Leadership rumours: Foreshore Bill passed

Written By: - Date published: 10:39 pm, March 26th, 2011 - 64 comments
Categories: blogs, labour, making shit up, newspapers - Tags: ,

Two weeks ago, Matthew Hooton started pushing David Parker for the Labour leadership in an NBR article.  WhaleOil picked up on it and gave it some air-time, as did Farrar and a speaker at the ACT party conference.

Then Darren Hughes’ police investigation was leaked from the Beehive.  The police investigation has now been ruined by the media spotlight and justice will be ill-served because politics has sought to interfere; despite Labour trying to allow the police to do their job and allow justice – for the complainant and for Darren Hughes1.

Suddenly in the wake of the Darren Hughes story the centre-right started spouting that a leadership coup was under way, Parker had the numbers to roll Goff.  iPredict for Goff to be gone before the election soared to over 70c.  Selwyn Manning at Scoop picked up on the line WhaleOil, Jason Ede and Judith Collins had been pushing (right down to Maryan Street and Ruth Dyson doing the numbers), and suddenly it had some credence.  The NBR gave it more, even if they thought a “well-placed source” would actually think that Helen Clark was still running the party.

Vernon Small and Tracy Watkins were a bit more circumspect (other than the headline), but managed to get an (isolated) “up-and-coming” MP to give a disgruntled quote… and the story was on.

I was at the Auckland Labour List conference today… no-one was doing the numbers.  I rang some Labour people with contacts elsewhere… nobody was doing the numbers.

Now, it is hard to find the Goff coup story on stuff.  Phil Goff’s iPredict has more than halved.  Matthew Hooton must have made a killing on his pump and dump.

And any chance of anyone remembering the controversial Marine and Coastal Areas Act that threatened to drain National and Maori Party support and strain their alliance, is gone.  We might get onto discussing the horrendous budget that Bill English is going to introduce next week, but that criticism is delayed.

These stories have been constructed on the right-wing blogs before, and they will again.  But will the media start to wisen up?

–

1 There is a lot of pressure for the police to press charges now (and let a court decide) because they cannot investigate properly – hopefully they will make their decisions on their own merits, rather than that pressure.

Also: when will stories about Hughes (or back when Mana apparently didn’t want Fa’afoi) stop featuring “Labour insider” or “hardcore Labour activist” Phil Quinn commenting and instead have “disgruntled ex-Labour staffer who now lives in the US” Phil Quinn?

64 comments on “Leadership rumours: Foreshore Bill passed ”

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  1. Draco T Bastard 1
    26 March 2011 at 10:43 pm

    But will the media start to wisen up?

    The MSM are just an extension of the right-wing blogosphere.

    • Jim Nald 1.1
      26 March 2011 at 11:19 pm

      Remember this, remember well
      And punish the right wing nut jobs at the ballot box this year.

    • PeteG 1.2
      27 March 2011 at 8:24 am

      And an extension of the Labour Party president.

      Little, Goff yet to discuss Hughes affair

      Labour president Andrew Little is still waiting to speak to leader Phil Goff about the scandal that sank the career of the party’s brightest young star.

      Little said he contacted Goff’s office in Parliament on Tuesday afternoon after receiving a call from a journalist. He left two more messages that night to say other journalists had called.

      However, Little said he had yet to speak to Goff and had instead spoken to chief of staff Gordon Jon Thompson and once to deputy leader Annette King on Friday.

      Little said he and Goff had been together at least six times and the Hughes situation had not been mentioned. Goff said last night it had been a busy week and he had not had time to call Little.

      “It is, for me, a caucus matter.”

      No wonder Goff did mention it at a List conference, he doesn’t even think it’s worth mentioning to the party president. Oh, that’s right, prospective MP and suggested part leader contender too. But he can’t be a leadership threat at this stage.

    • Rich 1.3
      27 March 2011 at 9:11 pm

      Yup, Key knew where his bread was buttered when he gave Radioworks that $43mln bailout loan.

      The best thing anyone can do to help the left is never to buy a newspaper.

  2. ianmac 2
    26 March 2011 at 11:30 pm

    Noticed that tallish Political Commentator with a strange voice, Gower said on TV tonight that he asked three senior named Labour MPs if there was a coup being planned. They each said No.
    Gower then quoted some unamed Labour people who said vague things about being unhappy, but who was around to replace Goff? Must be true because Mr P Gower said so.

  3. Chris 3
    26 March 2011 at 11:37 pm

    No leadership change ? I am not sure if this is good news for the left or the right. Yes it is late to change but …

  4. Julian Haworth 4
    26 March 2011 at 11:51 pm

    You can’t use ‘wisen” in that context-should be “wise”

  5. Luva 5
    27 March 2011 at 12:34 am

    Ah yes the vast right wing conspiracy. The reason for all Labours ills.

    Goff orchestrated this week of hell for the left. Not hooten and whale. They basked in it and will feed off it for another week. What else would you expect them to do.

    • Colonial Viper 5.1
      27 March 2011 at 12:46 am

      Hey dickhead

      The vast right wing conspiracy is not focussed on Labour

      It is focussed on ripping off our country, thieving assets from future generations, and impoverishing the many so that the few can move even further ahead.

    • Draco T Bastard 5.2
      27 March 2011 at 12:51 am

      Probably not all Labours ills but most definitely all societies ills. When society is run by psychopaths (which it has been for some time) it invariably becomes ill.

  6. Lanthanide 6
    27 March 2011 at 12:55 am

    Both the sprout and Marty earlier today said that counting was definitely taking place. I don’t know who either of them are, and maybe you don’t either.

    But are you stating for a fact, that they were both wrong? Here’s their comments: http://thestandard.org.nz/leadership-rumours/#comment-312787

    • Colonial Viper 6.1
      27 March 2011 at 12:57 am

      I am under the impression that if anyone would know, Sprout and Marty would know.

      And a number count means relatively little in itself. Where it gets dicey is if the numbers stack up firmly one way.

      • Lanthanide 6.1.1
        27 March 2011 at 1:01 am

        That’s my impression too, CV, and yet Bunji categorically says the opposite in the post:

        “I was at the Auckland Labour List conference today… no-one was doing the numbers. I rang some Labour people with contacts elsewhere… nobody was doing the numbers.”

        • lprent 6.1.1.1
          27 March 2011 at 5:15 am

          I didn’t see anything apart from auckland MP’s getting irritated with journo’s who had their phone numbers

      • Marty G 6.1.2
        27 March 2011 at 8:13 am

        Iwouldn’t go so far as to assume that any one of me, bunji, or the sprout has the better contacts. but cv is right about number counts meaning little in itself. my info is that numbers have been run but the majority are with goff, for now at least.

        bunji may have heard it differently but, looking at the wording, we might just have a different interpretation of what running the numbers is – whether it’s just a more or less theoretical back of the envelope calculation, putting feelers out, or the actual organising stage of an active coup. I suggest bunji sees it as the latter and it doesn’t look like that stage has been reached.

    • the sprout 6.2
      27 March 2011 at 10:01 am

      that’s what i’d heard from two reliable sources. they may have been mistaken or correct – counting is not uncommon when leadership is less than rock solid, but it doesn’t necessarily mean an imminent coup either.

  7. PeteG 7
    27 March 2011 at 5:16 am

    This illustrates a disconnect with reality:

    Yesterday Goff dismissed talk of a move on his leadership as “bullshit”…

    He could possibly be right (although hardly likely to be a part of the pre-discussions)…

    ….and said he had received no criticism of his handling of the affair…

    …that’s also possible, he may not have personally received any criticism…

    ….and expected none.

    Ah. Is that confidence no one will is critical of him (lala land) or confidence no one would tell him to his face?

    Party president Andrew Little, who steps down on April 2 and is running for Parliament, is thought to be furious at not being told about the accusations against Hughes, which he heard from reporters.

    That’s Goff’s problem, of course Little hasn’t said to Goff he’s furious, but it would be surprising if he isn’t bloody annoyed at being left out of the loop, and bloody disappointed with how the last week in particular has played out.

    (Knives out for Goff)

    Trying to redirect attention to nasty media and nasty right wing plots and trying to push a “nothing happening here” front sounds like a forlorn attempt, publicly at least, to deny reality. If serious questions aren’t being asked within Labour about how this week and month has gone for them, and about Goff’s performance, and about how Labour continues languishing, then someone is in a state of denial and Labour is in a worse state than I thought.

    • lprent 7.1
      27 March 2011 at 5:22 am

      Actually bunji is suggesting that it had more to do with making money the nasty way than with right wing conspiracies.

      That is what a pump and dump is…..

    • PeteG 7.2
      27 March 2011 at 5:28 am

      Now, it is hard to find the Goff coup story on stuff.

      But not hard to find more of the right wing plot:

      Carter renews calls for Goff to resign

      Independent MP Chris Carter last night renewed his plea for Labour to replace leader Phil Goff, saying he “made a brilliant bureaucrat, but was never born to lead a country”.

      “I’ve said all along, he is a hard worker but he ain’t got the X-factor,” Carter said.

      Carter may have been hamfisted when he started his campaign, but he says what some still in Labour must at least be thinking.

  8. pdm 8
    27 March 2011 at 5:53 am

    Whatever happens with the leadership Labour is looking at 20% or less of the party vote in November.

    • gobsmacked 8.1
      27 March 2011 at 6:50 am

      No, 10%! 5%! Numbers out of my arse percent!

      When there were three parties competing for the traditional Labour vote in the 1990’s (Alliance, NZ First, Labour), and Winston Peters and Jim Anderton were miles ahead of Helen (“doomed”, “can’t win”) Clark in the preferred PM polls, and memories of Rogernomics were still strong, and so Labour ended up with their worst result in many decades, in 1996 …

      … it was still far more votes than your hard-on fantasy, PDM.

      But hey, i-Predict will happily take your money. So go on, back your bullshit with cash. Just don’t come crying for a “hand out” when you’ve lost your shirt.

  9. Peter 9
    27 March 2011 at 6:35 am

    The MSM do not want to wise up because they know how to create news/gossip/scandal to sell papers. Besides this sort of story requires little effort or fact. I just fell sorry for those who fall into their spotlight.

  10. Carol 10
    27 March 2011 at 6:43 am

    Stuff are still trying to keep the leadership issue alive with quotes from Chris Carter and georgina Beyer this morning. Did Stuff go to these 2 ex-MPs for quotes, or did the MPs go to the media?

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4814128/Carter-renews-calls-for-Goff-to-resign

    And NZHerald is keeping on about it too, while also claiming a pattern of sexual harrassment from Hughes. Although, at one point does hitting on someone become harrassment? It seems also that Hughes may have issues with owning his sexuality.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10715181

    I do think there is a strong element of National using this as a diversion from their destructive policies.

    • the sprout 10.1
      27 March 2011 at 10:07 am

      National using this as a diversion from their destructive policies

      no doubt about that

  11. Carol 11
    27 March 2011 at 6:55 am

    The focus on leadership & Labour is one massive misdirection by the media & the Right. Until there is a more of a shift in the attitudes of the general populace, based in the realisation of how they’ve been played by the media and the Right, and that they are far worse off than they have been told they are/will be, Labour won’t truly have the policies and leader to represent them, IMO.

    • Peter 11.1
      27 March 2011 at 8:53 am

      If the Center Left Parties don’t make a concerted, and perhaps urgent coordinated, effort to shift attitudes who will?

  12. gobsmacked 12
    27 March 2011 at 6:58 am

    I suppose if we want to join the journos and interview our keyboards, we might just as well announce “rumours” that Goff is now safe, because if there’s one thing a potential new Labour leader will NOT want …

    … it’s support from Chris Carter and Judith Tizard.

  13. mickysavage 13
    27 March 2011 at 7:28 am

    I agree with Bunji. I was at the same conference and support for Goff was remarkable. There was no sign of a coup.

    I am not going to say that his performance last week was good. He should have stood down Hughes on the day that he was told of the allegation and then announced this on the day after.

    But there is an aversion within the party to go through the sort of blood letting that occurred in the 1980s. It seems to me that some people have been interviewing their keyboards.

    And the timing of the leak also took attention away from Auckland’s spatial plan release which is an issue that will haunt the Government unless it at least agrees to part fund the Queen Street tunnel.

  14. Matthew Hooton 14
    27 March 2011 at 7:36 am

    There are a few problems with my theory. If you had read my NBR column on David Parker, you’d know that it was all about a post-election leadership change, not beforehand. It also certainly didn’t move the “Goff to Go” iPredict stock which in fact fell through most of this month. So much for the “pump” bit. The iPredict stock moved only after the Hughes story broke – which is not surprising, given the nature of that issue and how it has been handled. People bought up. And, unfortunately, I was one of them, and have subsequently lost about $20. So, so much for the “dump” theory. On one thing, though, you are absolutely right. This week New Zealand should have been talking about the appalling economic data. The reason we didn’t talk about that is because Goff tried to cover up the Hughes story. Had he gone public on it on 2 March, it would all have been over by the time the GDP and deficit data came out.

    • gobsmacked 14.1
      27 March 2011 at 7:52 am

      @Matthew Hooton

      Why did you name Phil Goff as the “New Zealander of the Year”, when he was a Minister in Helen Clark’s government?

      Why did you say, in Clark’s third term, that Labour’s best chance of winning in 2008 was to replace her with Phil Goff?

      Why do you never mention any of this in all your media “commentary” now?

      • Tigger 14.1.1
        27 March 2011 at 8:14 am

        So Matthew you’ll decry the terrible economy in your next NBR piece? And you’re wrong anyway, this week belonged to that vile foreshore Act…

      • Matthew Hooton 14.1.2
        27 March 2011 at 11:47 am

        I don’t recall nominating Goff as New Zealander of the Year but assume it must have been something to do with the NZ/China FTA???

        I do think Labour may have got a point or two higher with Goff instead of Clark in 2008, and that could have led to a fourth term Labour-led Government.

        Why would I especially mention these things now? They must have been at least two years ago. Since then, Goff has failed to live up the expectations many had from him. I tend to write columns etc outlining what I think now not what I may have thought a few years ago. The world moves on you see …

    • felix 14.2
      27 March 2011 at 8:47 am

      Matthew, it’s so unfair that people (comm1es mostly) always try to frame you as a schemer.

  15. PeteG 15
    27 March 2011 at 8:11 am

    [deleted]

    If the party faithful keep ignoring this sort of sentiment, being expressed more and more from the left, it’s not only the November election that’s likely to be a right-off. How many less MPs will there be to try and start the real recovery next term – if it even starts then?

    [lprent: You just quoted without linking again. Next time you’ll stop gracing us with your wisdom for a while. ]

    • Marty G 15.1
      27 March 2011 at 8:21 am

      i took this as a clearer sign that mccarten will be involved in hone’s new party.

      and i bought ipredict stocks accordingly.

  16. Nadis 16
    27 March 2011 at 9:00 am

    2 obvious points. You say the police investigation us now ruined. Why? Because they had 3 weeks before the public became aware of the allegations? Surely that is ample time for the police to investigate.

    And secondly, have u ever used predict? Liquidity is shithouse. If your idea of making a killing is a few hundreds dollars then good luck but it is very hard to put on and get wiut if large positions. U just can’t make a lot of money on trading large positions.

  17. The Voice of Reason 17
    27 March 2011 at 9:54 am

    Had an interesting conversation over a beer with a retired farmer last night. After telling me about his experiences in the army in the fifties, including being told to shoot to kill if locked out wharfies broke through the police lines in Lyttleton, he asked me if I knew Darren Hughes. Far from the barrage of homophobic drivel I expected, he said he felt sorry for Hughes and that Goff had done the right thing by waiting to see if the complaint held up to scrutiny. He reckoned any decent boss has to take the word of an employee in the absence of proof to the contrary.

    He also reckoned that the age difference was nothing, and wouldn’t even be a factor if it was a woman involved, but people assume gays are paedophiles so that made it newsworthy.

    Ok, just a chat over an ale, but it was interesting to hear some common sense from an unlikely source. It just may be that Goff actually gains support out of this from the conservative leaning middle ground, in the same way his Palmerston North speech a couple of years ago gave him a lift.

  18. gobsmacked 18
    27 March 2011 at 10:10 am

    After Paul Holmes’ performance on Q & A this morning, Goff just won over any caucus waverers.

    There may be a case against Goff’s leadership, but it’s not going to be made by an infant throwing a tantrum.

    If he’d leaned over and given Holmes a good smack, he would have won a landslide.

    • kriswgtn 18.1
      27 March 2011 at 10:16 am

      +1

      • ianmac 18.1.1
        27 March 2011 at 10:37 am

        Yes +2.
        The decision made by Mr Goff was right in legal social responsibility terms.
        The Decisions were wrong in political terms, according to the old hands.
        I wonder if the people would welcome a politician a Leader who acted in the legal social responsibility terms? Sounds refreshing to me.

        • Colonial Viper 18.1.1.1
          27 March 2011 at 11:54 am

          Sure, but if Goff was going to strip DH of his responsibilities he should have done it all on the day this broke, put him on leave at the same time, and not do it in parts.

          It made Goff look weaker than he should have, and would have changed nothing substantial in terms of looking after DH.

    • PeteG 18.2
      27 March 2011 at 10:20 am

      Appalling interview by Holmes, dogged line by Goff – fair enough point on keeping the investigation from public glare – but appalling preparedness and very messy responses when the story inevitably broke.

      And another bad move trying to paint it as a caucus and not a party problem. If caucus ( or at least the leader) won’t talk to the party that suggests a major sign of party dysfunction.

    • felix 18.3
      27 March 2011 at 10:45 am

      I pledge both of my votes to anyone from any party who smacks Paul Holmes on telly.

      (Tau, this is your moment)

      • Jim Nald 18.3.1
        27 March 2011 at 12:06 pm

        Ditto

        I also pledge both of my votes to anyone from any party who:

        * brings a bucket of cold water and empties it on Paul Holmes when he can’t control himself and make us watch his apoplectic seizures on tv

        * brings a straitjacket and warningly holds it out in front of him

        * brings a cardbox cut-out of him/herself and puts it in front of him/herself when Paul gets all excited shouting questions and yelling answers back to himself

        • felix 18.3.1.1
          27 March 2011 at 12:51 pm

          Lol!

        • the pink postman 18.3.1.2
          27 March 2011 at 1:17 pm

          Glad that at last Holmes is being seen for what he really is .A Right -Wing plonker. I said so over a year ago on The Standard .He should have been replaced as a TV commentator long ago. He’s now an overpaid clown. Also in the presence of Key he reminds me of an old ladies lap,dog.

  19. Swampy 19
    27 March 2011 at 3:22 pm

    Policiticans are so fawning over the media and try to use them, the media in turn make it clear they are not there to be politicians tools.

    So the media didn’t play Labour’s tune, what else is new.

  20. Dale 20
    27 March 2011 at 5:01 pm

    Never mind, when Jude comes back all will be fixed.

  21. Gazza 21
    28 March 2011 at 12:14 pm

    IF Darren has gay tendencies then it it was a set up by the right wing plonkers, but if he is straight then it is still a set up with probably the police contributing to it by not resolving it in a acceptable time frame before it was leaked to the media (another sign of a set up).

    Even if Darren is Gay is this country so full of red-necks that gay or straight is how we select our representatives and to be a friend gains you the same label?????????.

  22. randal 22
    28 March 2011 at 3:00 pm

    in answer to you question Bunji the media have already wised up.
    they know if they start printing the truth and getting to the bottom of nationals fiscal manouevres then they will be fired and lose their jobs.
    you cant get much wiser than that.
    and as for hooton everything he says is basically a lie but he is the right wingers liar so they keep printing that.
    thats even wiser still if you want to keep your job in the meedja.

  23. Phil Quin 23
    29 March 2011 at 2:33 pm

    I also find it strange when I am described as a “Labour insider” or “hardcore Labour activist”. If you looked at my blog or columns you will note it is not a description I use myself. It was a long time ago that I worked for the NZ Labour Party, having spent a decade in Melbourne with the ALP before moving to the US. If you actually knew me, you would also know that I am quite gruntled actually.

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  • The professionals actually think and act like our Government has no fiscal crisis at all

    Treasury staff at work: The demand for a new 12-year Government bond was so strong, Treasury decided to double the amount of bonds it sold. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 6-September-2024

    Welcome to another Friday and another roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. As always, this and every post is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew. If you like our work and you’d like to see more of it, we invite you to join our regular ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies; Excerpt Four.

    Internal versus external security. Regardless of who rules, large countries can afford to separate external and internal security functions (even if internal control functions predominate under authoritarian regimes). In fact, given the logic of power concentration and institutional centralization of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • A Hole In The River

    There's a hole in the river where her memory liesFrom the land of the living to the air and skyShe was coming to see him, but something changed her mindDrove her down to the riverThere is no returnSongwriters: Neil Finn/Eddie RaynerThe king is dead; long live the queen!Yesterday was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Bright Blue His Jacket Ain’t But I Love This Fellow: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power E...

    My conclusion last week was that The Rings of Power season two represented a major improvement in the series. The writing’s just so much better, and honestly, its major problems are less the result of the current episodes and more creatures arising from season one plot-holes. I found episode three ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    4 days ago
  • Who should we thank for the defeat of the Nazis

    As a child in the 1950s, I thought the British had won the Second World War because that’s what all our comics said. Later on, the films and comics told me that the Americans won the war. In my late teens, I found out that the Soviet Union ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36 2024

    Open access notables Diurnal Temperature Range Trends Differ Below and Above the Melting Point, Pithan & Schatt, Geophysical Research Letters: The globally averaged diurnal temperature range (DTR) has shrunk since the mid-20th century, and climate models project further shrinking. Observations indicate a slowdown or reversal of this trend in recent decades. ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • Media Link: Discussing the NZSIS Security Threat Report.

    I was interviewed by Mike Hosking at NewstalkZB and a few other media outlets about the NZSIS Security Threat Report released recently. I have long advocated for more transparency, accountability and oversight of the NZ Intelligence Community, and although the … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • How do I make this better for people who drive Ford Rangers?

    Home, home again to a long warm embrace. Plenty of reasons to be glad to be back.But also, reasons for dejection.You, yes you, Simeon Brown, you odious little oik, you bible thumping petrol-pandering ratfucker weasel. You would be Reason Number One. Well, maybe first among equals with Seymour and Of-Seymour ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • A missed opportunity

    The government introduced a pretty big piece of constitutional legislation today: the Parliament Bill. But rather than the contentious constitutional change (four year terms) pushed by Labour, this merely consolidates the existing legislation covering Parliament - currently scattered across four different Acts - into one piece of legislation. While I ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Nicola Willis Seeks New Sidekick To Help Fix NZ’s Economy

    Synopsis:Nicola Willis is seeking a new Treasury Boss after Dr Caralee McLiesh’s tenure ends this month. She didn’t listen to McLiesh. Will she listen to the new one?And why is Atlas Network’s Taxpayers Union chiming in?Please consider subscribing or supporting my work. Thanks, Tui.About CaraleeAt the beginning of July, Newsroom ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Inflation alive and kicking in our land of the long white monopolies

    The golden days of profit continue for the the Foodstuffs (Pak’n’Save and New World) and Woolworths supermarket duopoly. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 5:The Groceries Commissioner has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The thermodynamics of electric vs. internal combustion cars

    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler I love thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is like your mom: it may not tell you what you can do, but it damn well tells you what you can’t do. I’ve written a few previous posts that include thermodynamics, like one on air capture of ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Three.

    The notion of geopolitical  “periphery.” The concept of periphery used here refers strictly to what can be called the geopolitical periphery. Being on the geopolitical periphery is an analytic virtue because it makes for more visible policy reform in response … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Venus Hum

    Fill me up with soundThe world sings with me a million smiles an hourI can see me dancing on my radioI can hear you singing in the blades of grassYellow dandelions on my way to schoolBig Beautiful Sky!Song: Venus Hum.Good morning, all you lovely people, and welcome to the 700th ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • I Went to a Creed Concert

    Note: The audio attached to this Webworm compliments today’s newsletter. I collected it as I met people attending a Creed concert. Their opinions may differ to mine. Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Government migration policy backfires; thousands of unemployed nurses

    The country has imported literally thousands of nurses over the past few months yet whether they are being employed as nurses is another matter. Just what is going on with HealthNZ and it nurses is, at best, opaque, in that it will not release anything but broad general statistics and ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • A Time For Unity.

    Emotional Response: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addresses mourners at the tangi of King Tuheitia on Turangawaewae Marae on Saturday, 31 August 2024.THE DEATH OF KING TUHEITIA could hardly have come at a worse time for Maoridom. The power of the Kingitanga to unify te iwi Māori was demonstrated powerfully at January’s ...
    Bowalley Road
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change: Failed again

    National's tax cut policies relied on stealing revenue from the ETS (previously used to fund emissions reduction) to fund tax cuts to landlords. So how's that going? Badly. Today's auction failed again, with zero units (of a possible 7.6 million) sold. Which means they have a $456 million hole in ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Two.

    A question of size. Small size generally means large vulnerability. The perception of threat is broader and often more immediate for small countries. The feeling of comparative weakness, of exposure to risk, and of potential intimidation by larger powers often … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Nicola Willis’s Very Unserious Bungling of the Kiwirail Interislander Cancellation

    Open to all with kind thanks to all subscribers and supporters.Today, RNZ revealed that despite MFAT advice to Nicola Willis to be very “careful and deliberate” in her communications with the South Korean government, prior to any public announcement on cancelling Kiwirail’s i-Rex, Willis instead told South Korea 26 minutes ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Satisfying the Minister’s Speed Obsession

    The Minister of Transport’s speed obsession has this week resulted in two new consultations for 110km/h speed limits, one in Auckland and one in Christchurch. There has also been final approval of the Kapiti Expressway to move to 110km/h following an earlier consultation. While the changes will almost certainly see ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    6 days ago
  • What if we freed up our streets, again?

    This guest post is by Tommy de Silva, a local rangatahi and freelance writer who is passionate about making the urban fabric of Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland more people-focused and sustainable. New Zealand’s March-April 2020 Level 4 Covid response (aka “lockdown”) was somehow both the best and worst six weeks of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    6 days ago
  • No Alarms And No Surprises

    A heart that's full up like a landfillA job that slowly kills youBruises that won't healYou look so tired, unhappyBring down the governmentThey don't, they don't speak for usI'll take a quiet lifeA handshake of carbon monoxideAnd no alarms and no surprisesThe fabulous English comedian Stewart Lee once wrote a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Five ingenious ways people could beat the heat without cranking the AC

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons Every summer brings a new spate of headlines about record-breaking heat – for good reason: 2023 was the hottest year on record, in keeping with the upward trend scientists have been clocking for decades. With climate forecasts suggesting that heat waves ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • No new funding for cycling & walking

    Studies show each $1 of spending on walking and cycling infrastructure produces $13 to $35 of economic benefits from higher productivity, lower healthcare costs, less congestion, lower emissions and lower fossil fuel import costs. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • 99

    Dad turned 99 today.Hell of a lot of candles, eh?He won't be alone for his birthday. He will have the warm attention of my brother, and my sister, and everyone at the rest home, the most thoughtful attentive and considerate people you could ever know. On Saturday there will be ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Open Government: National reneges on beneficial ownership

    One of the achievements of the New Zealand’s Open Government Partnership Fourth National Action Plan was a formal commitment from the government to establish a public beneficial ownership register. Such a register would allow the ultimate owners of companies to be identified - a vital measure in preventing corruption, money ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt One.

    This project analyzes security politics in three peripheral democracies (Chile, New Zealand, Portugal) during the 30 years after the end of the Cold War. It argues that changes in the geopolitical landscape and geo-strategic context are interpreted differently by small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • Tea and Toast

    When the skies are looking bad my dearAnd your heart's lost all its hopeAfter dawn there will be sunshineAnd all the dust will goThe skies will clear my darlingNow it's time for you to let goOur girl will wake you up in the mornin'With some tea and toastLyrics: Lucy Spraggan.Good ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • NLTP 2024 released – destroying pipeline of shovel ready local projects

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Waka Kotahi yesterday released the latest National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) for 2024-27. The NLTP sets out what transport projects will be funded for the next three years, including both central and local government projects. As expected given the government’s extremely ideological transport policy, it’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    7 days ago
  • Can Brown deliver his roads

    The Government’s unveiling of its road-building programme yesterday was ambitious and, many would say, long overdue. But the question will be whether it is too ambitious, whether it is affordable, and, if not, what might be dropped. The big ticket items will be the 17 so-called Roads of National Significance. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    7 days ago
  • New paper about detecting climate misinformation on Twitter/X

    Together with Cristian Rojas, Frank Algra-Maschio, Mark Andrejevic, Travis Coan, and Yuan-Fang Li, I just published a paper in Nature Communications Earth & Environment where we use the Computer Assisted Recognition of Denial and Skepticism (CARDS) machine learning model to detect climate misinformation in 5 million climate tweets. We find over half ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • Excerpting “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies.”

    In the late 2000s-early 2010s I was researching and writing a book titled “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Chile, New Zealand and Portugal.” The book was a cross-regional Small-N qualitative comparison of the security strategies and postures of three small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Hating for the Wrong Reasons: Of Rings of Power, Orcs and Evil

    A few months ago, my fellow countryman, HelloFutureMe, put out a giant YouTube video, dissecting what went wrong with the first season of Rings of Power (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ6FRUO0ui0&t=8376s). It’s an exceptionally good video, and though it spans some two and a half hours, it is well worth your time. But ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: “Least cost” to who?

    On Friday the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment released their submission on National's second Emissions Reduction Plan, ripping the shit out of it as a massive gamble based on wishful thinking. One of the specific issues he focused on was National's idea of "least cost" emissions reduction, pointing out that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Israeli Lives Matter

    There is no monopoly on common senseOn either side of the political fenceWe share the same biology, regardless of ideologyBelieve me when I say to youI hope the Russians love their children tooLyrics: Sting. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Luxon Cries

    Over the weekend, I found myself rather irritably reading up about the Treaty of Waitangi. “Do I need to do this?” It’s not my jurisdiction. In any other world, would this be something I choose to do?My answer - no.The Waitangi Tribunal, headed by some of our best legal minds, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Just one Wellington home being consented for every 10 in Auckland

    A decade of under-building is coming home to roost in Wellington. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday September 2:Wellington’s leaders are wringing their hands over an exodus of skilled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Container trucks on local streets: why take the risk?

    This is a guest post by Charmaine Vaughan, who came to transport advocacy via her local Residents Association and a comms role at Bike Auckland. Her enthusiasm to make local streets safer for all is shared by her son Dylan Vaughan, a budding “urban nerd” who provided much of the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    1 week ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #35

    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, August 25, 2024 thru Sat, August 31, 2024. Story of the week After another crammed week of climate news including updates on climate tipping points, increasing threats from rising ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • An Uncanny Valley of Improvement: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episodes 1-3 (Season ...

    And thus we come to the second instalment of Amazon’s Rings of Power. The first season, in 2022, was underwhelming, even for someone like myself, who is by nature inclined to approach Tolkien adaptations with charity. The writing was poor, the plot made no sense on its own terms, and ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Alcohol debris and Crocodile Tears

    I write to you this morning from scenes of carnage. Around the floor lie young men who only hours earlier were full of life, and cocktails, and now lie silent. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • When Do We Look Away?

    Hi,The first time I saw something that made me recoil on the internet was a visit to Rotten.com. The clue was in the name — but the internet was a new thing to me in the 90s, and no-one really knew what the hell was going on. But somehow I ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • The decades just fly by

    You turn your back for a moment and a city can completely transform itself. It was, oh, just the other day I was tripping up to Kuala Lumpur every few months to teach workshops and luxuriate in the tropical warmth and fill my face with Char Kway Teow.It has to ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • 2024 Reading Summary: August

    Completed reads for August: Aesop’s Fables (collection), by Aesop Berserk: Volume XXV (manga), by Kentaro Miura Benighted, by J.B. Priestly Berserk: Volume XXVI (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVIII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXIX (manga), by Kentaro Miura ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Is recent global warming part of a natural cycle?

    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 from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is recent global warming part ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • White Noise

    Now here we standWith our hearts in our handsSqueezing out the liesAll that I hearIs a message, unclearWhat else is there to decide?All that I'm hearing from youIs White NoiseLyrics: Christopher John CheneyIs the tide turning?Have we reached the high point of the racist hate and lies from Hobson’s Pledge, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • The Death Of “Big Norm” – Exactly 50 Years Ago Today.

    Norman KirkPrime Minister of New Zealand 1972-1974Born: 6 January 1923 - Died: 31 August 1974Of the working-class, by the working-class, for the working-class.Video courtesy of YouTubeThese elements were posted on Bowalley Road on Saturday, 31 August 2024. ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Claims and Counter-Claims.

    Whose Foreshore? Whose Seabed? When the Marine and Coastal Area Act was originally passed back in 2011, fears about the coastline becoming off-limits to Pakeha were routinely allayed by National Party politicians pointing out that the tests imposed were so stringent  that only a modest percentage of claims (the then treaty ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand Honours Maori King ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • The Principles of the Treaty

    Hardly anyone says what are ‘the principles of the treaty’. The courts’ interpretation restrain the New Zealand Government. While they about protecting a particular community, those restraints apply equally to all community in a liberal democracy – including a single person.Treaty principles were introduced into the governance of New Zealand ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • The Only Other Reliable Vehicle.

    An Elite Leader Awaiting Rotation? Hipkins’ give-National-nothing-to-aim-at strategy will only succeed if the Coalition becomes as unpopular in three years as the British Tories became in fourteen.THE SHAPE OF CHRIS HIPKINS’ THINKING on Labour’s optimum pathway to re-election is emerging steadily. At the core of his strategy is Hipkins’ view ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • A Big F U to this Right Wing Government

    Open to all - deep thanks to those who support and subscribe.One of the things that has got me interested recently is updates about Māori wards.In April, Stuff’s Karanama Ruru reported that ~ 2/3 of our 78 councils had adopted Māori wards in NZ.That meant that under the Coalition repeal ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago

  • Action to grow the rural health workforce

    Scholarships awarded to 27 health care students is another positive step forward to boost the future rural health workforce, Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “All New Zealanders deserve timely access to quality health care and this Government is committed to improving health outcomes, particularly for the one in five ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Pharmac delivering more for Kiwis following major funding boost

    Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed the increased availability of medicines for Kiwis resulting from the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our Government assumed office, New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Sport Minister congratulates NZ’s Paralympians

    Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop has congratulated New Zealand's Paralympic Team at the conclusion of the Paralympic Games in Paris.  “The NZ Paralympic Team's success in Paris included fantastic performances, personal best times, New Zealand records and Oceania records all being smashed - and of course, many Kiwis on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations

    A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report.  “It will have the mandate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • New appointments to the FMA board

    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister has today announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) board. Tracey Berry, Nicholas Hegan and Mariette van Ryn have been appointed for a five-year term ending in August 2029, while Chris Swasbrook, who has served as a board member ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • District Court judges appointed

    Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new District Court judges. The appointees, who will take up their roles at the Manukau Court and the Auckland Court in the Accident Compensation Appeal Jurisdiction, are: Jacqui Clark Judge Clark was admitted to the bar in 1988 after graduating ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government makes it faster and easier to invest in New Zealand

    Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged by significant improvements to overseas investment decision timeframes, and the enhanced interest from investors as the Government continues to reform overseas investment. “There were about as many foreign direct investment applications in July and August as there was across the six months ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • New Zealand to join Operation Olympic Defender

    New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government commits to ‘stamping out’ foot and mouth disease

    Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says that a new economic impact analysis report reinforces this government’s commitment to ‘stamp out’ any New Zealand foot and mouth disease incursion. “The new analysis, produced by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, shows an incursion of the disease in New Zealand would have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Improving access to finance for Kiwis

    5 September 2024  The Government is progressing further reforms to financial services to make it easier for Kiwis to access finance when they need it, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.  “Financial services are foundational for economic success and are woven throughout our lives. Without access to finance our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Prime Minister pays tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia

    As Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to Kotahitanga will have a lasting impact on our country. “Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Resource Management reform to make forestry rules clearer

    Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced proposals to reform the resource management system that will provide greater certainty for the forestry sector and help them meet environmental obligations.   “The Government has committed to restoring confidence and certainty across the sector by removing unworkable regulatory burden created by the previous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • More choice and competition in building products

    A major shake-up of building products which will make it easier and more affordable to build is on the way, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Today we have introduced legislation that will improve access to a wider variety of quality building products from overseas, giving Kiwis more choice and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Joint Statement between the Republic of Korea and New Zealand 4 September 2024, Seoul

    On the occasion of the official visit by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand to the Republic of Korea from 4 to 5 September 2024, a summit meeting was held between His Excellency President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Comprehensive Strategic Partnership the goal for New Zealand and Korea

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol. “Korea and New Zealand are likeminded democracies and natural partners in the Indo Pacific. As such, we have decided to advance discussions on elevating the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • International tourism continuing to bounce back

    Results released today from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) confirm international tourism is continuing to bounce back, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey says. The IVS results show that in the June quarter, international tourism contributed $2.6 billion to New Zealand’s economy, an increase of 17 per cent on last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government confirms RMA reforms to drive primary sector efficiency

    The Government is moving to review and update national level policy directives that impact the primary sector, as part of its work to get Wellington out of farming. “The primary sector has been weighed down by unworkable and costly regulation for too long,” Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.  “That is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Weak grocery competition underscores importance of cutting red tape

    The first annual grocery report underscores the need for reforms to cut red tape and promote competition, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “The report paints a concerning picture of the $25 billion grocery sector and reinforces the need for stronger regulatory action, coupled with an ambitious, economy-wide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government moves to lessen burden of reliever costs on ECE services

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government has listened to the early childhood education sector’s calls to simplify paying ECE relief teachers. Today two simple changes that will reduce red tape for ECEs are being announced, in the run-up to larger changes that will come in time from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Over 2,320 people engage with first sector regulatory review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says there has been a strong response to the Ministry for Regulation’s public consultation on the early childhood education regulatory review, affirming the need for action in reducing regulatory burden. “Over 2,320 submissions have been received from parents, teachers, centre owners, child advocacy groups, unions, research ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government backs women in horticulture

    “The Government is empowering women in the horticulture industry by funding an initiative that will support networking and career progression,” Associate Minister of Agriculture, Nicola Grigg says.  “Women currently make up around half of the horticulture workforce, but only 20 per cent of leadership roles which is why initiatives like this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government to pause freshwater farm plan rollout

    The Government will pause the rollout of freshwater farm plans until system improvements are finalised, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard announced today. “Improving the freshwater farm plan system to make it more cost-effective and practical for farmers is a priority for this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Milestone reached for fixing the Holidays Act 2003

    Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden says yesterday Cabinet reached another milestone on fixing the Holidays Act with approval of the consultation exposure draft of the Bill ready for release next week to participants.  “This Government will improve the Holidays Act with the help of businesses, workers, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • New priorities to protect future of conservation

    Toitū te marae a Tāne Mahuta me Hineahuone, toitū te marae a Tangaroa me Hinemoana, toitū te taiao, toitū te tangata. The Government has introduced clear priorities to modernise Te Papa Atawhai - The Department of Conservation’s protection of our natural taonga. “Te Papa Atawhai manages nearly a third of our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Faster 110km/h speed limit to accelerate Kāpiti

    A new 110km/h speed limit for the Kāpiti Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS) has been approved to reduce travel times for Kiwis travelling in and out of Wellington, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • IVL increase to ensure visitors contribute more to New Zealand

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