Latest UMR Poll – National sinking

Written By: - Date published: 7:40 am, October 14th, 2020 - 180 comments
Categories: greens, jacinda ardern, Judith Collins, labour, national, nz first, tax, uncategorized - Tags:

The latest UMR poll results were leaked yesterday and were not good for National.

The rumoured results were:

  • Labour: 50%
  • National: 29%
  • ACT: 7%
  • Greens: 6%
  • Winston First 2.7%

Clearly they approximate National’s own polling and they have caused Judith Collins to reflect and tone down her rhetoric and be more constructive because the last couple of days have shown a marked improvement in her behaviour.

NAAAHHHHH just joking.  She has been buzzing around like an angry bee on strong steroids.

Yesterday she engaged in school playground shtick and accused Jacinda Ardern of lying about Covid, and being dishonest about its intentions for tax policies and suggesting that if elected Labour would implement Green Party policy.

I wish Judith was right.  The country really does need a progressive tax system.  But like the implementation of a Capital Gains Tax Ardern has ruled it out and I am sure that she will stick to her word.

Then Judith decided to fat shame people.  From Radio New Zealand:

National Party leader Judith Collins has described obesity as a weakness and says people should not “blame systems for personal choices”.

She was asked about her view on obesity during a radio interview yesterday and was today asked about that by media on the campaign trail. She said people who were obese needed to take some personal responsibility.

When told that some had called her comments heartless, Collins said: “Do you know what is heartless? Is actually thinking someone else can cure these issues. We can all take personal responsibility and we all have to own up to our little weaknesses on these matters.

“Do not blame systems for personal choices.”

This is not a very good thing to say in a campaign, particularly in a country that struggles with obesity and with a National Front bench with more than a few members who appear to have seen the inside of a donut shop one too many times.

What will today bring?  Will she challenge Jacinda to a fight?  Will she insult short people?

Whatever happens her Trumpian shock and awe routine is not working.  As the UMR poll shows.

180 comments on “Latest UMR Poll – National sinking ”

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  1. Sacha 1
    14 October 2020 at 7:49 am

    “Do not blame systems for personal choices.”

    Should be read back at her trial.

    • Alan 1.1
      14 October 2020 at 8:32 am

      Why? Do you not wish to live a life where you get to make personal choices?

      People who blame everything on "the system" or "the Government" are pitiful.

    • georgecom 1.2
      14 October 2020 at 12:30 pm

      wonder how Gerry Brownlee is feeling knowing his weight is due to his "weakness".

      And that being the case, Gerry being overweight and "weak", what does that say about Nationals "Strong" team.

      Of course a healthy diet and exercise are important for a persons weight and health. So is not smoking, minimal alcohol, work/life balance, healthy homes etc important for ones health

    • woodart 1.3
      14 October 2020 at 1:40 pm

      cheapest tummy filler at supermarket is whitebread. have known people who couldnt afford anything better .collins is a fool. wonder what her samoan husband thinks?

  2. Muttonbird 2
    14 October 2020 at 7:54 am

    Hoskings just now trying to claim the Greens are toast and National will form a government with ACT and NZF because…shy Tories.

    • Leighton 2.1
      14 October 2020 at 8:28 am

      Hosking is clearly following his leader's cue and becoming more detached from reality by the day.

  3. observer 3
    14 October 2020 at 8:06 am

    It's not surprising that we're putting on weight, when a kilo of cheese is only $5.

    • Roy Cartland 3.1
      14 October 2020 at 8:13 am

      Wow, I wish I lived in your supermarket zone, I can't get 1kg for much less than $10.

      • Incognito 3.1.1
        14 October 2020 at 8:14 am

        Planet Key

        • Chris T 3.1.2.1
          14 October 2020 at 8:48 am

          That has to be one of the most pathetic attempts at an article I have ever seen.

          • mac1 3.1.2.1.1
            14 October 2020 at 10:31 am

            I'd be interested to know what exactly you found pathetic. Chris T. The basic premise of the article was that well-off people don't have to know the price of cheese.

            It's the poor who know that. It's the ones who read the per kg price before buying. It's the ones who head for the bargain shelves. It's the ones who get their bread from the local food kitchen.

            The article then says that these are the same people who live in damp houses that they rent.

            Not for nothing is there an old saying in England referring to a non sequitur- "What's that got to do with the price of cheese?"

            The article argues that there are 'sequiturs' to not knowing the price of cheese. It means there are connections between privilege and personal knowledge.

            • Muttonbird 3.1.2.1.1.1
              14 October 2020 at 12:40 pm

              I bet Chris T doesn't even bother voting. Just heckles from the sidelines.

              • Chris T …
                14 October 2020 at 2:44 pm

                This is what sort of reporting we are dealing with in the current election.

                Feel free to justify

                “Jacinda Ardern has stepped up to defend Mosgiel after her opponent Judith Collins snubbed a local cafe which had specially prepared lunch for her.

                Collins was expected to pop into Blend Espresso on Thursday where the staff had been told to make sure there were cheese rolls ready and waiting for the National Party leader – but she never arrived.

                Instead, she left Mosgiel entirely and headed to the seaside town of St Clair – where she did indulge in a cheese roll, away from the watching eyes of the media.

                In Newshub's podcast Kitchen Cabinet, political reporter Jenna Lynch revealed Ardern staunchly defended the Dunedin town, and got in a subtle dig at Collins' when she heard what occurred.”

            • Chris T 3.1.2.1.1.2
              14 October 2020 at 2:40 pm

              Do you honestly think the leaders of either National or Labour rock on down to the supermarket to buy cheese?

              I would hazard a guess given neither of them got the price right, and their pay scale, their partners do it online.

              • Drowsy M. Kram …
                14 October 2020 at 3:07 pm

                Chris T, your guess is as good as mine. Fortunately we don't have to guess about Collins. Maybe another prayer to the “little baby cheeses” is in order.
                Storm in a ‘fondue’ pot laugh

              • Infused …
                14 October 2020 at 11:59 pm

                I order online and actually buy the $5 250g blocks as we eat it so slow

                • Treetop …
                  15 October 2020 at 8:29 am

                  I was a bit surprised to find that online prices are not offered in the supermarket with some items. This was at Countdown for potatoes.

                • Tricledrown …
                  15 October 2020 at 10:37 am

                  That must be mozzerella stretching your cheese

      • Treetop 3.1.3
        15 October 2020 at 8:26 am

        I am finding a kg of cheese to cost $12 on special most weeks at Pak n' Save.

    • Peter 3.2
      14 October 2020 at 8:15 am

      Which shop is that in? It sure as hell isn't in our town.

      If the way to deal with obesity is to have price structures based on the potential for items to lead to obesity, maybe the problem is for the too hard basket.

    • mosa 3.3
      14 October 2020 at 10:37 am

      " It's not surprising that we're putting on weight, when a kilo of cheese is only $5 "

      Must be close to its best before date.

    • Clive Macann 3.4
      16 October 2020 at 9:30 am

      $5 a kilo. LOL.

      Your Kilo must be less than half the size of the rest of the country.

      • observer 3.4.1
        16 October 2020 at 10:08 am

        It was a joke about Judith Collins' infamous claim, as has been explained upthread, with a link to help.

        Not sure it could be more obvious, really.

  4. Incognito 4
    14 October 2020 at 8:13 am

    More than a few members of the National Front bench being slightly podgy is not the problem. The bigger problem is that they are grossly unfit. This is not by personal choice but a natural selection.

    • Tricledrown 4.1
      14 October 2020 at 8:28 am

      Collins poisonous demeanor is damaging National beyond repair,ACT with it's high polling figures means Nationals attempts at being a centrist moderate party can't be taken seriously.

      • Incognito 4.1.1
        14 October 2020 at 8:45 am

        My eyes are on what’s happening to the left of Labour, not on what’s to the right of National. That’s where the most relevant and important politics are and where the future of New Zealand lies, everything else is status quo and BAU. It seems to hinge on about 25,000 votes, give or take.

        • Michael 4.1.1.1
          14 October 2020 at 11:02 pm

          Agree. If reports of lots of young people voting early are true, our political balance may be about to change. From now on Boomers and whatever people born before 1945 are called will decline in numbers. Those born in the 1970s and after will constitute a greater share of the voting population. Their choices and their values matter increasingly.

        • sumsuch 4.1.1.2
          15 October 2020 at 12:45 am

          Vote Left, and that obviously wouldn't involve l-a-b-o-u-r. See Grant's recent utube ad appealing to former Key voters. But, gratefully, we don't have the monopoly of the US Democratic Party!

          I wish the personnel of those parties matched their policies. In the 30s the personnel were bulls held by their tails.

        • Patricia Bremner 4.1.1.3
          15 October 2020 at 8:26 am

          Sadly the Greens are not keeping people feeling secure. The strains of covid life have made people adverse to risk and more change.

          The Greens seem to be intent on steering Labour which feels like a threat, and Collins is playing to that.

          The Green Party is stepping into New Zealand First "tail wags the dog", and people don't want that.

          • Sean Carroll 4.1.1.3.1
            15 October 2020 at 9:48 am

            I have never voted anything but Labour. I am 67 years of age but I did not vote in the 1987 election (Douglas, Prebble and the rest). I resent this bunch calling themselves Labour. They knowingly allow housing to be outside the reach of lower income Kiwis. They have done very little to improve the wealth of the low income people in their three years. They are either gutless or just plain right of centre as far as my reading and personal experience tells me. Sure, they are for diversity and are socially liberal but in the end are only slightly recontructed neo-liberal politicians. I have had a gutsful of them.

          • Treetop 4.1.1.3.2
            15 October 2020 at 12:10 pm

            Yes being realistic is important.

          • Incognito 4.1.1.3.3
            15 October 2020 at 11:38 pm

            Here are some real threats: poverty & inequality, climate change, political & socio-cultural extremism.

            These did not come out of the blue, they are man-made and human constructs. People voted for these, not necessarily directly, but most definitely indirectly with unintended consequences.

            Ironically, any attempts to halt or undo some of those unintended consequences are now seen (perceived) as the (new) threats. They did not come out of the blue and they won’t just dissolve themselves and go up in a wee puff of smoke.

    • Chris T 4.2
      14 October 2020 at 8:56 am

      "National Front bench"

      laugh

      Mate subtle!

      Thought that was funny though….Even if a massive over exaggeration, given the current govts history of being anti Chinese.

    • Treetop 4.3
      15 October 2020 at 12:07 pm

      Morally unfit as well when it comes to some issues.

  5. Roy Cartland 5
    14 October 2020 at 8:16 am

    Journalist: Ms. Collins, given your comments on obesity being the personal responsibility of the sufferer, would you agree that your Deputy Leader has a serious problem with taking responsibility? And isn't that a significant deficit for someone wishing to be Deputy Prime Minister?

  6. Dennis Frank 6
    14 October 2020 at 8:21 am

    Is it okay for a plump person to be fattist?? Judith must have pondered the question long & hard. How would Jerry feel about it? Her political advisors seem to have done a runner in recent times. Holed up in a cabin in the hills, no doubt. If she had run it by them, they would have questioned the relevance of obesity to the campaign, eh?

    A subtle attack on south Ak pacifica? Target that hotbed of Labour voters where it hurts? Make them feel guilty about self-indulgence, in the hope that they realise their only hope is to toughen up & vote National? Could be such logic ran through her head.

    If so, she's given up on centrists, who are the defectors she needed to pull back from Labour. Perhaps she just doesn't get it…

    • woodart 6.1
      14 October 2020 at 3:07 pm

      collins has been traipsing around the country, pretending to like groups of people that she normally would avoid. poor dear is tired and confused. lashing out at any targets. last days in crusherbunker, polls falling from sky, aides running around, seeing their careers and C.V..s collapsing. jerry strangely absent, phonecalls not being answered….

  7. Tiger Mountain 7
    14 October 2020 at 8:21 am

    Votes still seem to be sloshing around between ACT and NZ First, so it will be interesting to see the numbers in any other final polls.

    Winston is openly running a spoiler campaign now and Mrs Collins is calling the PM a “liar”-talk about feeling the pressure!

    Let’s see where the ticks ultimately fall on Sat-with the Māori Party close to being back in play, and the Greens not guaranteed to return, Labour may still come to regret not doing at least one electorate deal.

    If we end up with a National/ACT Govt because of Labour Party hubris and desire among unelected Wellington wonks and “tops” for “one Labour to rule them all”…

    Sure, the trend for months now is Labour 47% min and Nats closer to, or even sub 30% BUT it is a major risk to take-with ACT ascendant-for a party that still owes the working class of this country a grovelling apology for Rogernomics (and rolling it back if granted a second term in the Covid era.)

    Party Vote Green!

    • greywarshark 7.1
      14 October 2020 at 3:42 pm

      I think Labour Party offices would take a beating if they lost the election because of their hoity-toity ideas. Whoever told them they were that great; they are built on the work of the pioneers and later generations have degraded that achievement, as is the case with NZ overall.

      We have been attracted to the shiny and new, no matter what the cost – Jack in the Beanstalk stuff. Now NZ has to pull one over the giant to try and steal some of his goodies, but is Jack fast and fit enough to go the whole route? And if he wins will mother approve of the value of what he has brought home?

  8. Craig Glen Eden 8
    14 October 2020 at 8:25 am

    Just a small point, when you your self are obese and you start talking personal responsibility then surely that must apply to ones self as well Because Judith is clinically obese. Also I’m not sure if she has noticed but her deputy is chronically obese. I don’t say this to fat shame but just to point out how National MPs seem to live in an alternate world. One in which they think it’s fine to tell others what they should do but all the while ignoring there own states.

    • Wensleydale 8.1
      14 October 2020 at 11:38 am

      As long as they all take 'personal responsibility' for scoffing pies, everything's fine. I'm reasonably sure Gerry's not fussed with being roughly comparable in size to a small building. Or maybe he is, and that's why he seems perpetually ill-tempered.

    • Treetop 8.2
      15 October 2020 at 8:36 am

      Did Collin's have anything worthwhile to say to assist people to reduce weight such as no GST on fruit and vegetables?

  9. mango 9
    14 October 2020 at 8:58 am

    Does anyone know if there will be a Reid research poll before saturday? those leaked numbers look alot like the last RR. I'm picking another colmar brunton before the debate on thursday.

  10. KSaysHi 10
    14 October 2020 at 9:00 am

    Everyone is responsible for their own choices, but the government can make choosing to eat healthy much easier.

    • remove GST on fruit and veges
    • improve funding for mental health, pain treatments, sexual abuse, eating disorders, and sleep clinics.
    • rather then insisting on the food pyramid which doesn't work for many, encourage people to find what works for them
    • increase welfare funding
    • in combination of the above^ incentivise people with money to reduce weight as the cost/benefits to the country should be obvious. Research on why and how this works can be found here.
    • finally a public campaign on accepting people of all sizes. Judgement never helps.

    We seem to be moving in the right direction smiley

    • Wensleydale 10.1
      14 October 2020 at 11:44 am

      This. It's all very well to have sanctimonious folk in leafy suburbs suggesting people would be fine if they just ate their greens and cut down on the white bread… but when you can't afford decent greens (let alone meat that isn't a hundred variations of mince and/or sausages) and the crappy supermarket brand white bread for a dollar is all you've been able to budget for, things are considerably less simple. "Should I get some actual fruit juice for the kids this week… or ten packets of Raro? Decisions, decisions." I watch families shop in Mangere Pak'N'Save sometimes, and it's a genuinely depressing experience.

      • indiana 10.1.1
        14 October 2020 at 12:17 pm

        Food as a Machine Gun

        https://youtu.be/nOub_6Ph5S0

        Public Enemy advocates how you should beat the system, not blame the the system for your downfall.

      • woodart 10.1.2
        14 October 2020 at 1:47 pm

        very good post wensleydale. fools who dont have to count every cent wouldnt realise the cost of eating healthy.

      • Descendant Of Smith 10.1.3
        14 October 2020 at 8:03 pm

        There was also some research showing that poor families would spend their last $20-00 on food at the petrol station or dairy cause it was just too depressing going to the supermarket and seeing people with trollies full of groceries.

    • gsays 10.2
      14 October 2020 at 12:34 pm

      There are not a lot of overweight vegans….

    • Craig H 10.3
      14 October 2020 at 3:34 pm

      If fruit and vegetables were 0-rated for GST, how would we also force supermarkets to pass on the savings and not just leave the prices where they are or only pass on some of the savings?

  11. Weasel 11
    14 October 2020 at 9:05 am

    Surely it's not too late to replace Crusher with Dr Shane (I'll tell you what – Maoris can go to Harvard you know)?

  12. swordfish 12
    14 October 2020 at 9:07 am

    We don't yet know when the fieldwork took place … Corporate UMR's are usually conducted on a monthly basis over the final week of the month, occasionally spilling over into the first day or two of the following month. So this one might just be a little out of date … polling perhaps ending around the last couple of days of Sep or first two days of Oct ? Which would date it to directly between the last two Colmar Bruntons.

    Speculation but based on the pattern of previous UMR Corporates.

    UMR have no doubt been polling continuously during the campaign … but surely that'd be for the entirely separate Party Internals.

    • mango 12.1
      14 October 2020 at 9:15 am

      You are right about timing. There are some unknowns here but it seems unlikely that national would be up after the last few days. The similarity with the RR got my attention and suggests that CB may be overstating support for national as it has done in the past.

  13. Dennis Frank 13
    14 October 2020 at 9:13 am

    Statistics from the Ministry of Health show that one in three New Zealanders over the age of 15 are obese… In addition, the statistics show the prevalence of obesity among adults differs by ethnicity, with 67 per cent of Pacific, 48 per cent of Māori, 29 per cent of European/other and 14 per cent of Asian adults obese.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/election-2020-gerry-brownlee-says-weight-is-his-responsibility-judith-collins-says-obese-people-must-own-personal-choices/EWPIXPGKXMUW5BBWAPPEGIZMNI/

    Causative factors are multiple, and that view seems widely shared. Nobody ever spells them out – which is extremely significant tacit consensus!

  14. Anker 14
    14 October 2020 at 9:16 am
    • A. number of years ago I was in South Auckland for the opening of a trust. Big affair. My partner at the time and I arrived in the morning under the misunderstanding that there would be lunch. We began to feel very hungry so snuck off to find a nice little cafe with a range of food options. Drove and drove, but nothing like that. In the end we settled for KFC. What utterly disgraceful food from a health point of view. Never eaten it before or since. It was quite moorish though and cheap.
    • we drove back to the event. The vast majority of people there were either overweight or obese. And I imagine if I was working long hours trying to feed my family on minimum wages, kfc would be what I would eat too.
    • judith is clinically obese. I think she must have gained a lot of weight over
    • the years. Again she is pointing the finger at others rather than lOoking in the mirror. A lot of projection going on there. Same with accusing Jacinda of lying
  16. Brian Tregaskin 16
    14 October 2020 at 9:50 am

    Judith Collins will be lucky to get 30% on Saturday –we are seeing her landing the National Party somewhere in the 20's as final score. She may join Bill English as part of the 20 club !
    How many National leader’s have ever got in the 20’s apart from Bill?

    • peterh 16.1
      14 October 2020 at 9:56 am

      NATS/ACT under 39%

      [Removed text from user name]

    • Incognito 16.2
      14 October 2020 at 10:08 am

      Judith made a personal choice that she would step down if National didn’t make 35%. They’re a real bastard, personal choices, because you have to live with the consequences, if you have any personal decency, integrity, and honesty in your non-overweight body.

    • James - another user by the same name 16.3
      15 October 2020 at 4:36 am

      Judith has been chosen to be the Leader of the National Party (who doesnt want the job.) The Lunch and Judy show will bring an end to the Party. This election result will make English look good. Judith will deliver a legacy defining loss. Crushed by the legacy of monumental failure. All her own doing.

  17. dv 17
    14 October 2020 at 9:56 am

    When are the early votes counted?

  18. Anne 18
    14 October 2020 at 10:06 am

    Whatever happens her Trumpian shock and awe routine is not working.

    Yeah… she has been channeling Trump from Day One as leader. But this is NZ not America. The average Kiwi is better educated than the average American and we were not brought up on a diet of incessant flag waving and hands on heart mindless jingoism. Also,
    on average Kiwis have a higher IQ level than the Yanks.

  19. Peter 19
    14 October 2020 at 10:09 am

    "Judith Collins says polls are wrong and she has a path to victory"

    "National leader Judith Collins says she doesn't believe the polling and her party can still win the election.

    She said the polls were wrong on Donald Trump's 2016 win, on Brexit, and on the last Australian general election, during a sitdown with Stuff on Wednesday…

    "It's certainly different from what I'm seeing out there," Collins said."

    What she's seeing out there? She should have gone into that Specsavers shop!

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300131957/election-2020-judith-collins-says-polls-are-wrong-and-she-has-a-path-to-victory

  20. Brian Tregaskin 20
    14 October 2020 at 10:21 am

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300131957/election-2020-judith-collins-says-polls-are-wrong-and-she-has-a-path-to-victory

    The only question we should be asking is will Judith join Bill as part of the 20's club?

    see my post above

    "I just don't believe the polls because it was wrong on [Australian Prime Minister] Scott Morrison," Collins said."

    That scenario cannot happen in NZ as the polls were 100% correct in one state predicting a Scott Morrison win. Plus the Morrison campaign was a textbook perfect social media campaign that worked
    start at 32 mins to see how TG did it
    https://youtu.be/0QeHsjnGcpg?t=1933
    18 minutes talking about the tradecraft TG used to influence the voting public. They helped Morrison win the unwinnable election by using a social media firehose of attention-grabbing, emotion-manipulating, behaviour-nudging lies designed to corral the faithful and convert the fence-sitters

    The Nats do not have this resource this election so they are lacking a core social media skill that they needed

    • greywarshark 20.1
      14 October 2020 at 3:00 pm

      How old is this guy? And how did he get such confidence at an early age? I think that this ability is necessary for the young Labour people. And he knows he has to make his point quickly – 1.7 seconds on mobile, 2.6 on desktop I think he said. Presentation is foremost, the main points and why, then how later, always remembering that you must catch attention and then hold. In newspapers it was the first para so not so different with tech, just more.

      And TG what? It can be short for Thank God and I guess that if you have hired a tough little bunch of gunslingers like this, you will feel that you are in with a win to clean up the town.

      At the end of the day, when talking to people with machine-minds, inclined to the linear, you have to speak to what remains of their soul, without being soppy and spoiling the strength of your message. To the emotionally-minded you have to speak to their soppy side but bring in some firmness so they can see their way to a future where they can provide for themselves, have a home, a job, and travel around too, and have an enjoyable life overall.

      In other words you have to tune into the internal feelings of the person – I notice that TG mentions getting attention away from fluffy kittens on the internet. There is a throwaway comment about socialism also. So appealing to the preferred class type.

  21. Ad 21
    14 October 2020 at 10:22 am

    If Labour get anywhere near 50% of the vote it will be their best result under MMP, and even taking MMP into account would be their best result since 1935.

    • Dennis Frank 21.1
      14 October 2020 at 10:27 am

      Yes, I anticipate a bunch of suchlike verdicts emerging post-election. Credit due to the PM's overall performance, but more to her x factor in essence. It does reveal that bedrock mainstreamers can be led to the left still – if that is presented as non-threatening.

    • swordfish 21.2
      14 October 2020 at 11:22 am

      1938 (Lab 55.8% vs 1935 45.7%)

      • Ad 21.2.1
        14 October 2020 at 11:26 am

        😊

        Something to aspire to after this one.

      • Craig H 21.2.2
        14 October 2020 at 3:37 pm

        I always like to reply to any comments about Labour in 2014 with the point that National's lowest low and highest high are both lower than Labour's lowest low and highest high in the entire time of National's existence.

    • Uncle Scrim 21.3
      14 October 2020 at 7:13 pm

      Bit of a short memory. Labour got 48% in 1987. Also 48% in 1957 and 1972. And 51% in 1946. Hell they even got 47% in an election they lost (1949).

      • Ad 21.3.1
        14 October 2020 at 7:23 pm

        Good to see my elders chipping in.

        You're like our regular leftie cyclopedia.

        • Uncle Scrim 21.3.1.1
          14 October 2020 at 7:29 pm

          Thanks. I just like percentages. I do remember 1987. Who would have thought a Labour govt (if I can call it that) would have increased its vote Share after 3 years in power. History repeating?

          • Ad 21.3.1.1.1
            14 October 2020 at 8:01 pm

            Sure hope so.

            If you're a member, make sure you get to a party on Saturday night.

            We won't have had one like this since 1999.

  22. AB 22
    14 October 2020 at 10:26 am

    Jude falling back on the just world fallacy to explain obesity. Of course, she'd use it to explain poverty as well. It's a cornerstone of conservative 'thinking' – essentially that everyone gets more or less what they deserve in this world based on the quality of their talent, hard-work and decision-making. If the world is broadly 'just' in this way, then no significant intervention or reform is required, and those who find themselves at the top of the economic tree need feel no embarrassment or obligation to change it. The fallacy has just enough of a germ of truth to be appealing – it is the clarion call of BAU..

    • greywarshark 22.1
      14 October 2020 at 10:36 am

      AB You can ask for a raise on the basis of the quality of your comments and the clarity of their explanation. Two chocolate fish, or 10 chocolate coins wrapped in gold paper at Christmas. Your choice, you deserve much more but hey these things are just tokens, good commenters are priceless.

    • bruce 22.2
      14 October 2020 at 10:40 am

      “If wealth was the inevitable result of hard work and enterprise, every woman in Africa would be a millionaire.”

      ― George Monbiot

    • Pat 23.1
      14 October 2020 at 10:38 am

      Think it has little to do with votes (this time round at least)…shes applying pressure so that the tax has the minimum chance of being implemented, and should it (or a form) be so then that will be used to campaign 2023….the worst thing that could happen for National would be the implementation and for the wider electorate to discover it dosnt negatively impact them.

    • Incognito 23.2
      14 October 2020 at 10:45 am

      What if I win one million dollars in Lotto and have to pay WT on that? It would financially cripple and punish me for being lucky. Oh, I’d only pay on wins over and above one million? Sweet 🙂

    • Sacha 23.3
      14 October 2020 at 9:03 pm

      She's just trying to scare votes from Grn to Lab, that's all. Desperation.

  24. swordfish 24
    14 October 2020 at 10:44 am

    Here's something for you Young people with your fancy postmodern hairdos & ostentatious avant-garde attitudes to contemplate:

    NZ First poll ratings in Colmar Bruntons 2011 vs 2020:

    ( Note: M12 = Poll 12 months before election / M11 = 11 months before election … W1 = Final Poll in Last week of campaign & so on … NP = month without poll)

    …………….. 2020 ……… 2011

    M12: ………. 4.2 …….. NP

    M11: ………. 4.3 …….. 3.1

    M10: ………. NP …….. NP

    M9: ………… NP …….. 3.6

    M8: ………… 3.3 ……… NP

    M7: ………… NP ……… 2.7

    M6: …………. NP …….. 1.6

    M5: …………. 2.9 …….. NP

    M4: …………. 1.8 …….. 2.4

    M3: …………. 2.0 …….. 2.3

    M2: …………. NP …….. 1.9

    M1: …………. NP …….. NP

    (Final Weeks of Campaign)

    W4: …………. 2.4 ……… 2.2

    W3: …………. 1.4 …….. 2.9

    W2: …………. 2.4 …….. 2.2

    W1: …. awaiting ……. 4.2

    Election: awaiting …… 6.6%

    So similar dismal polling … then NZF suddenly skyrockets over final week (combined with CB's usual understating of Winstonian support) & ends on a shock 6.6%.

    (Yes, the Teapot Tapes saga probably helped … & Winston was somewhat younger & more vigorous … but … ya never know … stranger things have happened at sea)

    • Muttonbird 24.2
      14 October 2020 at 11:03 am

      Yet the National Party pollster, David Farrar and ACT supporter, Damien Grant continue to attack him in the media.

      Odd strategy.

      • Peter 24.2.1
        14 October 2020 at 11:28 am

        When there are no more toys to throw out of the cot you start picking at the paint on the cot railings.That have you trapped.

    • Ad 24.3
      14 October 2020 at 11:29 am

      Winston is Bela Lugosi with a strong following among the Undead.

      • greywarshark 24.3.1
        14 October 2020 at 11:36 am

        The pre-election tension is provoking some great attempts at humour. It is said laughter is good for the health. Standardistas are getting sharper by the hour.

    • froggleblocks 24.4
      14 October 2020 at 11:50 am

      It was definitely the Teapot Tapes what did it.

      You also need to consider that NZFirst was not in Parliament in 2011, so their low polling was on the back of very little media coverage etc. It's the opposite this time – they're in Parliament and government, and it seems the electorate at large really don't like the way they performed.

      Also consider the relative polling of Act and UF in 2011, vs their relative polling now. And again the matter of early voting, much greater in 2020 than in 2011.

      Expecting lightning to strike twice is wishful thinking, IMO.

      • swordfish 24.4.1
        14 October 2020 at 12:17 pm

        Odds are heavily against … but never say never.

        Entering that polling booth concentrates the mind … unusual things can happen … 2017 NZF voters who've ostensibly deserted to Labour in the wake of COVID-19 – sensing the election's a fait accompli – allowing them to return to the old Winstonian fold at the last moment ? Joined by a few 2014 NZFers who defected to Lab at the last election & the odd uber-pragmatic Nat who can't quite bring themselves to tick Labour in order to keep the Greens out ? … Unlikely sure but still possible.

        15-20% chance, I'd say.

        PS: Only wishful thinking if you're a NZFer (I'm not).

        • froggleblocks 24.4.1.1
          14 October 2020 at 12:25 pm

          Or a COVID resurgence happening before Saturday.

          • swordfish 24.4.1.1.1
            14 October 2020 at 12:53 pm

            .
            NZF 4% in the final polls and it becomes a 50/50 proposition … 3% odds against but still theoretically possible … under 3% = Toast.

        • Ad 24.4.1.2
          14 October 2020 at 12:32 pm

          Winston Bela Lugosi coalition negotiation 2017

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai249EJkpBE

            • Muttonbird 24.4.1.2.1.1
              14 October 2020 at 1:03 pm

              Sorry, but this doesn't compute. You claim to be an ascetic elder not interested in the disruptive ways of youth, yet you are familiar with Bauhaus.

              Which is it?

              • swordfish …
                14 October 2020 at 1:27 pm

                .

                You young people have a smart answer to everything, don't you … ya crazy mixed up punks with your crack cocaine habits & your replica Arnold Palmer golf-clubs.

                Well, let me tell ya something, punk .. this is a friggin fantastic single … I'd regularly hear it's post-punk (slightly gothic / slightly Kraftwerk) tones emanating from my older Brother's bedroom c 1981. Yeah, that's right, we had music in those days, punk !!!! … Hint of Dada, whiff of Nosferatu, Dub-influenced feedback & heavy industrial echo effects.

                It's called Class, Fella … and if you young Hippies burning your draft cards & indulging in free love all over the inner suburbs of San Francisco don't like it then, Mister, you can just about swivel like a pig on this mid-digit.

                • RedLogix …
                  14 October 2020 at 2:04 pm

                  Mid digit 😂

                  • swordfish …
                    14 October 2020 at 2:34 pm

                    Artistic influences included:

                    Red Dwarf: Kryten as Jake Bullet scene

                    Seinfield: Library Cop scene

                    with just the merest hint of:

                    Monty Python: Architects slaughterhouse sketch

                • Ad …
                  14 October 2020 at 2:50 pm

                  Goddam liberals.

                  "I always thought I was a liberal until som've those young'uns started calling me right wing…"

                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbSJQz4fdns

                • I Feel Love …
                  15 October 2020 at 6:47 am

                  That song is nearly 40 years old. I have anecdote, a young guy I know was amazed this elderly person we know was listening to Velvet Underground, I then had to explain when the VU were releasing records this old guy was in his early 20s!

            • Chris T 24.4.1.2.1.2
              14 October 2020 at 5:03 pm

              Good song, but you can't beat their classic rendition of another.

              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_pm2wPR5u4

  25. mosa 25
    14 October 2020 at 10:47 am

    Personal choices only applies to National party donors and supporters. Everyone else doesn't have the luxury of what to do today because there is so little money to survive.

    That includes the people who labour for starvation wages and can only feed their kids crap food because unlike the healthy options its bloody cheap.

    When a staple like milk is more expensive than a large bottle of coke and fanta something is just not right.

    No wonder the right bang on about personal freedom they are the only group who can fund it and have the resources.

    • Peter 25.1
      14 October 2020 at 5:19 pm

      Their thing about personal freedom and we're all on the planet to do our own thing, socialism is bad, etc went down the funny quickly when they put their hands out to be bailed out of when the pandemic came. A la South Canterbury Finance.

  26. georgecom 26
    14 October 2020 at 12:33 pm

    glad to see the poll used the correct term for the Winston First Party. Sick of see it misnamed as NZ First.

    And Judith should be glad the election is in 3 days. Another couple of weeks and the main opposition party might end up being ACT.

  27. RedBaronCV 27
    14 October 2020 at 1:13 pm

    I'm still amazed that around 35% of the electorate wants a good chance of catching Covid.

    Nact would no doubt have private quarantine running by lunchtime with all the leaks into the community that that would result in.

    Time for the Greens and Labour to start raising this issue complete with the economic downsides of having covid here and push hard at Judith and David over this. It's worse economics than any wealth tax.

    • Poission 27.1
      14 October 2020 at 2:09 pm

      Nact would no doubt have private quarantine running by lunchtime

      That could be a while,as they want to ban lunchtime.

  28. Adrian 28
    14 October 2020 at 2:29 pm

    Jeez Judith. Talk about pot ( guts ) calling etc….

    According to a recent New Scientist article on the IgNoble Awards, which highlight research that may have doubtful usage, one of the winners was an attempt to find Markers For Narcissisim ( don't ask me to try and spell it again ) sufferers of which do not see themselves as others do and obviously triggered by the current Trumpulism, the results were less than convincing, there being only one vaguely conclusive finding.

    And that was EYEBROWS, prominent and the use of.

    Still 2 days to go for time to claim " Actually", can I say Miss Ardern is obese !

    Disclaimer, the writer is a guts and on a see-food diet and is the not-so-proud possessor of a belt collection far, far larger than they should be.

  29. observer 29
    14 October 2020 at 5:29 pm

    So now it looks like 3 polls out on Thursday or even Friday (if Roy Morgan has one).

    All a bit pointless, given most people will have voted by then. If Winston is relying on the "dead Russian" making headlines, it will come too late.

  30. Uncle Scrim 30
    14 October 2020 at 7:35 pm

    Given that more than half of those polled might have actually already voted, those final polls will be almost like the exit polls that happen in other countries.

    • observer 30.1
      14 October 2020 at 7:43 pm

      It's all a bit weird. Getting people to answer phone polls is hard enough at the best of times, but I wonder how many will bother to tell pollsters what they've already done? And do the questions change to take account of this? (Usually it's: "If there were a general election tomorrow, who would you vote for" etc).

      • Uncle Scrim 30.1.1
        14 October 2020 at 7:48 pm

        Do you think some people might have changed their minds? ‘I voted two weeks ago but if an election were held tomorrow, um …’

  31. georgecom 31
    14 October 2020 at 8:15 pm

    https://tenor.com/view/flush-gif-10754413

    Nationals vote under Collins leadership

  33. sumsuch 33
    15 October 2020 at 12:32 am

    Whatshername is far from Trump, let alone Oz. Collins, I recollect. Key wasn't the devil, nor is she. Fairness is our imperative, and always serves the cause of the people.

  34. NZJester 34
    15 October 2020 at 7:22 am

    While there are people out there who are fat just from being lazy, there are a lot more who are fat due to conditions beyond their control. There are some that are fat due to mental heath reasons, some due to biology, some who are unable to exercise due to physical disabilities. Some who where never shown how to cook a meal and are stuck in a cycle of cheap fast food to name but a few.

    Some people could be helped with support from the government targeting some funding in the right areas, while some can not.

    There is no one size fits all approach to fixing the problem, or one place you can point a finger at and say that is the reason.

  35. PsyclingLeft.Always 35
    15 October 2020 at 7:31 am

    "Using her trademark 'I'll tell you what' preface, the one that often portents a 'keeping it real, levelling with you, possibly pseudo-scientific' truth, Collins revealed her thoughts on obesity, invoking the doctrine of personal responsibility. "

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/428358/opinion-collins-pandering-to-food-industry-lobby-with-obesity-remarks

    Collins ":thoughts" would be a very slim book : )

  36. Peter 36
    15 October 2020 at 8:17 am

    Hopefully disconsolate would be Nat supporters don't vote because they see the writing on the wall. The more the blade is twisted the better.

  37. Treetop 37
    15 October 2020 at 8:22 am

    Going by the poll results above it goes to show how out of touch a seasoned politician is with her voters and her caucus.

    Those who do not vote for Collin's see through her old style failed political rhetoric which does nothing for those who struggle.

    The final election result for National could be as low as 25%.

  38. Tricledrown 38
    15 October 2020 at 9:05 am

    Collins keeps digging a deeper hole for herself.

    Denying obesity is a major problem claiming its trivial now when we have one of the highest obesity rates in the world.

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    3 days ago

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

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
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    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    5 days ago

  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago

  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: “What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Sad tales from the left
    Michael Bassett writes –  Have you noticed the odd way in which the media are handling the government’s crackdown on surplus employees in the Public Service? Very few reporters mention the crazy way in which State Service numbers rocketed ahead by more than 16,000 during Labour’s six years, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • In Whose Best Interests?
    On The Spot: The question Q+A host, Jack Tame, put to the Workplace & Safety Minister, Act’s Brooke van Velden, was disarmingly simple: “Are income tax cuts right now in the best interests of lowering inflation?”JACK TAME has tested another MP on his Sunday morning current affairs show, Q+A. Minister for Workplace ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Don’t Question, Don’t Complain.
    It has to start somewhereIt has to start sometimeWhat better place than here?What better time than now?So it turns out that I owe you all an apology.It seems that all of the terrible things this government is doing, impacting the lives of many, aren’t necessarily ‘bad’ per se. Those things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 hour ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government redress for Te Korowai o Wainuiārua
    The Government is continuing the bipartisan effort to restore its relationship with iwi as the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Bill passed its first reading in Parliament today, says Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith. “Historical grievances of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua relate to 19th century warfare, land purchased or taken ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Focus on outstanding minerals permit applications
    New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals is working to resolve almost 150 outstanding minerals permit applications by the end of the financial year, enabling valuable mining activity and signalling to the sector that New Zealand is open for business, Resources Minister Shane Jones says.  “While there are no set timeframes for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Applications open for NZ-Ireland Research Call
    The New Zealand and Irish governments have today announced that applications for the 2024 New Zealand-Ireland Joint Research Call on Agriculture and Climate Change are now open. This is the third research call in the three-year Joint Research Initiative pilot launched in 2022 by the Ministry for Primary Industries and Ireland’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Tenancy rules changes to improve rental market
    The coalition Government has today announced changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to encourage landlords back to the rental property market, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “The previous Government waged a war on landlords. Many landlords told us this caused them to exit the rental market altogether. It caused worse ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Boosting NZ’s trade and agricultural relationship with China
    Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay will visit China next week, to strengthen relationships, support Kiwi exporters and promote New Zealand businesses on the world stage. “China is one of New Zealand’s most significant trade and economic relationships and remains an important destination for New Zealand’s products, accounting for nearly 22 per cent of our good and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Freshwater farm plan systems to be improved
    The coalition Government intends to improve freshwater farm plans so that they are more cost-effective and practical for farmers, Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay have announced. “A fit-for-purpose freshwater farm plan system will enable farmers and growers to find the right solutions for their farm ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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