Labour – “Ready to Win”
Written By:
- Date published:
3:10 pm, August 10th, 2014 - 135 comments
Categories: david cunliffe, election 2014, labour -
Tags: campaign launch
E rau rangatira ma
E te whanau o te roopu reipa
Piki mai, kake mai haere mai
Te tangi a te pipiwharauroa
Te Po
Ka Awatea!
Whiti ao – whiti ao – whiti whiti Ao
Hello Labour
Hello New Zealand
Today is about you. It is about the launch of your future, your vision, your belief in creating a better New Zealand.
This election is going to be about a choice – probably one of the clearest that we have had as a country in a generation.
And it’s not just about two leaders, or even a contest between two parties.
This election is fundamentally about two very different pathways to two very different futures for New Zealand.
It’s a choice between prosperity for all, or only for a few.
It’s a choice between a new path to a higher value, more sustainable future, where every person matters. Or the current path of selling ourselves short and deepening the divides.
I believe – every one of us in the Labour Party believes – that it is people that matter most.
That, at the end of the day, we are all worth exactly the same.
And I believe that our people are a community, and are not commodities.
I believe that when the least fortunate of us does better, we all do better.
I believe that in this country nobody should be left out or left behind.
But I also believe that New Zealand has lost its way.
That after another 3 years, heading in the direction we’re heading, we just won’t know this country.
Our rivers will be dirty. What’s left of our assets will be sold. And so will vast tracts of our land. We will be tenants in our own country.
Is that the choice we want to make?
I don’t think so.
Labour refuses to stand by and let this generation of young New Zealanders become the first to do worse than their parents.
It wasn’t that long ago that we were considered to be the small, smart jewel of the South Pacific.
A creative, plucky country punching well above our weight. Where everyone could dare to dream the Kiwi dream, where if you worked hard and played by the rules – everyone, not just some, could get ahead.
We need to reclaim that vision, and make it our own again.
We can and we will.
We will do it for the mother of two teenage boys who works 60 hours a week cleaning and cannot sleep from worry that she doesn’t have enough time to keep them on the rails.
We’ll do it for the little kid in West Auckland admitted to Starship because of respiratory disease caused by the black mould growing in the bedroom in his cold, damp home.
We’ll do it for the professional couple in Christchurch who’ve been waiting for three years for the insurance cheque that means they can finally move on with their lives.
And for the grandmother who sits in her cold flat wrapped in blankets because she cannot pay both the power bill and the doctor.
We’ll do it the small manufacturer who is laying off workers – his own mates – for the third time as his business slowly, but surely, goes under, due to the high Kiwi dollar.
A Labour government will make New Zealand a fairer place, and a better place.
By strengthening the right of every New Zealander to have a warm, dry, comfortable home.
By strengthening, not neglecting, support for our schools, hospitals and universities.
By building, not deferring, a high-value, high knowledge, sustainable economy that will create good jobs.
It’s called a better New Zealand.
Decent jobs are at the core of any decent society. It’s what we in Labour have always stood for.
And with decent jobs come decent homes. Strong and stable communities.
Where Kiwis can bring up their families – where they can thrive.
Work.
Home.
Family.
It doesn’t get much more basic than that.
That’s what matters to New Zealanders. That’s what matters to us.
The Government I lead will put people first. It will make sure every single person matters. That together we all do well.
We want jobs for all New Zealanders, not just some. We want good schools for all New Zealand kids, not just some. We want decent healthcare for all New Zealanders, not just some.
Jobs
Nowhere is the choice we face clearer than in the economy, and the jobs it creates.
The world is recovering from what is probably the largest global financial crisis of our time.
You were told that everyone had to tighten their belts – and that everyone would get their fair share of the so-called “rock star” recovery.
In fact, that party was short and not everyone got invited, but the hangover will be experienced by the vast majority.
Dairy prices are plummeting. Interest rates, mortgages and living costs are rising faster than incomes.
A few did live like rock stars: the top 10% now owns 90% of the wealth.
The wealthy got massive tax cuts that they didn’t need, while GST was raised on everyone – even though they said they wouldn’t.
The IRD tells us half the richest 100 Kiwis aren’t even paying the top tax rate.
Privatisation made inequality worse. They sold half of your energy companies even though you said no. Now only a few New Zealanders own those assets that we all paid for.
Now they want to sell our land from under us too: over a million hectares have been approved for overseas sale by the current government – sixteen times the size of Lake Taupo!
What’s going to be left if they get another three years to sell off and sell down our future?
Safe hands, clear thinking
New Zealand needs a clear plan for a prosperous, sustainable future where the benefits actually do flow to all New Zealanders.
Only Labour has that plan.
A coherent and future-focused economic upgrade that is built on firmer foundations than milk prices and insurance cheques.
We have a robust fiscal plan, that will run surpluses every year, that will pay off National’s record debt in our first two terms, and will get unemployment down to 4% by the end of our first term.
Labour is being open and transparent about what we are doing and how.
We’ve released our fiscal strategy early. It’s clearly costed and affordable – thank you David Parker.
Our policies are all banked and paid for.
In our alternative Budget, we showed that we had more policies costed and ready to roll out during the campaign – including the ones we’re announcing today.
And we’ve got some more important ones still to come.
You can afford to do a lot of good in government when you’re not spending all your cash on tax cuts for the very wealthy.
And when you back New Zealand and New Zealanders to create wealth.
And Labour will.
We will drive investment, we will drive innovation.
We will back industry on its journey from volume to value.
Universal KiwiSaver will build investment in our businesses.
Our monetary policy will make our exports more competitive.
Enhanced research and development will boost innovation.
We will back Kiwi businesses with pro-growth tax reform
We will back them by getting government to Buy Kiwi Made.
And by growing New Zealand’s wealth and opportunities.
And we’ll back every region and every sector in this country.
That’s what our $200 million regional development fund is for.
To boost infrastructure to create jobs.
And with Labour’s economic upgrade, all New Zealanders will benefit – not just the privileged few.
We will raise the minimum wage by $2 an hour to $16.25 in our first year of government.
That will put another $4,000 a year into the pockets of hardworking Kiwis. And that means more money in circulation to rebuild local businesses and our economy from the ground up.
It will raise the living standards of a quarter of a million New Zealanders and their families.
We’re also going to restore those work rights that this government has taken away. Rights that give Kiwis the ability to negotiate a decent deal.
You know what? The Government has made it very clear that one of the first things they want to do if they get back is take away your lunch break and your smoko!
Homes
Right now there’s a housing crisis in New Zealand. We have the lowest home ownership in 50 years, and rents are outstripping incomes.
For a whole generation of New Zealanders, the Kiwi dream of home ownership is slipping out of reach.
Talk to any young New Zealander these days, and they’ll tell you that no matter hard they work and how hard they save they’ll never own a home like their parents did.
Our plan means putting people to work building 100,000 affordable new homes with KiwiBuild.
That will give so many young families an opportunity they don’t currently have to get into a home of their own.
Education
On the current path Education is being undermined.
Undermined by charter schools.
Undermined by league tables.
Undermined by fiascos like Novopay, like unlawful school closures, like paying hundreds of millions of dollars to take good teachers out of their schools and turn them into middle management.
We know the best education is critical. That’s why we stand for a strong, affordable, world-class state education that is there for every Kiwi kid.
To achieve that we’ll ensure our kids have access to digital devices and 21st century learning spaces.
We’ll offer schools $100 per student so that parents – and even kids – are no longer pressured to pay so-called “voluntary” donations.
And we will make sure that class sizes are smaller and kids have more one on one learning by hiring 2,000 more teachers.
Our education policies are about excellence, opportunity and fairness.
We’ll make sure that every student, no matter where in the country they are from, or how wealthy their parents are, gets the education they deserve.
That’s how we will get the society where everyone can have opportunities to get ahead.
Health
But we all know kids don’t leave their lives at the school gate. They can’t learn if they’re hungry. They can’t learn if they don’t have a warm, dry home, or if they’re sick.
Our health – and the health of our families – is our greatest treasure.
But right now our health system is forced just to be the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, because too many people can’t afford to get the care they need.
We will take a different path. We want people to be healthy, and to make sure they can access the best care when they get sick.
It’s why we won’t just pay to treat diseases like rheumatic fever; we’ll actually deal with the overcrowding and the cold, damp housing that causes it in the first place.
That’s why we’ll make sure every rental is warm and dry with our Healthy Homes Guarantee.
That’s why we’ll bring in the Best Start payment. $60 a week so new parents have enough money to look after their babies’ needs. And we’ll tackle child poverty by increasing the minimum wage.
It’s a Kiwi value, a Labour value, that it is your need that should determine the healthcare you get, not the size of your wallet.
I know this first-hand. When I was growing up, my Dad got desperately ill. He had a series of heart attacks starting when he was 55.
Dad got great care from our public health system and that meant he could go on caring for me, for my family and others for another two decades.
That drove home to me how important strong public healthcare is to making sure we get well and stay well.
But that is being lost on the path the current government is on.
Despite what they will tell you, health funding hasn’t kept up with population growth and inflation.
There’s been a real cut of $200 million per year since 2008.
Last year more than half a million New Zealanders needed to see a doctor, but couldn’t afford an appointment. That is a disgrace.
And a quarter of a million New Zealanders didn’t fill their prescriptions because they couldn’t afford it.
These are people who went to the doctor, who were found to be sick and needing medicine, but who didn’t get treatment because they didn’t have the money.
This is not the New Zealand we believe in. We’re a better country than that.
The Labour Government I lead will back quality, affordable, universal healthcare for all.
We’ll make sure the health budget keeps up with rising costs and our growing population with a billion dollar annual increase for health and education.
That means any new funding we announce is real money that will make a real difference in New Zealanders’ lives.
For example, last week I announced a $60 million boost for primary healthcare.
That will give 700,000 more New Zealanders free or heavily discounted GP visits.
Because getting to the doctor early means not waiting until things get desperate.
Building on that, today I’m going to lay out a step-change in our health system.
We are going to radically reduce the cost and improve the quality of healthcare for hundreds of thousands more New Zealanders.
And we’re going to focus most on those who are most in need, because that’s the right thing to do.
That’s why I’m proud to announce Labour will make doctors’ visits and prescriptions free for all New Zealanders aged 65 and over.
These are the people who’ve paid taxes all their lives, who face some of the greatest health needs and who are most likely to have fixed incomes.
It’s not just the right thing to do, it’s also the smart thing to do – getting early care can stop a lot of harmful and expensive problems down the line.
Free doctors’ visits and prescriptions for over 65s will make a real difference in the lives of nearly 700,000 older New Zealanders.
Labour will also make GP visits, prescriptions, and dental care free for all pregnant women.
International evidence, including Sir Peter Gluckman’s work, shows a direct link between the health of expectant mothers and that of their children.
Investing in good maternal health will pay dividends throughout the life of a child.
But our highest health needs are not just limited to the young and the old.
Labour will be there for New Zealanders who have long-term health conditions.
On the current government’s path, it’s just not fair that those with the highest health needs have to pay the highest bills. So we’re going to change that.
We’re going to bring a quarter of a million Kiwis into Care Plus and give them four free GP visits a year – and free prescriptions too.
Labour will also make GP visits and prescriptions free for children aged under 13, and increase funding for youth health centres.
The Labour government I lead will invest to make doctors’ visits and medicine free for the Kiwis that need it most – our children, our mothers to be and our senior citizens.
All up, Labour’s health package will give nearly 40% of New Zealanders free doctor visits and prescriptions.
These policies, like all our policies, have been carefully costed as part of our fiscal plan.
It’s budgeted, it’s paid for, it’s there in black and white.
So when our opponents try to claim that we can’t afford better healthcare for New Zealanders – and they’ll try – they won’t be being honest with the public.
And they know it.
Labour’s vision for New Zealand is to build the fairest, most decent society in the world.
The choice to come
What this election is fundamentally about is a choice. And it’s all of our choice.
New Zealanders, we can choose decent jobs for all.
We can choose great education for all.
We can choose kids growing up healthy, warm, and well fed.
We can choose an economy where people can pay their bills, and meet their mortgages and get ahead.
And of course we can choose decent healthcare for those who need it.
Together we can choose to build a society where there is fairness for all New Zealanders, not just the top few percent. Where everyone has the opportunity and aspiration to reach all our potential.
But, sadly, the path our country has been on won’t get us there.
It cannot. It will not.
The current path doesn’t live up to the truest Kiwi values of fairness, decency and respect. Those values that made our country great.
We need to apply those values to the new world of the 21st century so we can build a future where we all succeed together.
I know it’s easy to be cynical about elections. About the sideshows, about the relentless negativity.
And every election we hear voices telling us that there is no alternative and nothing will ever change.
That the problems are all someone else’s fault, or they’re all too hard to solve.
That we should just be happy with what we’ve got because fairness and decency is too much to ask for, and we shouldn’t rock the boat.
We’ve seen where politics as usual gets us.
We’ve seen more children in poverty, more people locked out of home ownership, more families finding their incomes cannot keep up with the rising cost of living.
We know that we can do better. We know we can deliver change for a better New Zealand.
In this election, we can change all of that together.
This election is going to be very close. The choice is here, the choice is now, the choice is real, and it’s ours to make, starting today.
If we want to change the path our country is on, we have to change the government first.
In this election we can chose to lift kids out of poverty, to put our people back to work, to create new businesses, to harness new technology. We can choose to build new homes, support our families and, together, build the fairest, most decent society in the world.
We can choose to do this. We can do this together.
If you want to build a better future for your family and your country.
If you want an end to politics as usual and to build a New Zealand that works for everyone.
If you won’t settle for the past and you want to reach for the future.
Then it’s time to vote for change.
It’s time to Vote Positive.
It’s time to Party Vote Labour.
Thank you.
135 comments on “Labour – “Ready to Win” ”
- Comments are now closed
- Comments are now closed
Recent Comments
- Treasury warns deeper recession worsening Budget deficit
The gift that keeps giving: David Seymour has now opened a split in the coalition over the future of National’s promise to build a new medical school. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / TheKakaKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and ...4 hours ago - Weekly Roundup 22-November-2024
It’s another Friday and we’re inching closer to the end of the year. Here’s some of the stories that have caught our attention this week. This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew and made possible by generous donations from our readers and ...5 hours ago - Beyond Question?
Record Numbers: The Hīkoi mō te Tiriti, which began at the tip of the North, and the tail of the South, on 11 November, culminated outside Parliament on Tuesday, 19 November 2024, in one of the largest demonstrations in New Zealand’s political history.ACCORDING TO TE ARA, the Ministry of Culture ...6 hours ago - The Rush To Blame “The Activists”
Activists are such easy scapegoats. The right and center have been conditioned for decades to roll their eyes at all protests. The left are easily aggravated over students leading movements they see as belonging to grownups, who have more important concerns like the economy and whether the trains come on ...6 hours ago - Cutting Through An Inundation of Dipshit Racists
Hi,Watching New Zealand from afar offers a strange perspective. It can be a good thing — distance from Aotearoa helped keep me sane while I reported on abuse at New Zealand’s biggest megachurch over the course of a year. It helps fuel my silly podcast. But it can also be ...7 hours ago - This is bad news
The speech yesterday by Treasury’s Chief Economic Advisor warning that the books are in worse shape than forecasted looks like it’s part of a softening-up process for either more cuts or a longer wait to get back into surplus. The speech was a highly unusual public preview of Treasury’s Half-Yearly ...8 hours ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #47 2024
Open access notables Projected increase in the frequency of extremely active Atlantic hurricane seasons, Lopez et al., Science Advances: Future changes to the year-to-year swings between active and inactive North Atlantic tropical cyclone (TC) seasons have received little attention, yet may have great societal implications in areas prone to hurricane ...17 hours ago - Chicken Kiev
Chatting in the supermarket this morning, I found I needed to lunge for the chicken drumsticks.Coping mechanisms: who hasn’t felt a greater need for them lately?When it all gets too much, I turn to demonstrating handy butchery hacks.It wasn’t that she’d said anything wrong, our friend, not at all. We ...21 hours ago - The year is 2024 and it’s 1984
This is written in response to the highly significant open letter from a group of economists that was today addressed to Christopher Luxon. The year is 2024, and it’s 1984. The country is reeling from a record Olympic medal gold haul, while the globe grapples with the choice of the ...21 hours ago - The IPCA has failed
Back in 2022, RNZ took an in-depth look at the "Independent" Police Conduct Authority and its handling of killings by police. These are the most serious test of oversight, and you would expect the police's use of lethal force to receive the most severe scrutiny. But despite the police regularly ...1 day ago - Thursday 21 November 2024
The Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti arrived at Parliament on Tuesday – the size is being debated but estimates range from 42,000 to 100,000. The Prime Minister is defending not attending due to some of the organisers being affiliated with Te Pāti Māori. The national gang patch ban came into force ...1 day ago - ‘These budget cuts are counter-productive and make no sense’
I spoke to former Productivity Chair Nana this morning about the letter he and a group of other economists sent to PM Christopher Luxon to urge the Government to urgently suspend cuts to spending and investment for the sake of the economy, struggling businesses and the wellbeing of vulnerable ...1 day ago
- ACT’s Astroturfing & A Co-ordinated Attack on Te Pati Māori
Unity on the Streets / Unity at the TableAfter the Hīkoi, all three right wing Coalition leaders came together to push the idea that the 42,000 - 50,000 + strong Hikoi was somehow less potent and brave, and more illegitimate than the energy and crowd displayed.Prime Minister Christopher Luxon 20-November: ...1 day ago - Durability of carbon dioxide removal is critical for stabilizing temperatures
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink The world is emitting over 40 gigatons of CO2 per year, contributing to an accelerating warming of the planet. The world needs to cut emissions rapidly to be remotely on track to meet our Paris Agreement goals of limiting warming to well-below 2C, and we ...1 day ago
- I Love My Leather Jacket
I wear my leather jacket like a great big hugRadiating charm - a living cloak of luckIt's the only concrete link with an absent friendIt's a symbol I can wear 'till we meet againOr it's a weight around my neck while the owner's freeBoth protector and reminder of mortalityIt's a ...1 day ago - Throwback Thursday: Will “Auckland Transport” Survive?
With Auckland Transport’s future up in the air under Mayor Wayne Brown’s proposed CCO reform, we’ve dug way back into the archives, to unearth this post originally published in March 2010. As you’ll see, many of the debates that were being had when AT was first proposed continue to ...1 day ago
- Economists call on PM to suspend budget cuts for the sake of the economy
Nicola Willis’ budget cuts are under fire from economists for having no clear rationale and worsening the recession. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, November 21: The news at ...1 day ago
- The end of policing by consent
National has appointed a new police commissioner. And he explicitly rejects policing by consent: Asked if he subscribed to policing by consent, he said he did not. “I don’t talk about policing by consent. I talk about trust and confidence, and it is fundamentally important that the police have ...2 days ago
- The Treaty Principles Bill: A Who’s Who
David Horatio Waterbed SeymourFringe politician and dweeb transformed successfully by ThinkTank money into a well-oiled soundbite robot.Currently programmed to say: Equal rights for all New Zealanders Equal rights for all New Zealanders Equal rights for all New Zealanders Was previously programmed to say:I am a proud libertarian andI am a ...2 days ago - Kinleith mill closure shows need for industrial strategy
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff is calling on the Government to deliver an economic and industrial strategy for regional manufacturing, rather than just expressing sympathy for job losses, following the announced closure of Kinleith mill in Tokoroa. “The closure Kinleith mill in Tokoroa is not just devastating for ...2 days ago
- 27% of kids going hungry, up from 21% in a year
One in four Kiwi children live in households where food runs out often or sometimes. Photo: Getty ImagesKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, November 20: The lead: The official annual Health Survey found sharp ...2 days ago - Transport modelling is an illusion
This guest post by Tim Adriaansen, an advocate for accessibility and sustainable transport, originally published on LinkedIn and cross posted here with permission. People prefer cars, right? Probably not. Here’s why. Granted, most people in English-speaking countries use a car to get around. This simple reality underpins our transport ...2 days ago
- Young Maori take over
Neither Wellington nor Parliament has ever seen anything like it before. The Police said there were more than 40,000 but however many there were, yesterday’s Hikoi to Parliament was a monumental event. It was almost three times the Foreshore and Seabed martch of 2004 and many,many times bigger than ...2 days ago
- Gordon Campbell On The Hikoi Aftermath
The euphoria from yesterday’s hikoi may be transitory, but is no less valuable for that. It is pretty rare for the left to feel itself to be in the overwhelming majority, and speaking as the voice of the people. Lest that momentum be lost, the organisers will no doubt be ...3 days ago - Sabin 33 #3 – Solar panels generate too much waste and will overwhelm landfills
On November 1, 2024 we announced the publication of 33 rebuttals based on the report "Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles" written by Matthew Eisenson, Jacob Elkin, Andy Fitch, Matthew Ard, Kaya Sittinger & Samuel Lavine and published by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia ...3 days ago
- What’s the time Mr Seymour?
Mr David Seymour crawling up to the ceilingThe sun don't shine the sun don't shine the sun don't shine at allMamma Pappa say you should go to school, I don't know what forNow that I've grown up and seen the world and all its liesSong: Southside of Bombay"Ake, ake, ake" ...3 days ago - Submit to defend te Tiriti!
The Justice Committee has called for submissions on National's racist and constitutionally radical Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill. Submissions can be made at the link above or by post, and are due by Tuesday, 7 January 2025. But I'd get in quick, in case National grows a spine ...3 days ago
- We need to talk about Kevin
All happy families are alike; each unhappy family has a Drunk Uncle Kevin in there somewhere. If your Kevin is anything like the ones I know, he was getting along happily enough without having to think too much about the Treaty Principles Bill apart from bloody good job, onya guys ...3 days ago - The hikoi
Like everyone else (everyone who wasn't there, anyway), I've spent the morning watching the hikoi march on Parliament. The pictures are astounding: parliament grounds and the surrounding streets are full, and there are still people backed up along Lambton Quay. The police are estimating 35,000 people, and that's a floor ...3 days ago
- Why Govt & NZ Inc should boycott & regulate Facebook
3 days ago - How should we talk about change?
A better world isn’t just possible, it’s desirable. And that’s how we should frame a lot of our conversations around making a greater Auckland. As an example take urban climate action. A climate friendly Auckland: Is free from congestion Enables people to travel how they choose Is filled with ...3 days ago
- AMA + Holiday Webworm Merch!
3 days ago - Discount Code for Webworm Merch!
Hi,So there’s a bunch of new stuff on the Webworm store (www.webworm.store) — just in time for the Holidays. Read more ...3 days ago - Trying to defuse the tension
There were urgent moves yesterday at Parliament to try and defuse the tension building up over ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill. The Bill’s author, ACT leader David Seymour, told reporters that he understood the Justice Select Committee met yesterday to discuss how long it should take to consider submissions on the ...3 days ago
- An Irritable NZ Pawn – David Seymour Admits Treaty Principles Bill will clear the way for deve...
3 days ago - Gordon Campbell On The Hikoi Arrival, And Tyler Childers
Politicians like to bang on all about the need to heal society’s racial/economic divisions, but in their actions they’re more keen on stoking those divisions, with the Treaty Principles Bill being the classic example. The Bill seeks to dilute the Crown’s responsibilities to Māori at the same time as it ...4 days ago
- Socially Backwards and Fiscally Forwards: the False Ideological Divide and the “Conservative” Li...
4 days ago - Kaamos: Accepted
I appreciate that A Phuulish Fellow has been fairly quiet recently. That’s a combination of two things – comparatively little in the way of relevant material to discuss (at least until The War of the Rohirrim comes out next month), and my general work on The Secret Non-Fiction Writing Project. ...4 days ago - Here’s how governments could fix their Paris climate commitment failures
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Governments around the world face a conundrum. Virtually none are on track to meet their Paris climate commitments. That includes the United States, which committed to cut its emissions at least 50% below 2005 levels by 2030 but is only on track for 32-43% cuts ...4 days ago
- Unstoppable.
4 days ago
- Katherine Trebeck – An Alternative Economic Narrative
The era of neoliberalism has been destructive on so many levels, with a huge growth in wealth and privilege for the one percent. A hollowing out of the state; fraying of the safety net; inadequate government investment in infrastructure; and continued environmental degradation has resulted in damage on a vast ...4 days ago - In a Manner of Speaking
In a manner of speakingI just want to sayThat I could never forget the wayYou told me everythingBy saying nothingOh, give me the wordsGive me the wordsThat tell me nothingOh, give me the wordsGive me the wordsThat tell me everythingSongwriter: Winston TongNext Tuesday, the subscription price for Nick’s Kōrero will ...4 days ago - Monday 18 November 2024
The NZNO have announced a nationwide strike for December over its pay dispute with Health NZ, who have put a 1 per cent cap on pay rises. The Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti and Treaty Principles Bill remain front and centre in the media, with the impacts of the Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke-led ...4 days ago
- Shipley warns Seymour’s bill is ‘inviting civil war’
The divisive Treaty Principles Bill is not just a risk for the National Party, it’s a risk to civil order and unity, warns a National Party grandee. Photo: Getty ImagesKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on ...4 days ago - A clearer network for the City Rail Link?
This post was originally published on Linked In by Nicolas Reid. It is republished here with permission. Auckland is now just a year or so away from having the keystone of its urban rail network complete. As I wrote about here, the City Rail Link will be a literal game changer for ...4 days ago
- National’s support base is wobbling
If ACT leader David Seymour intended the Treaty Principles Bill to drive a wedge into National’s support base, he may well already be succeeding. By midnight on Thursday after the Maori Party haka in Parliament, National MPs were being deluged with emails and messages from their members calling them out ...4 days ago
- 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #46
A listing of 33 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, November 10, 2024 thru Sat, November 16, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is completely "meta" (no, not that Meta). It's about our exploring how ...5 days ago
- Grifter Eftpos Tamaki at it again
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Self-appointed “Bishop” and proto-fascist, Brian Tamaki was at it again on 16 November, blocking Auckland’s southern motorway, SH1.This time, the target of his ire wasn’t the Civil Unions Act; covid lock-downs; mask mandates; or ...5 days ago - Rip up a bill, lead a haka are words to live by
I cannot stop grabbing people by the lapels, or shoulders, or similar, and raving at them about the tiny miracles in my ears.I can hear again! There could not be a more satisfied customer in all the world.In a noisy cafe I am even catching words that Karren cannot, she ...5 days ago - Unintended Consequences
Take the baitYou pay the priceIt's much too lateFor good adviceYou know and I know that our good things' throughBecause there's consequences for what we doConsequences for me and youWriters: Kevin Robert Hayes, David Nagier, Bonnie Adele Hayes.Fallout from the first readingOne News began last night by saying that tens ...6 days ago - Thank you, driver!
Today, Saturday 16th of November, is Auckland Transport’s Bus Driver Appreciation Day! Saturday 16 November marks the third annual Auckland Transport (AT) ‘Bus Driver Appreciation Day’, and this year we are encouraging all of New Zealand to thank their driver or let the bus go first if you are in ...6 days ago
- Totally Normal: Holiday Edition
Hi,If I was to accurately sum up my mental state over the week, I’d just say that I got a huge fright from my own shadow.I’d nipped out for an 11pm neighborhood stroll, just to calm down after a day of stress and screens. The Cure and Fazerdaze’s new record ...6 days ago - We Are Not Listening
The current rise of populism challenges the way we think about people’s relationship to the economy.We seem to be entering an era of populism, in which leadership in a democracy is based on preferences of the population which do not seem entirely rational nor serving their longer interests. ...
7 days ago - More lawlessness from National
On Tuesday, sick of government stonewalling, the Waitangi Tribunal issued a rare court order, ordering the Minister of Health to release unredacted documents within 48 hours showing its reasoning for disestablishing Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority. The government's response to the lawful order of a court? Yeah, ...7 days ago
- National’s tyrannical “foreign interference” law
Yesterday, under cover the the biggest political fight of the year, National quietly - covertly, even - introduced anti-foreign interference legislation. The bill is the product of a years-long work-program aimed at countering shit like this and this, and there's unquestionably a need to do something to counter foreign states' ...7 days ago
- The Haka Represents The Best Of Us
A few months ago, I was in an audience watching a Haka-Kapa and as I watched children dance and sing and sway and shout and beat, I couldn’t help but think “The Haka represents the best of us.”Yes, yes - there will be a thousand voices that rush forth to ...1 week ago
- Adding up the climate cost
St Mary’s Bay housing left hanging: Climate risk is systemically underestimated in the climate scenarios used by central banks, and a new report warns 10,000 houses are set to become uninsurable in Aotearoa. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in ...1 week ago
- Auckland chafing at Bishop’s housing intensification orders
One of the major problems the Government has in implementing its ‘going for housing growth’ strategy is that it isn’t giving much funding help to councils. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and ...1 week ago - Friday 15 November 2024
The Treaty Principles Bill continues to dominate political news, with it passing its first reading in the House. Parliament was briefly suspended and Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke suspended for 24 hours after leading a haka that was joined by opposition MPs and the public in the gallery. Willie ...1 week ago
- Weekly Roundup 15-November-2024
Happy Friday, welcome to another round-up of interesting stories about what’s happening in Auckland and other cities. Feel free to add your links in the comments! This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew and made possible by generous donations from our readers ...1 week ago
- Are We The Waiting?
And screamingAre we we are, are we we are the waitingAnd screamingAre we we are, are we we are the waitingForget me nots, second thoughts live in isolationHeads or tails and fairy tales in my mindAre we we are, are we we are the waiting unknownThe rage and love, the ...1 week ago - The Hoon around the week to November 15
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate news, including from COP29 this week; on the US Presidential elections, Israel vs Gaza/Iran/Lebanon, Ukraine/Nato vs Russia/North ...1 week ago
- First Tea and Toast, now Milo — why do NZ’s best beverages need so much defending?
Only two months ago, Nicola Willis had to step in to stop Health New Zealand cutting tea and toast for post-birth parents, and now Lester Levy is riding to the rescue with a welcome message for all: our health workers can once again drink Milo, and will no longer need ...1 week ago - Gordon Campbell on the folly of making apologies in a social vacuum.
Day One of the Treaty Principles Bill…and everyone got what they wanted, and did what they liked. Heated words were exchanged. Culturally appropriate acts of outrage were performed. David Seymour got to play the victim card. Willie Jackson got kicked out of class. A comically red-faced Mr Speaker bellowed “Order, ...1 week ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #46 2024
Open access notables Microbial solutions must be deployed against climate catastrophe, Peixoto et al., Nature Communications [comment]: The climate crisis is escalating. A multitude of microbe-based solutions have been proposed, and these technologies hold great promise and could be deployed along with other climate mitigation strategies. However, these solutions have ...1 week ago
- The PM gets some extremely valuable legal advice for free
You can pay a great deal of money for the services of a KC. So just what would some peerless legal writing from 40 or so of them be worth, do you reckon?Priceless, that’s what. It’s not even the half of it, but this is my favourite part of the ...1 week ago - D-day for the government
The government's Treaty Principles Bill is up for its first reading today - bought forward in a rush in a desperate effort to avoid the hikoi which is currently marching on Wellington. But the Prime Minister won’t be there for it – he’s literally running away to Peru! But he ...1 week ago
- 97% of submissions did not want no-cause evictions, Trump chooses a Russian spy for US Intelligence ...
Good morning, and I’m sorry I’ve been away for a couple of days.I’ve been focusing on the Hikoi, and also testing out sentiment on the Treaty Principles Bill. It’s complicated, and the Treaty Principles Bill will be debated in the House today. The Government’s own lawyers have told them the ...1 week ago - Government must vote down ACT Members Bill that would undermine workers’ rights
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff is calling on the Government to vote down an ACT Party Members Bill that would undermine workers’ rights by making it easier for employers to fire workers. Last week ACT MP Laura Trask’s Employment Relations (Termination of Employment by Agreement) Amendment Bill was ...1 week ago
- Seymour causes thousands of unjustified absences by forcing kids to fight for their rights instead o...
The State would like to remind you that they are in control. They manage your employment prospects, and can destroy the job market you and yours rely on by mass-cancelling construction projects, cutting funding, and firing a good chunk of our public servants. They wield the mechanisms that provide scrutiny ...1 week ago - The Weight of the World
As the weight of the world Hangs on your shoulders The weight of the world Starts to take over again And over again All that you once loved, now you hate So slowly relearn how to meditate To have and to hold And never let go Can you feel it ...1 week ago - Thursday 14 November 2024
The Treaty Principles Bill is set to have its First Reading in the House today, as the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti continues. More than 40 KCs have written to the Prime Minister and Attorney-General outlining their “grave concerns” about the substance of the Treaty Principles Bill, while an academic and ...1 week ago
- Trump’s return to White House brings the climate’s ‘find out’ phase closer
As we absorb the news of Trump's victory in the US Presidential election, here’s a wrap compiled just before the result of what it might mean for climate action: The UN Secretary General says the prospective departure of the United States would cripple the Paris Agreement, likening it to the ...1 week ago
- Time and Space in the City Centre
Patrick Reynolds is deputy chair of the City Centre Advisory Panel. The header image is from Walthamstow, London The city centre now has a few stretches of street where the space has been repurposed to a people and place focused design from full time traffic use. These are a great ...1 week ago
- An opportunity for a pro-growth tax switch
As the Hikoi against it swells into the tens of thousands, KCs call on National to kill off ACT’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. Photo: Getty ImagesKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, November 14: The ...1 week ago
- Release: Government should be transparent on live exports
Targeted consultation on reinstating live cattle exports by sea won’t allow the New Zealand public to have their say. ...5 hours ago - NZ’s global climate rankings plummet as Govt removes agriculture from ETS
The Government has passed legislation to remove agriculture from the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) while Aotearoa’s reputation on climate action plummets. ...19 hours ago - Failed boot camp experiment must end
As legislation to set up boot camps passed its first reading, the Green Party urged the Government to abandon this failed policy experiment for the good of our rangatahi. ...20 hours ago
- Gender-affirming care must centre evidence and health needs, not political posturing
The Ministry of Health has today released an evidence brief regarding the use of puberty blockers in gender-affirming healthcare, amid moves by the government to limit access. ...21 hours ago
- Release: National doesn’t care about manufacturing
The National Government is walking away from our manufacturing sector with constant reports of closures and job losses. ...22 hours ago
- Release: David Parker speech – Piketty, Inequality and Climate Change
David Parker's speech from the University of Auckland's forum on Piketty, Inequality and Climate Change in September 2024. ...22 hours ago
- Release: Youth mental wellbeing no longer a priority for Child Poverty Minister
Louise Upston has revealed her diminished vision for vulnerable youth against a backdrop of snubbed advice, scrapped priorities, shifted goal posts and thousands more children projected to fall into poverty. ...24 hours ago
- Release: National’s lack of climate action taking NZ backwards
National Government’s backward-looking climate policy has seen New Zealand fall seven places on the Climate Change Performance Index to 41 out of 63 countries measured. ...24 hours ago
- Release: Simple reason for drop in emergency housing
When the Government says it has reduced the number of people in emergency housing, what it means is it is stopping people from accessing it in the first place. ...1 day ago
- Govt’s child wellbeing strategy ‘shallow and shameful’
The Government is turning its back on children by not only weakening child poverty reduction targets, but also removing child mental wellbeing as a priority focus in their Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy. ...1 day ago
- Release: A historic win for Samoan communities
Labour warmly welcomes the Restoring Samoan Citizenship Bill as it passes its third reading, before becoming law. ...1 day ago
- Government plan to reinstate live animal exports a “national disgrace”
The Government has taken a giant step backwards by reinstating live animal exports. ...2 days ago
- Pasifika justice as Member’s Bill passes final reading
Teanau Tuiono’s Member’s Bill, the Citizenship (Western Samoa Restoration) Amendment Bill, has passed its third reading and will become law. ...2 days ago
- Release: Minister of Education thinks New Zealand ends at the Bombay Hills
The Minister of Education has shown complete disregard for rural communities and their school bus routes in Question Time today. ...2 days ago
- Economists sound alarm on Government’s slash-and-burn approach
A group of prominent economists has released an open letter to the Government, raising grave concerns about the far-reaching consequences of its fiscal policy. ...2 days ago
- Release: Smoking numbers up under Costello’s watch
National’s repeal of Labour’s smokefree legislation has taken New Zealand further away from achieving a Smokefree 2025 and a smokefree generation. ...2 days ago
- Release: Call for Palestine recognition by NZ, Australian and Canadian MPs
Parliamentarians from Australia, Canada and New Zealand have written an open letter to their respective Prime Ministers calling on them to recognise Palestine. ...2 days ago
- Justice Select Committee opens floor for Treaty Principles submissions
Today, the Justice Select Committee has decided to officially open submissions for the controversial Treaty Principles Bill. ...3 days ago
- Power of the people on full display as hīkoi approaches Parliament
Today, Hīkoi mō te Tiriti arrived in Wellington, with thousands gathering to march in unity against the divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...3 days ago
- Hypocrisy as Te Whatu Ora contractor bill balloons
Te Whatu Ora’s bill for contracting and consulting staff has ballooned by nearly 20 percent under the National Government, breaking a promise they made during the election campaign to cut contractors. ...4 days ago
- Release: Growing pressure to scrap Section 7AA Repeal Bill
The newly released Section 7AA Repeal Bill's select committee report is further evidence that the Government should scrap it. ...5 days ago
- Government’s move to monetise access to nature a slippery slope
The Green Party is voicing serious concerns over the Government’s proposal to charge for access to public conservation land, released today. ...1 week ago
- Green Party condemns the passage of Treaty Principles Bill
The Green Party condemns the passing of the Treaty Principles Bill at first reading, and is clear that the fight is not over. ...1 week ago
- Stand Up for Te Tiriti
Te Tiriti o Waitangi is our country’s founding document. It forms the basis of the relationship between Māori and the Crown – and the Aotearoa New Zealand we live in today. ...1 week ago
- Release: Over 15,000 sign Labour’s open letter to Luxon
As the hīkoi to Parliament continues, Labour has sent an open letter to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in a last-ditch attempt to get him to kill the Treaty Principles Bill. ...1 week ago
- Fast Track Bill threatens environment, climate and reputation
The fast-track legislation passing its second reading in Parliament is another step towards environmental ruin. ...1 week ago
- Greens join King’s Counsel in calling for Treaty Principles Bill to be abandoned
The Prime Minister must answer the call from a group of senior lawyers of the King’s Counsel to abandon the divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...1 week ago
- Chris Hipkins’ apology statement to state and faith-based care survivors
...1 week ago
- Release: Labour formally apologises to state and faith-based care survivors
Labour joins with the Government in unreservedly apologising for the abuse, neglect and trauma including torture in state and faith-based care and for ignoring the voices of survivors for too long. ...1 week ago
- Green Party stands in support of survivors of abuse in care
Today, the Green Party stands alongside the survivors of abuse in state care and faith-based care as the Government issues an historic apology. ...1 week ago
- Green Party calls for conscience vote on Treaty Principles Bill
The Green Party has written to the Speaker of the House requesting he enable a personal vote on the Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt move to exclude journalist risks chilling effect
The Green Party is alarmed by the Government’s move to exclude a journalist from covering this week’s apology for the survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care. ...2 weeks ago
- Without action, an apology will be empty air
For tomorrow’s apology to survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care to hold any water, the Government must not pursue the same policies that drove the abuse in the first place. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Concerns remain over tobacco interference
Concerns about the tobacco industry’s ability to interfere in government policy making remain, despite the inability of the Office of the Auditor-General to investigate the Government’s decision to halve the excise tax on heated tobacco products. ...2 weeks ago
- Urgent wake-up call on climate
The Climate Change Commission’s latest advice indicates Aotearoa needs to be stepping up on climate action. ...2 weeks ago
- Green MP’s Meme-ber’s Bill set to save the world
Break out the punchlines and dust off your meme folder: Green Party MP Kahurangi Carter’s Copyright (Parody and Satire) Amendment Bill was pulled from the Ballot yesterday. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Poroporoaki: Ta Robert (Bom) Gillies
Kua hinga te manawa kairākau o Te Rua Tekau Ma Waru Tiwhatiwha te po! Kakarauru i te po! Ka rapuhia kei hea koe kua riro! Haere e te Ika a Whiro ki o tini hoa kua ngaro atu ki te Pō ...2 weeks ago
- Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori call on the Prime Minister to block the Treaty Principles Bill
The opposition parties stand united for an Aotearoa that honours Te Tiriti, rather than seeking to rewrite it. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are working together against the Government’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori call on the Prime Minister to block the Treaty Principle...
The opposition parties stand united for an Aotearoa that honours Te Tiriti, rather than seeking to rewrite it. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are working together against the Government’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
- NZ must pursue independent foreign policy
The Green Party says the need is greater than ever for Aotearoa New Zealand to pursue an independent foreign policy. ...2 weeks ago
- Record number of submissions received on granny flat proposal
Nearly 2,000 submissions have been received on the Government’s proposals aimed at making it easier to build a granny flat of up to 60 square metres without a resource or building consent, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk say. “This is the highest number ...2 hours ago - District Court Judge appointed
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Rebecca Guthrie as a District Court Judge. Judge Guthrie was admitted to the bar in 1997 following her graduation from the University of Canterbury in 1996 (LLB, BA). She commenced her legal career in Hastings in 1997 before moving to London in ...2 hours ago
- Appointments strengthen Predator Free 2050
The latest Predator Free 2050 Board appointments will help to strengthen biodiversity efforts across Aotearoa New Zealand, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says. Mr Potaka today announced two appointments to the Board of Directors of Predator Free 2050 Limited, a key player in the wider Predator Free 2050 Programme. “The Predator ...3 hours ago
- New facility in Christchurch will improve the lives of young New Zealanders
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey today opened Kahurangi, an innovative and much-needed facility for Canterbury’s Child, Adolescent, and Family Mental Health Services. “The new state of the art outpatient facility opened today will be a gamechanger for the way mental health is delivered for young people in Canterbury,” says Mr ...3 hours ago
- Driver safety screens to be installed on Auckland buses
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed news from the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) that bus driver protection screens will be installed across Auckland’s bus fleet by 2026.“The Government is committed to improving the safety of working environments for bus drivers, and Budget 2024 allocated $15 million of Crown funding over ...4 hours ago
- Government action provides Southland farmers more time to meet plan requirements
The Government is taking action to ensure Southland farmers and growers are not affected by unreasonable regional farm plan deadlines, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard say.“Cabinet has agreed to provide more time for farmers and growers to comply with regional rules ...20 hours ago
- Bill reaffirms Government’s commitment to crack down on serious youth offending
The Oranga Tamariki (Responding to Serious Youth Offending) Bill had its first reading at Parliament today. The Bill reaffirms the Government’s commitment to crack down on serious youth offending, Minister for Children Karen Chhour says. “In recent years we have seen an unacceptable spike in youth offending. “This Bill makes ...21 hours ago
- Critical milestones for earthquake buildings review
Fairer, more sensible rules about managing earthquake risks are a step closer with the passing of legislation and the appointment of an independent chair to provide expert advice, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The Government is committed to reinvigorating our cities and regions to support economic growth, ...21 hours ago
- State of the art radiology machine for Auckland
People in Northland and Auckland will benefit from a new machine for cancer treatment installed at the Regional Cancer and Blood Service at Auckland City Hospital. The MV5 linear accelerator, or LINAC machine, officially opened today targets cancer tumours with pinpoint accuracy. Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says this new, ...22 hours ago
- Foreign Minister to visit Europe
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Europe for high-level talks with France, Germany and the United Kingdom next week. "Since taking office almost a year ago, the Coalition Government has emphasised the importance we place on New Zealand's traditional and likeminded diplomatic and ...22 hours ago
- First arrests made under gang patch ban
Police have made their first arrests under the new gang patch legislation, with two gang members arrested, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. “Just before 11 this morning, Police in Wairoa apprehended a gang member for wearing a patch to the supermarket. He has been arrested and will now face enforcement ...24 hours ago
- Better support for victims of sexual violence
The Government is proposing two major changes to name suppression laws that will put the views of victims of sexual violence first, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “We are committed to restoring law and order and these two proposed changes will help ensure the victims of crime are put at ...1 day ago
- Government moving forward with Regional Deals
Cabinet has agreed to invite all regions to submit proposals for Regional Deals between central and local government that drive economic growth and deliver the infrastructure our country needs, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop say. Inviting all regions to propose a Regional Deal that boosts ...1 day ago
- MSA pilot participant update
One of the ten young men selected to participate in the Military-Style Academy Pilot has allegedly reoffended. Children’s Minister Karen Chhour is disappointed but says it would be naïve to think that none of these young men would reoffend. “I’m saddened that this young person has not taken this opportunity ...1 day ago
- Fighting for Kiwis in Trade
Delivered at Auckland Trade and Economic Policy School Good morning and thank you Deputy Vice Chancellor Lithander for your warm welcome and for inviting me to open Auckland Trade and Economic Policy School today. A Special thanks to the University of Auckland, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and ...1 day ago
- Attendance rates increase, again
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says that school attendance is continuing to rise. In Term 3 of 2024 51.3 per cent of students attended school regularly, an increase of 5.3 percentage points from 46 per cent in Term 3 of 2023. “This Government has prioritised student attendance and it is ...1 day ago
- Improving the lives of young New Zealanders
Ensuring New Zealand is the best place in the world for children and young people is the vision at the heart of the Government’s new Child and Youth Strategy, Child Poverty Reduction Minister Louise Upston says. “Childhood represents a huge opportunity to set people on a positive path towards living ...1 day ago
- Government continues work to reinstate livestock exports by sea
The Government is reinstating the trade of livestock exports by sea while ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare, says Associate Minister of Agriculture Andrew Hoggard.“The Government will introduce legislation changes to reinstate the trade, enhance oversight, and strengthen requirements for exporters to identify risks and manage the welfare of ...2 days ago
- Speech to the National Quality Forum 2024
Tēnā koutou katoa – it is a pleasure to be here today. I would like to begin by acknowledging the important leadership role you all play in ensuring a quality health system New Zealanders can trust. There is enormous clinical expertise in this room covering a wide range of disciplines. ...2 days ago
- New Zealand’s COP29 National Statement
Tēnā koutou katoa. Mr President, Excellencies, Delegates. New Zealand, and all nations represented here today, are already dealing with the impacts of climate change. Our households, businesses, and economies are bearing the costs of its effects. The choices we make now will shape the severity of these impacts for generations ...2 days ago
- Latest Quarterly Investment Report released
The Government has released its second Quarterly Investment Report (QIR) which shows substantial work still to be done by agencies to improve investment reporting and meet the Government’s expectations, Infrastructure and Acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “New Zealand has significant infrastructure and investment needs. The Government is determined to get ...2 days ago
- New Zealand supporting loss and damage fund
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced New Zealand will contribute NZ$10 million to the new Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage while at the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. “New Zealand is joining the global effort to address the significant challenge of responding to ...2 days ago
- Gang crackdown begins at stroke of midnight
The free ride for gangs is over when the clock strikes midnight tonight, with tough new laws officially coming into effect, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Police Minister Mark Mitchell say. “Gang patches will no longer be able to be worn in public. To earn the right to wear a ...2 days ago
- LGFA increases borrowing capacity to support high growth councils
The Government is welcoming the decision by the Local Government Funding Agency to increase access to financing tools for fast growing councils to support greater investment in critical infrastructure, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says.“Communities across the country are facing an infrastructure deficit and significant population growth is projected in ...2 days ago
- Temporary Traffic Management costs revealed
The Government has revealed that over the past three years, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has spent an eyewatering $786 million of taxpayers’ money on road cones and temporary traffic management (TTM), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“When I became Minister, I was surprised to learn that that NZTA did ...3 days ago
- Jurisdiction of Disputes Tribunal to double
Legislation that will double the financial jurisdiction of the Disputes Tribunal from $30,000 to $60,000 has passed first reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith. “We need to improve court timeliness and access to justice so that Kiwis and get on with their lives. Court delays affect everyone, the ...3 days ago
- Protecting New Zealand from foreign interference
Legislation that will specifically criminalise foreign interference and strengthen espionage offences has passed first reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “It is normal and appropriate for states to interact and work to influence one another. This encourages cooperation and can have mutually beneficial outcomes. “However, the reality ...3 days ago
- Significant milestone for Canterbury Road of National Significance
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed news that the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board has approved funding towards pre-implementation and early works on the State Highway 1 (SH1) Belfast to Pegasus Motorway and Woodend Bypass Road of National Significance (RoNS). “Reaching this significant milestone is a reflection of our Government’s ...3 days ago
- Health survey results to help drive change
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says findings from the annual Health Survey highlight the need to continue driving better health outcomes for New Zealanders. The New Zealand Health Survey is an annual snapshot of key metrics measured from July 2023 – July 2024. Findings released this morning include: In 2023/24, ...3 days ago
- Final push needed to get to Smokefree 2025
A renewed effort to get people to quit smoking will build on what has worked to date and target the groups who most need support, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said today. “The latest New Zealand Health Survey results show the daily smoking rate at 6.9 per cent and we ...3 days ago
- New diplomatic appointments
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced four new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign ...3 days ago
- Next steps for Regulatory Standards Bill
Regulation Minister David Seymour has today announced the next steps in the Government’s plan improve the quality of regulation by opening consultation on a proposed Regulatory Standards Bill. “New Zealand's low wages can be blamed on low productivity, and low productivity can be blamed on poor regulation,” says Mr Seymour. ...3 days ago
- Red Tape Tipline goes live
Minister for Regulation David Seymour has today announced that the Ministry for Regulation’s Red Tape Tipline is now live. “We want to hear about your red tape horror stories. From today, New Zealanders will have a say on how they are regulated through an online portal,” says Mr Seymour. The ...3 days ago
- Youth Parliament 2025 announced
The Minister for Youth Matt Doocey has today announced the eleventh Youth Parliament will be taking place in 2025. “Youth Parliament offers a unique youth development opportunity to young people from across New Zealand to experience the political process and learn about how government works,” says Mr Doocey. “The two-day ...4 days ago
- Police stats show promising change
After nearly a year in Government, Kiwis have seen significant change across law and order with promising early results shown across some Police statistics, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. “In August 2023, I told New Zealanders that if they had not started to see a change in public safety within ...4 days ago
- Better coordination of anti-scam efforts
With the launch of Fraud Awareness Week, the Government is committing to new coordination efforts across industry and government to combat online scams, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Online financial scams are a growing problem for New Zealand. New data released today shows that Kiwis lost nearly ...4 days ago
- Minister to consider 7AA select committee report
Minister for Children Karen Chhour will consider the recommendations made by the Social Services and Community Committee in its report back to Parliament on the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill. “I want to thank the people who made submissions and those who appeared before the committee in ...4 days ago
- Defence Minister to attend ASEAN meeting
Defence Minister Judith Collins will this week attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Vientiane, Laos. “We need to take every opportunity to engage with our international partners, given the increasingly unstable geo-political situation,” Ms Collins says. “New Zealand has a long-standing commitment to this ...4 days ago
- Launching the White Ribbon Ride
The Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Karen Chhour, was on hand to wish riders well at the start of the North Island leg of the White Ribbon Ride in Whakatāne this morning. The ride helps mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, ...5 days ago
- Construction to begin on next stage of Papakura to Drury
Construction on the next stage of the SH1 Papakura to Drury project will begin early next month, with the contract for works awarded to Fulton Hogan, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. "SH1 Papakura to Drury is a key project that will drive economic growth and productivity, reduce congestion, and enable people ...6 days ago
- Gang chapter president’s patch seized in first 24 hours of ban
The first arrest was made just three minutes after midnight, with 11 more to come. ...45 minutes ago - Government slammed for pushing on with boot camps amid trial
Labour has accused National of ignoring the evidence. ...56 minutes ago
- The unspoken rule of conversation that explains why AI chatbots feel so human
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Celeste Rodriguez Louro, Chair of Linguistics and Director of Language Lab, The University of Western Australia Rroselavy / Shutterstock Earlier this year, a Hong Kong finance worker was tricked into paying US$25 million to scammers who had used deepfake technology to ...1 hour ago - Who were Caracalla and Geta, the cruel and unhinged Roman brother emperors depicted in Gladiator II?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Hanaghan, Senior Research Fellow in Latin Christianity in Late Antiquity, Australian Catholic University Warning: this article contains mild spoilers. When Gladiator I was released in 2000, I was a high school Classics student and the film brought Classical literature to life ...1 hour ago
- Gang patch ban: The first 24 hours
The first arrest was made just three minutes after midnight, with 11 more to come. ...2 hours ago
- New Zealand Government Urged To Back ICC Arrest Warrants For Israeli Leaders Without Equivocation
“We are waiting for our government to announce it will arrest Netanyahu and Gallant immediately if they set foot in Aotearoa New Zealand” says PSNA National Chair John Minto. ...2 hours ago - Justice Committee Makes Further Decisions About Submissions Process For The Principles Of The Treaty...
The committee plans to hold hearings in the week starting Monday, 27 January and the weeks starting 10, 17 and 24 February 2025. ...2 hours ago
- Watch live: Christopher Luxon faces questions during power station visit
It comes as Labour accuses National of not listening to evidence about boot camps. ...3 hours ago
- Survivors of abuse in care know how redress should work – will the government finally listen?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Winter, Associate Professor in Political Theory, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images When Prime Minister Christopher Luxon stood in Parliament last week to apologise to survivors of abuse in care, his words were among many fine speeches by ...3 hours ago
- Review: The Day of the Jackal is a riveting and ridiculous ride
Eddie Redmayne’s globe-trotting assassin thriller on TVNZ is worth putting your phone down for. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. This is a vulnerable thing to say as someone who often writes about television for a job, but boy am I really ...3 hours ago - RNA editing is the next frontier in gene therapy – here’s what you need to know
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Flora Hui, Research Fellow, Centre for Eye Research Australia and Honorary Fellow, Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), The University of Melbourne IoanaB/Shutterstock The United States Food and Drug Administration has just approved the first-ever clinical trial that uses CRISPR-Cas13 RNA editing. Its ...5 hours ago
- Yes, you still need to use sunscreen, despite what you’ve heard on TikTok
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Lee, PhD Candidate, Dermatology Research Centre, The University of Queensland Karolina Grabowska/Pexels Summer is nearly here. But rather than getting out the sunscreen, some TikTokers are urging followers to chuck it out and go sunscreen-free. They claim it’s healthier ...5 hours ago
- Humans are killing off the old and wise animals that hold nature together. Here’s what must change
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keller Kopf, Senior Lecturer in Ecology, Charles Darwin University Laxmikant Ameenagad, Shutterstock In humans and other animals, ageing is generally associated with a decline in biological function. But scientists are now discovering older animals perform vital roles in populations and ecosystems. ...5 hours ago
- A man scouring Google Earth found a mysterious scar in the Australian outback – and now scientists...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matej Lipar, Adjunct Research Fellow, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University Author provided/Google Earth Earlier this year, a caver was poring over satellite images of the Nullarbor Plain when he came across something unexpected: an enormous, mysterious scar etched ...5 hours ago
- Design as a movement: how First Nations people take ownership of their cultural stories through fash...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Treena Clark, Chancellor’s Indigenous Research Fellow, Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, University of Technology Sydney Once located 250 metres to the east of the Art Gallery of South Australia, the grand beaux-arts style Jubilee Exhibition Building was constructed to house the ...5 hours ago
- ‘We need more doctors’ – Support for new Waikato medical school
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists says a third medical school and more students in Auckland and Otago are both needed. ...5 hours ago
- Cricket balls can concuss and even kill batters – at all levels, helmet use must be taken seriousl...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Annette Greenhow, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, Bond University Linda George/Shutterstock The ten-year anniversary of the death of much-loved Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes falls on November 27. The 25-year-old’s life was tragically cut short in 2014 when a bouncer ...5 hours ago
- Hold the roosters, no economic dawn yet
Treasury likely to downgrade economic forecast while Chris Bishop says the government won’t be ‘a slave to a surplus’, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Recession will be deeper and last longer — Treasury At a recent Spinoff ...6 hours ago
- Knowing superstitions aren’t real doesn’t stop us behaving superstitiously – why?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Gomes-Ng, Senior Lecturer of Psychology, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Former New Zealand prime minister John Key has three white rabbits painted on his helicopter, a nod to his “massively superstitious” habit of repeating “white rabbits” three times at ...7 hours ago
- Government slammed for pushing ahead with boot camps while trial still under way
The coalition has "absolutely no intention of listening to the evidence that comes out of their experiment", Labour MP says. ...8 hours ago
- Smoke and mirrors in heated tobacco debate
Labour claims Government is ‘cherry-picking’ smoking trends data to hide decade-first increase in daily smokers The post Smoke and mirrors in heated tobacco debate appeared first on Newsroom. ...8 hours ago - Smoke and mirrors in tobacco debate
Labour claims Government is ‘cherry-picking’ smoking trends data to hide decade-first increase in daily smokers The post Smoke and mirrors in tobacco debate appeared first on Newsroom. ...8 hours ago
- Treasury bangs the drum on ‘unsustainable’ superannuation
The Government’s economic adviser is sending a message it doesn’t want to hear – superannuation is increasingly unaffordable The post Treasury bangs the drum on ‘unsustainable’ superannuation appeared first on Newsroom. ...8 hours ago
- Victims of sex offending welcome shift on name suppression laws
A man abused by a former political figure is "immensely relieved" at a government proposal to end secrecy around sex offenders' identities. ...8 hours ago
- This week three parties stood together – can they withstand the storm to come?
There is plenty yet to play out, but the next election is at this rate shaping up as trio versus trio, writes Toby Manhire. A subplot of this week’s historic hīkoi mō te Tiriti has been the sight of the three opposition parties presenting a unified front. Te Pāti Māori ...8 hours ago
- All 33 malls in Auckland ranked from worst to best
From the low lows of abandon empires to the high highs of a mall done just right. This is the second in the Malls of New Zealand series, where we rank the malls in major centres. Next week: Wellington. A note from the editor: This is the hardest ranking we’ve ...8 hours ago
- The cost of being: A clothes-mad 20-something who walks everywhere
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a 27-year-old apartment-dwelling marketing exec explains her approach to spending and saving. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here. Gender: Female. Age: 27. Ethnicity: Pākehā. Role: Marketing exec at ...8 hours ago
- Raw Politics: Six months in a leaky Bill
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon did not meet the Treaty Principles Bill hikoi crowd, sees “nothing” of merit in the Act-proposed law but the Parliament his Government dominates will spend six months debating a “divisive” measure.That’s because he has accepted there needs to be “aeration” of people’s views on the Treaty, ...8 hours ago
- Taken to the brink, Govt is now close to selling big Whakapapa ski field
Bidder Whakapapa Holdings walked away from the sales process last year, but says it’s now ‘95% there’ on a purchase agreement – so who blinked first? The post Taken to the brink, Govt is now close to selling big Whakapapa ski field appeared first on Newsroom. ...8 hours ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 22 November
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 22 November appeared first on Newsroom. ...8 hours ago
- Daily crossword, Friday 22 November
The post Daily crossword, Friday 22 November appeared first on Newsroom. ...8 hours ago
- China likely to strengthen regional relationships in response to another Trump term
Opinion: Recent discussions in Shanghai provide some insight into what’s likely to be on the table The post China likely to strengthen regional relationships in response to another Trump term appeared first on Newsroom. ...8 hours ago
- Nuclear winters know no borders
Opinion: The immediate horror of nuclear weapon explosions – the blinding flash, crushing blast wave, and radioactive inferno – is well documented.But what nuclear-armed nations either don’t grasp or won’t admit, is far more chilling: how their weapons could devastate even countries thousands of kilometres from any mushroom clouds.The collapse ...8 hours ago
- This week’s bestselling books – November 22
FICTION1 Kāwai: Tree of Nourishment by Monty Soutar (David Bateman, $39.99)Sample dialogue, all from one chapter:“That can’t be,” replied Taona doubtfully.“You were right. The pā is unnervingly quiet,” Taona murmured.“The Hākuwai,” Motukia breathed. “Our grandfathers told us they rarely saw the Hākuwai in daylight,” Motukia muttered.“Their fight would have been futile ...8 hours ago
- Burma the flying elephant
After about two and a half years of planning and waiting, New Zealand’s last elephant has moved to her new home at Monarto Safari Park in South Australia.Burma and her “human herd”, that is, her keepers, arrived last week, and she’s settling in well, according to Auckland Zoo’s Andrew Coers.“Something ...8 hours ago
- NZ’s membership of Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance in jeopardy
Senior ministers in the coalition suggested NZ’s membership will be re-evaluated if it restarts offshore oil and gas drilling The post NZ’s membership of Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance in jeopardy appeared first on Newsroom. ...8 hours ago
- Watts nears a landmark deal on global carbon trading
A framework for global carbon trading under the Paris Agreement is finally nearing completion at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan after years of halting talks.Climate Change Minister Simon Watts is one of two ministers tasked by the COP29 hosts with landing a long-sought deal on Article 6 of the climate accord, ...9 hours ago
- Grattan on Friday: Marles plays a defensive bat on nuclear as the government rushes to get though la...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Richard Marles is an ambitious man who hasn’t given up the dream of one day reaching the top job. But, despite being deputy prime minister, his profile is much lower than that of Treasurer Jim ...14 hours ago
- Fears Māori will pay heaviest price if police carry guns
"Overwhelmingly, those people who die will be young Māori men," the spokesperson for People Against Prisons Aotearoa says. ...15 hours ago
- NEW POLL: Kiwis Overwhelmingly Support MPs’ Expenses Transparency Law Change
62% of respondents support the extension of the OIA to cover MPs’ spending, compared to just 13% opposed and 24% were unsure. ...16 hours ago
The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.
Seems like a great speech, great policy, and a great Auckland campaign launch.
Now if the Warriors win my day will be complete…
Good stuff from the next PM.
Lots of snappy soundbites, if not quite up there with JFK, MLK, and Churchill… we still have a mountain to climb, brothers and sisters!
A very uplifting speech. Gives me hope that the Labour led Cunliffe government will make a massive change to the future direction of NZ to help make NZ a much better, fairer, affordable and prosperous country for ALL the people in society, and not just for a small percentage of the wealthy at the top as is happening under this Key led National government.
Bring back Labour, I say!
fishy the sort of 3 way hand shake with jamie whyte unity.
Koch a bully! you must be worried or you wouldn’t be posting!
National have only to loose 10’000 votes and your Koch a hoop bully boy superior smugness will lead you to despair!
Following the Brain Fade leaders lies without question without hard evidence is going to bring you unstuck!
Show us the 16 billion where it is what it is and when is it going to be spent your leader has told you one big fat Lie.
Like a good little Fishyanal you have fallen for it hook line and sinker!
The longest suicide note ever. No vision no sense and no unity.
saying it doesn’t make it so
The Cunliffe said it. You are right -It doesn’t make it so.At the height of Labour’s 2008 election bribery, spending increased by $7b in one year. So far they’ve already promised an extra $16billion!
Now that is truly a suicide note.
Cunliffe -Fantastic-new -innovative!
Fis- yaaawwwnnnn same old…
Cunliffe is a fuckload more reliable than you will ever be.
and the last five budgets have been execution warrants for too many NZers. We need a change.
$16 Billion bribes so far from Labour with nearly six weeks to go. Add in the demands of the Taliban Greens Winston First and Internet Mana needed to cobble together an unholy alliance of losers and the bribe bill will be a whopping $65 Billion.
Rather that than it all going to your small circle of friends, Fisiani. Share and share about, I say.
Share in the debt you mean. A Labour led Davy and the Gimps would cost each and every man woman and child $14,450. That’s the appalling price of failure to Party Vote National. I ask the sensible readers to realise how disastrous that would be and show that you love New Zealand by eschewing your prejudices and like the ABC’s secretly vote for National.
Don’t you mean “That’s the appalling price of failure by voting National”?
Yes, that must be it – surely you don’t mean…no…. it must be an error.
If you love New Zealand – you are supposed to vote Green, Fis; that is their slogan, not National’s. National’s is Working for America if I remember correctly, hang on, I might have got that wrong – it might have been Working for the Devil….or…. Working against New Zealand – something like that anyway. .. Working to Sell NZ…they are very corporate, their hoardings, at any rate – so perhaps it was Working for the Corporations? Not a party I would vote for anyway – they are a bit too behind the times for me.
Show us the money and where it is spent or shutup Fishyanil!
$65billion thats $60’000 for every man women and child National have left the debt legacy so a few well heeled can live it up even more!
“$65 billion” I think you have become confused with how much crown debt National has got us in.
The debt accumulated since 2008 was largely predicted by the Treasury in the 2008 PREFU and was as a result of the fiscal situation left by the last Labour led government.
Exactly how much better could have Labour have left the finances?
It couldn’t have had anything to do with a Global Financial Crisis affecting our trade and thereby reducing revenue.
Or some irresponsible tax increases that National forced Labour to do, and which National then distorted and extended towards the already wealthy after the 2008 election?
Rather than focusing the tax increases into consumption as Labour intended. National largely focused them on to a tiny people who could afford to pay personal debt and proceeded to do so. Effectively in economic terms they wasted it.
As I remember it, Cullen said after the election that his tax cuts from the start of the year were unsustainable in terms of government revenue and costs by the PREFU. But that was the different between budget time and election time. It is a pity that National didn’t stop their planned tax increases until 2 years later when they realised they were ineffectual.
You really are a dumb hypocrite….
and that is without starting in on the smoke and mirrors surplus
I find it hilarious you think National forced Labour into doing anything let alone Tax cuts (which I presume you eroneously called increases). Regardless the biggest impact on the fiscal deteriation was likely the 7 Billion worth of additional spending that Labour put in place in the 2008 budget. This was unsustainable at the time and would have been so even without the impacts of the GFC.
what Bullshit again Gosman so the $ 2.5 billion a year in tax cuts to the already well off were nuetral were they goose no bill english had to raise GST and still has’t balanced the budget = no contributions to the Cullen fund at 2and1/2 billion a year wasted by National on buying upper middle class votes.
Without the huge surpluses from both the Cullen Fund and the ACC fund which National are taxing us by stealth . National would be billions down the gurgler!
So Why has National got a massive hole in its budget after saying tax cuts for the well off will have a tricledown effect (No trickling yet just pissing on peasants from high up). with record milk prices still $700 million down except for ACC grab it would be far worse!
The actual hole would have been bigger if the policies put in place by Labour were not altered in anyway. That is not to suggest Labour wouldn’t have made changes however they seemed very reluctant to reduce any spending over this period.
Fishy Business that $16 billion dollar surplus is arrived at by taking the $14 billion of Nationals promised extra spending and adding the $2 billion extra labour is spending over 4 years to make the figure look bigger than it is !
pure spin and propaganda that is only $500 million more a year than national are spending!
Tax on those like you and me who are going to pay for it you don,t want to pay more tax even though we have had ACC increases and GST increases by National the Party of read my lips no tax increases J ohn Brain Fade Key!
You mean the $14 Billion that is accrued through vehicle licensing, fuel and road user levies allocated to be spent on the roading that the tax was collected from?
If they are stealing all of that funding as you state, who is going to be paying for the maintenance of the roads we have?
Or are you just buying the “pure spin and propaganda” that it is “only $500 million more a year than national are spending” and our existing roading will magically remain safe and well maintained all by itself?
Fishy make it up as you go along.
fisiani, since you are constantly putting down Labour’s policies and throwing around numbers, can you honestly tell me how much the tax cuts bribe alone, that primarily benefited the wealthy, have cost SO FAR for the LAST six years and how much they will cost for the NEXT six years if National were to regain power? Don’t bother about the BS about the GST increase as that primarily punished the poor the most. I am talking here about the National’s TAX CUT BRIBE benefiting primarily the better off in society.
Does that $16b include the $70b Key and Joyce have borrowed and spent since 2008?
Nice.
Fisiani,
A Labour lead Government will be returned this year now the word is out that nat’s have borrowed far more than they are admitting.
You are a troll, why not tell the truth.
Did you not know that since the Nat’s have been in Government they have borrowed from overseas banks an incredible amount of money to pop up things like Roads of National Importance and many other pet projects.
This extravagance has now increased our Crown debt ratio from a low 6% ratio related to GDP up to a staggering 26% ratio to GDP. (treasury figures)
But you bang on about Labour not being “fiscally responsible!!!
Tell the whole story before you all leave.
How can a promise to extend access to health care be a ‘suicide note’?
Unless you like the USA system…
It is all about stating black is white, Millsy – I guess you know that though…
fisi and his paid-for party of the privileged
pretending that business as usual is good enough
doing nothing, helping nobody but themselves
Unity, community, and families is what Labour and the wider left is all about. The current government has split communities, encouraged childcare over parenting, uprooted the unemployed and unemployable, and created an increasingly part time and insecure workforce. There’s plenty of vision for change. Change for the betterment of all New Zealanders.
Don’t cry my baby. Go to Hash-Key. He loves you lots darling!
I was there ,very up lifting very very positive really good policy announcements ,as for Steven Joyce nz cant afford it everyone of labours policy’s has been fully costed and budgeted for by David Parker
dave – forget steven joyce- all he can do is sneer, and sneer,again. He was born that way but thinks it’s born to rule.
Isn’t it sad piseearnie only has here to amuse himself – living alone too long does that.
He turns up here day after day making deluded comments that only right wing wankers believe – and where does he come? He comes here like a lone dog wanting a meal.
and benificiaries will have to stick to their thin gruel…
..once again/still..they were/are the unmentionables..
This delusion and paranoia was brought to you by the letters T, H, and C
i just read thru the speech..have you..?
..if so show me where i missed it..
..and if incorrect i will apologise..
Read and watched.
The word “beneficiary” didn’t come up but neither did “accountants” or “farmers”.
Guess you missed the bits about “fairness and decency”, “universal healthcare” healthier homes, and more state housing.
What about the story about the kid with respiratory problems and black mould in his bedroom? Poverty is a strong theme and a huge motivator for Labour supporters.
So put on your dunce hat and go stand in the naughty corner.
Just recognising that there’s not much benefit of the doubt remaining in reserve re: Labour and unsustainably low benefit levels.
unsustainably low benefit levels, punitive regime, policy and legislation within WINZ. All those need to change in addition to the good things Labour intends to do about health care, housing etc.
+1
we need every person in this country feeling supported, in good morale, and able to contribute what they can to their communities and families. Not dispirited, deconditioned, feeling abandoned and without a place or a role in wider society.
oh..y’know ropata..!
..when the ‘b’-word is never ever mentioned by labour..
..like..’never’..
..then you don’t really have to wonder..
..they really are ‘the unmentionables’..
..both philosophically..and in real terms..
Labour stands for all NZers not just benes… the words “poverty” and “inequality” are bandied about quite freely…
“..Labour stands for all NZers.. (just not) benes..”
there you are..!
..corrected it for you..
Certainly missed the bit about more state housing. Looks again. Nope, still not there. There was the bit about affordable housing for the middle classes though.
I did see the other stuff, but I didn’t see anything about “more state housing”. This is something I have been looking for from parties. Mana and The Greens have policies to build more state houses.
It is a very good left wing speech from Cunliffe, with some very good and strong policies.
However, I’m still waiting for any polcieis specifically on state housing and social security. Maybe they will add polciies on these things at a later date. however, the lack so far, means I really feel the parties that support Labour in government, need to be there to hold Labour to account on such things.
So this statement from Cunliffe:
I disagree with the “only” in the last sentence.
I do think Cunliffe has the makings of an excellent PM. He does do a great speech.
kiwi build, 100 000 houses, all going to the highest bidder? nary a state house on the horizon? methinks ’tis unlikely.
still a far preferable policy to jk’s profusion of holiday motorways that save aucklanders 5 minutes on a long weekend
Ropata so John Key can drive up to his holiday home .
There’s no spending left Karol – only a couple of hundred million in the self-imposed budget straightjacket remain.
This was Labour’s big roll of the dice.
And free health-care for the over 65s is an incredible waste of cash. Poorly targetted, largely unnecessary, and incredibly expensive.
It’s a naked vote grab for the vote-rich elderly demographic, subsidised by the working poor. Workers who will get their superannuation taken away from them until 67.
Labour had a real mandate for bold change, and this is what they served up. I’m disgusted and appalled.
This is shameful.
How the hell can any Labour activist try and sell this to a working age person?
All working age people do get old some day.
What do you think Labour should do? Give free medical care for all working age people too?
Ropata got you there hippy dope-fiend. 😉
“This delusion and paranoia was brought to you by the letters T, H, and C”
Laugh out loud moment 🙂
May be free dope for dopes will fix everything.
Funny. Let’s keep Bennett’s drug testing for benes only then shall we?
“Funny. Let’s keep Bennett’s drug testing for benes only then shall we?”
Who else should msd drug test?
Students, backpackers, protestors, and all users of public transport
IMP supporters, and anyone walking around in bare feet should be invasively body-searched
got to sort out the riff raff…
“Who else should msd drug test?”
Why should they be testing anyone?
Accountability, like drug testing in the work place.
I’ve no problem with being tested for drugs on a benefit because I spend mine on paying the bills and eating etc… What the safety net is designed for.
Only those people that spend their benefit money on drugs should have concerns. If they waste it on pot, they don’t need as much as their getting. If it’s bad lifestyle decisions, then they need budgeting controls imposed upon them.
Of course you can argue, which you probably will, that dolies should be able to spend their money on drugs if they like, but good luck convincing 99% of the population that’s a good idea.
It’s those selfish shits that ruin the system for the genuinely needy, and play no small part in fueling bene bashing.
what bites my balls is that even if some drugs didn’t literally grow in the garden for free, some folks like yourself think that being on the dole means that a person has no right to any recreational pleasure, ever.
why do drugs when you can be puritanical (about other people)?
It’s not restricted to drugs – I’ve heard people criticise beneficiaries for movies, any food that isn’t the most basic, keeping rather than selling books (let alone buying books), even having a pet (even if they had the pet before needing income support).
The slightest bit of comfort for a beneficiary makes some people outraged. I’ve never really understood it.
Quite. Al1en’s argument seemed puritanical. Other people seem like they just need someone to bash, either because they’re having a hard time or because they’re just mean. Then there is the neighbour of the painter on the roof.
“some folks like yourself think that being on the dole means that a person has no right to any recreational pleasure, ever.”
With hand on heart I can honestly say that’s not what I’ve stated at all, anywhere. Spending money on drugs isn’t part of the welfare agreement, literal or otherwise. If it were there’d be a box to tix on the special needs form.
“Quite. Al1en’s argument seemed puritanical. Other people seem like they just need someone to bash, either because they’re having a hard time or because they’re just mean. Then there is the neighbour of the painter on the roof.”
Piss off weka, there’s a love. There’s nothing puritanical about calling out selfish shits. The struggles some endure while on benefits, who we rightfully rally behind, are ridiculed by the actions of some benes who somehow manage to fund drug habits.
“Spending money on drugs isn’t part of the welfare agreement, literal or otherwise.”
What agreement are you talking about? There is no agreement that says that benes have to spend their benefit on anything in particular unless they are asking for extra assistance, and even then extra assistance is dependent on context. The base benefit is theirs to do what they want with. Your view is very puritanical because they assume that all benes are basically the same, and that someone on high has said that while they are a bene they are only allowed x, y, z in their lives, and those things just happen to exclude things that are recreational. Shit, not even the current lot at WINZ agree with that.
So beneficiaries should have absolutely no discretionary income whatsoever?
Piss off.
“So beneficiaries should have absolutely no discretionary income whatsoever?”
I’ve not said that at all, indeed I’ve stated a position that beneficiaries should have extra discretionary income to make them less alienated from society. Should they be allowed to spend state handouts on fags, booze and dope, in my opinion, no they shouldn’t, but feel free to disagree, it is your right.
“Piss off”
As stated, your interpretation of my clear comment is false, so suck your wee back up through a straw and have a pint on me. 🙂
so you hold thet they should have some discretionary income, but it’s not up to them how they spend it.
🙄
I’m arguing they should be allowed extra cash for treats and luxuries taken for granted by everyone else… Except for drink, drugs and cigarettes as one is illegal, one is a huge cause of social problems and domestic violence in NZ, and one kills you, even if it is a slow suicide.
You’re arguing for beneficiaries to be able to drink, smoke and do drugs because it’s unfair that right be denied them. Lulz
So basically people should get a certain level of discretionary pocket money that they’re only allowed to spend on recreation that you approve of.
I suppose prostitutes are out, too. What about fetish cosplay? What about cosplay at comic book conventions?
Why should beneficiaries be restrained by your personal prudishness?
refined sugar kills people too, is that off the acceptable list for benes?
how about gambling? Casual sex? Video games? Violent movies? Reality TV? Seriously, why pick on drugs, alcohol and ciggies? (which many people enjoy without the serious problems).
“You’re arguing for beneficiaries to be able to drink, smoke and do drugs because it’s unfair that right be denied them. Lulz”
Unfair? I was thinking it’s discrimination. Someone isn’t allowed to have a beer, because they’re on sickness benefit, but their flatmate is, because they’re a student. Sorry mate, that’s just weird.
Besides which, drugs, alcohol and cigs can all be consumed without significant negatives. Why deny the good aspects to only benes?
Did you enjoy your pint?
was that your way of saying you didn’t understand a particular comment?
who?
If beneficiaries aren’t allowed booze drugs and parties then nobody should be allowed them.
What is the basis for your discrimination? Sounds like a pile of shit to me mr al1en
lolz vto. Benes should just stay at home then and not go out. Can’t go to the pub or a party, because not smoking, drinking or getting stoned will make all the real people uncomfortable.
Tool 😆
Say it loud and long enough and someone will believe you 🙂
“If beneficiaries aren’t allowed booze drugs and parties then nobody should be allowed them.”
Technically no-one is allowed to use illegal drugs. Whether on a benefit or not.
Just sayin…
I think we are all aware of that technicality. Not sure how relevant it is to the conversation, apart from as you point out it’s illegal for all people not just one particular class of people. Illegal drugs that is, not legal ones.
According to your argument and worldview, benies that grow their own should be exempt from drug testing. Feel free to make the suggestion to the MSD.
I hadn’t picked you for such a moraliser Al1en. You are in good company then with Bennett. Her rationale is that it’s to prevent benes from failing job applications, but I believe there is a fair amount of moralistic shit in her views too.
Nothing wrong with smoking cannabis recreationally. And if NZ wants to force people to live in poverty, which it seems to, then it can hardly expect them not to self-medicate.
Anyhoo, all that aside, my point was about not singling out benes. If you want to force people to not take drugs so that it doesn’t cost the state, you should cast a wider net. Forcing benes is class discrimination.
“benies that grow their own” – Are engaging in a criminal act.
Argument and world view – Typical weka twisting. 🙄 just like the monster jibe is typical divert and attack.
“Nothing wrong with smoking cannabis recreationally”
Apart from being illegal, technically I’d agree with you, but only if you’re paying for it with money that hasn’t been given by the state for the sole purpose of keeping you accommodated and fed. If you can afford pot, you’re getting too much (which we know for most that’s not the case), or you’re spending unwisely in which you case you need help budgeting.
Seriously, your argument won’t fly with 99% of the populace because it’s a shit, selfish one which craps all over the good intentions of the welfare state and most of the people who have to rely on it.
Sure, if you want to spend your dole money on drugs, go ahead and self medicate, but if you get caught, then face the music like a man and don’t come up with bullshit anti beneficiary arguments and rhetoric to hide your shame.
I call right on lefty bull for the sake of it shit.
You’ve got to watch moralising over small sums of benefit money. It leads to typical Tory style demands to be able to control every aspect of peasants lives, while they themselves splash out on all kinds of shit like royalty.
You get the benefit? Right, no drinking for you. No smoking. No lotto tickets. No buying meals out. Unnutritional soft drinks and snacks? Banned. Maybe you can spend a bit of benefit money on fish and chips – once a month.
At the root of it all is limiting the agency and controlling beneficiary individuality in society.
Etc
“You get the benefit? Right, no drinking for you. No smoking. No lotto tickets. No buying meals out.”
For a few more days, and yes it’s like you describe and not very nice at all.
“Unnutritional soft drinks and snacks? Banned.”
Sadly, nutritional food isn’t cheap and low quality becomes the mainstay of a dole diet. Okay if you have a garden and skills to supplement, but not everybody does.
“Maybe you can spend a bit of benefit money on fish and chips – once a month.”
I’m all for increasing the benefit levels and targeting some of the extra towards good food. No reason why we shouldn’t have good food in our bellies just because we aren’t in work or our kids suffer as a result.
But just like when, if you’re lucky enough or jump through hoops to get an emergency food grant, alcohol and ciggies should remain on the banned list. Providing for them doesn’t reduce anyone’s poverty.
I’d like to see some ‘happy money’ made available to beneficiaries so they can remain part of society and not find themselves detached and isolated, as can easily happen, fish and chips and cinemas yes, but drugs. which remain illegal for in the workplace, no way. That’s just lefties gone mental.
“You’ve got to watch moralising”
Appreciate the advice, but it’s not really moralising, more common sense, especially politically, by those who make political comment.
I’m happy for those who disagree to openly campaign for drugs for dolies and see how they get on.
“but only if you’re paying for it with money that hasn’t been given by the state for the sole purpose of keeping you accommodated and fed.”
citation needed that the benefits are paid for the sole purpose of keeping one accommodated and fed. Unless of course it’s you that believes that, in which case please clarify.
““benies that grow their own” – Are engaging in a criminal act.
Argument and world view – Typical weka twisting. 🙄 just like the monster jibe is typical divert and attack.”
Why not go back and reply to my actual point? You argued that benes taking drugs was wrong because they were spending their benefit on it, therefore it was right that benes should be drug tested. You didn’t say taking drugs was wrong full stop. I said, ok, benes who get free drugs should be exempt by your reasoning, because you believe that the problem with taking drugs is the use of money. If that’s not true, why not come out and say what you really mean?
“citation needed that the benefits are paid for the sole purpose of keeping one accommodated and fed”
You’re as bad as bad at arguing, all twisty turny and pedantic to the nth degree. 🙄
Tell me, and cite all you like if that’s the name of the game, wtf is the purpose of dole, the welfare safety net, if not to house and feed those on it? I’ll wager it’ll say nothing about state funded dope smoking.
“Why not go back and reply to my actual point?”
Despite whether you think it unfair that benes should face some accountability and uphold their end of the deal, I say the same – Who else should msd drug test?
Social Security Act 1964:
Nothing in there about making people live like Spartans, either
Nothing from me that says they should live like ‘spartans’, but worth noting there’s nothing there advocating drugs for dole.
Should you want to change that, contact mana, it’d be your best hope.
Here’s what you said:
“Apart from being illegal, technically I’d agree with you, but only if you’re paying for it with money that hasn’t been given by the state for the sole purpose of keeping you accommodated and fed.”
Maybe it’s miscommunication but you seem to be saying that people on the dole shouldn’t spend their money on things that bring them relief, fun, joy. The benefit is for far more than just keeping people accommodated and fed. Look at your statement and the use of the word ‘sole’. It’s there, and in your other comments are similar statements, and they make me think you believe that benes shouldn’t be spending money on other things than survival.
Further, you have this idea that there is some inherent contract that benes have to live up to. Some benefits do have requirements on them (eg being work ready), but there is no contract in the way you have been implying apart from in the minds of people like you. Who I might add are aligned pretty closely with Paula Bennett’s discriminatory and demeaning reforms. Despite Bennett’s best efforts, there is no contract between a beneficiary and the state that says what they are allowed and not allowed to spend their base benefit on.
You said: “Spending money on drugs isn’t part of the welfare agreement, literal or otherwise.”
I’ve asked you to supply some evidence of this agreement, and instead you’ve just come back with ad hominems. The agreement is something you obviously want, but it’s not actually a real thing. The only thing at issue is the legality of cannabis, and that’s another kete of ika altogether.
You seem incapable of distinguishing between someone who has a smoke on the weekend socially and someone who is out of it all the time using their benefit on weed instead of things like housing and food. Or maybe you simply just disapprove of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, all things commonly used by many people to make their lives more pleasant or manageable.
btw, calling a benefit a ‘state handout’ also strongly suggests that you really think that benes are second class citizens, rather than the social security system in NZ being about making sure that everyone is ok irrespective of what we might thing about them.
All the above, like I said, puritanical.
“you seem to be saying that people on the dole shouldn’t spend their money on things that bring them relief, fun, joy.”
Nope, just drink, drugs and fags.
“in your other comments are similar statements, and they make me think you believe that benes shouldn’t be spending money on other things than survival.”
You misrepresent me, have not read (or ignored) the bits about discretionary spending, so you have it wrong.
“calling a benefit a ‘state handout’ also strongly suggests that you really think that benes are second class citizens,”
That’ll be you misrepresenting me and allotting me a monster mask, probably because you’re on one for effect like you do from time to time.
How dare he say a bad word about the shitty pot smoker dolies, he must think all dolies are the same. Crud logic, my dear. Fu*k, I thought you were one of the smart ones. Seems you’re just as emotive, self serving and laughable as some of the other munters.
“like I said, puritanical.”
Like I thought, right on for the sake of it lefty.
Pulp’s common people always reminds me of you. 😉
“Nope, just drink, drugs and fags.”
Genuinely curious, why those three?
“calling a benefit a ‘state handout’ also strongly suggests that you really think that benes are second class citizens,”
“That’ll be you misrepresenting me and allotting me a monster mask, probably because you’re on one for effect like you do from time to time.
How dare he say a bad word about the shitty pot smoker dolies, he must think all dolies are the same.”
Actually no. My objection to your statements about dope smoking is that you keep talking about dope smoking benes as if they are all the same. It’s pretty simple, if you’re not talking about all dope smoking benes, just qualify your statements a bit 🙂
Unless you really do think that all benes who smoke dope have something wrong with them? I’m still confused as to why. Originally it was because they were mispending state money, but even the ones who grow their own have something wrong with them, so it’s still not very clear.
Other than that, it’s not your criticism of dope smoking that made me raise my eyebrows at ‘state handout’, it was the many things you have said in this conversation, including the bits about this contract you think benes have, and how the sole point of the benefit is food and shelter.
“one is illegal, one is a huge cause of social problems and domestic violence in NZ, and one kills you, even if it is a slow suicide.”
If you want to make the case for beneficiaries to be paid to drink, smoke and do drugs go ahead – The floor is yours.
“paid to”? You still seem to have this idea that the money paid to benes isn’t really theirs and comes with conditions attached. That’s straight out of Paula Bennett’s philosophy.
For all the huge cost associated with drug testing only handful have tested positive less than 1% tested positive i bet if we tested National MP’S the results would be much Higher sarc!
The Myth that benes are on meth is just a Myth which the right perpetuate for bene bashing!
@ that ben..
it wouldn’t hurt..
lol
that, and the irony of a vegan talking about others being fed a thin gruel.
no ‘thin gruel’ here..
..big jammed vegan-burgers…(avo/hummus..!..drool..!..)
..(the delights of fast-food..but healthy..!!..)
I could have sworn I heard the message ‘all New Zealanders need to be treated fairly’ in that speech.
I would be truly surprised if this wasn’t meant as a positive message for those surviving on thin gruel.
It is certainly how I received it.
It is a far cry from ‘bene on the roof’ type comments and I personally really appreciate the shift in focus from bene bashing to fixing the reasons so many are on welfare in the first place.
I acknowledge, though, there has yet to be anything said to directly address the problems occurring for those currently on welfare (apart from those with children).
Ok, so still some benefit of the doubt.
“The Government I lead will put people first. It will make sure every single person matters. That together we all do well.”
Am tempted to say we’ve heard it all before, but instead how about we agree to hold him to account for that, eh?
Yes, good idea and that may be done by this leopard by voting for a party that is likely to pressure them in such a way.
Have to wait and see what further policies are revealed before I make up my mind on that course of action.
I like a lot of the policies that Labour are rolling out. I like the way they have thought of a wider plan and I do support Cunliffe because of the way he was voted in by so many people in the Labour membership and Unions – however I guess policies are going to end up deciding the day for me.
Placing pressure on the Labour caucus and leadership to ‘do the right thing’ is definitely a good plan. And with strong support and pressure, it actually gives them political ammo to go left.
and benificiaries will have to stick to their thin gruel…
Well, until we’ve managed to strip out the lazy shites who should be working for a living, yes. As long as people get to conflate ‘beneficiary’ with ‘lazy shite’ and have a reasonable number of examples to lend that stereotype a superficial credibility, political parties are going to have be very careful about promising stuff to beneficiaries.
Chicken and egg. Unless you improve the lot of the people cycling through welfare or there permanently, there will always be accusations of bludger.
I would have settled with putting dentistry on the public health – something we still don’t have but desperately need.
Agreed, Populuxe1.
I remember one Saturday (or Sunday) a U.S. medical doctor who had written a book called ‘A short Guide to a Long Life’ being interviewed on RNZ National.
He mentioned a survey of elderly people which had asked them what they would have done differently in terms of their health. Two things easily topped the list: Looked after their feet; Looked after their teeth.
Of course, to look after both you actually have to live far healthier lives – but you also need good health services support.
There is considerable evidence to suggest a link between poor oral health and a number of serious medical conditions
http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/oralhealth/Topics/HeartDisease/
Easy to see the influence of Dr Elizabeth Craig (Clutha Southland candidate) and Dr David Craig in all this hard core public health spending policy. They have been tracking precisely this kind of corollary for nearly a decade now for all our District Health Boards. I could be wrong of course, but this was no lolly scramble. It was policy targeted at not merely alleviating but preventing suffering.
It’s a pretty pathetic indictment that National’s health system are running a scare campaign on Rheumatic Fever with a boy who’s had his heart cut open showing his scar. Grisl, morally screwed and irresponsible scaremongering. Labour is reminding us that media campaigns about preventable diseases emerging from poverty and overcrowding like Rheumatic Fever are evidence of policy failure on behalf of the entire health system and the entire housing system, not one parent’s fault about missing a cough.
Nonetheless free dental care for pregnant women is insufficent and a bit beside th epoint because yu are hardly likely to have major dentalwork with anesthetics undertaken while you are pregnant.
Even merely affordable dental care for all New Zealanders would greatly benefit health and productivity across the board. It’s a no brainer.
Even though Doctors visits for the under 6 age group are free it has made no difference to the number of children with bad health because of transport and prescription charges children are not getting the help they need to be in good health.
That was one of the things I liked about living in Germany – dental was covered by the compulsory medical insurance, so I got as much done as I could before moving back here. Funnily enough, the dentist was an Aussie who’d married a German – took one look in my mouth and said “Jesus, another one with Kiwi dental nurse teeth” ie a mouthful of amalgam. They weren’t shy about using us for practice back in the 60s.
‘In case you missed it – Labour are rolling out well thought out policy’
By Martyn Bradbury / August 8, 2014
…. some news oxygen for Labour’s impressive roll out of policy this week…
Disarmament
Youth Employment policy
Small Business policy
State Services
Health
Water
Arts, Culture and Heritage
ACC
Labour will not sell ACC, we will make compensation fairer for people who are injured before they can start earning, and we’ll reduce levies as we can
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/08/10/votepositive-labour-election-launch-2014-someone-tell-hooton-not-to-order-the-champagne-yet/
‘In case you missed it – Labour are rolling out well thought out policy’
Yeah, but National are rolling out… er… well, there’s… um… Go #TeamKey!
+1 lol
Smile and wave, she’ll be right.
Christchurch… please look the other way
Inequality… not in polite company
GCSB… can neither confirm nor deny anything
Am I overly cynical for suggesting that after we’re now at the point of wanting to prevent young New Zealanders from being the second generation to do worse than their parents? Anyone born from the mid-1970s onwards would have run into the nastiness of user pays and the student loan system.
good point.
40 campaigning days to go and Labour launch their unaffordable bribe fest. Trouble is that the phone is still off the hook 40 days out. A case of premature ejelection. National wait another two weeks and have a Polynesian love-in. Looking good. Really good for three more years.
National are polling ten points behind what they were when they just scraped their only real policy through with the help of an election fraudster.
It looks like they might get thoroughly polled by the electorate next month.
I will be very very surprised if National get over 44% in this coming election. Damn racist card Winston Peters is the best (only) hope of National forming a government now.
Unfortunately that is a strong hope for the bastards.
Nats with 43-44% plus Winston with 5% get them very close to where they need to be.
I think our best hope is Winston sucking up 4.9%. Conservatives sucking up 3% and Goldsmith winning Epsom.
That will leave Key stranded with about 55 MPs
FTFY
The rest of what you wrote has me wondering just WTF you’re smoking – it’s obviously killing your last brain cell.
youre starting to sound a little tired fisiani
worried about your next monthly paycheck & not sleeping properly ?
National supporters looking increasingly impotent each day
national supporters are just so negative.
it must throught of all those unpaid taxes catching up with them.
Interesting stuff from Labour’s leader, of the areas that deeply interest me, those that Do sway my votes, Labour with its ‘Best Start’ program scores highly as in the future this program directly addresses the heart of the child poverty issue,
i do not propose to address at all any negative concerns i have about any of Labour’s policy, the time has long passed where there is any useful point in doing so, the election being upon us and where possible a solid front needs to be presented to the electorate from across the spectrum of the left,
The politics inherent in David Cunliffe’s opening ambit to the ‘official campaign launch’ tho are of interest, it is obvious that the Labour leader has no plans to wake up on the morning after wondering ‘what if’,
The proposal for the free doctors visits for over 65’s may yet hold special meaning for the shape and makeup of the next coalition Government and i should imagine that Winston Peters must be quietly seething at today’s announced policy,
NZFirst, credited in the public polls thus far as either below or just at the required 5% of public support is now in danger of losing votes on three fronts,
1), Being the 2011 tactical voters who are for obvious reasons highly unlikely to entertain voting for NZFirst in 2014,
2), Being Colon and the Colonics, perhaps laughably anal retentives all in need of a Colonostrophy directly targeting the NZFirst vote,
3), Being the ‘new’ Labour policy of free doctors visits for over 65’s, while probably not having a huge effect on the Grey Power set where in their droves there will be a mass exodus from NZFirst to Labour from within this demographic, such a policy has the ability to chisel off from NZFirst a small but hugely significant minor % of their vote,
My belief is that electorally NZFirst was on very shaky ground even befor today’s opening salvo from the Labour leader, the free doctors for over 65’s policy might just be the straw that did unimaginable and unprintable things to the poor old NZFirst camel…
Good thinking, we are in interesting times indeed.
Wouldn’t it be swell to have an election night result that says…
ACT out!
SEYMOUR out!
UF out!
DUNNE out!
NZF out!
PETERS out!
CONS out!
CRAIG out!
MAORI PARTY out!
FLAVEL out!
KEY OUT!
NATIONAL out!
Instead,….
LABOUR in!
GREENS in!
IMP in!
Oops, I better go back to dream. It is 1:20 am!
Great speech!
Good examples of real world life struggles and how lives can be improved with the right policy. Something Key knows nothing of. Labour along with coalition partners will bring a compassionate and socially engaged government, in stark contrast to our current disinterested self serving socially destructive government.
Until Cunliffe came along and the Labour Party in general gave itself a good dose of caffeine I wasn’t sure if I would ever be saying this again, but I can – I am proud to be voting two ticks Labour.
I will also be giving my two ticks to Labour. Although it would be unusual for National to miss out on a third term, you could frame this election as a battle between actual politicians and PR constructs. All of the political leaders on the left are politically educated and engaged, whereas it is safe to say that NONE of the current leaders on the right are. On the right, they are all the front-of-house for whoever is financing them, directing their pitches toward a range of political markets. National of course does have actual politicians among their number, but I am talking about the leadership. Not only do I want to see the left win with Labour under Cunliffe’s leadership, I want to see this experiment in replacing proper politicians with biddable frauds come to an end.
Well said Olwyn.
One can only hope that voters have learnt over the last 6 years that the government they brought in is a cardboard cut out of a government, one with vested interests, and that those interests exclude the common good.
6 Years of our country being run by a PR company has to come to an end, I agree.
Heartening to see that people are getting it after all this time and expressing their understanding of our leader in their hoarding “art”. Two new ones in the wgtn region “working for myself” and “working for my rich mates” plus other assorted “corrections”. Such reworkings of National hoardings wasn’t as prevalent in 2011.
“In moderation”. Sorry Lynn/mods, just messing with ya. I am playing with my handle, as she is a blank field these days…………..
Thanks Rosie/Rosa – I agree re the hoardings. The Nat PR machine has been less successful at dismissing critics this time around. People are finding their voices again.
I did reply to you Olwyn in support of your view but my comment has disappeared, most likely due to my changing my handle/name. I’ve been getting a blank field for my name and email for several weeks and this time is was too tempting to use my usual handle…………