Luxon’s strange Public Transport take

Written By: - Date published: 8:29 am, April 13th, 2022 - 66 comments
Categories: Christopher Luxon, climate change, Environment, labour, michael wood, national, public transport, science, transport - Tags:

Yesterday Chris Luxon showed the sensitivity and sophistication of someone who owns seven properties and at one stage had 6.1 million Air New Zealand shares by stating that he believed that at least some public transport services should not be supported and that public transport needs to stand on its own feet.

From Jane Patterston at Radio New Zealand:

When asked if the cut-price subsidised fares were something he would like to see extended further, National’s Christopher Luxon said he believed services should not have to be propped up by taxpayers.

“There’s a need for us to continue to drive mode shift, I get it, but you’ve got to build good-quality public transport options that people choose to use.”

While it had been helpful to help people right now with the cost of living crisis, it needed to be revisited, Luxon said.

“But ultimately, public transport needs to stand on its own feet. It can’t be subsidised or underwritten … it has to be able to build on its own case,” he told reporters.

How tone deaf can you get.  Following on from National’s announced tax cut that would see most Kiwis get no more than $2 per week while Luxon and his mates received huge tax cuts this attack on public transport is bizarre.

Matt L in Greater Auckland neatly skewers Luxon’s claim:

The reality is all transport is subsidised and you’d think a former leader of an airline that only exists today due to multiple government bailouts would understand that well.

Michael Wood also skewered Luxon very well in this statement which I will set out in full:

Luxon has since tried to walk back his comment and has said that he misspoke and he did not express himself very well. He also disclosed that he was not sufficiently organised to arrange meat free days for himself.

The most benign interpretation that can be put on all of this is that Luxon admits that he is not accurate with what he says and he is not sufficiently organised to get himself a salad.  And that he is completely indifferent to public transport as people with his wealth normally are.

The darker interpretation is that he is totally indifferent to the environmental as well as the important role that public transport serves for ordinary people.  And if he ever became Prime Minister public transport would get hammered.

66 comments on “Luxon’s strange Public Transport take ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Peter 1
    13 April 2022 at 8:42 am

    It sounds like Luxon is using Mike Hosking as his public transport advisor.

  2. KJT 2
    13 April 2022 at 8:46 am

    The person who "ran an airline" with massive Government subsidies.

    Is he going to extend this principle to farming, trucking, Air New Zealand, the many subsidised businesses
    in NZ?
    Horrifying that this “failed upward dimwit” maybe lying his way into being a PM

  3. Tony Veitch (not etc.) 3
    13 April 2022 at 8:50 am

    God forbid he should ever become PM of this country.

    Unlike Key, who was able to hide his blatant inclinations towards the rich, and was glib enough in his language to confuse and fool the voters to waste their ballots on him, Luxon has none of the deviousness of his mentor.

    He comes across as an entitled rich prick – from hiring a Mercedes for a 200m stroll to parliament, to his comments about ‘elite Maori,’ and ‘bottom feeders,’ and now his disdain for public transport, which he has no need to use.

    Jacinda carves him up during question time in parliament, and, no doubt, will be able to run rings round him in election debates next year. By then, of course, Luxon may have exposed himself so many times that the hapless Natz may have dumped him for yet another ‘leader.’

  4. tsmithfield 4
    13 April 2022 at 8:54 am

    I agree with subsidising public transport if public transport works.

    By "works" I mean that people see it as more convenient and more economical than using their cars. So, in that case, subsidising public transport makes perfect sense because it reduces the need to spend on roading and other infrastructure projects.

    However, I don't think that is the case in NZ. Our total population is about the size of an average to large city in many countries. And our population is very disbursed over a large geographical area. Even our cities tend to be quite spread out which makes designing an effective public transport system very difficult.

    It will be interesting to see how the halving of public transport prices affects uptake. Because if it doesn't increase the use of public transport, then clearly people see the inconvenience factor as too high to bother using it.

    In Christchurch here the bus service is terrible. And I wouldn't bother using it even if I was paid to do so. But if I was living in London I wouldn't even bother owning a car because the subway system is much faster and more convenient way to get around than using a car.

    So, if subsidising public transport isn't increasing its use, then we probably need examine the rationale behind subsidising it, and look to other options. For instance, in Christchurch, cycle ways make great sense.

      • tsmithfield 4.1.1
        13 April 2022 at 9:11 am

        OK. Then I will be impressed if that increase is sustained over time and across the country. I will reserve my judgement until then though.

        Because, if an increase in use is by people who don't regularly use public transport, and those people decide that the public transport offerings are hopeless, then we may see a large drop off.

        It would also be interesting to know how that usage compares to pre-pandemic levels of public transport usage. Because a confounding factor could be that covid is well past the peak in Auckland and people may feel more confident using public transport again.

        • Nic the NZer 4.1.1.1
          13 April 2022 at 9:39 am

          Amazing, so in the face of overwhelming evidence that the idea expressed by Chris Luxon was dumb, your on the very cusp of agreeing with Chris Luxon that what he said was a bit dumb.

          • tsmithfield 4.1.1.1.1
            13 April 2022 at 9:41 am

            I am evidence based.

            If the evidence is that people see that public transport works for them, and they will use it, then I don't have a problem with it being subsidised, especially if the subsidy offsets the need to spend on more roads and the like.

            • Tony Veitch (not etc.) 4.1.1.1.1.1
              13 April 2022 at 9:51 am

              Perhaps its escaped your notice, but we have a planet to save!

              • tsmithfield …
                13 April 2022 at 9:55 am

                “Perhaps its escaped your notice, but we have a planet to save!”

                Yes we do. But part of saving the planet is also investing in cars. That is EVs and other low emission vehicles. So there will still be a tension between public transport, car usage, and expenditure on roads.

                I think we need to do an honest analysis of what the ideal mix of low emission vehicles, cycling (including e-bikes) and public transport should be, given the demographics of NZ.

                It might be that the most economical and effective thing for us to do is invest in more roading and cycle ways to enable more cycling and EV use.

                I think decisions around public transport should be based on analysis not ideology.

                • Tony Veitch (not etc.) …
                  13 April 2022 at 10:28 am

                  Unfortunately, EVs are not the solution –

                  first, they require rare elements, which are mined using ICE vehicles,

                  second, they are manufactured using ICE and fossil fuels.

                  Far far better to put those fossil fuels into the manufacture of electric busses and trains.

                  We simply have to wean ourselves off private cars completely.

                  You said: “I think decisions around public transport should be based on analysis not ideology.” What’s ideological about trying to save the planet?

                  • tsmithfield …
                    13 April 2022 at 10:49 am

                    EVs aren't necessarily the only green technology coming through. I would probably prefer hybrid technology myself.

                    Another option I think is quite exciting is the prospect of converting C02 to fuel. If that can be done in a way that is economical enough, and uses renewable energy to drive the process, then that could create a C02 loop so car emissions don't continue to add to carbon in the atmosphere.

                    If that process could be done at scale, then there would be no need to convert our existing car fleet to EVs as they could run on the greener fuel source.

                    So far as lithium is concerned, the government is investing in technology to extract lithium from geothermal sources. This possibility could provide lithium in a more sustainable way.

                    • aom …
                      13 April 2022 at 11:31 am

                      Fear not Ts, the answer is being brewed at present. With rampant inflation, only rich pricks will be able to afford private transport – just like before families had one or more private vehicles. When the reduced number have to pay for the roads and parking spaces they use, even they may subscribe to PT, as in countries that didn't buy into the model we adopted in the early 1960's.

            • roy cartland 4.1.1.1.1.2
              13 April 2022 at 9:51 am

              I agree, that's an argument for more investment in PT, not less.

            • Nic the NZer 4.1.1.1.1.3
              13 April 2022 at 10:02 am

              Say Chris Luxon comes back tomorrow and says, actually I meant it all along National wants to eliminate public transport. Would that make your mind up one way or the other?

    • AB 4.2
      13 April 2022 at 9:30 am

      There's a chicken and egg dilemma here.

      Might increasing PT use through subsidies enable (or even force) it to get better through demand pressure? And – if PT is currently no good and not used, how can it ever afford to get better without subsidies?

      Luxon sounds like a loony old 1990's neoliberal – he apparently "cares deeply" about people and the environment, but that "care" can be expressed only through the mechanism of free markets. I'm tired off this, let's sweep the silly fellow into the dustbin of history.

      • tsmithfield 4.2.1
        13 April 2022 at 9:45 am

        I think if we are truly serious about public transport, then there needs to be a national conversation about what it will cost to build a public transport system that is convenient enough for people to want to use. Because our demographics are a lot different to large, compressed population centres where public transport is highly effective.

        Our small population and the disbursed nature of our populaiton means the cost for implimenting such a system is going to be much higher per head of population than large cities such as London.

        That is the reality of the situation.

        • Barfly 4.2.1.1
          13 April 2022 at 10:15 am

          TS one size does not fit all – I haven't owned a vehicle for 17 years and last drove one 12 years ago.

          • Jimmy 4.2.1.1.1
            13 April 2022 at 11:02 am

            That is good. I assume you have good public transport to and from where you work. I have an electric scooter for transport that I can use to go to work as luckily work is in range, but the public transport not good. However now with the winter weather coming I will be using the car far more often.

            • DB Brown 4.2.1.1.1.1
              13 April 2022 at 11:12 am

              Yeah weather dictates freedom on these 'extremely efficient' (weather permitting) modes of transport, but it all helps.

              I'll go on a bus in the weather but my service (central AK) is regular and largely reliable.

              Crap service is the problem with a lot of PT take-up, for sure.

              • Belladonna …
                13 April 2022 at 8:25 pm

                Yep. Also in Auckland. I live on a major bus route, and work on a major bus route – but don't use PT to get from home to work (10-15 minute drive – against the traffic)
                Because there is no link between them, without taking a massive dog-leg trip to a station, and waiting for an (infrequent) connection. Turning my 10-15 minute commute into a 45-65 minute commute, depending on bus timings – and assuming they all turn up), on 2-3 buses with one wait at a stop with no bus shelter.

                Auckland PT across suburbs is really, really, bad at getting to anywhere that isn't the CBD and back again (or on a CBD route)

                When I worked in the CBD – I happily used PT (bus or ferry – depending on the weather).

          • Patricia Bremner 4.2.1.1.2
            13 April 2022 at 12:43 pm

            yes Public transport, the way of the future. Also small personal EVs.

      • Tony Veitch (not etc.) 4.2.2
        13 April 2022 at 9:54 am

        Agreed, a loony old neoliberal, but also an entitled rich prick!

        The dustbin of history is where he deserves to be and where he'll end up.

    • lprent 4.3
      13 April 2022 at 2:08 pm

      So, if subsidising public transport isn't increasing its use, then we probably need examine the rationale behind subsidising it, and look to other options. For instance, in Christchurch, cycle ways make great sense.

      They do in Auckland as well, if there weren't so many bloody dangerous cars congesting all of the road space.

      Really if we're going down the cost of subsidies….

      One way of equalising it out and getting a more productive and equitable way for Luxon to operate is to remove all transport subsidies.

      Push road user charges based on maximum loaded axle weight on to all motorbikes, cars, vans, buses and trucks, and remove the current taxation mix on vehicles. The base for allocation should be all road maintenance costs plus all planned new road works over a normal lifetime of a vehicle. The latter should reduce the taxpayers interest costs.

      Registration then becomes just the ACC level plus an admin cost. Maybe look at doing bikes in there as well – but the admin costs may make that unworkable. Put ACC levy on the purchase cost of all bikes instead.

      This should immediately correlate the RUC with damage to roading – and therefore to the major portion of the roading budgets.

      The on-the-road costs for trucks, vans, large SUVs, Ford Rangers, and probably many heavy sedans would all rise drastically. Everything else would drop drastically, probably including buses – they don't have a high carry weight and it is very small per passenger.

      Then put parking charges on all urban roadside parking. This is currently a subsidy on 'free' expensive infrastructure for people with vehicles, nearby shopkeepers, and nearby properties. It should either be direct user pays for vehicles with parking apps and the parking warden cars with cameras, or a direct rates charge on all nearby rate payers.

      The cost should be related to the cost of compliance, the effective asset cost, and for utility of alternate uses. Just doing this will allow fast bus lanes, wider footpaths and cycle ways. Basically if people want to have vehicles then they should also have private parking at homes, offices, businesses and retailers. That includes for delivery and vehicles.

      In most urban areas, this will usually free up one or two lanes of roadway for various types of traffic and reduce congestion.

      Make all fuels to have the immediate full impact of their end-or-life ETS price. Effectively the CO2 that is emitted today will hand around for most of the next thousand years. Charge it at that rate.

      All of that should make public transport look pretty damn cheap and effective. It should also flip the infrastructural builds into a more long-term economic model.

      The basic problem with transport in their country is that there is a very large hidden subsidy system for most private transport – especially for heavy vehicles and the roading contractors who repair roads.

  5. Dennis Frank 5
    13 April 2022 at 9:08 am

    What was missing from the pictured analysis by Wood of Luxon's stance? A rationale outlining the govt's transport policy, derived from its economic policy. Perhaps it got cut off if it was below the bottom of the picture? Anyway, here's the guts:

    "We believe public transport ought to be subsidised because we are socialists. It's traditional socialism. Whilst we have maintained neoliberalism hitherto, folks keep telling us we ought to be able to walk & chew gum at the same time. We've been able to get our collective heads around this radical notion, and have decided to operate both neoliberalism & socialism concurrently. Some punters may get confused. My advice is to go away & give it deep thought for a while. It's called both/and logic. The penny will drop eventually."

  6. DB Brown 6
    13 April 2022 at 9:14 am

    We subsidised the wealthy with EV subsidies, but not e-bikes. Not the poor. Then public pressure saw us create a temporary measure (aka band aid) to help others… and all the well off have suddenly got an opinion.

    There's nothing quite so pathetic as the wealthy being jealous of measures to help poor people.

    Nasty nasty bastards.

    Every day – EVERY DAY – Aucklanders wait in long traffic queues. The love affair with cars, in this circumstance, seems more retarded than practical.

    • tsmithfield 6.1
      13 April 2022 at 9:25 am

      I don't live in Auckland. So, it may well be that public transport does make a lot more sense there, given the peak hour traffic jams you all experience up there.

      In Christchurch I don't think it does make that much sense. Taking a bus trip to a lot of destinations often requires several interchanges and can take far longer than by car. And busses are often late.

      I think continuing to invest in cycle ways down here makes a lot more sense because Christchurch is relatively flat.

      • DB Brown 6.1.1
        13 April 2022 at 11:15 am

        I'd be loving it on a bike down there, so long as it's not raining. Perfect for cycling.

      • Belladonna 6.1.2
        13 April 2022 at 8:32 pm

        Taking a bus trip to a lot of destinations often requires several interchanges and can take far longer than by car. And busses are often late.

        All of this is true in Auckland as well. For PT to work it has to be frequent, fast and convenient. It needs to take you where you want/need to go, when you want to go there, and not take an outrageously long time. Cheap is nice – but if the first 3 aren't present – those who have alternatives will use them….

  7. Robert Guyton 7
    13 April 2022 at 9:30 am

    He's all over the shop.

  8. joe90 8
    13 April 2022 at 9:52 am

    But slow trains to Auckland are the problem.

    https://twitter.com/ClintVSmith/status/1513335790163853312

  9. tsmithfield 9
    13 April 2022 at 10:02 am

    Just to preface my comments above.

    I don't know how many here have actually experienced the public transport in Britain and Europe. I have used public transport over there quite a lot. Having experienced that, I can tell you that what we have here is hopeless and barely functional.

    Travelling across France in a train travelling at 300 clicks is a very enjoyable way to travel, and often more convenient than flying.

    • Barfly 9.1
      13 April 2022 at 10:19 am

      I find the Auckland Public transport system to be quite good and I believe increased services and eliminating the user charges completely would drive a lot of extra use.

    • Ad 9.2
      13 April 2022 at 10:21 am

      Auckland PT is much better now; I don't envy Cantabrians.

      Nothing like stepping off a plane at Frankfurt and being whisked straight in to town by heavy or light rail.

      • Tony Veitch (not etc.) 9.2.1
        13 April 2022 at 10:35 am

        Yes, Brownlie turned down a proposal to run trains from Rangiora to Rolleston, saying 'a business case couldn't be made' for the investment.

        Well, you probably couldn't make a business case for saving the planet, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try.

        We (Cantabrians) lost a wonderful opportunity post 2011 earthquake because a myoptic Natz party was in power.

        • Peter 9.2.1.1
          13 April 2022 at 11:02 am

          All the talk about the possibilities for the city raised by the earthquake and future proofing it in so many ways we live? Transport? Looking ahead 50 years?

          Someone should have taken Brownlee on Joe Bloggs trips to Frankfurt, Toronto, Hong Kong, Tokyo and wherever else.

        • gsays 9.2.1.2
          13 April 2022 at 8:21 pm

          "We (Cantabrians) lost a wonderful opportunity post 2011 earthquake because a myoptic Natz party was in power."

          From memory they got re-elected too.

    • Peter 9.3
      13 April 2022 at 10:47 am

      Does public transport being woeful in bigger cities in New Zealand now mean the notion should be scrapped?

      If public transport had not been developed to the stage it is in Auckland and Wellington, what would many thousands moving around every day in those regions look like now?

      • tsmithfield 9.3.1
        13 April 2022 at 11:25 am

        I don't think that existing public transport should be scrapped.

        But what I do think we need is a proper analysis of how we should invest in transport going forward. That is what is the ideal mix of low emission vehicles, cycles, and public transport that best suits our specific demography and geography.

  10. Bruce 10
    13 April 2022 at 10:21 am

    For the divisive style of politics Luxon requires, public transport is very dangerous. It doesnt take long after a few trips on the bus to realise the guy next to you in the different hat is just the same as you. Its alot easier to maintain the hate when seperate in your metal box fighting for your piece of road

  11. Ad 11
    13 April 2022 at 10:22 am

    Good to see Wood stepping in for the fight.

  12. Barfly 12
    13 April 2022 at 10:24 am

    "sensitivity and sophistication"

    Call a spade a spade I say … IMO Luxon showed his entitlement, hubris and disdain for the poor like the arsehole wealth supremacist he is.

  13. SPC 13
    13 April 2022 at 10:33 am

    So he is OK with subsidies for Air New Zealand – a transport business with private owners, but not for those of government and local councils.

    Is it because he has no experience or knowledge of not for profit transport, or not for profit organisation and policy?

    Maybe – and that makes him unfit to be PM and head our government.

    PS It is obvious that when we have trains and business operating below capacity that there be half prices to encourage use. Otherwise that should be permanent for students and those with CSC's/beneficiaries and low income families.

    • Christopher Randal 13.1
      13 April 2022 at 1:46 pm

      Don't forget that he called the poor "bottom feeders"

      That also makes him unfit to be PM

  14. James Simpson 14
    13 April 2022 at 11:37 am

    People who think Luxon gaffed here don't really understand Tories or their supporters.

    Public Transport is never something they will support. They refer to people catching buses as losers catching the loser cruiser.

    They build motorways to drive their BMWs and Audis on.

    They would happily sell the railways or close them down.

    This in't a gotcha type fuck-up from Luxon. This is what they stand for and the vote they are looking for.

    • tsmithfield 14.1
      13 April 2022 at 11:45 am

      I think we need an evidenced rather than ideological approach to this issue from both sides of the political spectrum.

      As mentioned above, our characteristics are quite different to larger population centres where public transport does work well.

      There is a whole lot in the mix at the moment, including low emission vehicles, cycle ways, public transport, eco-fuels etc, as I have pointed out above.

      What we need to do is come up with the ideal mix of these that best suits our specific demography and geography, rather than just base ideological arguments for or against public transport..

      • Nordy 14.1.1
        13 April 2022 at 12:10 pm

        Thank you for describing the governments principled approach to Transport, and therefore by extension confirming that the opposition are by definition ideological dinosaurs.

      • DB Brown 14.1.2
        13 April 2022 at 4:14 pm

        Absolutely. And we're close to some sort of understanding of how that might work out. A combination of many modes will make a useful transport system. Them vs Us will never work.

        The more useful public transport is the less pressure on roads the more pleasant moving round will become for all. Less waiting, less noise, less pollution. What's not to like.

        Some think EV's are only for the rich… Yep. Private ownership of cars and houses is getting out of reach or financially silly. One can shell out a small fortune if they want to though. It's all about how big a penis container they'll need.

    • Robert Guyton 14.2
      13 April 2022 at 12:47 pm

      So, he didn't win any recruits then, just the same old.

    • tc 14.3
      13 April 2022 at 12:50 pm

      +100

      Luxon knows his target audience.

  15. Ben 15
    13 April 2022 at 1:05 pm

    Remember adult & community education? Has a BCR of 5 to 10 and National killed that in '08 or '09. One of the first things they did.

    Luxon tries to look like a bumbling idiot, while actually being focused and serious. That's my guess.

  16. Patricia Bremner 16
    13 April 2022 at 1:09 pm

    Luxon is clearly intending to "govern" for the well off. The rest he says "need to stand on their own feet"

    Oh I know it was in relation to "Public transport", but pause for just a moment and reflect on who uses Public Transport? Certainly not a chap who calls up a Limo to go 200 meters or his cohorts.

    No, it is ordinary people who should pay for that bus/ train, the "Public". Denial of a function of Government.

    Also the denial of billions of dollars paid out to keep business infrastructure going, and the total lack of grasp of how people get to their essential work is actually shocking.

    This man is another Boris. "Do as I say, not as I do".

  17. Mike the Lefty 17
    13 April 2022 at 1:14 pm

    Putting it simply – if you don't subsidise public transport then you won't have public transport. Without subsidies the fares would have to at least double, and I am talking about the level they were before they went half price, and people just wouldn't pay that so they wouldn't use it and services would vanish on all but the most profitable routes. It would be goodbye to weekend, holiday and evening services.

    Mind you, Luxon is right about the new Te Huia service. It is crap, and it is crap because nobody listened to the advice from users advocates that people absolutely do not like having to transfer from one service to another. As soon as you make people transfer then a large proportion of them say f….. it and use their car instead. If it had gone straight through to central Auckland (which was what we originally told would happen) it could have been a winner. The same thing happened in Wellington several years ago when they created several new "hubs" and people had to transfer to another bus to get into the city.

    And now we have half price on all public transport until the end of June. I am wondering whether the government will come up with a comprehensive free public transport plan later in the year. Free public transport is an increasing reality in many cities around the world, especially in Europe. Of course there is no such thing as free transport – it is a question of who pays for it and how. Somehow I don't think National will support that and with ACT it will be "gone by lunchtime" if they ever got the chance.

    • Christopher Randal 17.1
      13 April 2022 at 1:50 pm

      Te Huia goes to the Strand now. It cannot go into Britomart because it is diesel hauled. Tunnels are treated the same as mines after [name deleted] killed all those miners

      [Unless that person was charged and found guilty of killing all those miners you’re exposing this site to possible legal action. I know at least one person who is not fond of this. You didn’t even get the name right, BTW – Incognito]

  18. Jenny how to get there 18
    13 April 2022 at 2:11 pm

    What a nasty bit of work.

    National’s Christopher Luxon said he believed services should not have to be propped up by taxpayers.

    All good for wealthy people like Luxon who have the luxury to pay for 'services' any time they require them.

    Luxon was being asked a question about public transport service, In his reply Luxon did not say 'public transport services' should not have to be propped up, In his reply Luxon did not even say 'transport services' should not have to be propped up. Luxon simply said 'services' should not have to be propped up.

    Was Luxon replying with the stock answer of the seriously rich, that everyone, despite their means, should have to pay for 'services'.

    How would this user pays model work out for other 'services' like health care and education?

    "If life was a thing that money could buy, the rich would live and the poor would die." Porgy and Bess

    One thing for sure is this: If Luxon gets his way public transport, will die.

  19. roblogic 19
    13 April 2022 at 2:11 pm

    Wealthy white NZ relies on "subsidies" to even exist. The land they own – nicked from Māori and defended by laws that "subsidise" theft. The 7 properties they lord over – "subsidised" by laws, police, banks, and a system that rewards wealth over hard work.

    The 1% are "subsidised" by the good will of the working class by allowing them to even exist

    The myth of pulling oneself up by their bootstraps or “standing on one’s feet” is just elite BS they tell each other to justify their resentment of the poor, allowing them to turn a blind eye to the inequities of a system that made them rich

  20. EE 20
    13 April 2022 at 2:18 pm

    What about gold-card holders, some of whom have great difficulty standing on their own feet.
    Luxon must also be opposed to free public transport for them as well..

  21. Joe900 21
    13 April 2022 at 5:15 pm

    Bernard Hickey's lifted the paywall on his latest.

    https://thekaka.substack.com/p/dawn-chorus-luxon-incoherent-on-transport

  22. Jenny how to get there 22
    13 April 2022 at 6:27 pm

    Public transport reduces emissions, Air transport increases emissions.

    Which form of transport should we subsidise?

    Ten per cent drop vs 60 per cent drop?

    Which form of transport has suffered most from the pandemic?

    Public transport has taken an almost terminal hit from the pandemic. Luxon's policies if implemented will finish public transport off at a time when the climate needs it most.

    It is hard to make an apples for apples comparison, but the following data give some idea which form of transport is in need of government support more.

    AT is blaming a "perfect storm" of rising costs due to inflation, and a pandemic inspired nosedive in public transport patronage. It told Auckland Council's Regional Transport Committee public transport patronage is only 40 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

    Source – Papakura Courier – By Glen McConnell and Todd Nial, April 13, 2022

    Air New Zealand reports that their domestic patronage has returned to 90 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

    Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty said the airline was “blown away” by the new data, noting it had initially hoped to return to 70% of pre-pandemic levels in 2022.

    https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-air-new-zealand-idUSL1N2LR2WY

    …..the airline also outlines its targets for the financial year starting 1 July 2024.

    By then, it expects capacity to be about 90% that of the 2019 financial year, with a marked shift towards domestic and short-haul flight.

    https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-air-new-zealand-idUSL1N2LR2WY

  23. Kerry Stevens 23
    15 April 2022 at 9:41 am

    Find me a city anywhere in the world where public transport is not subsidized

  24. David Reeves 24
    15 April 2022 at 11:24 am

    Seems that he also doesn’t get that successful public transport also benefits the whole economy, including the wealthy so that they can drive their oversized SUVs to the shops or the boat ramp along relatively uncluttered roads which … oh … we’ve all paid for.

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    It was at the end of the Foxton straights, at the end of 1978, at 100km/h, that someone tried to grab me from behind on my Yamaha.They seemed to be yanking my backpack. My first thought was outrage. My second was: but how? Where have they come from? And my ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 hours ago

  • Look who’s stepped up to champion Winston
    There’s no news to be gleaned from the government’s official website today  – it contains nothing more than the message about the site being under maintenance. The time this maintenance job is taking and the costs being incurred have us musing on the government’s commitment to an assault on inflation. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    18 hours ago

  • What's The Story?
    Don’t you sometimes wish they’d just tell the truth? No matter how abhorrent or ugly, just straight up tell us the truth?C’mon guys, what you’re doing is bad enough anyway, pretending you’re not is only adding insult to injury.Instead of all this bollocks about the Smokefree changes being to do ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    24 hours ago

  • The longest of weeks
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Friday Under New Management Week in review, quiz style1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago

  • Suggested sessions of EGU24 to submit abstracts to
    Like earlier this year, members from our team will be involved with next year's General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU). The conference will take place on premise in Vienna as well as online from April 14 to 19, 2024. The session catalog has been available since November 1 ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Under New Management
    1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. Under New Management 2. Which of these best describes the 100 days of action announced this week by the new government?a. Petulantb. Simplistic and wrongheaded c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • While we wait patiently, our new Minister of Education is up and going with a 100-day action plan
    Sorry to say, the government’s official website is still out of action. When Point of Order paid its daily visit, the message was the same as it has been for the past week: Site under maintenance Beehive.govt.nz is currently under maintenance. We will be back shortly. Thank you for your ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • DAVID FARRAR: Hysterical bullshit
    Radio NZ reports: Te Pāti Māori’s co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer has accused the new government of “deliberate .. systemic genocide” over its policies to roll back the smokefree policy and the Māori Health Authority. The left love hysterical language. If you oppose racial quotas in laws, you are a racist. And now if you sack ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • ELE LUDEMANN: It wasn’t just $55 million
    Ele Ludemann writes –  Winston Peters reckons media outlets were bribed by the $55 million Public Interest Journalism Fund. He is not the first to make such an accusation. Last year, the Platform outlined conditions media signed up to in return for funds from the PJIF: . . . ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Weekly Roundup 1-December-2023
    Wow, it’s December already, and it’s a Friday. So here are few things that caught our attention recently. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt covered the new government’s coalition agreements and what they mean for transport. On Tuesday Matt looked at AT’s plans for fare increases ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago

  • Shane MacGowan Is Gone.
    Late 1996, The Dogs Bollix, Tamaki Makaurau.I’m at the front of the bar yelling my order to the bartender, jostling with other thirsty punters on a Friday night, keen to piss their wages up against a wall letting loose. The black stuff, long luscious pints of creamy goodness. Back down ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • The Hoon around the week to Dec 1
    Nicola Willis, Chris Bishop and other National, ACT and NZ First MPs applaud the signing of the coalition agreements, which included the reversal of anti-smoking measures while accelerating tax cuts for landlords. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • 2023 More Reading: November (+ Writing Update)
    Completed reads for November: A Modern Utopia, by H.G. Wells The Vampire (poem), by Heinrich August Ossenfelder The Corpus Hermeticum The Corpus Hermeticum is Mead’s translation. Now, this is indeed a very quiet month for reading. But there is a reason for that… You see, ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    2 days ago

  • Forward to 2017
    The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies.The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. They also describe the processes of the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    3 days ago

  • Questions a nine year old might ask the new Prime Minister
    First QuestionYou’re going to crack down on people ram-raiding dairies, because you say hard-working dairy owners shouldn’t have to worry about getting ram-raided.But once the chemist shops have pseudoephedrine in them again, they're going to get ram-raided all the time. Do chemists not work as hard as dairy owners?Second QuestionYou ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Questions a nine year old might ask the new Prime Minister
    First QuestionYou’re going to crack down on people ram-raiding dairies, because you say hard-working dairy owners shouldn’t have to worry about getting ram-raided.But once the chemist shops have pseudoephedrine in them again, they're going to get ram-raided all the time. Do chemists not work as hard as dairy owners?Second QuestionYou ...
    More than a fieldingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Finally
    Henry Kissinger is finally dead. Good fucking riddance. While Americans loved him, he was a war criminal, responsible for most of the atrocities of the final quarter of the twentieth century. Cambodia. Bangladesh. Chile. East Timor. All Kissinger. Because of these crimes, Americans revere him as a "statesman" (which says ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Government in a hurry – Luxon lists 49 priorities in 100-day plan while Peters pledges to strength...
    Buzz from the Beehive Yes, ministers in the new government are delivering speeches and releasing press statements. But the message on the government’s official website was the same as it has been for the past several days, when Point of Order went looking for news from the Beehive that had ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • DAVID FARRAR: Luxon is absolutely right
    David Farrar writes  –  1 News reports: Christopher Luxon says he was told by some Kiwis on the campaign trail they “didn’t know” the difference between Waka Kotahi, Te Pūkenga and Te Whatu Ora. Speaking to Breakfast, the incoming prime minister said having English first on government agencies will “make sure” ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Top 10 at 10 am for Thursday, Nov 30
    There are fears that mooted changes to building consent liability could end up driving the building industry into an uninsured hole. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Thursday, November 30, including:The new Government’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on how climate change threatens cricket‘s future
    Well that didn’t last long, did it? Mere days after taking on what he called the “awesome responsibility” of being Prime Minister, M Christopher Luxon has started blaming everyone else, and complaining that he has inherited “economic vandalism on an unprecedented scale” – which is how most of us are ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • We need to talk about Tory.
    The first I knew of the news about Tory Whanau was when a tweet came up in my feed.The sort of tweet that makes you question humanity, or at least why you bother with Twitter. Which is increasingly a cesspit of vile inhabitants who lurk spreading negativity, hate, and every ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Dangling Transport Solutions
    Cable Cars, Gondolas, Ropeways and Aerial Trams are all names for essentially the same technology and the world’s biggest maker of them are here to sell them as an public transport solution. Stuff reports: Austrian cable car company Doppelmayr has launched its case for adding aerial cable cars to New ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • November AMA
    Hi,It’s been awhile since I’ve done an Ask-Me-Anything on here, so today’s the day. Ask anything you like in the comments section, and I’ll be checking in today and tomorrow to answer.Leave a commentNext week I’ll be giving away a bunch of these Mister Organ blu-rays for readers in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago

  • National’s early moves adding to cost of living pressure
    The cost of living grind continues, and the economic and inflation honeymoon is over before it began. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: PM Christopher Luxon unveiled his 100 day plan yesterday with an avowed focus of reducing cost-of-living pressures, but his Government’s initial moves and promises are actually elevating ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Backwards to the future
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has confirmed that it will be back to the future on planning legislation. This will be just one of a number of moves which will see the new government go backwards as it repeals and cost-cuts its way into power. They will completely repeal one ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • New initiatives in science and technology could point the way ahead for Luxon government
    As the new government settles into the Beehive, expectations are high that it can sort out some  of  the  economic issues  confronting  New Zealand. It may take time for some new  ministers to get to grips with the range of their portfolio work and responsibilities before they can launch the  changes that  ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    4 days ago

  • Treaty pledge to secure funding is contentious – but is Peters being pursued by a lynch mob after ...
    TV3 political editor Jenna Lynch was among the corps of political reporters who bridled, when Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters told them what he thinks of them (which is not much). She was unabashed about letting her audience know she had bridled. More usefully, she drew attention to something which ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • How long does this last?
    I have a clear memory of every election since 1969 in this plucky little nation of ours. I swear I cannot recall a single one where the question being asked repeatedly in the first week of the new government was: how long do you reckon they’ll last? And that includes all ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • National’s giveaway politics
    We already know that national plans to boost smoking rates to collect more tobacco tax so they can give huge tax-cuts to mega-landlords. But this morning that policy got even more obscene - because it turns out that the tax cut is retrospective: Residential landlords will be able to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • CHRIS TROTTER: Who’s driving the right-wing bus?
    Who’s At The Wheel? The electorate’s message, as aggregated in the polling booths on 14 October, turned out to be a conservative political agenda stronger than anything New Zealand has seen in five decades. In 1975, Bill Rowling was run over by just one bus, with Rob Muldoon at the wheel. In 2023, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • GRAHAM ADAMS:  Media knives flashing for Luxon’s government
    The fear and loathing among legacy journalists is astonishing Graham Adams writes – No one is going to die wondering how some of the nation’s most influential journalists personally view the new National-led government. It has become abundantly clear within a few days of the coalition agreements ...
    Point of OrderBy gadams1000
    4 days ago

  • Top 10 news links for Wednesday, Nov 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my pick of top 10 news links elsewhere for Wednesday November 29, including:The early return of interest deductibility for landlords could see rebates paid on previous taxes and the cost increase to $3 billion from National’s initial estimate of $2.1 billion, CTU Economist Craig Renney estimated here last ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Smokefree Fallout and a High Profile Resignation.
    The day after being sworn in the new cabinet met yesterday, to enjoy their honeymoon phase. You remember, that period after a new government takes power where the country, and the media, are optimistic about them, because they haven’t had a chance to stuff anything about yet.Sadly the nuptials complete ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • As Cabinet revs up, building plans go on hold
    Wellington Council hoardings proclaim its preparations for population growth, but around the country councils are putting things on hold in the absence of clear funding pathways for infrastructure, and despite exploding migrant numbers. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Cabinet meets in earnest today to consider the new Government’s 100-day ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • National takes over infrastructure
    Though New Zealand First may have had ambitions to run the infrastructure portfolios, National would seem to have ended up firmly in control of them.  POLITIK has obtained a private memo to members of Infrastructure NZ yesterday, which shows that the peak organisation for infrastructure sees  National MPs Chris ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

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

  • Who’s Driving The Right-Wing Bus?
    Who’s At The Wheel? The electorate’s message, as aggregated in the polling booths on 14 October, turned out to be a conservative political agenda stronger than anything New Zealand has seen in five decades. In 1975, Bill Rowling was run over by just one bus, with Rob Muldoon at the wheel. In ...
    Bowalley Road
    5 days ago

  • Sanity break
    Cheers to reader Deane for this quote from Breakfast TV today:Chloe Swarbrick to Brook van Velden re the coalition agreement: “... an unhinged grab-bag of hot takes from your drunk uncle at Christmas”Cheers also to actual Prime Minister of a country Christopher Luxon for dorking up his swearing-in vows.But that's enough ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Sanity break
    Cheers to reader Deane for this quote from Breakfast TV today:Chloe Swarbrick to Brook van Velden re the coalition agreement: “... an unhinged grab-bag of hot takes from your drunk uncle at Christmas”Cheers also to actual Prime Minister of a country Christopher Luxon for dorking up his swearing-in vows.But that's enough ...
    More than a fieldingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • National’s murderous smoking policy
    One of the big underlying problems in our political system is the prevalence of short-term thinking, most usually seen in the periodic massive infrastructure failures at a local government level caused by them skimping on maintenance to Keep Rates Low. But the new government has given us a new example, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • NZ has a chance to rise again as our new government gets spending under control
    New Zealand has  a chance  to  rise  again. Under the  previous  government, the  number of New Zealanders below the poverty line was increasing  year by year. The Luxon-led government  must reverse that trend – and set about stabilising  the  pillars  of the economy. After the  mismanagement  of the outgoing government created   huge ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    5 days ago

  • KARL DU FRESNE: Media and the new government
    Two articles by Karl du Fresne bring media coverage of the new government into considerations.  He writes –    Tuesday, November 28, 2023 The left-wing media needed a line of attack, and they found one The left-wing media pack wasted no time identifying the new government’s weakest point. Seething over ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • PHILIP CRUMP:  Team of rivals – a CEO approach to government leadership
    The work begins Philip Crump wrote this article ahead of the new government being sworn in yesterday – Later today the new National-led coalition government will be sworn in, and the hard work begins. At the core of government will be three men – each a leader ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Black Friday
    As everyone who watches television or is on the mailing list for any of our major stores will confirm, “Black Friday” has become the longest running commercial extravaganza and celebration in our history. Although its origins are obscure (presumably dreamt up by American salesmen a few years ago), it has ...
    Bryan GouldBy Bryan Gould
    5 days ago

  • In Defense of the Media.
    Yesterday the Ministers in the next government were sworn in by our Governor General. A day of tradition and ceremony, of decorum and respect. Usually.But yesterday Winston Peters, the incoming Deputy Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister, of our nation used it, as he did with the signing of the coalition ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Top 10 news links at 10 am for Tuesday, Nov 28
    Nicola Willis’ first move was ‘spilling the tea’ on what she called the ‘sobering’ state of the nation’s books, but she had better be able to back that up in the HYEFU. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of top 10 news links elsewhere at 10 am ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • PT use up but fare increases coming
    Yesterday Auckland Transport were celebrating, as the most recent Sunday was the busiest Sunday they’ve ever had. That’s a great outcome and I’m sure the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    5 days ago

  • The very opposite of social investment
    Nicola Willis (in blue) at the signing of the coalition agreement, before being sworn in as both Finance Minister and Social Investment Minister. National’s plan to unwind anti-smoking measures will benefit her in the first role, but how does it stack up from a social investment viewpoint? Photo: Lynn Grieveson ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • Giving Tuesday
    For the first time "in history" we decided to jump on the "Giving Tuesday" bandwagon in order to make you aware of the options you have to contribute to our work! Projects supported by Skeptical Science Inc. Skeptical Science Skeptical Science is an all-volunteer organization but ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Let's open the books with Nicotine Willis
    Let’s say it’s 1984,and there's a dreary little nation at the bottom of the Pacific whose name rhymes with New Zealand,and they've just had an election.Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, will you look at the state of these books we’ve opened,cries the incoming government, will you look at all this mountain ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • Climate Change: Stopping oil
    National is promising to bring back offshore oil and gas drilling. Naturally, the Greens have organised a petition campaign to try and stop them. You should sign it - every little bit helps, and as the struggle over mining conservation land showed, even National can be deterred if enough people ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • Don’t accept Human Rights Commission reading of data on Treaty partnership – read the survey fin...
    Wellington is braced for a “massive impact’ from the new government’s cutting public service jobs, The Post somewhat grimly reported today. Expectations of an economic and social jolt are based on the National-Act coalition agreement to cut public service numbers in each government agency in a cost-trimming exercise  “informed by” head ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • The stupidest of stupid reasons
    One of the threats in the National - ACT - NZ First coalition agreements was to extend the term of Parliament to four years, reducing our opportunities to throw a bad government out. The justification? Apparently, the government thinks "elections are expensive". This is the stupidest of stupid reasons for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • A website bereft of buzz
    Buzz from the Beehive The new government was being  sworn in, at time of writing , and when Point of Order checked the Beehive website for the latest ministerial statements and re-visit some of the old ones we drew a blank. We found ….  Nowt. Nothing. Zilch. Not a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • MICHAEL BASSETT: A new Ministry – at last
    Michael Bassett writes – Like most people, I was getting heartily sick of all the time being wasted over the coalition negotiations. During the first three weeks Winston grinned like a Cheshire cat, certain he’d be needed; Chris Luxon wasted time in lifting the phone to Winston ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Luxon's Breakfast.
    The Prime Minister elect had his silver fern badge on. He wore it to remind viewers he was supporting New Zealand, that was his team. Despite the fact it made him look like a concierge, or a welcomer in a Koru lounge. Anna Burns-Francis, the Breakfast presenter, asked if he ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • LINDSAY MITCHELL:  Oranga Tamariki faces major upheaval under coalition agreement
     Lindsay Mitchell writes – A hugely significant gain for ACT is somewhat camouflaged by legislative jargon. Under the heading ‘Oranga Tamariki’ ACT’s coalition agreement contains the following item:   Remove Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 According to Oranga Tamariki:     “Section ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • BRIAN EASTON:  Peters as Minister
    A previous column looked at Winston Peters biographically. This one takes a closer look at his record as a minister, especially his policy record. Brian Easton writes – 1990-1991: Minister of Māori Affairs. Few remember Ka Awatea as a major document on the future of Māori policy; there is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Cathrine Dyer's guide to watching COP 28 from the bottom of a warming planet
    Is COP28 largely smoke and mirrors and a plan so cunning, you could pin a tail on it and call it a weasel? Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: COP28 kicks off on November 30 and up for negotiation are issues like the role of fossil fuels in the energy transition, contributions to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Top 10 news links at 10 am for Monday, Nov 27
    PM Elect Christopher Luxon was challenged this morning on whether he would sack Adrian Orr and Andrew Coster.TL;DR: Here’s my pick of top 10 news links elsewhere at 10 am on Monday November 27, including:Signs councils are putting planning and capital spending on hold, given a lack of clear guidance ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the new government’s policies of yesteryear
    This column expands on a Werewolf column published by Scoop on Friday Routinely, Winston Peters is described as the kingmaker who gets to decide when the centre right or the centre-left has a turn at running this country. He also plays a less heralded but equally important role as the ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    6 days ago

  • The New Government’s Agreements
    Last Friday, almost six weeks after election day, National finally came to an agreement with ACT and NZ First to form a government. They also released the agreements between each party and looking through them, here are the things I thought were the most interesting (and often concerning) from the. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    6 days ago

  • How many smokers will die to fund the tax cuts?
    Maori and Pasifika smoking rates are already over twice the ‘all adult’ rate. Now the revenue that generates will be used to fund National’s tax cuts. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The devil is always in the detail and it emerged over the weekend from the guts of the policy agreements National ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • How the culture will change in the Beehive
    Perhaps the biggest change that will come to the Beehive as the new government settles in will be a fundamental culture change. The era of endless consultation will be over. This looks like a government that knows what it wants to do, and that means it knows what outcomes ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • No More Winnie Blues.
    So what do you think of the coalition’s decision to cancel Smokefree measures intended to stop young people, including an over representation of Māori, from taking up smoking? Enabling them to use the tax revenue to give other people a tax cut?David Cormack summed it up well:It seems not only ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago

  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #47
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science  Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 19, 2023 thru Sat, Nov 25, 2023.  Story of the Week World stands on frontline of disaster at Cop28, says UN climate chief  Exclusive: Simon Stiell says leaders must ‘stop ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Some of it is mad, some of it is bad and some of it is clearly the work of people who are dangerous ...
    On announcement morning my mate texted:Typical of this cut-price, fake-deal government to announce itself on Black Friday.What a deal. We lose Kim Hill, we gain an empty, jargonising prime minister, a belligerent conspiracist, and a heartless Ayn Rand fanboy. One door closes, another gets slammed repeatedly in your face.It seems pretty ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • “Revolution” is the threat as the Māori Party smarts at coalition government’s Treaty directi...
    Buzz from the Beehive Having found no fresh announcements on the government’s official website, Point of Order turned today to Scoop’s Latest Parliament Headlines  for its buzz. This provided us with evidence that the Māori Party has been soured by the the coalition agreement announced yesterday by the new PM. “Soured” ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • The Good, the Bad, and the even Worse.
    Yesterday the trio that will lead our country unveiled their vision for New Zealand.Seymour looking surprisingly statesmanlike, refusing to rise to barbs about his previous comments on Winston Peters. Almost as if they had just been slapstick for the crowd.Winston was mostly focussed on settling scores with the media, making ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • When it Comes to Palestine – Free Speech is Under Threat
    Hi,Thanks for getting amongst Mister Organ on digital — thanks to you, we hit the #1 doc spot on iTunes this week. This response goes a long way to helping us break even.I feel good about that. Other things — not so much.New Zealand finally has a new government, and ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago

  • Thank you Captain Luxon. Was that a landing, or were we shot down?
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Also in More Than A FeildingFriday The unboxing And so this is Friday and what have we gone and done to ourselves?In the same way that a Christmas present can look lovely under the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • Cans of Worms.
    “And there’ll be no shortage of ‘events’ to test Luxon’s political skills. David Seymour wants a referendum on the Treaty. Winston wants a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Labour’s handling of the Covid crisis. Talk about cans of worms!”LAURIE AND LES were very fond of their local. It was nothing ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • Disinformation campaigns are undermining democracy. Here’s how we can fight back
    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Misinformation is debated everywhere and has justifiably sparked concerns. It can polarise the public, reduce health-protective behaviours such as mask wearing and vaccination, and erode trust in science. Much of misinformation is spread not ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand welcomes European Parliament vote on the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement
    A significant milestone in ratifying the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was reached last night, with 524 of the 705 member European Parliament voting in favour to approve the agreement. “I’m delighted to hear of the successful vote to approve the NZ-EU FTA in the European Parliament overnight. This is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Further humanitarian support for Gaza, the West Bank and Israel
    The Government is contributing a further $5 million to support the response to urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel, bringing New Zealand’s total contribution to the humanitarian response so far to $10 million. “New Zealand is deeply saddened by the loss of civilian life and the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

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