of solidarity to our Green brothers and sisters. 😀

  15. Anne 15
    31 May 2016 at 4:03 pm

    Two strong performances from Andrew Little and Metiria Turei. Loved the attempt by the likes of Paddy Gower, Tracey Watkins and Andrea Vance to hijack the announcement and make it all about Winston Peters. Suspect Little and Turei saw it coming. 😎

  16. stunned mullet 16
    31 May 2016 at 4:04 pm

    Winston will be pouring himself a large Gin to celebrate.

  17. Dean Reynolods 17
    31 May 2016 at 4:10 pm

    Brilliant news! A real chance of a Social Democratic Government in 2017 which can then start restoring NZ’s social & economic deficit. Can’t happen too soon.

  18. nzsage 18
    31 May 2016 at 4:15 pm

    Does this mean Labour and The Greens will agree on one candidate backed by both psrties in key marginal seats at the next election?

    Now that would be true collaboration and a strong signal they are serious about a chance of government.

    • Bearded Git 18.1
      31 May 2016 at 4:16 pm

      +1

    • te reo putake 18.2
      31 May 2016 at 4:40 pm

      I hope so. It would be great to have the Greens endorse all the Labour candidates where Nat MP’s got elected because the left Party vote was split. While it doesn’t change the overall outcome, it does make a difference on the ground in those electorates to have MP’s who care about their constituents.

      The downside is that the Greens are not in a winning position in any electorate, so Labour can’t really return the favour. However, that’s not that big a problem because the Greens function fine as a party vote party. If each party plays to their strengths, we’re on to a winner.

      • Nessalt 18.2.1
        31 May 2016 at 4:48 pm

        The downside is that the Greens are not in a winning position in any electorate, so Labour can’t really return the favour. ah the smug paternalism of Labour towards the greens. this is the first sign that this MOU is bound to fail.

        How about not standing candidates where green leaders are standing? that’s an immediate way to return the favour that will enhance the mana of both parties.

        • te reo putake 18.2.1.1
          31 May 2016 at 4:56 pm

          It’s not smug or paternalist to recognise that no Green candidate appears capable of winning an electorate seat. I voted for Jeanette Fitzsimons when it was clear she had a shot at winning and I’m chuffed to have helped her win Coromandel. But those were different times and there is no electorate where that result seems likely today.

          If you think differently, by all means make the case.

          • Lanthanide 18.2.1.1.1
            31 May 2016 at 5:01 pm

            “If you think differently, by all means make the case.”

            Nessalt already did make the case.

            If you want to vote for a left-wing electorate MP, and there is no Labour candidate standing and instead a Greens one, and Labour and Green have a formal coalition agreement, then are you really going to vote for anyone other than the Green candidate?

            • te reo putake 18.2.1.1.1.1
              31 May 2016 at 5:13 pm

              Duh. Nessalt did not make the case at all. There was a suggestion in his or her comment that Labour stand aside in two unidentified seats to ‘improve mana’. That’s it.

              That’s actually not going to happen unless there is a real possibility of the Green candidate winning. I don’t see the Fitzsimons situation repeated at present, but if you (or anyone else) does, then make the case.

              (Hint: Wellington Central)

            • Colonial Viper 18.2.1.1.1.2
              31 May 2016 at 5:16 pm

              To sunmarise: TRP is saying that it may sometimes make good sense for one candidate to step aside to give the other candidate a clear run.

              As long as it is always the Green candidate stepping aside, to give the Labour candidate a clear run.

              • te reo putake …
                31 May 2016 at 5:24 pm

                Nope, I’m saying that the candidate has to be in a position to win or there’s no point the other party standing aside. It’s exactly the same for both parties, except, at this point, there doesn’t seem to be a seat where the Greens are even close to winning.

                There are half a dozen seats where Labour can win if they have Green party endorsement. There are no seats where the Greens can win, as far as I can see. If there is, make the case.

                Hint, (again): Wellington Central.

                • Lanthanide …
                  31 May 2016 at 5:27 pm

                  “there doesn’t seem to be a seat where the Greens are even close to winning.”

                  If the Labour candidates don’t stand, then the Greens candidates will be much closer to winning, and may be able to win.

                  You’re using a circular argument: Greens aren’t winning, therefore we shouldn’t let them win.

                  • mickysavage …
                    31 May 2016 at 8:51 pm

                    I agree with TRP. Name the seats so we can consider this.

                    The Greens have been very good at promoting party vote. They do not get sucked into ego driven campaigns to win electorate seats because this does not help their cause.

                    National and ACT have worked this (MMP) out. The left need to do the same.

                    • weka …
                      31 May 2016 at 9:19 pm

                      My understanding is that the Greens campaign in the electorates to increase their party vote. I’m not saying there has to be a quid pro quo, but I am curious how it would work in a co-operative relationship for the Greens to give that up in one or two or three seats.

                    • mickysavage …
                      31 May 2016 at 9:27 pm

                      Agreed Weka it is complex!

                      The Greens have had one approach and ACT has had the opposite. The Greens realised they had to win enough party votes so they could maintain their presence. ACT went the opposite way and sold its soul for an electorate vote.

                      The experience suggests that parties are better off standing on their own feet rather than selling their souls …

                      The basic problem with seeking en electorate seat is that unless, a la ACT it is absolutely essential it is a waste of resources. So Greens needing Labour to help them with an electorate seat may not help. Except in the circumstances of 1999 with Coromandel when it helped both parties.

                    • Lanthanide …
                      31 May 2016 at 9:52 pm

                      “Name the seats so we can consider this.”

                      Any seat in which Labour + Greens > the current winner of the seat.

                    • Lanthanide …
                      31 May 2016 at 9:54 pm

                      @micky
                      Except that eventually to be taken as a serious political party, you need to start also winning electorate seats.

                      I think that’s the difference between a party that polls around 12-13% and a party that polls around 18-19%.

                    • lprent []
                      1 June 2016 at 8:56 am

                      Having done a lot of electorate level campaigning across multiple electorates, I’d say that you are viewing it completely the wrong way around.

                      Local electorates are won primarily by the local candidates and the level of local support (especially activists) that they can raise. They can and do retain seats despite large swings in the parties that they represent. This is why the major parties in a MMP environment will pile support into any seats that become vacant, because they provide reasonably secure organising bases for supporting the parties, not only in their local electorate, but also in the region.

                      That is why it is very hard for candidates from minor parties to gain electorate seats. Typically that only happens when the configuration between the candidates of the major parties allows a high disaffected vote and vote splitting. Coromandel in 1999 and Northland in 2015 being the recent examples.

                      The Greens don’t have the name recognition that someone like Winston Peters has, nor the populism to get a a good local indignation campaign running as happened in Northland. And it is very rare to get the level of protest voting against the sitting candidate that occurred in in Coromandel in 1996 and 1999 (and which died away in subsequent elections).

                    • Nessalt …
                      1 June 2016 at 7:25 am

                      Reply to your comment below MS, how is winning an electoral seat a waste of resources? do the voters wanting a community voice on the national body not deserve a say in who they want representing them.

                      Pretty poor democracy to be relying on the faceless percentages for victory. sounds pretty capitalist and neo-liberal to me.

                • b waghorn …
                  31 May 2016 at 5:30 pm

                  Are there any seats in wealthy suburbs that the green party out polls labour ?. that might be an opportunity to give the greens a clear run at the electorate vote.

              • AB …
                31 May 2016 at 5:51 pm

                As long as this is done in Ohariu I don’t care which party stands down. Removing the bouffant one would be a service to humanity in general.

              • Nessalt …
                1 June 2016 at 7:22 am

                Pretty much. little brother is good for distracting mum, while big brother steals the cookies as he can reach. Little brother can then have some crumbs.

      • weka 18.2.2
        31 May 2016 at 6:14 pm

        The Greens campaign on the electorate vote to increase their party vote. They shouldn’t be expected to give that up lightly. It’s not as simple as saying that the Greens can’t win an electorate seat so stand aside, if that drops their party vote.

        Myself, I’d think a valid swap would be putting Kelvin Davis up the list and then standing aside or campaigning lightly in Te Tai Tokerau. That would be a reasonable concession from Labour, right TRP?

        • Lanthanide 18.2.2.1
          31 May 2016 at 9:56 pm

          Concession from Labour to whom? This is a MOU between Labour and the Greens, not Labour and some other party.

          • weka 18.2.2.1.1
            31 May 2016 at 10:25 pm

            Sure. I was just pointing to TRP’s theory that the Greens should give up campaigning in electorates to support Labour, even though this will cost them. But that cost would be mitigaged IMOO if Labour did what the Greens did and took a back seat in TTT so that Harawira could be an MP again. We get another left wing party in govt (possibly). I’m just curious to see if TRP would think that Labour giving the concession instead of the GP would be a good idea. He presented his idea as if it was all reasonable when we know that the Greens need those votes and that Labour wouldn’t be so generous with their own either.

            (it doesn’t have to be quid pro quo).

      • Wainwright 18.2.3
        31 May 2016 at 9:58 pm

        The only electorates where this matters are Epsom and Dunne’s. No need to bother about any of the others, they don’t matter in MMP.

    • Bill 18.3
      31 May 2016 at 7:05 pm

      Does this mean Labour and The Greens will agree on one candidate backed by…

      No. It means that between now and the election, both Labour and The Greens will really try very hard not to fuck each other up. Like I say below, I just don’t share the enthusiasm for this that some appear to feel, because it should never have been necessary to codify such an arrangement. That the parties felt that need, suggests that the natural relationship isn’t that flash.

      Mind if I point to a comparison?

      Scottish Greens and SNP. No MoU. They disagree where they do and they back one another where they do (eg fracking and tax regimes), and they just don’t seem to fuck one another up or do one another over. The same can quite reasonably be said to hold true for The English/Welsh Greens, SNP and Plaid Cymru or any combination thereof.

  19. Eralc 19
    31 May 2016 at 4:15 pm

    I predict another party will emerge to offer voters an alternative to the Lab-Greens coalition.

    • Alan 19.1
      31 May 2016 at 4:19 pm

      Agree, will be environment focussed but not socialist

      • Stuart Munro 19.1.1
        31 May 2016 at 5:04 pm

        Yup – like the algae, it will be blue green, toxic and unicellular.

        • Redelusion 19.1.1.1
          31 May 2016 at 5:34 pm

          Unlike green and red, that makes……..yellow, a good sign for national the mix is unfavourable

          • Dialey 19.1.1.1.1
            31 May 2016 at 7:13 pm

            You obviously don’t know colours. Green and red don’t make yellow – yellow is a primary colour

        • mauÄ« 19.1.1.2
          31 May 2016 at 8:27 pm

          Looks like Red above has put up his hand for the new Blue-Greens candidate, he should check with Maggie on how the movement is coming along 😆

      • AB 19.1.2
        31 May 2016 at 5:58 pm

        Neither labour nor green are ‘socialist’ using any reasonable definition of ‘socialist’.

  20. Keith 20
    31 May 2016 at 4:17 pm

    A suspiciously united wave of negative comments on Stuff. Co with any supportive comments quickly receiving negative votes. Clearly National are worried by this going by their quick and clumsy reaction!

    • Johan 20.1
      31 May 2016 at 5:33 pm

      Also, lots of negative comments on NewshubNZ, …of course that is to be expected;-))

  21. r0b 21
    31 May 2016 at 4:30 pm

    See end of the post for links to donate to the two parties.

  22. Tarquin 22
    31 May 2016 at 4:34 pm

    Peak KDS?

    • weka 22.1
      31 May 2016 at 6:19 pm

      Yep, you got it, the sooner the deranged fucker is out the better.

      • Tarquin 22.1.1
        1 June 2016 at 8:49 am

        I think you miss my point weka. I want to hear Little get up and say what he wants to do and how he is going to do it. Changing the government is incidental, true vision, belief and a plan are what people want to hear. Only when Labour get that right will they move forward.

  23. tsmithfield 23
    31 May 2016 at 4:35 pm

    The maths of this says it must lose votes for the left.

    There will be an overlapping subset of Labour and Green voters who will be very happy with the arrangement (quite a lot here obviously).

    However, there will also be a set of voters who like Labour but can’t stand the Greens.
    There will also be a set of voters who love the Greens but can’t stand Labour. Therefore, there logically will be a greater number of left wing voters who either refuse to vote or migrate to NZ First or National.

    • DoublePlusGood 23.1
      31 May 2016 at 4:52 pm

      I think there far more voters who just couldn’t count on the two parties to work together to make a government. Now though there is clear signalling of working together, and presumably there will be a clear platform. That will attract voters who will see clearly that they can make a government.

      Plus, I don’t think that many of the people who run around complaining about ‘the loony Greens’ are Labour voters.

      • Keith 23.1.1
        31 May 2016 at 5:25 pm

        True that. For a while there i was thinking The Greens were getting a bit blue!

    • The Lone Haranguer 23.2
      31 May 2016 at 5:37 pm

      I cant see any situation where a left leaning Labour or Green supporter would get the pricker with his/her party over the agreement to work with the other party, and then go vote for the Nats.

      The world just doesnt orbit like that.

      But they might bugger off to NZF if they saw Winnie as Kingmaker

    • ropata 23.3
      1 June 2016 at 1:58 am

      you forgot about the undecided and non voters who want to see a coherent alternative to the Nat Govt.

      also, your tealeaf predictions about lab/green voters are not backed by any stats, so meh.

  24. Redbaiter 24
    31 May 2016 at 4:37 pm

    So which agreement has priority now?

    The similar agreement the Greens made with the National Party in 2009, or the one they made with the Labour Party today?

    [The two matters are entirely different in tone and context, as you well know. Engage your brain before commenting further lest you get the response usually reserved for trolls. TRP]

    • UncookedSelachimorpha 24.1
      31 May 2016 at 8:11 pm

      Misleading nonsense.

      I read your linked “article” (actually just a link to your own unpleasant blog, not to any external evidence as you might at first think). To me your article seemed the most unreasoned vitriolic garbage. Certainly indicates your perspective on things.

      The 2009 MOU related to three narrow policy areas. Nothing at all in common with the current Labour / Green announcement.

  25. Infused 25
    31 May 2016 at 4:39 pm

    The right is very happy now too.

    I didn’t think Labour would be so stupid.

    • Anno1701 25.1
      31 May 2016 at 5:11 pm

      im sure they would be shocked by your incredulity….

    • Johan 25.2
      31 May 2016 at 5:35 pm

      Troll Alert;-))

    • the pigman 25.3
      31 May 2016 at 8:37 pm

      Yep, something for you and your Nact staffer mates to do all day – troll public news sites with the same comment repeated 1000 times + downvotes.

      Must make a nice change from fighting the fire raging across your Dickensian, poverty-stricken, homelessness-ridden dystopian ghetto of Planet Key, amirite?

      • Rodel 25.3.1
        31 May 2016 at 9:54 pm

        Hey pigman
        “Dickensian, poverty-stricken, homelessness-ridden dystopian ghetto of Planet Key, amirite?” ????
        For goodness sake. If you want to communicate something to National party members (Today’s trolls) don’t use such big words. They have very limited intellect and even less language proficiency.
        ‘

  26. b waghorn 26
    31 May 2016 at 4:40 pm

    Good on them , would Winston go for a confidence and supply role with a labour green government , ??

    • indiana 26.1
      31 May 2016 at 5:04 pm

      Only if he gets Deputy Prime Minister…but that might upset the other 2

      • Jenny Kirk 26.1.1
        31 May 2016 at 5:12 pm

        This puts Winston on the wrong foot.
        If he doesn’t show willing to cooperate in some way, then he’ll lose support because people will have to assume he’s going to support the Nats – and that will lose him some potential voters.

        This is a great move. And shows up a side to Andrew Little that not many are aware of – his ability to negotiate, mediate and bring people together.

        • Colonial Viper 26.1.1.1
          31 May 2016 at 5:20 pm

          Winston has won his support by declaring himself for the cross benches. I don’t think he will lose that support by staying consistent with that.

      • b waghorn 26.1.2
        31 May 2016 at 5:22 pm

        High commissioner to London has a nice ring! I believe there’s a spot coming up there in the near future.

  27. McFlock 27
    31 May 2016 at 5:06 pm

    Heh.
    the thought occured that we can expect another dead cat from our one-trick prime minister.

    The only really safe industry these days are the cat farms.

  28. Redbaiter 28
    31 May 2016 at 5:07 pm

    I know plenty of working men who vote Labour but who would rather die in a desert from thirst than support the Greens.

    What do you think these guys will do now?

    I’ll tell you.

    They will go vote for Winston.

    • te reo putake 28.1
      31 May 2016 at 5:19 pm

      So what? Winston’s already hoovering up thousands of disaffected Tory voters pissed off at the flag debacle. It’s only fair he gets a few votes from the left as well. It’s karma, innit.

      • Redbaiter 28.1.1
        31 May 2016 at 5:44 pm

        “So what” about your core voters?

        These guys rely on Labour to look after them and here’s Labour getting all warm and cuddly with the people who want to put them out of work.

        And you don’t actually have a lot of votes to chuck away right now you know.

        And for myself, I can’t believe Andrew Little did this without some serious pushing.

        I know there are many in Labour who will go for this, but I’m not sure they’re any kind of real majority. Sure they make a lot of noise, but are they really as numerous as some believe?

        I’m not convinced they are, and I reckon Andrew will regret this move.

        • Colonial Viper 28.1.1.1
          31 May 2016 at 6:34 pm

          You noticed how the Labour establishment loyalists throw away their core support base so easily?

          Guess what that ongoing dismissiveness does to the core support of a political party over two or three decades.

          • te reo putake 28.1.1.1.1
            31 May 2016 at 9:50 pm

            Redbaiters imaginary mates aren’t Labour’s core support, CV. For that matter, sad, sour, bitter and twisted bigots aren’t either.

            • Colonial Viper 28.1.1.1.1.1
              31 May 2016 at 10:08 pm

              Hi TRP, what happened to your hundreds of thousands of Labour affiliated union mates? Oh yeah, Labour 4 dumped on most of them.

              And now they’re gone.

              That’s what I mean by Labour screwing it’s core support.

              • te reo putake …
                31 May 2016 at 10:25 pm

                As usual, you haven’t got a clue. The Labour affiliated unions do not represent “hundreds of thousands” of workers. Care to let us know what your history in the union movement is, CV? Or more pertinently, tell us if you’ve ever actually had a real job. You come across as a middle class tosser whose only experience of doing it tough was weekend shifts at maccas during your uni years when you would have rather been out partying. But I maybe wrong*.

                *I’m not wrong.

                • Colonial Viper …
                  31 May 2016 at 10:36 pm

                  Firstly, you are wrong much of the time. So that;s the first thing you are wrong about.

                  Secondly, Labour affiliated unions USED TO represent hundreds of thousands of workers.

                  Of course today they represent fewer than 50,000 workers.

                  That was my point. The one you tried to dodge. The Labour right wing happily dismembered its own union support base so that they themselves could take more power in the party.

                  The result is the Labour Party of today.

                  As for my trade union background I am like over 90% of NZers: I do not belong in a trade union.

                  Regarding comfortable financial middle classness. Look in the fucking mirror. See a guy who claims to be a socialist but who favours Hillary Clinton.

                  It really is amusing.

                  only experience of doing it tough was weekend shifts at maccas during your uni years when you would have rather been out partying.

                  You preferred to work instead of partying when you were a young man? Explains a lot.

                  • te reo putake …
                    31 May 2016 at 10:41 pm

                    And according to you, they lost these imaginary hundreds of thousands of workers during the Clark years. Fascinating. You’re a goose, mate.

                    But you’re correct on one matter; you don’t belong in a union. You belong in ACT.

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      31 May 2016 at 10:53 pm

                      And according to you, they lost these imaginary hundreds of thousands of workers during the Clark years.

                      My comment above 28.1.1.1.1.1:

                      “Hi TRP, what happened to your hundreds of thousands of Labour affiliated union mates? Oh yeah, Labour 4 dumped on most of them.”

                      Hence again, another example of you being wrong. The Helen Clark Government was the fifth Labour Government, not the fourth, which is the one I talked about.

                    • te reo putake …
                      1 June 2016 at 7:20 am

                      Again you are wrong. The Lange government picked up tens of thousands of blue voters in 84 and 87. In the latter election, the biggest landslide in recent memory, they peaked at nearly half the total vote cast, winning many normally Tory electorates. By 1990, their popularity had dropped dramatically, but that still only put them just behind what had been their ‘normal’ vote during the Muldoon years. In other words, they dropped back to their core vote.

                      Labour still retain that working class core vote, for the most part. That’s one of the reasons turnout in South Auckland is a major determinate in elections. Like it or not, Labour remains the second most popular party, a position it has held for nearly a century, apart from those happy times when it was the outright most popular.

                • KJT …
                  1 June 2016 at 11:14 am

                  “You come across as a middle class tosser whose only experience of doing it tough was weekend shifts at maccas during your uni years when you would have rather been out partying”

                  That is what I thought you were TRP. Maybe I am wrong. Not about the tosser, bit, though!

                  • te reo putake …
                    1 June 2016 at 12:32 pm

                    Nope, wrong there too. I’ve got a consistent history of activism and the scars to prove it. That’s part of the reason I have little time for wannabes.

              • KJT …
                1 June 2016 at 11:12 am

                TRP and Redbaiter are in a fantasy world as usual.

                I work with the people, who used to be Labours core support, every day.

                They no longer vote Labour, since 1984.

                Some voted National last election to keep their super. One of Labours’ stupidest policies..

                Most rather like Peters.

                Some vote Green.

                Labour lost them long ago. The Clark Government got some back, but the caucus bunch of Neo-Liberal clowns, since, lost most of them.

                If they are informed of Green policies about work, Unionism and sustainability, most would prefer Green policies.

                Contrary to popular belief, us “rednecks” are rather worried about our children’s future under both National and Labour.

    • Lanthanide 28.2
      31 May 2016 at 5:22 pm

      “I know plenty of working men who vote Labour but who would rather die in a desert from thirst than support the Greens.”

      Well they can still vote for Labour, and not support the Greens.

      Unless these people were somehow voting for Labour in the last several elections, but imagined that Labour wouldn’t need to form a coalition with the Greens in order to form a government?

      • weka 28.2.1
        31 May 2016 at 6:26 pm

        +1 Lanth. There is some seriously unthoughtful thinking going on from the right on this.

    • b waghorn 28.3
      31 May 2016 at 5:25 pm

      More reason to vote labour as the party with the most seats in a coalition has the most say!

    • Rodel 28.4
      31 May 2016 at 9:57 pm

      RB-No-one believes you.but nice trolltry.

  29. Stuart Munro 29
    31 May 2016 at 5:08 pm

    The first coherent move to end this disgusting Key klptocracy. When Cunliffe announced no united front with the Greens pre-election it cost him 6%. Labour are clearly learning some of the lessons of the SNP, Sanders and Corbyn. RWNJ are rightly afraid – this is the coalition that will end them rightly.

    • arkie 29.1
      31 May 2016 at 6:25 pm

      with an unscrewed pommel?

      • Stuart Munro 29.1.1
        31 May 2016 at 6:36 pm

        I think the mordstreich used the cross hilt, and the pommel was usually used attached for ‘endings’ – but I’m all for traditions that work.

        • WILD KATIPO 29.1.1.1
          1 June 2016 at 2:28 am

          OOOOH! … otherwise known as the mortuary strike!!! (Anglicized)…it was 1 of the 5 Meisterstrikes
          ( master strikes) taught in German Long sword techniques !

          In the German school of swordsmanship, Mordhau, alternatively Mordstreich or Mordschlag (Ger., lit., “murder-stroke” or “murder-strike” or “murder-blow”), is the technique of holding the sword inverted, with both hands gripping the blade, and hitting the opponent with the pommel or crossguard. This technique allows the swordsman to essentially use the sword as a mace or hammer. The Mordhau is mainly used in armoured combat, although it can be used to surprise an opponent in close quarters. This technique has also been called a “thunder stroke”.

    • Colonial Viper 29.2
      31 May 2016 at 6:46 pm

      When Cunliffe announced no united front with the Greens pre-election it cost him 6%.

      To be clear – that’s the decision that the right wing and careerist factions of the Labour caucus wanted; Cunliffe was the spokesperson for their decision.

      • Ch-ch Chiquita 29.2.1
        1 June 2016 at 7:06 am

        In that case, this tells me that Andrew Little is doing a good job.

        • Jenny 29.2.1.1
          4 June 2016 at 1:11 pm

          Maybe Andrew Little is actually listening to his Chief Of Staff.

          Where inside the Cunliffe camp, I have it on good authority, that wherever the tactics were decided for the Cunliffe campaign, they did not involve the COF. Who was often left on the sidelines wondering, “Who on earth made that decision?”

    • Olwyn 29.3
      31 May 2016 at 6:54 pm

      The first coherent move to end this disgusting Key kleptocracy. I agree. We will know the wind has finally changed as soon as it becomes clear that the MSM no longer see their jobs as dependent on kowtowing to Key.

      • Anne 29.3.1
        31 May 2016 at 6:58 pm

        We will know the wind has finally changed as soon as it becomes clear that the MSM no longer see their jobs as dependent on kowtowing to Key.

        If the 6pm TV news clips on TV1 and TV3 are any indication, that day has yet to come. Perhaps they are still ‘in shock’. Winston Peters clearly is. 🙂

        • Olwyn 29.3.1.1
          31 May 2016 at 7:14 pm

          I think we are slowly getting there, and today’s announcement is a big step on the way. I notice Key’s soothing, “calm down, everything’s actually OK” sound bites are no longer working as well as they used to, and the media is usually quick to pick up on such things.

    • Nessalt 29.4
      1 June 2016 at 7:39 am

      Could you please justify your statement that declaring that they won’t work with the greens cost labour 6%?

      I’d say it was cunliffe that cost labour 6%, he was more incoherent that anyone.

      • KJT 29.4.1
        1 June 2016 at 3:27 pm

        Funny, they went up in the polls actually, until it became obvious that the Neo-Liberal old guard were not going to let Cunliffe swing to the left.

  30. Heather Grimwood 30
    31 May 2016 at 5:32 pm

    Have been wanting this for years!!!….all that energy diverted to explaining political niceties now freed to achieve the big goal. Really great news.

  31. Reality 31
    31 May 2016 at 5:42 pm

    Good news. How about those negative ninnies show some positivity and get behind this announcement and support it. Congratulations to the Labour and Green leaders for working together to make this decision.

  32. upnorth 32
    31 May 2016 at 5:48 pm

    what happens if labour get 20% and greens get 20%

    unions will need to sort out leader. makes winny PM?

    golden rule you have to cunt…no counting has been done

    all the best

    • Colonial Viper 32.1
      31 May 2016 at 6:48 pm

      what happens if labour get 20% and greens get 20%

      If the Left form a govt it could quite easily look like:

      Labour 26%
      Greens 13%
      NZF 13%

      National 43%

      But I don’t think Winston could politically go with a LAB which came in under 30%.

      • Stuart Munro 32.1.1
        31 May 2016 at 9:33 pm

        Winnie would make a good PM – but he’d be a better Speaker – it’s the rest of the party that would need to be included somehow – a lot of energy and decent pragmatism there. Greens are more about policy – can wait a term or two for the crown as long as their policy is happening, though as models of a better kind of leadership than the disgusting Key they would be very positive. Labour are showing some strategic sense and ability – there’s a lot of work to be done, we’ll need it.

    • Anno1701 32.2
      1 June 2016 at 1:20 pm

      ” you have to cunt”

      clutched pearls…..

  33. b waghorn 33
    31 May 2016 at 5:49 pm

    Anyone with half a brain twigged that labour/greens was a natural partnership years ago!!
    Its been like watching a cheesy sitcom from the nineties where you’re waiting for tha two main character s to sort their shit out and get it together.

  34. travellerev 34
    31 May 2016 at 5:49 pm

    Blah, blah, blah, blah, working together, blah ,blah, blah, blah, blah change, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, better future, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

    Wake me up when they start talking about the financial fraud John Key used to stack
    $180 billion in derivatives on our books and raise our debt with more than a $100 billion and how he increased the loans to poor bennies from $40 to $ 417 million in the last five years alone. Until then? Just the other wing of the same bird!

    • Jenny Kirk 34.1
      31 May 2016 at 6:24 pm

      Where have you been lately, travellerev ?

      Nowhere near any news media outlet obviously – Labour has been talking about the Panama Papers, John Key’s fraudulent friends (and now Andrew Little is facing a defamation case on that), plus their disgust at how WINZ and NZ Housing are treating bennies looking for a home.

      • Colonial Viper 34.1.1
        31 May 2016 at 7:31 pm

        Panama Paper issues aren’t related to the categories of financial fraud Travellerev noted, which are directly related to the NZ Govt’s accounts.

    • greywarshark 34.2
      31 May 2016 at 7:04 pm

      Oh cheer up travellerev. Let us children have a song and dance, and go forward in cautious hopefulness. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, ie don’t overly worry about tomorrow, get on with now and cope with what comes.

  35. Anthony Rimell 35
    31 May 2016 at 5:54 pm

    I was at a Labour party candidate selection meeting only last night, where this very question came up. It was clear that the people in that room were fully behind just such a proposal as was announced today. It’s not the biggest poll sample, but the core Labour supporters in that room will be really uplifted by the sense and the timing of this announcement.

    Well done Labour: well done Greens! Victory 2017!

  36. Bill 36
    31 May 2016 at 6:32 pm

    I’m thinking it’s a dog that the press will goad, beat and whip into submission.

    There is nothing in that MoU that shouldn’t have been happening informally and consistently already, and for quite some time, just as a matter of course. That it has come down to the need to draw up some form of documentation to express what should have been a natural state of affairs, hardly bodes well when considering the underlying nature or deeper relationship that the parties have.

    • Lanthanide 36.1
      31 May 2016 at 7:02 pm

      Sure, but it’s not really the MOU itself that is important here, it’s the *public* expression of co-operation.

      This means, for example, that Labour and the Greens are likely to work on a combined schedule of policies and costings ahead of the next election, and campaign (to some extent) on the basis of the joint platform. One of National’s attacks at the last election is that you’d have no idea what policies would cost and what ones would be implemented if they won.

      • Bill 36.1.1
        31 May 2016 at 7:11 pm

        They won’t have a combined schedule of policies or whatever. That would be the expectation of a coalition arrangement, and this isn’t a coalition arrangement. All this is (sorry to be so cynical about it) is both parties undertaking to try really, really hard not to monkey wrench and/or trip one another between now and the 2017 election. Shaking my head that they’ve had to put up any kind of framework in order that that might come to pass.

        • Lanthanide 36.1.1.1
          31 May 2016 at 7:28 pm

          I just mean that for a few areas (not all), they’ll only announce 1 policy between them. Like they did with NZ power. Another example would be the Greens not announcing their own child support policy, but publicly supporting Labour’s 1st start instead.

          • Bill 36.1.1.1.1
            31 May 2016 at 7:47 pm

            Hmm. I’d be picking that they agree on what’s wrong, coordinate modes of attack or even agree on one mode of attack, but keep their distinct prescriptions and promote those in a way that keeps the focus on government failures and off of one another.

            But that’s where I suspect the goading, whipping and beating from the major news outlets will kick in. They’ll be somewhat determined to get the Greens to be saying anti-Labour stuff and Labour to be saying anti- Green stuff (or to be saying stuff that they can report as anti-Green/ anti-Labour. It’ll be like a game for them.

            • leftie 36.1.1.1.1.1
              31 May 2016 at 8:25 pm

              Labour and the Greens are well aware of the dirty games the media will try and pull, Little even pointed out that the relationship between Labour and the Greens is strong and comfortable enough to have made this a formal announcement. Turei in her speech, supported that.

              • Bill …
                31 May 2016 at 9:20 pm

                If my cynicism is well founded (it may not be), then there needs to be acknowledgement that being well aware of something and dealing with it effectively are two different things. And following that acknowledgement, some kind of strategy implemented, because as things stand and based on past examples…

  37. weka 37
    31 May 2016 at 6:40 pm

    Oh fuck off Paddy Gower. The stream link now goes to that little oik being his usual nasty manipulative self. Anyone got a link to the whole press conference?

    • weka 37.1
      31 May 2016 at 7:11 pm

      [Thanks. Have added this link to the post] – Bill

      • leftie 37.1.1
        31 May 2016 at 8:09 pm

        Bloody brilliant, loved watching that !! Thanks for the link Weka !! Despite those in the media trying to reframe it, collectively Little and Turei held their own in a united front.

        • weka 37.1.1.1
          31 May 2016 at 8:25 pm

          Yes, it’s been a long time coming. Both Little and Turei were great. Really good start for the two parties.

          • leftie 37.1.1.1.1
            31 May 2016 at 8:29 pm

            Agreed, and the timing, 16 or so months out from the next election, is good too.

            • weka 37.1.1.1.1.1
              31 May 2016 at 8:39 pm

              From what I can tell they will still campaign separately during the election, so this timing looks interesting to me too. A lot they can achieve in that time.

  38. Robert Guyton 38
    31 May 2016 at 6:45 pm

    This is good. Very, very good.

  39. Brian 39
    31 May 2016 at 7:09 pm

    Great news.

  40. adam 40
    31 May 2016 at 7:11 pm

    Well that just doubled the pool base for Ministers with good skills in the next government.

    Which makes them, 16 times stronger in ministerial stakes than the current government?

  41. Tomas 41
    31 May 2016 at 7:13 pm

    I really hope that this works out… Spread the word.

  42. Observer Toke 42
    31 May 2016 at 7:14 pm

    .
    . Why do the Greens have no electorate seats. Just List members ?

    . Why does NZ First have only one seat in Parliament. All the rest are just List Members. ?

    I feel that the three Opposition parties (I include NZ First) must begin to say up front to New Zealanders VOTE for the OPPOSITION. They must say it at every opportunity.

    VOTE for the OPPOSITION
    VOTE for the OPPOSITION
    VOTE for the OPPOSITION

    Get rid of incompetent lazy National.

  43. Golden Teapot 43
    31 May 2016 at 7:20 pm

    This makes me very happy. It’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time. I hope that nothing goes wrong between now and the election that will damage this commitment.

  44. weka 44
    31 May 2016 at 7:21 pm

    Things that stand out for me,

    This is hugely symbolic. It’s also historic.

    The MOU looks like how adults behave. It’s also simple, clear, and very easy to communicate.

    #ChangeTheGovt brilliant. Everything is being framed as that, and as presenting Labour and the Greens as the parties for change.

    It also lays it out really clear for NZF, if they want to change the govt then get on board. Turei says in the announcement that they have no problem working with Peters, they’ve done so in the past, and that any issues are old history from ten years ago, everyone has moved on.

    Really good to see they will focus on the 2016 Local Govt Elections.

    The bit about no surprises, including where they disagree, is great. This suggests a good level of committment. It also suggests that Little has been largely successful in his behind the scenes pulling together of the Labour caucus.

    Was that announcment to the Press Gallery? Because they all applauded loudly when the announcement was first made. Is that normal?

    • Whateva next? 44.1
      31 May 2016 at 7:27 pm

      Aye to that Weka

    • Anne 44.2
      31 May 2016 at 7:34 pm

      Was that announcment to the Press Gallery? Because they all applauded loudly when the announcement was first made. Is that normal?

      No. It was the Labour and Green MPs present in the front few rows who were applauding. An excellent sign that the accord is going to work imo. The Press Gallery have yet to come to terms with this new arrangement. Their cosy little deal with John Key is in jeopardy… and I doubt they know quite how to react. 🙂

      • weka 44.2.1
        31 May 2016 at 7:56 pm

        Nice one, thanks Anne.

        I liked Little’s dry joke about how some people take longer than others to read a page (when Gower wouldn’t stfu about NZF).

        • Jenny Kirk 44.2.1.1
          31 May 2016 at 9:22 pm

          Yes – its all good news. And will give everyone opposed to the Govt a real lift in morale, and energy to get working together to oust them. Great stuff !

  45. weka 45
    31 May 2016 at 7:40 pm

    Bless Lynn for having Hooton on a ban at this time 😀

    • Anne 45.1
      31 May 2016 at 7:54 pm

      Yeah well, a change of government next year would probably spell the end of his cosy little numbers on radio and TV – and with the NBR. No more people bowing and scraping in his august presence… no more publicity and attention. A very worried man. 😀

      Btw, I think it’s permanent ban – hence the puerile reaction.

    • joe90 45.2
      31 May 2016 at 8:00 pm

      Zing…

      Giovanni Tiso
      ‏@gtiso

      @Dovil in all seriousness: because he is never troubled by complex thoughts, or doubt, or a sense of the extent of what he doesn’t know.

      https://twitter.com/gtiso/status/737549444506210304

    • lprent 45.3
      31 May 2016 at 8:31 pm

      He seemed to think that having a technical idiot like Whaleoil trying to play $5k to a hacker to break into my personal computers wasn’t a problem.

      The law disagreed with him even if the police did their poodle act for Cameron Slater again (who at police headquarters did give that order and exactly when?).

      If the police hadn’t unilaterally pardoned Cameron despite violating their own guidelines to do so, the court would have almost certainly given him a prison sentence under s311 of the Crimes Act – trying to procure a criminal act.

      Several idiots tried to spin the line that there wasn’t a crime. So I displayed the same arbitrary behaviour as the police. I banned them permanently with no chance of amnesty.

      Both of them are still whining hurt and anger about it, one on twitter, and the other on his blog. Now perhaps they understand the issue.

  46. Don't worry. Be happy 46
    31 May 2016 at 7:51 pm

    So where is the Maori Party in all of this?

  47. Reality 47
    31 May 2016 at 7:58 pm

    Claire Trevett has been quick to suck a bag of lemons over the MOU. Talk about sour, one-eyed and unbalanced.

    • weka 47.1
      31 May 2016 at 8:07 pm

      doublelolz, I saw that. She ends with saying Key will be the only one pleased by the announcement.

      • Whateva next? 47.1.1
        31 May 2016 at 10:54 pm

        Methinks she do protest too quickly, always ready to hit the button the minute Andrew draws breath, almost as if she has a template ready and waiting…?

        • Ffloyd 47.1.1.1
          1 June 2016 at 7:34 am

          Whatevanext. I have thought for some time that she has a ready to go template. She’s pretty quick! Note that there is no place for comments. Poor old Trevor, I’m starting to feel a little bit sorry for her. As well as a lot embarrassed. Hope she gets a pull on her ponytail for her efforts.

  48. Keith 48
    31 May 2016 at 8:02 pm

    The Heralds Nat girl, Claire Trevett has put the boot in already, no time to think it over, just a spray of hatred toward anyone not supporting National. Her opinion could have been written for John Key!

    I expect Hosking, Henry, Williams etc to slag this off as well. National could until today give the false impression that they too could go with the Greens but not now. And they cannot play divide and rule so much either. The shrill reaction is interesting!

    • Craig H 48.1
      31 May 2016 at 9:48 pm

      Williams and Garner were both ripping into it on talkback as I drove home…

  49. Grantoc 49
    31 May 2016 at 8:18 pm

    The MoU doesn’t seem all its cracked up to be in that it appears only to formalise what is presently happening between Labour and the Greens. I also understands that it lasts only until the election itself when all bets are off.

    The agreement is likely to appeal to liberal left labour and green voters where the shared focus is on social and economic justice policies. There is a risk of some disengagement from other categories of core voters as has been suggested e.g. traditional blue collar voters; traditional ‘green’ voters.

    At the level of voter perception there is also a risk to Labour in that it is seen as moving to the left – this potentially undermines Little’s narrative currently being directed at middle NZ, which by definition sits in the middle of the political spectrum and is wary of the left.

    There is also the reality based on one of the dominant patterns emerging from the polls, which is that NZ First will hold the balance of power. I cannot imagine NZ First playing third fiddle in this orchestra. If this voting pattern holds true a whole lot of political eggs will need to be broken if NZ First is to join in a coalition with Labour and the Greens. No one can tell yet, but this arrangement would seem to push NZ First towards the cross benches or towards National.

    Interesting times.

    • weka 49.1
      31 May 2016 at 8:34 pm

      ‘Middle NZ’ is a rhetorical device. Let’s not confuse it with centrist voters or even swing ones. Middle NZ isn’t an actual thing though.

      The centre used to be much more to the left of where it is now. I can’t see any reason why it can’t shift back there especially given how defunct neoliberalism has turned out to be.

      My own theory (which I learnt from Lprent) is that many voters want competency in a govt and will choose that over and above party loyalty or even policy. Labour/Green are presenting both competency and a change from what we have now. NZ doesn’t generally do 4 term govts, so this works on several levels. Time to give the opposition a go, and time for National to be ousted for those that think they have gone too far or bungled it.

      • Jenny Kirk 49.1.1
        31 May 2016 at 9:25 pm

        + 100% weka

      • Colonial Viper 49.1.2
        31 May 2016 at 10:26 pm

        The centre used to be much more to the left of where it is now. I can’t see any reason why it can’t shift back there

        It’s called fear of increased mortgage interest rates, fear of increased taxation, fear of radical change and fear of economic inexperience.

        • weka 49.1.2.1
          1 June 2016 at 3:03 pm

          Sure, but those are fears that stop it from happening not reasons why it can’t happen. We’ve had the centre further left than now and the country wasn’t damaged by that.

          • Pat 49.1.2.1.1
            1 June 2016 at 3:10 pm

            that was almost two generations ago and like most history (even recent) it is recorded by the victors, in this case the neolibs….you only have to read some comments on here to understand that even the recent past is little understood by those who weren’t there….mainstream it is even worse

            Equally it would be wrong to suggest that all was wonderful pre neoliberalism as that was quite clearly not the case and change was needed….unfortunately we bought the wrong pup.

  50. b waghorn 50
    31 May 2016 at 8:19 pm

    “Her opinion could have been written for John Key!”

    Her opinion was probably written by john key

    Fify

  51. Jenny 51
    31 May 2016 at 10:16 pm

    According to the current poll numbers Labour and the Greens still don’t have the numbers to govern.

    They need the support of New Zealand First, and Winston Peters*

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1605/S01020/new-labour-greens-mou-falls-short-of-coalition.htm

    Climate change is more and more becoming the defining issue of our age delineating where on the political spectrum political parties lie.

    Unfortunately the government can’t be changed while the Labour Party which is still the biggest ‘Left’ Party supports business as usual in regards to the climate and refuses to challenge the National Government over their support for deep sea oil, New Coal mines, more motorways and other climate destroying policies

    The Labour and the Green Party efforts to court New Zealand First will be fruitless, until Labour can agree to challenging New Zealand First on where they stand on deep sea oil drilling, or new coal mines, fracking. If NZ First were forced to declare themselves one way or the other on these issues, it would show which political party NZF would go with after the election.

    Deep sea oil drilling is a hot topic in Northland

    The Northland seat, long held by National, is now a marginal seat held by Peters

    Not being challenged over climate change virtually guarantees that NZ First will go with National.

    *(Winston Peters is the climate change spokesperson for the New Zealand First Party.

    • Colonial Viper 51.1
      31 May 2016 at 10:21 pm

      Labour supports deep sea oil drilling and coal mining.

      In this, they have more in common with NZF than with the Greens.

      BTW one reason that Labour cannot acknowledge the true crisis of climate change and fossil fuel depletion, is that they would have to recognise that our current economic arrangements cannot, must not, continue.

      • Jenny 51.1.1
        1 June 2016 at 12:50 am

        The thing about NZF is that it is all things to all people. Inside NZF there is every sort of political view, many often at odds with each other. And Winston allows and possibly encourages this anarchy, because it gives him the right to have the final say. Also because it has no consistent line on anything NZF also acts as the repository for the disaffected from both of the main political parties.

        NZF is a personality cult with zero internal democracy, Winston Peters is the final arbiter of everything.
        This is not a pejorative judgement, just a statement of fact.

        NZF is Winston Peters.

        Though he runs his party like an autocrat most of the time it is a benign dictatorship.

        Winston Peters has been called a “populist” what does that mean?

        It means that he has been able to extract some truely progressive legislative concessions from the major parties. The most notable of these to date being the ‘Gold Card’ extracted from National in return for his coalition support.

        What will Winston Peters seek to extract this time?

        My money is on the deputy Prime MInister’s seat.

        Other than that, some ‘populist’ immigrant bashing legislation, should keep his rump supporters happy.
        ,
        So how should the Left deal with Winston Peters. Winston Peters/New Zealand First needs to keep being hammered on policy, to try and reveal where they stand.

        Most of the major portfolios are held by Winston Peters himself one of them is climate change.

        Climate change is one of the government’s worst performing portfolios. And it is my opinion that it is around climate change issues that Winston Peters could be separated away from the government.

        At the last election Winston Peters was asked whether he believed in human induced climate change.

        And he replied, “You would have to be a fool not to” this is contrast to the government’s ambivalent and reluctant position.

        As well as this, Peters is vulnerable to issues around deep sea oil drilling in Northland. If Peters could be drawn on this issue as well, it could be another wedge between him and the government who are in deep with the oil companies.

        • tas 51.1.1.1
          1 June 2016 at 6:36 am

          Winston First goes whichever way the wind blows. Unless your goal is to stick it to both sides of the house, you can’t really trust Peters to deliver.

  52. Rodel 52
    31 May 2016 at 10:29 pm

    I’m pleased…. very pleased.
    Congratulations to the leaders of Labour and Greens.

    Also nice to see the gender mix of Labour-Greens leaders (2 men, 2 women) instead of the Key/Joyce/ English male triumvirate.

  53. mauī 53
    31 May 2016 at 10:43 pm

    Political hit jobs by media hacks ensue. This one from Watto headlined: Labour’s commitment issues
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/80571622/labours-commitment-issues
    This sort of shit has to do about 10% of damage in the polls

  54. Whateva next? 54
    31 May 2016 at 10:46 pm

    Not sure what Winston is on about….”rigged arrangements behind people’s backs” did he not see the news tonight, broadcast to the whole nation, hardly “behind people’s backs”

    • Pat 54.1
      31 May 2016 at 11:02 pm

      think if you suggested to Winston he was referring to the Labour/Greens MOU you would be given a very short shrift

      • Jenny 54.1.1
        4 June 2016 at 12:57 pm

        Talking of dealing behind the people’s backs. Winston Peters is the expert. Never letting on, even to his own party, let alone the public who he will do a deal with. Until it is done.

        But of course in the Peters universe, making a public statement about wanting to change the government and working with others who want the same thing is working behind the people’s backs.

        WOW! The illogic is staggering.

        • Pat 54.1.1.1
          4 June 2016 at 8:38 pm

          as it appears i was wrong in ay case….Winston has indeed attacked the MoU…but then he’s seeking to increase th NZFirst vote so is understandable…but I was working on the theoryWinston is the master of the ambiguous statement that he subsequently berates the media for “misinterepting”

  55. Pat 55
    31 May 2016 at 11:14 pm

    Think this is an intelligent and well timed move…….even if you believe the motives may have been cynical by one or both parties it has the effect of creating a sense of urgency and links the goal…..now all they need to do is avoid the minefield that will be laid for them.

  56. Tanz 56
    31 May 2016 at 11:48 pm

    I am going to cancel my membership and support, I can’t believe Labour could be so daft.
    The Greens are hard left lunatics who won’t to kill jobs, commerce and common sense. Well done. John Key has won next year by default, and so has Winston.
    so much for the middle ground, huh.

    • Pat 56.1
      31 May 2016 at 11:53 pm

      Winston may do well out of this but very much doubt Key will

    • Colonial Viper 56.2
      1 June 2016 at 12:02 am

      Uh, the Greens are the political party which most understands that fossil fueled civilisation is coming to an end. But you disagree?

    • Stuart Munro 56.3
      1 June 2016 at 3:16 am

      It’s much worse than that Tanz – many of the Greens are cereal killers! Be afraid! Be very afraid!

    • Keith 56.4
      1 June 2016 at 5:49 am

      “Hard left lunatics”, straight from the hymn book of National and their cronies.

    • Whateva next? 56.5
      1 June 2016 at 7:05 am

      See ya Tanzania, good luck with winston and the rwnj

    • tangled_up 56.6
      1 June 2016 at 7:26 am

      What’s actually changed in terms of changing the Government? For Labour to be in Government it was always going to mean that the Greens would be going with them.

    • framu 56.7
      1 June 2016 at 8:02 am

      “The Greens are hard left lunatics who won’t to kill jobs, commerce and common sense”

      that explains why many of them own businesses then doesnt it

    • lprent 56.8
      1 June 2016 at 8:21 am

      I am going to cancel my membership and support,

      Hi Tanz. I had never picked you as being a Labour supporter, let alone a member. I’d have expected you to be a supporter of the Conservatives. Since I have killed several of these kinds of messages from first time commenters since this news broke, I’d expect that this a line being run from the right. I don’t think it is going to fly amongst the Green or Labour supporters or even the floaters. It might have 6 years ago. But that is a long time in politics.

      I suspect that a more subtle approach would have been that of David Farrar with some rather hilarious wedge tactics about commitments to ministerial seats. But that obviously has a few problems.

      I hadn’t noticed that the Nats ever announcing or even telling their support parties what ministerial seats they are getting prior to an election.

      But that is Farrar – always holding the Labour and the Greens to a far higher moral standard than either he or National can either attain or even wish to.

      • Tanz 56.8.1
        1 June 2016 at 10:46 am

        I have been a supporter for ages, but a supporter who thought that Labour had sensibly gone right, especially under Cunliffe. Most of NZ voters are middle of the road, yet Labour has just lurched to the hard left. Where God doesn’t exist and Marxism reigns supreme. Karl Marx was simply a man with ideas that have long since been debunked and proved wrong, yet the hard left clings to them for dear life. Example – forty years ago under a Conservative worldview the west was far better off, jobs for everyone, very little crime and violence, fair housing prices, lots of state houses and common sense government. Do you really think that the mess of the west today works under socialist ideas and rule?

        • Anne 56.8.1.1
          1 June 2016 at 11:13 am

          Oh dear Tanz you really do need some sorting. Cunliffe was part of the Labour-left faction not the right. Labour has never been “hard left” – that’s a figment of the Nat. Party propaganda machine you have fallen for. How do you know your God hated Marxists? And anyway, Labour has never followed the Communist doctrine. That is also a figment of Nat/Tory propaganda you have been hoodwinked into believing. Forty years ago we were enjoying the benefits of the Labour government’s foresight and their decision to build state houses, introduce fair social policies and make sure all children received a well rounded education. Conservative governments of the day both here and overseas fought against such policies but fortunately for all of us they failed.

          In short, you’ve got everything the wrong war round. Whether that is a result of ignorance or poor cognitive ability I don’t know.

          • Tanz 56.8.1.1.1
            1 June 2016 at 2:31 pm

            yes, we are sliding into utter chaos under progessiveness and socialism.
            This is why Trump is doing so well, middle America has been ignored and snubbed by their rulers for decades, as has middle NZ. You can snort with glee, but remind me, how long have the left of NZ now sat in opposition?
            The voters are fed up, the people are fed up, Mike Hosking can avow to that.

            • leftie 56.8.1.1.1.1
              1 June 2016 at 5:27 pm

              So what? The Nats sat in opposition for 9 years when Labour were in power Tanz. That’s politics and NZ politics is largely cyclic.

        • leftie 56.8.1.2
          1 June 2016 at 5:23 pm

          You are no Labour supporter Tanz. Stop telling porkies. You are full of it.

  57. Tanz 57
    1 June 2016 at 12:16 am

    yes, I disagree. Greens worship the creation, not the creator. And Labour has just abandoned middle NZ, as well as its working class. Key will win hugely out of this, he may well govern alone.

    • Jenny 57.1
      1 June 2016 at 1:12 am

      “The Greens are hard left lunatics who won’t to kill jobs,….”
      Tanz

      And, They are Atheists! (and probably grammar nazis too)

      Run for the hills Tanz before they try to take your guns away.

      • Tanz 57.1.1
        1 June 2016 at 10:34 am

        I don’t own any guns and excel in English, thanks Jenny. One of my best subjects. Scoff all you want. Next election when Key wins a very easy non MMP-like victory, you all may well be lamenting this crazy decision. Also, going by the comments in the Herald, a lot of middle class Labour supporters are far from happy. Next year has just become a shoe-in for National and Key.

        • leftie 57.1.1.1
          1 June 2016 at 5:38 pm

          Real Labour supporters wouldn’t think this decision crazy or “lament” it, they would be happy about it. Just shows those on the Herald are liars and pretenders.

          Despite abusing his position of power to cling to office over the last 2 elections, what makes you think dirty John can get away with rigging another election Tanz? It is MMP, there is nothing “non” about it, after 3 elections John Key still couldn’t govern alone.

        • Robert Guyton 57.1.1.2
          1 June 2016 at 6:06 pm

          “I…excel in English..”
          “Next year has become a shoe-in for National and Key”.

          Tanz, you’re a wee beauty!

          • Chooky 57.1.1.2.1
            1 June 2016 at 6:51 pm

            “Tanz, you’re a wee beauty!”…like miss piggy telling porkies

        • Rodel 57.1.1.3
          1 June 2016 at 11:00 pm

          From Tanz…” going by the comments in the Herald, a lot of middle class Labour supporters are far from happy.
          “Who would ever ‘go by ‘ comments in the Herald -or for that matter- ‘Trump, God, Marx, Hosking..wow! now that’s an impressive lineup!

        • Jenny 57.1.1.4
          2 June 2016 at 6:37 am

          Tanz, I don’t usually correct people’s grammar.* (God knows, mine’s bad enough).

          But in this case I think Tanz, that it may be an indication that you might be overlooking some other things too.

          Though you don’t explicitly say it, (in fact you ignore any mention of it), I take it that you are a climate change denier.

          Am I wrong?

          *(It’s “shoo in”)

          If you are unsure of things look it up. It’s what I do.

          https://www.google.co.nz/?ion=1&espv=2#q=shoo%20in

    • ropata 57.2
      1 June 2016 at 1:40 am

      Didn’t God put us on Earth to look after the place, not trash it? That’s called stewardship not nature worship. Also, freedom of religion?

      • Tanz 57.2.1
        1 June 2016 at 10:38 am

        some call it tree-hugging and the worship of nature over humans, at the life and cost of humans. Sure, freedom of religion, nature worship is a religion!

        • ropata 57.2.1.1
          3 June 2016 at 12:24 am

          if you truly value human life as you claim, why not vote for a party that cares about the future of humanity and the planet.

          people mostly reject Green values because of Greed not holy writ.

          God loves trees too ya know. Looking after a garden is a sacred duty, since time began.

          https://ropata.wordpress.com/about/

    • leftie 57.3
      1 June 2016 at 2:31 am

      What a load of rubbish Tanz.

    • Hanswurst 57.4
      1 June 2016 at 4:43 am

      Christ, what a load of steaming bloody nonsense. Anyone who bases their policy on worship of any kind should be kept well away from the government benches.

  58. leftie 58
    1 June 2016 at 2:29 am

    Interestingly, last week on The Daily Blog’s awesome current affairs program, Labour’s Phil Twyford and the Green’s Julie Anne Genter appeared together on the show. It was a sign of good things to come.

  59. tas 59
    1 June 2016 at 6:27 am

    I don’t think this is as big a deal as people make it out to be. It’s really just formalising the status quo.

    I doubt the polls will move at all, but maybe the media will start reporting the combined Labour+Green total (as they should already be doing).

    It’s possible that more people will start to party vote Green and electorate vote Labour. We could see a Labour overhang in the next parliament, which means the Labour+Green block could get a disproportionate share of the seats, which would be very interesting.

  60. The Chairman 60
    1 June 2016 at 7:43 am

    A number of voters want an assurance a left coalition can work together once in power. The agreement to work together ends on election day. Thus, there is no assurance.

    And, unfortunately for the Greens, Little wouldn’t rule out cutting the Greens out of any coalition post-election.

    The concern for the left is the MoU will lead to the Greens making concessions, moving them more into the centre.

    It will be interesting to see what eventuates.

    • Draco T Bastard 60.1
      1 June 2016 at 9:54 am

      And, unfortunately for the Greens, Little wouldn’t rule out cutting the Greens out of any coalition post-election.

      That would actually be wrong:

      It is our intent to build on this agreement so as to to offer New Zealanders the basis of a stable, credible and progressive alternative government at the 2017 General Election.

      That pretty much says that they’ll be going into government together.

      • The Chairman 60.1.1
        1 June 2016 at 10:11 am

        “That would actually be wrong”

        No. Pretty much is no assurance.

        Moreover, it’s pretty much what voters expected without the MoU.

        Up and coming polls will give us an indication of the impact of this new MoU.

  61. Gavin 61
    1 June 2016 at 7:44 am

    This is great news, brought a tear to my eye, as It’s by far the smartest thing Labour and the Greens could do at this stage of the runup to the 2017 election. We both want National out, badly. The people in these parties know the figures, have been reading the real story behind the Nats rhetoric, they are appalled with the current direction NZ is taking.

    Now the public have time to absorb the new coalition in waiting, they’ll vote for it, given we jointly have all the best policies, and no-one in either party should back away from a united front. Already in our electorate, emails are flying around between Labour and the Greens, there is collaboration in local body politics too.

    This initiative will mobilise a lot more funding and effort from electorates that have been steamrolled by the National party juggernaut in the past, installing, and keeping installed, their generally crap National MPs. We’ll be booting a few of them out, this time.

    Three terms in, three terms out, it’s time for a change in 2017.

    • Jenny 61.1
      2 June 2016 at 7:13 am

      Strategy and tactics.

      Tactics alone won’t win the battle. And make no mistake about it, this is a tactical feint, to head off National and its coalition partners.

      But on its own, it won’t be enough

      Not until the Greens and Labour can agree on a combined strategy, will they have any chance of preventing a Fourth National led ACT/NZF/MP coalition. Labour and Green combined, just don’t have the numbers.

      Tactical feints and sidesteps won’t win the war of ideas.

      If Labour and the Greens both wish to shift the national debate towards the Left, forming a strategic alliance will have to be the next step.

      First and foremost the Greens are an environmental Party, for Labour to share a combined strategy with the Greens means that Labour will have to start taking environmental strategy more seriously.

      The most pressing environmental issue of the moment,* (if not all time) is climate change. Until the Labour party can start addressing their support for deep sea oil and coal mines over renewables and motorways over public transport. Then a combined strategy with the Greens will always be problematic.

      Delivering a pre-budget speech only days before this announcement, that did not have one mention of the climate crisis, or the need to address it. Was not a good start.

      Maybe now that this MoU has been signed this will change. And Labour will start taking this issue seriously. I will look forward to Andrew Little’s speech on this subject.

      Labour’s Ten Big Ideas

      Number 11 ………………

      [fill in the blanks]

      http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/01/coral-bleaching-spreads-to-maldives-devastating-spectacular-reefs?utm_content=buffere32fd&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

      • Gavin 61.1.1
        2 June 2016 at 11:26 pm

        I quite agree with you Jenny, climate change is for sure, the biggest problem the world has ahead. Too much of a temperature change, and every country will be fending for itself. We’ve not left ourselves in too good a position to do that tidily.

        One thing that Labour policies would do is encourage SMEs in the regions, where new manufacturing jobs and cheaper homes can match up with existing infrastructure that is underutilised. I think a lot can still be done with the state housing estate, instead of selling it off.

        A lot of the Labour activists are researching climate change, are worried about it, want to see policies that reflect that. If you look on the Labour website, they have a good policy structure already.

        Most of us are ready for a strategic alliance between the Greens and Labour, let’s see how the MoU goes.

        • Jenny 61.1.1.1
          3 June 2016 at 8:56 pm

          Thank you Gavin for your words of support. It is good to hear news that a lot of Labour activists are researching climate change, are worried about it, want to see policies that reflect that.

          Hopefully, we will soon be able to see this concern manifest itself in Labour’s public policy statements and releases.

          (Maybe even a joint policy statement with the Greens)

          So far it has been quite discouraging that Labour’s Ten Big Ideas and Andrew Little’s pre-budget speech have given zero mention of climate change.

          It would be great to see at least one great policy speech on Climate Change from the Leader of the Opposition before the election.

Links to post

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • What I wanted to say before the mob stopped women speaking
    by Daphna Whitmore I thought the #LetWomenSpeak meeting would be a good time to talk about free speech and why it is important for the left. Then the mob stampeded the open-air gathering and no one got to speak. Here’s what I was had prepared. Today I want to talk ...
    RedlineBy Admin
    8 hours ago

  • Women’s rights meeting silenced
    By Don Franks Today my friend Ani O’Briien went to a meeting in Auckland and wrote: “No sooner had Kellie-Jay Keen Minshull arrived at the Rotunda, a protestor (who had managed to get past the barrier) ran at her and threw a red substance all over her and a security ...
    RedlineBy Admin
    9 hours ago

  • A serving of soup curbs Posie Parker’s appetite for speaking – and shows that might is right in ...
    Jonathan Milne, managing editor for Newsroom Pro, has expressed his indignation about the outcome of a court decision yesterday in an article headed Posie Parker wins the beautiful freedom to make an ugly argument. Newsroom Pro laments: High Court Justice David Gendall has regretfully allowed an outspoken anti-trans activist to enter New ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    12 hours ago

  • It’s official: National have an education policy
    imagine my surprise this week when the National Party, in their infinite wisdom, decided to release an education policy. As you can imagine, this got us so riled up here in the office that we dusted off our Windows XP laptop, waiting 17 hours for all the updates to be ...
    My ThinksBy boonman
    13 hours ago

  • Prosperity through Productivity.
    Come on Jess thought Mr Evans come on. He watched the large clock on the wall tick closer to 8:40am. Come on girl.In two minutes he had to submit the class attendance report and with Jess having already been late once that term it’d mean an automatic visit from the ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    15 hours ago

  • The hoon for the week that was to March 25
    This week’s UN IPCC report warned climate emissions will need to be cut by almost half by 2030, if warming is to be limited to 1.5°C. Bronwyn Hayward points out in The Hoon podcast how far behind NZ’s government and councils are now on climate action compared to the rest ...
    The KakaBy Peter Bale
    20 hours ago

  • The big question for Labour: Will Hipkins have any more success than Ardern did with the top priorit...
    Chris  Hipkins,  after  he became prime minister, committed  to defeating the  cost-of- living crisis. He  proceeded to make a  bonfire of policies  that were at  the  heart of Jacinda Ardern’s administration.  But, as   Richard Prebble pointed out this week, “the government has not just U-turned, it has repudiated the ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    1 day ago

  • Reality check.
    There are some wellness, crystal-gazing, holistic spiritual guidance types in my disaster-hit coastal community who insist that the power of positive thinking will overcome the physical and material damages incurred by the community. They object to restrictions on road travel … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 day ago

  • High Performance Instability in the Financial Sector
    Evaluating the recent crashes of Silicon Valley Bank in the US and Credit Suisse in Switzerland plus two other banks (perhaps more by the time you read this) needs to begin with a review of the inevitable instability in the financial sector. The financial sector is inherently unstable, like military ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 day ago

  • The week in review
    1. We see here new police minister Ginny Andersen. Which larger than life NZ political figure was her great-uncle?a. Rob Muldoonb. Bill Andersenc. Richard John Seddond. Norman Kirk2. We see here archival footage of Ginny Andersen coming out of her electorate office to ask ex-tobacco lobbyist Chris Bishop if he ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Nash splashes out with a $900,000 investment in the blue economy (or is it more corporate welfare?)
    Buzz from the Beehive Stuart Nash, speaking as Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, one of his remaining portfolios after he was dropped down the Hipkins Government batting order, has drawn attention to the blue economy and its potential. Nash says the government is investing in the blue economy, or – ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Ask Me Anything about the week to March 24
    Photo by Josh Mills on UnsplashIt’s that time of the week for an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session for paying subscribers about the week that was for the next hour, including:The runs on Silicon Valley Bank and First Republic Bank on the west coast of the United States that forced the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Weekly Roundup 24-March-2023
    Roundup is back! We skipped last week’s Friday post due to a shortage of person-power – did you notice? Lots going on out there… Our header image this week shows a green street that just happens to be Queen St, by @chamfy from Twitter. This week (and last) in ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the Keen-Minshull visit
    After threatening Prime Minister Chris Hipkins of consequences if he dared to bar her entry, Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull has been given her visa, regardless. This will enable her to hold rallies in Auckland and Wellington this weekend, and spread her messages of hostility against an already marginalised trans community. Neo-Nazis may, ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    2 days ago

  • BRYCE EDWARDS’ Political Roundup:  NZ needs to distance itself from Australia’s anti-China nucl...
    * Bryce Edwards writes – The New Zealand Government has been silent about Australia’s decision to commit up to $400bn acquiring nuclear submarines, even though this is a significant threat to peace and stability in the Asia Pacific. The deal was struck by the Albanese Labor Government as ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Wayne Brown's #Auxit moment
    Boomers voted him in, but Brown’s Trumpish moments might spook Aucklanders worried about what a change to National nationally might mean. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has become our version of Donald Trump and Boris Johnson, except without any of the insatiable appetite for media appearances. He ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: NZ needs to distance itself from Australia’s anti-China nuclear submarines
    The New Zealand Government has been silent about Australia’s decision to commit up to $400bn acquiring nuclear submarines, even though this is a significant threat to peace and stability in the Asia Pacific. The deal was struck by the Albanese Labor Government as part of its Aukus pact with the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago

  • Posie Parker vs Transgender Rights.
    Recently you might have heard of a person called Posie Parker and her visit to Aotearoa. Perhaps you’re not quite sure what it’s all about. So let’s start with who this person is, why their visit is controversial, and what on earth a TERF is.Posie Parker is the super villain ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Select Committee told slow down; you’re moving too fast
    The chair of Parliament’s Select Committee looking at the Government’s resource management legislation wants the bills sent back for more public consultation. The proposal would effectively kill any chance of the bills making it into law before the election. Green MP, Eugenie Sage, stressing that she was speaking as ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #12 2023
    Open access notables  The United States experienced some historical low temperature records during the just-concluded winter. It's a reminder that climate and weather are quite noisy; with regard to our warming climate,, as with a road ascending a mountain range we may steadily change our conditions but with lots of ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • What becomes of the broken hearted? Nanny State will step in to comfort them
    Buzz from the Beehive The Nanny State has scored some wins (or claimed them) in the past day or two but it faltered when it came to protecting Kiwi citizens from being savaged by one woman armed with a sharp tongue. The wins are recorded by triumphant ministers on the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Acceptance, decency, road food.
    Sometimes you see your friends making the case so well on social media you think: just copy and share.On acceptance and decency, from Michèle A’CourtA notable thing about anti-trans people is they way they talk about transgender women and men as though they are strangers “over there” when in fact ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Climate Change: More Labour sabotage
    Not that long ago, things were looking pretty good for climate change policy in Aotearoa. We finally had an ETS, and while it was full of pork and subsidies, it was delivering high and ever-rising carbon prices, sending a clear message to polluters to clean up or shut down. And ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Is bundling restricting electricity competition?
    Comparing (and switching) electricity providers has become easier, but bundling power up with broadband and/or gas makes it more challenging. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The Kākā TL;DR: The new Consumer Advocacy Council set up as a result of the Labour Government’s Electricity Price Review in 2019 has called on either ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Westland Milk puts heat on competitors as global dairy demand  remains softer for longer
    Hokitika-based Westland Milk Products  has  put the heat on dairy giant Fonterra with  a $120m profit turnaround in 2022, driven by record sales. Westland paid its suppliers a 10c premium above the forecast Fonterra price per kilo, contributing $535m to the West Coast and Canterbury economies. The dairy ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    3 days ago

  • BRYCE EDWARDS’ Political Roundup:  The Beehive’s revolving door and corporate mateship
    * Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealanders are uncomfortable with the high level of influence corporate lobbyists have in New Zealand politics, and demands are growing for greater regulation. A recent poll shows 62 per cent of the public support having a two-year cooling off period between ministers leaving public ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: The Beehive’s revolving door and corporate mateship
    New Zealanders are uncomfortable with the high level of influence corporate lobbyists have in New Zealand politics, and demands are growing for greater regulation. A recent poll shows 62 per cent of the public support having a two-year cooling off period between ministers leaving public office and becoming lobbyists and ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • A miracle pill for our transport ills
    This is a guest post by accessibility and sustainable transport advocate Tim Adriaansen It originally appeared here.   A friend calls you and asks for your help. They tell you that while out and about nearby, they slipped over and landed arms-first. Now their wrist is swollen, hurting like ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago

  • The Surprising Power of Floating Wind Turbines
    Floating offshore wind turbines offer incredible opportunities to capture powerful winds far out at sea. By unlocking this wind energy potential, they could be a key weapon in our arsenal in the fight against climate change. But how developed are these climate fighting clean energy giants? And why do I ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • The next Maori challenge
    Over the past two or three weeks, a procession of Maori iwi and hapu in a series of little-noticed appearances before two Select Committees have been asking for more say for Maori over resource management decisions along the co-governance lines of Three Waters. Their submissions and appearances run counter ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Secret “war-crime” warrants by International Criminal Court is mischief-making
    The decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue war crimes arrest warrants for the Russian President and the Russia Children Ombudsman may have been welcomed by the ideologically committed but otherwise seems to have been greeted with widespread cynicism (see Situation in Ukraine: ICC judges issue arrest warrants ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    3 days ago

  • How to answer Drunk Uncle Kevin's Climate Crisis reckons
    Let’s say you’re clasping your drink at a wedding, or a 40th, or a King’s Birthday Weekend family reunion and Drunk Uncle Kevin has just got going.He’s in an expansive frame of mind because we’re finally rid of that silly girl. But he wants to ask an honest question about ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • National’s Luxon may be glum about his poll ratings but has he found a winner in promising to rai...
    National Party leader Christopher Luxon may  be feeling glum about his poll ratings, but  he could be tapping  into  a rich political vein in  describing the current state of education as “alarming”. Luxon said educational achievement has been declining,  with a recent NCEA pilot exposing just how far it has ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    4 days ago

  • Climate Change: More Labour foot-dragging
    Yesterday the IPCC released the final part of its Sixth Assessment Report, warning us that we have very little time left in which to act to prevent catastrophic climate change, but pointing out that it is a problem that we can solve, with existing technology, and that anything we do ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • Te Pāti Māori Are Revolutionaries – Not Reformists.
    Way Beyond Reform: Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer have no more interest in remaining permanent members of “New Zealand’s” House of Representatives than did Lenin and Trotsky in remaining permanent members of Tsar Nicolas II’s “democratically-elected” Duma. Like the Bolsheviks, Te Pāti Māori is a party of revolutionaries – not reformists.THE CROWN ...
    Bowalley Road
    4 days ago

  • When does history become “ancient”, on Tinetti’s watch as Minister of Education – and what o...
    Buzz from the Beehive Auckland was wiped off the map, when Education Minister Jan Tinetti delivered her speech of welcome as host of the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers “here in Tāmaki Makaurau”. But – fair to say – a reference was made later in the speech to a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Climate Catastrophe, but first rugby.
    Morning mate, how you going?Well, I was watching the news last night and they announced this scientific report on Climate Change. But before they got to it they had a story about the new All Blacks coach.Sounds like important news. It’s a bit of a worry really.Yeah, they were talking ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • What the US and European bank rescues mean for us
    Always a bailout: US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the Government would fully guarantee all savers in all smaller US banks if needed. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: No wonder an entire generation of investors are used to ‘buying the dip’ and ‘holding on for dear life’. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Who will drain Wellington’s lobbying swamp?
    Wealthy vested interests have an oversized influence on political decisions in New Zealand. Partly that’s due to their use of corporate lobbyists. Fortunately, the influence lobbyists can have on decisions made by politicians is currently under scrutiny in Guyon Espiner’s in-depth series published by RNZ. Two of Espiner’s research exposĂ©s ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago

  • It’s Raining Congestion
    Yesterday afternoon it rained and traffic around the region ground to a halt, once again highlighting why it is so important that our city gets on with improving the alternatives to driving. For additional irony, this happened on the same day the IPCC synthesis report landed, putting the focus on ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • Checking The Left: The Dreadful Logic Of Fascism.
    The Beginning: Anti-Co-Governance agitator, Julian Batchelor, addresses the Dargaville stop of his travelling roadshow across New Zealand . Fascism almost always starts small. Sadly, it doesn’t always stay that way. Especially when the Left helps it to grow.THERE IS A DREADFUL LOGIC to the growth of fascism. To begin with, it ...
    Bowalley Road
    4 days ago

  • Good Friends and Terrible Food
    Hi,From an incredibly rainy day in Los Angeles, I just wanted to check in. I guess this is the day Trump may or may not end up in cuffs? I’m attempting a somewhat slower, less frenzied week. I’ve had Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s new record on non-stop, and it’s been a ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago

  • At a glance – What evidence is there for the hockey stick?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Carry right on up there, Corporal Espiner
    RNZ has been shining their torch into corners where lobbyists lurk and asking such questions as: Do we like the look of this?and Is this as democratic as it could be?These are most certainly questions worth asking, and every bit as valid as, say:Are we shortchanged democratically by the way ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • This smells
    RNZ has continued its look at the role of lobbyists by taking a closer look at the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Andrew Kirton. He used to work for liquor companies, opposing (among other things) a container refund scheme which would have required them to take responsibility for their own ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • Major issues on the table in Mahuta’s  talks in Beijing with China’s new Foreign Minister
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has left for Beijing for the first ministerial visit to China since 2019. Mahuta is  to  meet China’s new foreign minister Qin Gang  where she  might have to call on all the  diplomatic skills  at  her  command. Almost certainly she  will  face  questions  on what  role ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    5 days ago

  • Inside TOP's Teal Card and political strategy
    TL;DR: The Opportunities Party’s Leader Raf Manji is hopeful the party’s new Teal Card, a type of Gold card for under 30s, will be popular with students, and not just in his Ilam electorate where students make up more than a quarter of the voters and where Manji is confident ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • Make Your Empties Go Another Round.
    When I was a kid New Zealand was actually pretty green. We didn’t really have plastic. The fruit and veges came in a cardboard box, the meat was wrapped in paper, milk came in a glass bottle, and even rubbish sacks were made of paper. Today if you sit down ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on how similar Vladimir Putin is to George W. Bush
    Looking back through the names of our Police Ministers down the years, the job has either been done by once or future party Bigfoots – Syd Holland, Richard Prebble, Juduth Collins, Chris Hipkins – or by far lesser lights like Keith Allen, Frank Gill, Ben Couch, Allen McCready, Clem Simich, ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    5 days ago

  • CHRIS TROTTER:  Te Pāti Māori’s uncompromising threat to the status quo
    Chris Trotter writes – The Crown is a fickle friend. Any political movement deemed to be colourful but inconsequential is generally permitted to go about its business unmolested. The Crown’s media, RNZ and TVNZ, may even “celebrate” its existence (presumably as proof of Democracy’s broad-minded acceptance of diversity). ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Shining a bright light on lobbyists in politics
    Four out of the five people who have held the top role of Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff since 2017 have been lobbyists. That’s a fact that should worry anyone who believes vested interests shouldn’t have a place at the centre of decision making. Chris Hipkins’ newly appointed Chief of ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago

  • Auckland Council Draft Budget – an unnecessary backwards step
    Feedback on Auckland Council’s draft 2023/24 budget closes on March 28th. You can read the consultation document here, and provide feedback here. Auckland Council is currently consulting on what is one of its most important ever Annual Plans – the ‘budget’ of what it will spend money on between July ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    5 days ago

  • Talking’ Posey Parker Blues
    by Molten Moira from Motueka If you want to be a woman let me tell you what to do Get a piece of paper and a biro tooWrite down your new identification And boom! You’re now a woman of this nationSpelled W O M A Na real trans woman that isAs opposed ...
    RedlineBy Admin
    5 days ago

  • More Māori words make it into the OED, and polytech boss (with rules on words like “students”) ...
    Buzz from the Beehive   New Zealand Education Minister Jan Tinetti is hosting the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers for three days from today, welcoming Education Ministers and senior officials from 18 Pacific Island countries and territories, and from Australia. Here’s hoping they have brought translators with them – or ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • Social intercourse with haters and Nazis: an etiquette guide
    Let’s say you’ve come all the way from His Majesty’s United Kingdom to share with the folk of Australia and New Zealand your antipathy towards certain other human beings. And let’s say you call yourself a women’s rights activist.And let’s say 99 out of 100 people who listen to you ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • The Greens, Labour, and coalition enforcement
    James Shaw gave the Green party's annual "state of the planet" address over the weekend, in which he expressed frustration with Labour for not doing enough on climate change. His solution is to elect more Green MPs, so they have more power within any government arrangement, and can hold Labour ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • This sounds familiar…
    RNZ this morning has the first story another investigative series by Guyon Espiner, this time into political lobbying. The first story focuses on lobbying by government agencies, specifically transpower, Pharmac, and assorted universities, and how they use lobbyists to manipulate public opinion and gather intelligence on the Ministers who oversee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • Letter to the NZ Herald: NCEA pseudoscience – “Mauri is present in all matter”
    Nick Matzke writes –   Dear NZ Herald, I am a Senior Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Auckland. I teach evolutionary biology, but I also have long experience in science education and (especially) political attempts to insert pseudoscience into science curricula in ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • So what would be the point of a Green vote again?
    James Shaw has again said the Greens would be better ‘in the tent’ with Labour than out, despite Labour’s policy bonfire last week torching much of what the Government was doing to reduce emissions. File Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Green Party has never been more popular than in some ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Gas stoves pose health risks. Are gas furnaces and other appliances safe to use?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah Wesseler Poor air quality is a long-standing problem in Los Angeles, where the first major outbreak of smog during World War II was so intense that some residents thought the city had been attacked by chemical weapons. Cars were eventually discovered ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Genetic Heritage and Co Governance
    Yesterday I was reading an excellent newsletter from David Slack, and I started writing a comment “Sounds like some excellent genetic heritage…” and then I stopped.There was something about the phrase genetic heritage that stopped me in tracks. Is that a phrase I want to be saying? It’s kind of ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • BRIAN EASTON: Radical Uncertainty
    Brian Easton writes – Two senior economists challenge some of the foundations of current economics. It is easy to criticise economic science by misrepresenting it, by selective quotations, and by ignoring that it progresses, like all sciences, by improving and abandoning old theories. The critics may go ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s Middle East strategy, 20 years after the Iraq War
    This week marks the twentieth anniversary of the Iraq War. While it strongly opposed the US-led invasion, New Zealand’s then Labour-led government led by Prime Minister Helen Clark did deploy military engineers to try to help rebuild Iraq in mid-2003. With violence soaring, their 12-month deployment ended without being renewed ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    6 days ago

  • The motorways are finished
    After seventy years, Auckland’s motorway network is finally finished. In July 1953 the first section of motorway in Auckland was opened between Ellerslie-Panmure Highway and Mt Wellington Highway. The final stage opens to traffic this week with the completion of the motorway part of the Northern Corridor Improvements project. Aucklanders ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    6 days ago

  • Kicking National’s tyres
    National’s appointment of Todd McClay as Agriculture spokesperson clearly signals that the party is in trouble with the farming vote. McClay was not an obvious choice, but he does have a record as a political scrapper. The party needs that because sources say it has been shedding farming votes ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • As long as there is cricket, the world is somehow okay.
    Rays of white light come flooding into my lounge, into my face from over the top of my neighbour’s hedge. I have to look away as the window of the conservatory is awash in light, as if you were driving towards the sun after a rain shower and suddenly blinded. ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago

  • So much of what was there remains
    The columnists in Private Eye take pen names, so I have not the least idea who any of them are. But I greatly appreciate their expert insight, especially MD, who writes the medical column, offering informed and often damning critique of the UK health system and the politicians who keep ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Mar 12, 2023 thru Sat, Mar 18, 2023. Story of the Week Guest post: What 13,500 citations reveal about the IPCC’s climate science report   IPCC WG1 AR6 SPM Report Cover - Changing ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago

  • Financial capability services are being bucked up, but Stuart Nash shouldn’t have to see if they c...
    Buzz from the Beehive  The building of financial capability was brought into our considerations when Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced she had dipped into the government’s coffers for $3 million for “providers” to help people and families access community-based Building Financial Capability services. That wording suggests some ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • Things that make you go Hmmmm.
    Do you ever come across something that makes you go Hmmmm?You mean like the song?No, I wasn’t thinking of the song, but I am now - thanks for that. I was thinking of things you read or hear that make you stop and go Hmmmm.Yeah, I know what you mean, ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • The hoon for the week that was to March 19
    By the end of the week, the dramas over Stuart Nash overshadowed Hipkins’ policy bonfire. File photo: Lynn GrieveasonTLDR: This week’s news in geopolitics and the political economy covered on The Kākā included:PM Chris Hipkins’ announcement of the rest of a policy bonfire to save a combined $1.7 billion, but ...
    The KakaBy Peter Bale
    1 week ago

  • Saving Stuart Nash: Explaining Chris Hipkins' unexpected political calculation
    When word went out that Prime Minister Chris Hipkins would be making an announcement about Stuart Nash on the tiles at parliament at 2:45pm yesterday, the assumption was that it was over. That we had reached tipping point for Nash’s time as minister. But by 3pm - when, coincidentally, the ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    1 week ago

  • Radical Uncertainty
    Two senior economists challenge some of the foundations of current economics. It is easy to criticise economic science by misrepresenting it, by selective quotations, and by ignoring that it progresses, like all sciences, by improving and abandoning old theories. The critics may go on to attack physics by citing Newton.So ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago

  • Jump onto the weekly hoon on Riverside at 5pm
    Photo by Walker Fenton on UnsplashIt’s that time of the week again when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kaka for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on Riverside (we’ve moved from Zoom) for our chat about the week’s news with ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • The Dream of Florian Neame: Accepted
    In a nice bit of news, my 2550-word deindustrial science-fiction piece, The Dream of Florian Neame, has been accepted for publication at New Maps Magazine (https://www.new-maps.com/). I have published there before, of course, with Of Tin and Tintagel coming out last year. While I still await the ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago

  • Crown apology to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua
    Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little has delivered the Crown apology to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua for its historic breaches of Te Tiriti of Waitangi today. The ceremony was held at Queen Elizabeth Park in Masterton, hosted by Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua, with several hundred ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago

  • Minister of Foreign Affairs meets with Chinese counterpart
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta has concluded her visit to China, the first by a New Zealand Foreign Minister since 2018. The Minister met her counterpart, newly appointed State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Qin Gang, who also hosted a working dinner. This was the first engagement between the two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • Government delivering world-class satellite positioning services
    World-class satellite positioning services that will support much safer search and rescue, boost precision farming, and help safety on construction sites through greater accuracy are a significant step closer today, says Land Information Minister Damien O’Connor. Damien O’Connor marked the start of construction on New Zealand’s first uplink centre for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • District Court Judges appointed
    Attorney-General David Parker has announced the appointment of Christopher John Dellabarca of Wellington, Dr Katie Jane Elkin of Wellington, Caroline Mary Hickman of Napier, Ngaroma Tahana of Rotorua, Tania Rose Williams Blyth of Hamilton and Nicola Jan Wills of Wellington as District Court Judges.  Chris Dellabarca Mr Dellabarca commenced his ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New project set to supercharge ocean economy in Nelson Tasman
    A new Government-backed project will help ocean-related businesses in the Nelson Tasman region to accelerate their growth and boost jobs. “The Nelson Tasman region is home to more than 400 blue economy businesses, accounting for more than 30 percent of New Zealand’s economic activity in fishing, aquaculture, and seafood processing,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • National’s education policy: where’s the funding?
    After three years of COVID-19 disruptions schools are finally settling down and National want to throw that all in the air with major disruption to learning and underinvestment.  “National’s education policy lacks the very thing teachers, parents and students need after a tough couple of years, certainty and stability,” Education ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Free programme to help older entrepreneurs and inventors
    People aged over 50 with innovative business ideas will now be able to receive support to advance their ideas to the next stage of development, Minister for Seniors Ginny Andersen said today. “Seniors have some great entrepreneurial ideas, and this programme will give them the support to take that next ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government target increased to keep powering up the Māori economy
    A cross government target for relevant government procurement contracts for goods and services to be awarded to Māori businesses annually will increase to 8%, after the initial 5% target was exceeded. The progressive procurement policy was introduced in 2020 to increase supplier diversity, starting with Māori businesses, for the estimated ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Continued progress on reducing poverty in challenging times
    77,000 fewer children living in low income households on the after-housing-costs primary measure since Labour took office Eight of the nine child poverty measures have seen a statistically significant reduction since 2018. All nine have reduced 28,700 fewer children experiencing material hardship since 2018 Measures taken by the Government during ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech at Fiji Investment and Trade Business Forum
    Deputy Prime Minister Kamikamica; distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. Tēnā koutou katoa, ni sa bula vinaka saka, namaste. Deputy Prime Minister, a very warm welcome to Aotearoa. I trust you have been enjoying your time here and thank you for joining us here today. To all delegates who have travelled to be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government investments boost and diversify local economies in lower South Island
    $2.9 million convertible loan for Scapegrace Distillery to meet growing national and international demand $4.5m underwrite to support Silverlight Studios’ project to establish a film studio in Wanaka Gore’s James Cumming Community Centre and Library to be official opened tomorrow with support of $3m from the COVID-19 Response and Recovery ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government future-proofs EV charging
    Transport Minister Michael Wood has today launched the first national EV (electric vehicle) charging strategy, Charging Our Future, which includes plans to provide EV charging stations in almost every town in New Zealand. “Our vision is for Aotearoa New Zealand to have world-class EV charging infrastructure that is accessible, affordable, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • World-leading family harm prevention campaign supports young NZers
    Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment Priyanca Radhakrishnan has today launched the Love Better campaign in a world-leading approach to family harm prevention. Love Better will initially support young people through their experience of break-ups, developing positive and life-long attitudes to dealing with hurt. “Over 1,200 young kiwis told ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • First Chief Clinical Advisor welcomed into Coroners Court
    Hon Rino Tirikatene, Minister for Courts, welcomes the Ministry of Justice’s appointment of Dr Garry Clearwater as New Zealand’s first Chief Clinical Advisor working with the Coroners Court. “This appointment is significant for the Coroners Court and New Zealand’s wider coronial system.” Minister Tirikatene said. Through Budget 2022, the Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Next steps for affected properties post Cyclone and floods
    The Government via the Cyclone Taskforce is working with local government and insurance companies to build a picture of high-risk areas following Cyclone Gabrielle and January floods. “The Taskforce, led by Sir Brian Roche, has been working with insurance companies to undertake an assessment of high-risk areas so we can ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New appointment to Māori Land Court bench
    E te huia kaimanawa, ko Ngāpuhi e whakahari ana i tau aupikinga ki te tihi o te maunga. Ko te Ao Māori hoki e whakanui ana i a koe te whakaihu waka o te reo Māori i roto i te Ao Ture. (To the prized treasure, it is Ngāpuhi who ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Government focus on jobs sees record number of New Zealanders move from Benefits into work
    113,400 exits into work in the year to June 2022 Young people are moving off Benefit faster than after the Global Financial Crisis Two reports released today by the Ministry of Social Development show the Government’s investment in the COVID-19 response helped drive record numbers of people off Benefits and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Vertical farming partnership has upward momentum
    The Government’s priority to keep New Zealand at the cutting edge of food production and lift our sustainability credentials continues by backing the next steps of a hi-tech vertical farming venture that uses up to 95 per cent less water, is climate resilient, and pesticide-free. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor visited ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Conference of Pacific Education Ministers – Keynote Address
    E nga mana, e nga iwi, e nga reo, e nga hau e wha, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou kātoa. Warm Pacific greetings to all. It is an honour to host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers here in Tāmaki Makaurau. Aotearoa is delighted to be hosting you ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New $13m renal unit supports Taranaki patients
    The new renal unit at Taranaki Base Hospital has been officially opened by the Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall this afternoon. Te Huhi Raupƍ received around $13 million in government funding as part of Project Maunga Stage 2, the redevelopment of the Taranaki Base Hospital campus. “It’s an honour ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Second Poseidon aircraft on home soil
    Defence Minister Andrew Little has marked the arrival of the country’s second P-8A Poseidon aircraft alongside personnel at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base at Ohakea today. “With two of the four P-8A Poseidons now on home soil this marks another significant milestone in the Government’s historic investment in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Further humanitarian aid for TĂŒrkiye and Syria
    Aotearoa New Zealand will provide further humanitarian support to those seriously affected by last month’s deadly earthquakes in TĂŒrkiye and Syria, says Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. “The 6 February earthquakes have had devastating consequences, with almost 18 million people affected. More than 53,000 people have died and tens of thousands more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Community voice to help shape immigration policy
    Migrant communities across New Zealand are represented in the new Migrant Community Reference Group that will help shape immigration policy going forward, Immigration Minister Michael Wood announced today.  “Since becoming Minister, a reoccurring message I have heard from migrants is the feeling their voice has often been missing around policy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • State Highway 3 project to deliver safer journeys, better travel connections for Taranaki
    Construction has begun on major works that will deliver significant safety improvements on State Highway 3 from Waitara to Bell Block, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan announced today. “This is an important route for communities, freight and visitors to Taranaki but too many people have lost their lives or ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Ginny Andersen appointed as Minister of Police
    Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has today appointed Ginny Andersen as Minister of Police. “Ginny Andersen has a strong and relevant background in this important portfolio,” Chris Hipkins said. “Ginny Andersen worked for the Police as a non-sworn staff member for around 10 years and has more recently been chair of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Government confirms vital roading reconnections
    Six further bailey bridge sites confirmed Four additional bridge sites under consideration 91 per cent of damaged state highways reopened Recovery Dashboards for impacted regions released The Government has responded quickly to restore lifeline routes after Cyclone Gabrielle and can today confirm that an additional six bailey bridges will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Foreign Minister Mahuta to meet with China’s new Foreign Minister
    Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta departs for China tomorrow, where she will meet with her counterpart, State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, in Beijing. This will be the first visit by a New Zealand Minister to China since 2019, and follows the easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions between New Zealand and China. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Education Ministers from across the Pacific gather in Aotearoa
    Education Ministers from across the Pacific will gather in Tāmaki Makaurau this week to share their collective knowledge and strategic vision, for the benefit of ākonga across the region. New Zealand Education Minister Jan Tinetti will host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers (CPEM) for three days from today, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • State Highway 5 reopens between Napier and Taupƍ following Cyclone Gabrielle
    A vital transport link for communities and local businesses has been restored following Cyclone Gabrielle with the reopening of State Highway 5 (SH5) between Napier and Taupƍ, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan says. SH5 reopened to all traffic between 7am and 7pm from today, with closure points at SH2 (Kaimata ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Special Lotto draw raises $11.7 million for Cyclone Gabrielle recovery
    Internal Affairs Minister Barbara Edmonds has thanked generous New Zealanders who took part in the special Lotto draw for communities affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. Held on Saturday night, the draw raised $11.7 million with half of all ticket sales going towards recovery efforts. “In a time of need, New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Government delivers a $3 million funding boost for Building Financial Capability services
    The Government has announced funding of $3 million for providers to help people, and whānau access community-based Building Financial Capability services. “Demand for Financial Capability Services is growing as people face cost of living pressures. Those pressures are increasing further in areas affected by flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle,” Minister for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao – new Chair and member
    Minister of Education, Hon Jan Tinetti, has announced appointments to the Board of Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao. Tracey Bridges is joining the Board as the new Chair and Dr Therese Arseneau will be a new member. Current members Dr Linda Sissons CNZM and Daniel Wilson have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Scholarships honouring Ngarimu VC and the 28th (Māori) Battalion announced
    Fifteen ākonga Māori from across Aotearoa have been awarded the prestigious Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships and Awards for 2023, Associate Education Minister and Ngarimu Board Chair, Kelvin Davis announced today.  The recipients include doctoral, masters’ and undergraduate students. Three vocational training students and five wharekura students, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Appointment of Judge of the Court of Appeal and Judge of the High Court
    High Court Judge Jillian Maree Mallon has been appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal, and District Court Judge Andrew John Becroft QSO has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Mallon graduated from Otago University in 1988 with an LLB (Hons), and with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ still well placed to meet global challenges
    The economy has continued to show its resilience despite today’s GDP figures showing a modest decline in the December quarter, leaving the Government well positioned to help New Zealanders face cost of living pressures in a challenging global environment. “The economy had grown strongly in the two quarters before this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Western Ring Route Complete
    Aucklanders now have more ways to get around as Transport Minister Michael Wood opened the direct State Highway 1 (SH1) to State Highway 18 (SH18) underpass today, marking the completion of the 48-kilometre Western Ring Route (WRR). “The Government is upgrading New Zealand’s transport system to make it safer, more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Briefings to Incoming Ministers
    This section contains briefings received by incoming ministers following changes to Cabinet in January. Some information may have been withheld in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982. Where information has been withheld that is indicated within the document. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Teaming up for a stronger, more resilient Fiji
    Aotearoa New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta reaffirmed her commitment to working together with the new Government of Fiji on issues of shared importance, including on the prioritisation of climate change and sustainability, at a meeting today, in Nadi. Fiji and Aotearoa New Zealand’s close relationship is underpinned by the Duavata ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Investment in blue highway a lifeline for regional economies and cyclone recovery
    The Government is delivering a coastal shipping lifeline for businesses, residents and the primary sector in the cyclone-stricken regions of Hawkes Bay and Tairāwhiti, Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan announced today. The Rangitata vessel has been chartered for an emergency coastal shipping route between Gisborne and Napier, with potential for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Next steps developing clean energy for NZ
    The Government will progress to the next stage of the NZ Battery Project, looking at the viability of pumped hydro as well as an alternative, multi-technology approach as part of the Government’s long term-plan to build a resilient, affordable, secure and decarbonised energy system in New Zealand, Energy and Resources ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2023-03-25T14:18:48+00:00