Latest Roy Morgan – Labour + Green ahead

Written By: - Date published: 7:20 pm, January 22nd, 2014 - 87 comments
Categories: polls - Tags:

The first Roy Morgan poll of the year is out.  Labour + Green is at 46% and National is at 43.5%.  Labour is on 33.5% and the Greens are on 12.5%. Support between these parties is still bouncing around.

The Maori Party is at 2%, United Future surprisingly on 0.5% and ACT appropriately on 0%.

This is going to be an interesting year …

lprent: NZ First on 4% with their usual bouncing around 4-5%. Conservatives hit their peak again at 2.5%.

87 comments on “Latest Roy Morgan – Labour + Green ahead ”

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  1. Anne 1
    22 January 2014 at 7:41 pm

    Nice lead in to Cunliffe’s State of Nation speech.

    Could it be the Nats polling has been telling them something similar? Hence the Slater attacks and the upsurge in slanderous accusations. Have a look at Gower’s first political offering for the year:

    http://www.3news.co.nz/Labour-will-honour-deep-sea-drilling-agreements/tabid/1607/articleID/329376/Default.aspx

    Conveniently cuts Cunliffe off at the start when he mentions the various provisos Labour will put in place.

    • Colonial Viper 1.1
      22 January 2014 at 7:49 pm

      This poll and the next one reflects the upshot of many individual family holiday barbecue yarns. As such, its looking promising.

  2. Zorr 2
    22 January 2014 at 7:56 pm

    I like the Roy Morgan because it has such an established history. Even if the individual polls don’t matter, it’s like climate change – the trend is very obvious (John Key has spent too much political capital) and we, on the left, just need to continue putting in a good performance until the election to ensure that the support for National is eroded enough that we can start getting to work repairing the damage to our society.

    • mickysavage 2.1
      22 January 2014 at 7:59 pm

      Yep and …

      1. Doorknock

      2 Talk to our neighbours

      3. Make sure that everyone is enrolled

      4. Deliver pamphlets

      5. Put up billboards

      6. Rest

      Then …

      Repeat 1 to 6 …

    • Anne 2.2
      22 January 2014 at 8:14 pm

      we, on the left, just need to continue putting in a good performance until the election…

      That's the joy of Cunliffe. He will make a few mistakes for sure, but he can be relied on to put in a good performance at all times. For that matter so does Russel Norman – cool, calm and collected.

      I welcome a debate between Labour and the Greens on deep sea oil drilling. I see that as a healthy sign. I confess to being betwixt and between on this issue. On the one hand I am with the Greens on the importance of the environmental issues involved, but on the other hand it seems a practical step to take advantage of the potential for oil in our waters provided it is undertaken with every precaution. There will be many voters like me who would welcome a proper debate on this issue.

      • mickysavage 2.2.1
        22 January 2014 at 8:20 pm

        Agreed Anne and TV3 were really naughty tonight in their reporting.

        Firstly Labour and the Greens do not have to agree on every issue, in fact this is an impossibility. The Greens will always be more staunch on some issues.

        Secondly TV3 spun David’s comments wildly out of context. He did talk about increasing safety standards and the general gist would be that off shore drilling would be harder. I do not understand the Greens to support an absolute moratorium although I stand to be corrected on this.

        Thirdly our society still depends on oil which means that we have to keep drilling the stuff. But we need to wean ourselves off it and we need to deal with the CO2 that it produces.

        • karol 2.2.1.1
          22 January 2014 at 8:31 pm

          It sounds like an absolute moratorium to me – from the Greens.

          NZ Herald today:

          Greens Co-leader Russel Norman said his party opposed deep sea oil exploration because of the “pretty significant” risk of immediate environmental damage but also because of the contribution new oil finds would make on climate change.

          While the Greens refuse to set out bottom lines in terms of post-election talks, Dr Norman said there were clearly differences between his party and Labour, “but that doesn’t mean we can’t work together’.

          “It will clearly be one of the issues on the table if we’re in a position to negotiate after the next election and there will be differences in views around it. We’ll just have to negotiate and the relative negotiating strength will depend on the election outcome.”

          Green Party website:

          Deep sea drilling isn’t worth the risk

          But both parties are focusing on the risks as the main issue.

          Glower was over-exaggerating the conflict between the parties on this.

          • mickysavage 2.2.1.1.1
            22 January 2014 at 8:39 pm

            Thanks karol and I think the two parties ought to be able to and will inevitably disagree on some issues. Some will prefer the Green’s position on the issue because they are utterly unconvinced on the ability of the oil companies to drill safely.

            • Colonial Viper 2.2.1.1.1.1
              22 January 2014 at 9:36 pm

              Safe drilling and climate change effects are two important considerations.

              A third however is that of energy sovereignty. Exchanging real MJ of energy for electronically created currency makes no sense.

              NZ can benefit both more, and more directly, from those energy deposits by holding on to these fossil fuel fields with 100% ownership as untapped strategic energy reserves.

              There will come a time when our grandchildren will be very glad that this generation had the foresight to do just that.

              • Zorr …
                22 January 2014 at 9:57 pm

                In my experience, there are two sane (depending on your viewpoint) approaches to climate change and the use of oil:

                1) To husband our finite resources for the benefit of society at large in order to smoothly transition to an after-oil economy where we retain some of the current trappings of convenience but have cut away anything that we can’t reproduce the effects of without further damaging the environment (and this is the one I personally support)

                2) To declare war on climate change and do everything we can to stop the juggernaut that is the global economy before it drives us all over the edge of completely irreversible change that will leave our civilization in tatters (and this is the one that I am in favor of every time the latest round of rich person back slapping happens)

                With regards this, I feel that the Norway model when used to increase our energy independence, provide safer and fairer working conditions for oil workers in NZ and siphoning a significant percentage of the revenue to funding climate change research and mitigation.

                Though, having written all this sensible stuff, it still feels like the simplest road is to pull it all down and start again considering that the power overwhelmingly rests with the few and that as long as we let them retain that power, they will fight tooth and nail to keep it.

              • jcuknz …
                23 January 2014 at 9:49 am

                Then as they become more valuable some ‘big brother’ will step in and take them away from us … and what do we have to stop them …. Tiger Moths and Piper Cubs?

          • Frank Macskasy 2.2.1.1.2
            22 January 2014 at 11:57 pm

            “Glower was over-exaggerating the conflict between the parties on this.”

            Of course he was.

            It makes him sound ‘authoritive’.

            So more will tune in to TV3 News.

            So they can sell more advertising.

            Bullshit upon bullshit.

        • Skinny 2.2.1.2
          22 January 2014 at 9:35 pm

          If you cut through Paddy’s sensational spin, the overarching message was clear from Cunliffe that is regulation is going to be in vogue in a new approach under a Labour Government. The message was loud and clear and there is not only a National audience, but a World audience that will take a steer from this approach. It’s exciting times, timing is everything and that time is now!

      • AmaKiwi 2.2.2
        22 January 2014 at 10:10 pm

        Anne: “I welcome a debate between Labour and the Greens on deep sea oil drilling.”

        No! That’s divide and conquer. Whatever policy a Labour/Green government arrives at will be light years ahead of what we’ve got now.

        My Labour/Green deep sea drilling policy: “We oppose the current industry controlled policy. The oil and our coastal waters belong to the people. Their interests come first.”

      • Lloyd 2.2.3
        22 January 2014 at 10:45 pm

        Anne, there is more identified oil in the world than should ever be used if we are to avoid the worst effects of climate change and ocean acidification from co2 production. Leave the stuff under the sea!

        New Zealand has amazing wind, wave and tidal resources we haven’t looked at tapping. Lets use them first before destroying our coastline.

  3. Te Reo Putake 3
    22 January 2014 at 7:58 pm

    No sign of Dotcom’s vanity project/Orcon advert (though the polling period only covered a few days after the announcement). And, happily, no sign that going golfing with Obama makes a blind bit of difference to Kiwi voters.

    • Pascal's bookie 3.1
      22 January 2014 at 8:10 pm

      Colin Craig got a slight bounce from all his coverage, to put him as popular as the rest of national’s mates put together. No wonder Key was desperately courting Peters today, telling everyone that of course Peters will come crawling to national. And he’s probably right, but desperation all around.

      And the right track/wrong track took a big jump with all of the ‘rockstar economy’ talk, but it didn’t translate to support for the Nats. That will have them squirming with interest rate rises just around the corner.

    • karol 3.2
      22 January 2014 at 8:11 pm

      As far as I understand, the Internet Party is not registered yet – so no way it’d figure in the poll.

      • Te Reo Putake 3.2.1
        22 January 2014 at 8:29 pm

        Not sure, karol. ‘Other’ scored 1%. Up 0.5%. I assume that’s where their support would be recorded, even if they’re not registered.

      • freedom 3.2.2
        22 January 2014 at 8:55 pm

        karol, as there is a specific reference to Kim Dotcom from Gary Morgan it is reasonable to deduce that the Internet Party was referenced in the poll. I could not find any other specifics though.

        Gary Morgan says …
        In addition, Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom has announced his intention to start a new political party, the Internet Party to contest this year’s election. Dotcom is still facing extradition to the United States in relation to his now defunct file sharing site, Megaupload. The extradition hearing is now due to take place in July 2014 – only four months before the election.

        I also doubt we can read too much into the time frame he mentions, unless the plan really is to push the election back as far as possible, so Obama can annoint NZ soil before the G20 and JK and the NZ MSM collectively wet themselves.

    • Sanctuary 3.3
      22 January 2014 at 10:22 pm

      The thing is our political establishment and the media pack that swarms around Key are way more pro-American than the average New Zealander, and kow-towing to the Americans can easily backfire.

      A lot of New Zealanders have a significant anti-American streak, and seeing our PM so obviously on side with the US president for being such a good boy grates with our nationalist self-image of being independent, nuclear free and all that sort of thing.

      From my soundings, most people saw the golf session for what it was – a pet getting his reward.

    • David H 3.4
      23 January 2014 at 8:57 am

      But TRP don’t forget he’s got ‘Wil’s and Kate coming out with George for Key to Drool over and get a million Photo’s taken for his album. It’ll be more mental masturbation for Key, complete with the goofy look.

      • Te Reo Putake 3.4.1
        23 January 2014 at 11:52 am

        I’m picturing the NZ Herald front page headlines already:

        Royal Tour Exclusive! Baby George takes first steps, heads straight to Uncle John.

        Royal Tour Update! “Toddler Prince’s first words: “Vote National”.

        Royal Tour Photo Shock! Stain on nappy looks like PM.

        • Anne 3.4.1.1
          23 January 2014 at 3:18 pm

          Royal Tour Exclusive! Baby George takes first steps, heads straight to Uncle John.

          That’s only because when Uncle John saw which way Baby George was heading he stepped in from of him.

  4. Te Reo Putake 4
    22 January 2014 at 8:23 pm

    Just did the seat allocator exercise. Assuming that all current parties retain their current electorate seats, it’s 61 for the right, 60 for the left. If the Maori Party only win 1 seat, it’s still the same, as they get 2 list MP’s. However, no MP, no majority for Key. In that scenario, LP+GP is 61, right 59.

    If NZF get 5%, then the situation is that National could form a majority gov’t with Winston or a minority gov’t if NZF agree not to vote them down.

    Remember, these are the best case scenarios for the right. Any further downward movement and they have no options at all.

    • weka 4.1
      22 January 2014 at 8:33 pm

      Snap. Mine below left ACT out, which gives 60 MPs on each side.

      • Te Reo Putake 4.1.1
        22 January 2014 at 8:48 pm

        I thought about dropping ACT, weka, but Epsom tory voters are sheep. Maybe they think of themselves as a better class of woolly backs, merinos perhaps, but they’re sheep none the less. Ultimately, they’ll vote whichever way John tells them to, which means Boscowan will be their MP after November.

    • Zorr 4.2
      22 January 2014 at 10:05 pm

      I don’t know if I would laugh or cry under that situation if Winston refused both sides. By not going in to coalition with National/Labour, he would be outside of Government but every 5 seconds someone would be knocking on his door begging his indulgence…

      mmm… tail wags dog…

      • You_Fool 4.2.1
        23 January 2014 at 8:23 am

        I think in that situation both main parties would risk going back to the polls to get a workable government, and both would attack Peters in attempt to push his support below 5% – unfortunately I think this would work out better for Nat in terms of voter turnout, but it would be close.

  5. weka 5
    22 January 2014 at 8:31 pm

    Putting that into the calculator, it looks like an even tie (I left ACT out for interest’s sake). Wild cards: Maori seats (I put the MP in for 2 electorates, but their % gives them 3 seats); UF; NZF reaching the threshold or not; what happens to the Epsom seat.

    Green Party 16
    Labour Party 43
    Mana 1
    = 60

    Māori Party 3
    National Party 56
    United Future 1
    = 60

    http://www.elections.org.nz/voting-system/mmp-voting-system/mmp-seat-allocation-calculator?asPercentage=1&partyName_0=ACT+New+Zealand&partyVote_0=0&electorateSeats_0=0&partyName_1=Alliance&partyVote_1=0&electorateSeats_1=0&partyName_2=Aotearoa+Legalise+Cannabis+Party&partyVote_2=0&electorateSeats_2=0&partyName_3=Conservative+Party&partyVote_3=2.5&electorateSeats_3=0&partyName_4=Democrats+for+Social+Credit&partyVote_4=0&electorateSeats_4=0&partyName_5=Green+Party&partyVote_5=12.5&electorateSeats_5=0&partyName_6=Labour+Party&partyVote_6=33.5&electorateSeats_6=0&partyName_7=Libertarianz&partyVote_7=0&electorateSeats_7=0&partyName_8=Mana&partyVote_8=0.5&electorateSeats_8=1&partyName_9=M%C4%81ori+Party&partyVote_9=2&electorateSeats_9=2&partyName_10=National+Party&partyVote_10=43.5&electorateSeats_10=0&partyName_11=New+Zealand+First+Party&partyVote_11=4&electorateSeats_11=0&partyName_12=United+Future&partyVote_12=0.5&electorateSeats_12=1&partyName_opt_0=Other+Party&partyVote_opt_0=0&electorateSeats_opt_0=0&partyName_opt_1=Other+Party&partyVote_opt_1=0&electorateSeats_opt_1=0&partyName_opt_2=Other+Party&partyVote_opt_2=0&electorateSeats_opt_2=0&partyCount=13&optPartyCount=3&action=Calculate+parliamentary+seats

    • dave 5.1
      22 January 2014 at 9:34 pm

      except moari party traitor scum party to much torrie hugging 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000zero!

      • Flip 5.1.1
        22 January 2014 at 10:15 pm

        I think the Maori party would go left if they thought it would get them into government so it would be a clear majority to the left.

    • dave 5.2
      22 January 2014 at 9:42 pm

      i actually think labour proble closer the 39 percent greens it nats are around 40 percent at this stage greens proble 10 percent

      • alwyn 5.2.1
        23 January 2014 at 11:05 am

        Well I suppose I could, with just as much validity as you, claim that I think that Labour are probably closer to 25% and National are around 55%.
        How much validity have I for this view? Precisely none, which is exactly the same as you have for yours.
        If you are going to talk about numbers you use the ones the poll gives you or you don’t bother.

        • Colonial Viper 5.2.1.1
          23 January 2014 at 11:13 am

          With Shearer, I used to say that Labour’s natural range sat around 30% to 33%.

          With DC I think that has moved up just slightly, to 32% to 36%.

          Time will tell how this all pans out.

  6. Jim 6
    22 January 2014 at 10:08 pm

    I see this poll result as a danger sign for the left. I expect NZF, UF, Mana, Maori and Conservative to all make it into parliament, which suggests maybe 61 seats out of 122 to the ‘right’, 55 to the ‘left’ and 6 to NZF. That can’t end well for the left.

    • Sanctuary 6.1
      22 January 2014 at 10:33 pm

      I don’t agree, I am pleasantly surprised by this poll – Key and Colin Craig have had all the media over Xmas and Labour/Greens none, but their vote has stayed solid and National’s slow ebb has continued.

      National’s polling must be telling the same story, Key’s desperation in wooing Peters is evidence of that.

      • ScottGN 6.1.1
        22 January 2014 at 11:02 pm

        Me too Sanctuary. I was expecting a bit of a bounce for National actually with the country on holiday and Key’s photo op with his golfing buddy Obama.

        • David H 6.1.1.1
          23 January 2014 at 9:03 am

          Well they do say a picture is worth a thousand words. In Key’s case it’s BLAND BLAND BLAND BLAND BLAND BLAND BLAND BLAND BLAND BLAND etc etc

  7. middxkea 7
    22 January 2014 at 10:16 pm

    Fairly obviously the left need to look for a party who is going to win an electorate seat and vote for them
    in prefence to labour and the Greens. Hm that would be Mana

  8. Sanctuary 8
    22 January 2014 at 10:27 pm

    Without Turia & Sharples the MP will go with Labour, and merge with Mana before the 2017 election.

  9. Sacha 9
    22 January 2014 at 10:53 pm

    Please, can we stop abbreviating the Maori Paty as ‘MP’. Means Member of Parliament to way more people. Spell out the other. May not need to for long.

  10. tricledrown 10
    23 January 2014 at 12:00 am

    ha ha lol lbl

  11. Markymark 11
    23 January 2014 at 1:22 am

    The poll as bad as it is for National, indicates that they would still be able to form a government. The Maori party would ultimately be Kingmaker ( this is assuming Colin Craig gets gifted East Coast Bays – a fairly safe assumption given recent Key overtures).

    Nat: 54
    Conservatives: 3
    ACT: 1
    Dunne: 1

    = 59 for the CR

    Labour: 42
    Green: 16
    Mana: 1

    = 59 for the CL

    Maori Party: 3
    Total seats in the house: 121 (Assuming Maori Party loose both Turia + Sharples electorates while retaining Te Urruroa’s Flavell’s seat)

    Conclusion: Maori party would decide the govt. In all likelihood they would go with Labour.

    http://www.elections.org.nz/voting-system/mmp-voting-system/mmp-seat-allocation-calculator?asPercentage=1&partyName_0=ACT+New+Zealand&partyVote_0=0&electorateSeats_0=1&partyName_1=Alliance&partyVote_1=0&electorateSeats_1=0&partyName_2=Aotearoa+Legalise+Cannabis+Party&partyVote_2=0&electorateSeats_2=0&partyName_3=Conservative+Party&partyVote_3=2.5&electorateSeats_3=1&partyName_4=Democrats+for+Social+Credit&partyVote_4=0&electorateSeats_4=0&partyName_5=Green+Party&partyVote_5=12.5&electorateSeats_5=0&partyName_6=Labour+Party&partyVote_6=33.5&electorateSeats_6=0&partyName_7=Libertarianz&partyVote_7=0&electorateSeats_7=0&partyName_8=Mana&partyVote_8=0.5&electorateSeats_8=1&partyName_9=M%C4%81ori+Party&partyVote_9=2&electorateSeats_9=1&partyName_10=National+Party&partyVote_10=43.5&electorateSeats_10=0&partyName_11=New+Zealand+First+Party&partyVote_11=4&electorateSeats_11=0&partyName_12=United+Future&partyVote_12=0.5&electorateSeats_12=1&partyName_opt_0=Other+Party&partyVote_opt_0=1&electorateSeats_opt_0=0&partyName_opt_1=Other+Party&partyVote_opt_1=0&electorateSeats_opt_1=0&partyName_opt_2=Other+Party&partyVote_opt_2=0&electorateSeats_opt_2=0&partyCount=13&optPartyCount=3&action=Calculate+parliamentary+seats&action=See+full+calculation

    • felix 11.1
      23 January 2014 at 2:25 am

      “In all likelihood they would go with Labour.”

      Interesting assumption. What are you basing it on?

      • Tim 11.1.1
        23 January 2014 at 2:41 am

        re the conclusion ….
        the assumption perhaps that it’s only been TT (who STILL can’t get over her bitterness to HC), aided and abetted by her loyal servant PS are the ones that ran that “better to be in the tent pissing out” argument. MP voters have come to realise that what that meant was they were the ones being covered in urine.
        Of course it also assumes that they’ll no longer have any sort of influence. Not sure that’s true necessarily.

    • bad12 11.2
      23 January 2014 at 4:54 pm

      The Maori Party would be the King-maker, Ha ha ha, what an assumption, the Maori Party at best can expect to retain one of it’s seats and very little of it’s party vote in 2014,

      If both Labour and the Greens do not stand candidates in the Waiariki seat then i suggest that the Mana Party’s Annette Sykes will romp home, and there goes Slippery’s majority…

  12. One Anonymous Knucklehead 12
    23 January 2014 at 8:19 am

    Still trending up then 🙂

    • geoff 12.1
      23 January 2014 at 11:28 am

      Yep and National trending down. That’s what I got out of it too. When you see a graph like the one above with individual results bouncing around a few percent then what’s the point of looking at anything but the longer term trends?

      To my eye (blinkered, leftwing, crazy wide-eyed commie fool) it looks like steady decay for National since before the 2011 election and steady rise for Labour since after the election. Greens look like they’ve held steady.

      So overall, cause for slight optimism.

  13. tricledrown 13
    23 January 2014 at 9:06 am

    The Maori Party has lost its support because it has sucked up to National.
    With no real gains for Maori
    Infact Maori are a lot worse off with big increases in unemployment especially Maori youth unemployment at record levels this is Egalitarian according To National.

  14. fisiani 14
    23 January 2014 at 9:21 am

    The sky is falling. The Cunliffe is all conquering. The Red dog will be wagged by the Green tail. The Yeah-Nah coalition is nigh. Oh woe is NZ.

  15. jcuknz 15
    23 January 2014 at 10:02 am

    So funny … all these people counting their chickens before they are hatched 🙂

  16. alwyn 16
    23 January 2014 at 11:11 am

    What I find interesting that the Labour percentage went fairly steadily down from the time Cunliffe became the leader until Christmas. Then he vanished from sight for a month. At that point the Labour Party percentage went up.
    I wonder if, now that he is back in the public view, the Labour figures will start to drop again. That would be a case of the better you get to know him the more you dislike him. It seems to be a bit like that within the Labour Party itself as in the three groups that got a vote he was least popular among the Caucus members, the ones who know him best.

    • One Anonymous Knucklehead 16.1
      23 January 2014 at 1:03 pm

      What I find interesting is wishful thinking masquerading as analysis, and the stupidity of those who fail to realise their transparency.

      • alwyn 16.1.1
        23 January 2014 at 1:29 pm

        Well yes, there is that too isn’t there? There will be plenty of them during the year, that is for sure.
        33.5% of the population are in that category at the moment, I see.

  17. Papamike 17
    23 January 2014 at 2:43 pm

    What would worry me is that after the election is over and positions are being established to form the Government that Labour will have to concede much of the Greens policy to enable a joint coalition to be formed.
    The Greens are continually staunch in their stand.
    Labour to have the Government will have to buckle, and the Greens appear to know it – hence their effective silence to David Cunliffe’s comments re Drilling for example.

    • thechangeling 17.1
      23 January 2014 at 4:53 pm

      And that is excellent if it happens. Withdrawal from FTA’s next please so we can once again make an increasing amount of what we actually consume, thus stimulating job growth, local investment and a concurrent lowering of poverty along with an increase in house ownership. The future is truly bright if the system is aligned correctly.

  18. bad12 18
    23 January 2014 at 5:22 pm

    NICE!!! the first Roy Morgan of the year says to us all that 2014 is ours to win and i would suggest that Slippery the Prime Ministers speech today shows just how out of touch and vulnerable National are,

    With David Cunliffe to make a major speech on Monday, i believe this to be the first in a planned series and Metiria Turei doing the same at Wellingtons Waitangi Park on Sunday watch the miserable amount of momentum Slippery may have got from getting in first blown away by these major speeches from both major parties of the left,

    If your anywhere near Wellington on Sunday turn up at Waitangi Park coz i pick with the amount of Green radicalism apparent in Wellington this event is going to be pumping with a turnout in the thousands not the hundreds,

    The current RIFT between the Green Party and Labour being spun for all it’s worth by Slippery and the entourage of minor spinners is absolute bullshit, a simple negotiation surrounding allowing those with current licence to drill to fulfill their permitted,(under National), drilling with a tightening of the rules after that with a raising of the royalties accrued to the Government would go a long way to bringing both parties of the left closer together on this issue,

    Personally i wont rid of Slippery and this National Government and would urge everybody when these divisive issues arise to not simply leap aboard the bandwagon but instead use your thought processes to come up with what might be a suitable compromise position for both Labour and the Green Party….

  19. Penny Bright 19
    23 January 2014 at 6:44 pm

    Watch support for PM John Key and National drop, as layer after layer of the New Zealand ‘corrupt, corporate onion’ is revealed ……..

    I predict that 2014 will be the year that New Zealand is rocked to the core by a series of corrupt political / corporate scandals, the same way New South Wales was similarly rocked by Police corruption scandals in the late 1980s.

    As a result, I predict a significant growth in public support for legislative change that will enshrine a framework for genuine ‘transparency and accountability’ at both central and local government level, and within the judiciary.

    Mark my words ……………

    Penny Bright

  20. Penny Bright 20
    23 January 2014 at 6:44 pm

    Watch support for PM John Key and National drop, as layer after layer of the New Zealand ‘corrupt, corporate onion’ is revealed ……..

    I predict that 2014 will be the year that New Zealand is rocked to the core by a series of corrupt political / corporate scandals, the same way New South Wales was similarly rocked by Police corruption scandals in the late 1980s.

    As a result, I predict a significant growth in public support for legislative change that will enshrine a framework for genuine ‘transparency and accountability’ at both central and local government level, and within the judiciary.

    Mark my words ……………

    Penny Bright

  21. Tracey 21
    24 January 2014 at 10:24 am

    Does this poll mirror nationals internal hence the scramble to join with the one man puritan parties?

    Act will get epsom so factor that in.

    Hone will presumably win his.

    Dunne will get his cos national just told every national voter in ohariu to vote for him

    Presumably wherever craig stands national voters will vote for him

    What does that do to the numbers?

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    This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    23 hours ago
  • Foreshore and seabed 2.0

    In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Royal Commission report into abuse in care

    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet


    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te PokapĆ« Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
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