Much ado about nothing

Written By: - Date published: 8:20 pm, June 6th, 2023 - 227 comments
Categories: labour, michael wood, Politics - Tags:

Today the news was all about Michael Wood.

When he was a teenager he bought some shares in Auckland International Airport.

He declared them when he became a Minister but mucked up his register of pecuniary interests.  He should have declared them then but thought that they were owned by a trust.  He has been trying to get rid of them for a while but from the description of things he did not have his shareholder number.

He is busy.  No doubt this particular piece of paperwork was down the list of his priorities which include making the country a better place and having quality time with his family.

Yes he did receive a number of requests to confirm that he had sold the shares.

His response was probably similar to mine when I receive a speeding fine reminder.  A desire to fix it up immediately but it then just gets lost in other things that are more important.

His wife Julie Fairley has also been subject to some comment.

Given the proximity to Auckland Council’s vote on the sale of the shares the cynic in me wonders if the attacks are related.

And National is going to town on the issue.

I admire their ability to completely ignore the shitty stuff they have done and then suggest that something a Labour MP has done is really, really terrible.

Like how they can hide the report on how one of their MPs brutalised kids with a bed leg when he was younger, or an MP who engaged in a war of attrition with MPI using letterhead when they prosecuted her husband and son for animal cruelty.

National doesn’t care.  Creating a stench about politicians does not hurt them.  Their supporters are more interested in making money or getting grumpy about minorities to worry about ethics.

But their hypocrisy still rankles.

I trust that Michael sorts his paperwork out soon.  He is far too valuable an MP and the left need him to be on top of his game.

227 comments on “Much ado about nothing ”

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  1. Patricia Bremner 1
    6 June 2023 at 8:29 pm

    Micky,this will blow over quite quickly in the face of what is next in the disruptions. Michael has had a busy time but…….
    National have decided they are no longer supporting the farm emissions cross party co-operation. This is all designed to make Labour and the Greens look silly.

    They can not be trusted. First housing now emissions.

  3. newsense 3
    6 June 2023 at 8:36 pm

    The fuckers, in all parties, on all sides of the house should be forced to divest their investment property portfolios, as these are what has led to the rapid social division and is the main way MPs are unrepresentative of their constituents. No one truly represents renters and those who are struggling to get on the property ladder.

    Watching someone with millions of dollars in property that has accumulated huge untaxed gains through parliaments’ inaction, and may gain much more from HIS regressive policy, try and take the high road here is sickening.

    Sloppy from Wood, slug-like from all the others.

    • Craig H 3.1
      6 June 2023 at 10:18 pm

      https://www.parliament.nz/media/10239/register-of-pecuniary-and-other-specified-interests-of-members-of-parliament-2023.pdf

      Looks like there are a few MPs who don't own any houses in NZ so presumably rent. From that list, Marama Davidson, Ricardo Mendez-March (has a family home but it's in Mexico) and arguably Rino Tirikatene (interests in land but no houses – "dwellings" to use the legal term).

      • newsense 3.1.1
        6 June 2023 at 10:25 pm

        A few, but parliament is very, very far from a representative sample of the population who do not own property.

        • bwaghorn 3.1.1.1
          7 June 2023 at 6:43 am

          This is going to sound really shitty.

          But if you're not together enough to to earn a decent income and by a house are you upto being a politician??

          (I'm a financial failure, it's probably a bus for me when I retire)

          • newsense 3.1.1.1.1
            7 June 2023 at 12:04 pm

            We accept it for a large number of the middle class: nurses, police, teachers…

            Then we tell them to go further out to get a toe in and tell them they should have been more careful when their home floods repetitively.

          • Patricia Bremner 3.1.1.1.2
            7 June 2023 at 2:04 pm

            bwaghorn, Your comment about a bus. Start looking, get to know the different good and bad points.

            While you are earning, join MZMCA and magazine, (you need two current members and they are happy to gain new members ) It gives buying help, POP help (Park over Properties) in the magazine. We were members for 5 years.

            Friends who owned a bus, did odd jobbing for lifestylers and some House Sitting through Kiwi House Sitters (Small joining yearly fee, but free accommodation to mind property and or pets all needs supplied.) in the winters. They would do their bus maintenance cleaning and improving during these stops.

            Doc also has good value offers as do many camp grounds.

            All the best, you need insulation, solar.
            Our smaller Toyota PopTop, was the most successful for us with just a car licence. We could park in town, but enlarge the space when camping. (It had a built in toilet) which can be purchased as a "ready to insert unit". There are Garages which do that certified work.

            You will meet a wide variety of members from farming business and financial fallout. They all mainly love the life. It is not a bad choice.yes

      • lprent 3.1.2
        7 June 2023 at 12:26 pm

        Looks like there are a few MPs who don't own any houses in NZ so presumably rent.

        Not the only possible explanation. I didn't own property for about 6 months.

        We'd moved into my partners apartment in the same block as mine that she'd brought in 2017. I'd came along to help pay the mortgage and as the resident bed warmer and nocturnal music maker.

        I'd been renting out my apartment to pay my remaining mortgage because she didn't want me to sell it (just in case – we'd only been together for a decade at that point 🙂 ).

        But I sold it last year. The tenants cut short the lease (bit bloody irritating that). We'd been discussing buying a house for more office space, and I figured that I'd use the equity for the deposit. Plus I didn’t have to hunt for or deal with tenants. So I sold it – eventually to a renting next door neighbour for a decent rate and no real estate fees.

        By the time I'd gotten the settlement and the banks took more than 3 months to figure out pre-approval, the interest rates doubled, and the sales of properties had dropped markedly. So I paid off both of my partners mortgages when one of the interest rates doubled.

        So now I am a joint owner of property again. My point is that you can't actually tell from a register of interests who has property shares. I didn't for a while because I was living with my partner of 15 years. I wasn't on the title.

        But she had a interest in in the money I had in the bank from the sale of my property. It'd been her place of residence for a decade and therefore part of the relationship property. I had a interest in the property that she had a formal title to. This is all in the Property (Relationships) Act 1976.

        Having an actual title to property that you can declare and interest in is pretty a legal formality. Like getting married.

        Still looking for a house / office space. But I think we'll try next year. In the meantime my partner has found a workspace around the corner to get reduce the issues of having two people working from home in a small apartment (I'd done that for the previous year).

    • Foreign waka 3.2
      8 June 2023 at 10:10 am

      SPC, I completely agree. Todays news also shows that a Auckland councilor owns Airport shares to the amount of 3 Mill. !! and they about to vote to sell some of the Auckland council shares. Smells fishy too. The few thousand dollar shares from Woods pale in comparison. Who knows what else is going on with those in charge of NZ infrastructure and services. How many enrich themselves at the expense of the middle income highest taxed segment of the taxpaying workers we will never know. Trust is clearly not won with these dodgy dealings.

  4. Incognito 4
    6 June 2023 at 8:42 pm

    I expect no less than a press release from Wood first thing tomorrow morning that all his AIA shares have been sold and that he’s donated the proceeds to a charity, preferably with a nice photo-op.

    • alwyn 4.1
      7 June 2023 at 12:54 pm

      I wouldn't be at all surprised if that is precisely what the PM's office is telling him right now.

      But will he oblige?

      • Incognito 4.1.1
        7 June 2023 at 1:52 pm

        The PM’s Office can’t tell him to sell his shares.

        Will he ‘oblige’?

        He’s not a 16-year old expelled school boy, is he?

        • alwyn 4.1.1.1
          7 June 2023 at 2:44 pm

          What do they call the Chief of Staff and his colleagues?

          They can certainly give him an offer he would find it hard to refuse. "Sell them and give the money away by 2.00 pm tomorrow or you will be sacked from the Cabinet" would probably work. Would Hipkins tell them to do it though?

          "He’s not a 16-year old expelled school boy, is he". Well he certainly behaves like one. And, in base 37 arithmetic, he is that age.

          • Incognito 4.1.1.1.1
            7 June 2023 at 3:14 pm

            The “Chief of Staff and his colleagues” cannot sack a Minister from Cabinet. It’s a red herring.

            In any case, if Wood loses his position(s) in Cabinet it will be because of his screw up with properly declaring his share ownership not because of the ownership per se.

            Clever use of base 37 numeric.

    • Craig H 4.2
      8 June 2023 at 5:19 pm

      Looks he took your sage advice although it took him two days instead of one – Anglican Trust Charity apparently.

  5. Tiger Mountain 5
    6 June 2023 at 9:19 pm

    The “bed leg basher” cruises on, and so do many other Natzos caught with their blue real estate pants down around their ankles.

    Mr Wood does need to sort things out quickly though. He has been caught out by the latest iteration of NZ National’s patented underwear sniffing, wheelie bin snooping Dirty Politics department which operates 24/7.

    Someone would hardly have believed their luck when scanning down the list of AA shareholders when a Labour Minister’s name popped up.

    There are not too many lefties in the Labour Caucus so Michael is certainly needed, and he is an achiever with Bus driver pay and Coastal shipping.

  6. Muttonbird 6
    6 June 2023 at 9:30 pm

    This shows how desperate the National Party is for hits. Narrative from them is, ‘it’s a pattern’. Reality is people either don’t care or can see National is reaching and focussed on the wrong things, like digging dirt rather than forming policy.

  7. Alan 7
    6 June 2023 at 9:42 pm

    Chippie has also had to deal with "sloppy work' from 1 ex minister and 2 current ministers over the last few months, he must be getting a bit tired of that.

    • Muttonbird 7.1
      6 June 2023 at 9:57 pm

      QED

    • Belladonna 7.2
      6 June 2023 at 10:16 pm

      He's also had to deal with his own office, not informing him in a timely manner of issues with the potential to be political bad news.

      Even if the Prime Minister had wanted to act quickly to deal with his Transport Minister’s conflicts of interest, he couldn’t because he was kept in the dark.

      It was four days before anyone sent the political headache up the chain to Chris Hipkins.

      …

      On Friday Wood’s office sounded the alarm bell with Hipkins’ office about media enquiries, yet it was Monday night before Hipkins was finally informed (ahead of his morning media round and the publication of the NZ Herald story on Tuesday morning).

      https://www.newsroom.co.nz/new-auckland/pm-getting-stung-by-his-own-team-falling-short

      Labour absolutely need to be operating a no surprises policy with the PM. If there is an issue (and Wood knew about this one on Thursday) – they need to be on the phone to the PM a.s.a.p – to ensure that the political management is as smooth as possible.

      If you stuff up (and that's all I think this is with Wood, a stuff up) – then trying to hide it makes things a thousand times worse.

    • Foreign waka 7.3
      8 June 2023 at 10:12 am

      And so is the average voter. Preaching water drinking wine its called.

  8. newsense 8
    6 June 2023 at 10:39 pm

    Lol- not on the front page for Stuff or for RNZ. Minister doesn’t get round to divesting shares he was going to and promises he will presumably not much of a story.

    Herald predictably leading its website with a riveting (not) Bernard Orsman piece about Julie Fairey: get this farkn zinger, are ya ready, hold the phone:

    Late this afternoon, Fairey said she had updated her declaration form “to reflect my beneficiary title in the JM Fairey Family Trust, as I was not aware of this role until this morning”.

    Her updated declaration said: “Spouse M Wood has shares in Auckland International Airport Ltd and Contact Energy. I do not hold any shares directly.”

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/michael-woods-wife-auckland-councillor-julie-fairey-forced-to-correct-statement-about-couples-shareholding-in-airport/34WYBEZTPBFCZDUGRJNARIYHFY/

    Wow! Goteem. Opposition in sad desperate partnership with self-hating newspaper and reporter who has opposed anything vaguely useful any politician has suggested doing about the city since Len Brown.

    And of its top 3 stories two are about this non-story! Hmmm

  9. observer 9
    6 June 2023 at 10:48 pm

    Compare and contrast …

    1) Christopher Luxon, today:

    "We want a leader and a prime minister [who's] going to do the right thing not wait until the media to actually make him do the right thing."

    https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/06/06/luxon-hipkins-soft-and-weak-over-woods-shares-scandal/

    2) And one year ago, the words of the Registrar of Pecuniary Interests:

    "Almost all members of Parliament submitted their returns to
    me in accordance with the requirements of Standing Orders, including in
    relation to timeliness. I regret to report, though, that one member,
    Christopher Luxon, submitted his return after the deadline.
    Standing Orders make it clear that members are responsible for submitting
    their returns by the deadline. … I am disappointed to
    have to draw to the attention of the House the existence of a late return, once
    again.     … It is not an onerous matter to fulfil this obligation.

    Link (PDF):

    https://www.parliament.nz/media/9105/register-of-pecuniary-and-other-specified-interests-of-members-of-parlia-2022.pdf

    That's right. The only MP in Parliament who can't "do the right thing" (his words) until he's told to, is the same one shouting loudest today.

    Imagine if he had a real job …

    • Bearded Git 9.1
      7 June 2023 at 8:34 am

      Man of the People Luxon, on RadioNZ this morning, said when he became leader he sold his $12 MILLION of Air NZ shares.

      This is where there is a potential conflict of interest. Not with a piddling $13k of shares that had been held since teenage years.

      Meanwhile Luxon refused to admit to Corin Dann that holding houses as assets (7 houses in his case) while making a decision to make tax changes that favoured property owners (removing the 10 year bright line test, reinstating interest allowability) could be a conflict of interest.

      • PsyclingLeft.Always 9.1.1
        7 June 2023 at 9:10 am

        Man of the People Luxon, on RadioNZ this morning, said when he became leader he sold his $12 MILLION of Air NZ shares.

        Yep. Theres a big chunk of money right..there ! And what left voters… and all those who : "dont vote", "only encourages them", "not interested" "cant be bothered" ( ive heard it all, when trying my hardest to get them to actually vote !) should be actually seeing.

        Nact actually has plans to screw them. And NZ. Apart from the ..as always… Few.

        Anway a link to Luxons $ ..12 Million etc…

        https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/former-air-nz-boss-christopher-luxon-issued-rights-worth-nearly-2m/KMSLH5TRICX2HZGZ2XUPY2LSDI/

      • newsense 9.1.2
        7 June 2023 at 12:10 pm

        And it’s the housing issue that is destroying NZ’s equality and creating a two tier society with those on the ladder pre pandemic rolling in untaxed capital gains. And National is trashing what baby steps they did take, trashing the work of senior MPs so their houses make more money.

        >>>National to introduce a vote for houses as they consistently make more money than people.

      • Lynda 9.1.3
        7 June 2023 at 4:46 pm

        Luxons hypocrisy has no bounds. NINE houses is not conflicting, apparently.

        [Luxon has declared seven, not nine, real properties.

        Please do not shout, but use italics for emphasis if desired, thanks – Incognito]

    • Patricia Bremner 9.2
      7 June 2023 at 2:25 pm

      yes Priceless "Gotcha!!"Luxon with "Foot in Mouth" again!!

      Thanks Observer. Well spotted that Luxon was late reporting his interests to Parliament.

  10. tsmithfield 10
    6 June 2023 at 10:57 pm

    He could end up before the privileges committee yet. Not a good look if that happens.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/transport-minister-michael-wood-promises-to-sell-his-auckland-airport-shares/5NBG6QBNDJG6VII3I7NPGKZSMM/

    From the article:

    Otago University Law Professor Andrew Geddis said because Wood did not immediately correct his declarations in previous registers it could mean he is investigated and eventually hauled before Parliament’s Privileges Committee.

    One of the big issues I think, is that, according to TV1 news tonight, Wood had been told on a number of occasions that the shares needed to be sold. And selling shares is not a difficult thing to do.

    And, I think it does call into question his judgement. I don't think there is any question that he made any decisions about Auckland airport because he owned shares. But, in his position as Transport minister, it should have been very clear that there was a perceived conflict of interest he needed to resolve.

    • newsense 10.1
      6 June 2023 at 11:20 pm

      Yeh, quite clear he was in the process of doing it, but hadn’t put it at the top of the priority queue. It’s an oversight and a rap over the knuckles, but scarcely more than that.

      • tsmithfield 10.1.1
        6 June 2023 at 11:24 pm

        I tend to agree. I don't think he should be sacked over this. But it isn't a good look, especially with an election coming, and other MPs in trouble.

      • Bearded Git 10.1.2
        7 June 2023 at 8:46 am

        $13,000 worth of AirNZ shares out of $2,630,000,000 (0.0005%) could hardly be called a conflict of interest. Wood owns one twenty thousandth of AirNZ. There should be some recognition of the SCALE of ownership in the rules.

        He revealed he owned the shares when he was made a minister and in another return. His only error was to be slack in getting round to selling them.

        • alwyn 10.1.2.1
          7 June 2023 at 12:01 pm

          He doesn't admit to owning any AirNZ shares.

          He is supposed to have had shares in Auckland International Airport. Did you just get it wrong or do you know about some other shareholding he has?

          • Bearded Git 10.1.2.1.1
            7 June 2023 at 2:38 pm

            oops apologies Alwyn you are correct. I've stuffed up …my calculation should have been on AIA not AirNZ.

            So I will make the same point with AIA.

            Auckland International Airport (AIA) currently has a capital value of $12.8 billion.

            Wood's $13,000 shares represent roughly ONE MILLIONTH of the value of AIA shares.

            Wood owns a miniscule part of AIA. This could hardly be called a conflict of interest. There should be some recognition of the SCALE of ownership in the parliament rules in terms of conflict of interest.

            • James Simpson 10.1.2.1.1.1
              7 June 2023 at 4:09 pm

              I don't think you understand what a conflict of interest is

              • Bearded Git …
                8 June 2023 at 6:59 am

                “A conflict of interest occurs when an entity or individual becomes unreliable because of a clash between personal (or self-serving) interests and professional duties or responsibilities. Such a conflict occurs when a company or person has a vested interest—such as money, status, knowledge, relationships, or reputation—which puts into question whether their actions, judgment, or decision-making can be unbiased.”

                https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/conflict-of-interest.asp

                When a person owns one millionth of an organisation, which is the case with Michael Wood, it is ridiculous/silly to suggest this in any way effects his actions or causes him to be biased or unreliable in regard to that organisation.

                Wood declared this miniscule interest when he became transport minister. This is a storm in a tea-cup and Seymour, Luxon and the MSM should hang their heads in shame for their pathetic behaviour in regard to this matter.

                • James Simpson …
                  8 June 2023 at 9:26 am

                  The size of your investment is completely irrelevant.

                  If you have a personal interest in the matter you are making a decision on as a minister, then there is a conflict of interest.

                  This is common and can be managed. Which is precisely why he was advised by cabinet to sell his shares – 12 times.

                  Its not that complicated.

                  • Bearded Git …
                    8 June 2023 at 9:38 am

                    I say the rules are wrong.

                    For there to be a genuine conflict of interest the person's holding must be of a size where the vested interest is real. Nobody believes that Wood is benefitting from any decision he has made.

                    Providing a shareholding is disclosed there should be a committee/body that assesses whether this causes a genuine COI.

                    If you want to see an obvious and real COI look no further that Luxon proposing to end the 10 year Bright Line Test and reinstate interest deductability for tax purposes when he owns 7 houses.

                    • James Simpson …
                      8 June 2023 at 9:51 am

                      Luxon own 7 houses out of the 600,000 rental in New Zealand. Using your logic he wouldn't have a conflict.

                      I think you have clearly demonstrated he does.

            • Foreign waka 10.1.2.1.1.2
              8 June 2023 at 10:33 am

              Its not about the value of shares but voting rights and influence and hence a conflict of interest. But hey, NZ is more and more becoming a morass politically. This morning in the news, two Auckland councilors, one owning 3 Mill. dollars worth of Airport shares have been made to report. The council is about to vote today (!) on selling some of the PUBLICLY owned shares to fill the coffers. Smells of insider workings if you have the owners voting on assets owned by NZlanders. If sold, its very likely that private ownership will consequently increase the value. No wonder they didn't declare! Good lord, since when is something right or wrong by party color? Both of the latest reported owners of shares are minor party and/or independent. Dishonesty doesn't wear a flag.

              • Bearded Git …
                8 June 2023 at 2:19 pm

                Wood has roughly 1600 shares in AIA where AIA has about 1.2 billion shares in total. He has de minimis voting influence.

                I say again, in reality, he has no COI.

                [deleted]

                And think I just heard on the radio (2pm) that the 3 Auckland councilors who have declared that they own AIA shares (some of them into the millions of dollars as you say Foreign Waka) are to be allowed to vote on the sale of AIA shares in relation to the council budget.

                This would seem to contradict National and ACT’s position on Wood’s AIA shares.

      • alwyn 10.1.3
        7 June 2023 at 12:04 pm

        He has been in the "process of doing it" for about two and a half years now. That makes him even worse than I am when my wife asks me to do some maintenance around the house.

        At what point would you say that he really didn't make any attempt to sell them?

      • Phillip ure 10.1.4
        7 June 2023 at 3:22 pm

        Rnz is reporting he was asked 12 times…to fix this up..

        That is beyond sloppy…

        • Belladonna 10.1.4.1
          7 June 2023 at 4:20 pm

          https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/watch-live-government-grilled-over-michael-wood-suspension/25UNLHJNVBDFPHWZ3LAGKKEB7Y/

          Suspended transport minister Michael Wood was told to sell his Auckland Airport shares twelve times by the Cabinet Office, not “half a dozen” times as previously reported.

          Hipkins told Parliament; “On the 19th of November, 2020; 9th and 14th of December, 2020; 24th of March, 2021; 30 June, 2021; 17 December, 2021; 1st of March, 2022; 28th of March, 2022; 4th of May, 2022; 16th of January 2023; 6th of March, 2023 and 27th of March, 2023, the Cabinet Office sought to confirm whether [Michael Wood] had divested the shareholding. Throughout the process [Wood] confirmed that he was about to or in the process of divesting the shareholdings,”

    • alwyn 10.2
      7 June 2023 at 11:57 am

      "And selling shares is not a difficult thing to do."

      If you are like Wood it certainly seems to be. I sold some shares last week. It must have taken me all of five minutes to do so. Most of that was signing on to my share trading a/c and deciding what price I would accept.

      Given Wood's ineptness at his job as Transport Minister I guess we should not be too surprised he hasn't actually managed to do it in a mere two and a half years though.

  11. tsmithfield 11
    7 June 2023 at 6:37 am

    Events of the last few weeks are not really ideal for Labour when their opponent is attempting to paint them (in a future governmental mix) as a "Coalition of Chaos".

    • Sanctuary 11.1
      7 June 2023 at 8:55 am

      Your self-appointed role as a concern troll is really rather tiring.

      • tsmithfield 11.1.1
        7 June 2023 at 10:24 am

        Your self-appointed role as a concern troll is really rather tiring.

        It is election year. lol. Do you fundamentally disagree with my comment?

      • Bearded Git 11.1.2
        8 June 2023 at 7:02 am

        Agreed Sanc….tsmith's pathetic attempts to look even handed are laughable. Must try harder.

    • Foreign waka 11.2
      8 June 2023 at 10:38 am

      Don't worry, this type of profiteering when sitting on the desicion making table is not reserved to just one party. No, oh no…. when money comes into play, its a person character that will show color. Not many of those with a spine around mind you.

  12. Sanctuary 12
    7 June 2023 at 8:09 am

    The Herald is running hard with the story, most other outlets have it as secondary bit of reporting. I have been around long enough to guess this story is the result of the National party spending it's war chest on muck rakers in the knowledge they can launder it through NZME into a "scandal".

    • Bearded Git 12.1
      7 June 2023 at 8:47 am

      Sure you are right here Sanc-see my scale comment above.

    • AB 12.2
      7 June 2023 at 10:00 am

      Very likely – in which case we should expect more of it in the next few months. The Herald line will then be about how the 'cumulative effect' of individually trivial beat-ups is making the public distrust Labour. Which is a time-honoured propaganda trick – claim that the thing you want to happen is actually happening, with the objective of making it more likely to happen.

    • newsense 12.3
      7 June 2023 at 12:18 pm

      It’s one of those special issues that would be cute- he’d put his childhood shares in a box in his wardrobe and forgotten about them- if he wasn’t a Labour polly in the Herald in an election year…

  13. Hunter Thompson II 13
    7 June 2023 at 10:21 am

    Memo to the Cabinet Office: when dealing with a minister who won't get off his or her backside and deal with a problem such as conflict of interest, just ask:

    "How would it look if the media learned of this?"

    That will get some prompt action.

    • Belladonna 13.1
      7 June 2023 at 10:42 am

      Apparently not. Wood knew this was an issue on Thursday. His office informed Hipkins office on Friday (so very low level coms here, certainly nothing urgent). Hipkins wasn't alerted by his own office until Monday evening.

      Effective risk assessment and prompt action doesn't appear to be anywhere in anyone's lexicon in this chain of events.

      • gsays 13.1.1
        7 June 2023 at 6:16 pm

        I would add arrogance to the mix.

        On Tuesday I heard the man himself explain it away by implying that because an old e-mail was used the process came to a halt.

        https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018893280/michael-wood-s-explanation-for-airport-shares-flub-inadequate-hipkins

        Hipkins, around this time, says about half a dozen times Wood was reminded. The sun comes up and it is revealed that Wood was reminded/told 12 times in 2 1/2 years.

        • Drowsy M. Kram 13.1.1.1
          7 June 2023 at 8:32 pm

          Arrogant? Wood? Maybe. I've never looked at a Register of Pecuniary and Other Specified Interests of MPs document [PDF] until now.

          For me, general elections are about trust, and in regard to MPs benefitting from trusts (see category 4), for 2023 the average number of trusts per MP is approx.:
          1.25 (Nat), 0.8 (Act), 0.65 (Lab), 0.0 (Green) and 1.5 (TPM; only 2 MPs).

          Trust that Trust [October 2021; PDF]
          A Practical Guide to Family Trusts in New Zealand
          Australasia is known to have a love affair with trusts. It is thought that New Zealand has the most number of trusts per capita of any country in the world – approximately one for every 10-15 people [0.08 per Kiwi]. Accordingly, they are integral to the fabric of not only our economy, but also of our society and have many uses as we will see.

          Some Kiwis sure love their trusts. Not Green MPs though, or Luxon (unlike Key.)

          Not much detail in category 6 (Real property) either, but anyone can add up the number of line items for MPs in each political party, correcting for multipliers, e.g.

          Residential properties (x2) – Auckland
          Residential property – Wellington
          Investment properties (x4) – Auckland

          and calculate a ratio of property line items to MPs – Nats win!

          Nats…. 3.3
          Lab…… 1.9
          ACT…… 1.9
          Green.. 1.2
          TPM….. 1.0

          How many MPs, or people commenting here, have no "Real property"? Not me!

          • gsays 13.1.1.1.1
            8 June 2023 at 10:09 am

            I'm well aware of the pecuniary interests register.

            My point is: it ain't the crime that gets you in the fertiliser, it's the cover up. Something I heard during, I think, Helen Clark's regime.

            While Wood's 'explanation' wasn't a cover up, it was certainly a 'nothing to see here'. Hence my claim of arrogance

            There is a wider point that you touch on, MPs that are lanlordsor have property 'intetests' should not be involved in attets relating to housing.

            If yr data is correct, we should have a 'greening' of tenants rights…

    • Foreign waka 13.2
      8 June 2023 at 10:41 am

      Why would this be necessary ? I mean a politician should have integrity. Oooops… wrong word.

  14. lprent 14
    7 June 2023 at 11:53 am

    His wife Julie Fairley has also been subject to some comment.

    Given the proximity to Auckland Council’s vote on the sale of the shares the cynic in me wonders if the attacks are related.

    That was pretty much my thought. This just reeks of the kind of dirty politics and the kind of data scraping that I associate with the right. Fits right into the kind of arsehole politics I have come to expect from Wayne Brown over the last 30 years.

    The probable target in my view was likely to be Julie because of the budget meeting on selling airport shares that was yesterday.

    I guess that I need to get interested again and start looking for the foul politics inheritors of Cameron Slater's mantle. I'm sure that I can assist in totally screwing them up again.

    I note that David Farrar is promulgating a theory that it was all a hatchet job by Chippie. That ‘explanation’ by Farrar is also completely par for the course for the dirty politics playbook. I might have to start watching that mischievous arsehole a bit more.

    He crawled his way out of it last time.

    • SPC 14.1
      7 June 2023 at 12:26 pm

      Back in the day the leaks were via Whaleoil (Kiwiblog would do its spin off that source) and then it would go to MSM. These days dissemination via Twitter – so if Labour want a heads up they have to identify the Twitter vines (not the anonymous "leakers", but the ones who aggregate them and pass it on – those the journo's link to for that reason).

      • lprent 14.1.1
        7 June 2023 at 12:31 pm

        Yeah. Doesn't look to me like twitter will be there in another year or two.

        It looks to me like it is going the yahoo route from ubiquitous to irrelevant based on their spiral downwards and profitability levels.

      • Anne 14.1.2
        7 June 2023 at 6:08 pm

        Back even further, the dirty politicking from the Right were via that scurrilous rag called "The Truth".

        They indulged in the same kind of illegal activity in order to snare their prey that is currently being exposed in the British High Court. And they did so with the blessing of the top politician of the time.

        No wonder that slime-ball Slater wanted to resurrect that newspaper. He would have been in his element.

        https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jun/05/prince-harry-phone-hacking-trial-whats-at-stake

        • Phillip ure 14.1.2.1
          8 June 2023 at 2:06 pm

          Truth ended it's time as a waste of space scandal rag.,.but earlier iterations were more 'left'.. for want of a better word..

          One example of this is their exposes on elder poverty helped cement in the imperatives for national super..

          • Anne 14.1.2.1.1
            8 June 2023 at 5:22 pm

            … "earlier iterations were more 'left'.. for want of a better word.."

            Yes. I believe it started out as a left wing newspaper but at some point was hijacked by the right. and that's when the rot set in.

            Currently there are high profile Court Cases in London re – the unlawful hacking of phones and the hiring of private investigators to capture the lowdown on all manner of individuals for all manner of reasons. One tabloid went down the gurgler 10 years ago, and it remains to be seen what happens to the rest of them.

            I will be very interested in the outcome of those cases. But that's a story hopefully for the future.

    • Sanctuary 14.2
      7 June 2023 at 3:25 pm

      It says volumes about how cooked the likes of Farrar are these days that projecting everyone into a moutache twirling super-villian is their first response.

  15. John irving 15
    7 June 2023 at 12:40 pm

    Landlord Luxon is even more conflicted by promising new tax laws that will reap even greater returns on the investments in his 9 homes

    • SPC 15.1
      7 June 2023 at 12:52 pm

      Not exactly – Luxon with his Air NZ share sale revenues owns all of his property without a mortgage. Of course under his proposed rules for property (2023 on) he would be able to leverage his existing property ownership to borrow to buy another 6 (at the bottom of the market) and claim it as a cost against rent income. Then with the market recovery sell after 2 years, to make an untaxed CG, all by 2026.

      Those of a certain worldview believe that prosperity is a sign of God's favour for the righteous. A faith that "the Lord" helps those who help themselves to a greater and greater share of the national wealth. Narrow is the rapture gate that includes only the righteous few meets another saying – something about a camel and the eye of a needle or something. Then again, no one ever said that Pentecostals were mainstream (the concept about being born again and raptured into heaven at end time judgment being a direct contradiction about the kingdom of heaven not being of the realm of the mortal human dominion).

  16. Ad 16
    7 June 2023 at 12:46 pm

    All the best to the new Minister of Transport Kieran McAnulty.

    Pretty damn crap to have another little policy initiative (vaping) smashed by crap Labour political mismanagement.

    Wood should have been the Leader-In-Waiting and this essentially means he's peaked. That's the stupid tragedy of this.

    Kieran will be a great rural foil for Hipkins.

    • SPC 16.1
      7 June 2023 at 12:56 pm

      Peak Key, you reported I had 30,000 shares – it's not my jobs to correct you and say it was 100,000. He was re-elected and remained PM.

      Background

      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/key-caught-out-over-rail-shares/6USXEACH6DEXR3FAI4V2SD5RQE/

      • Ad 16.1.1
        7 June 2023 at 1:18 pm

        Not sure you've responded to the right comment there SPC.

        • SPC 16.1.1.1
          7 June 2023 at 1:31 pm

          I have.

          Key had shares in TranzRail while … way worse than the case of Wood.

      • Incognito 16.1.2
        7 June 2023 at 1:59 pm

        ??

        • SPC 16.1.2.1
          7 June 2023 at 2:09 pm

          Re-elected in 2008 and became PM afterwards. Better?

          • Incognito 16.1.2.1.1
            7 June 2023 at 2:35 pm

            Like Ad, I can’t see what your comment @ 16.1 has got to do with Ad’s @ 16 to which you were replying. They seem entirely disconnected.

            The only possibility is the rather innocuous mention of “Leader-In-Waiting” by Ad @ 16. Is that it?

            • SPC 16.1.2.1.1.1
              7 June 2023 at 2:47 pm

              Did you fail to note him saying Woods is to be/will be sacked as Minister of Transport. And that Wood's career has peaked. Yet, John Key did worse in the same area and later became PM.

              • Ad …
                7 June 2023 at 3:44 pm

                So firstly disabuse yourself of any fairness in political operations. Not ever useful.

                Secondly you need to educate yourself on Hipkins: he is one of the purest lizard-brains we will ever see.

                He has no caucus allies. He has no kitchen cabinet supporters. He has pretty much known nothing except Parliament in his professional life. He sacrificed his marriage during COVID response. He stands for nothing. His modus operandi is total expediency. No detectable policy goal at all. No major Ministerial success outside of the COVID standup. No principle. No value. Just survival.

                Hipkins will not just throw you under a bus. He will hold you down and ensure you keep getting run over.

                When he bleeds it is metallic blue, his phrasing is as clipped and cold as his tongue allows, and his stance on anything has about the same stability as an Iguana.

                Hipkins has nothing to do except win and survive. On his record absolutely nothing is getting in his way, and this week Wood got in the way.

                • SPC …
                  7 June 2023 at 4:09 pm

                  That reminds of the saying, a good prosecutor gets the conviction, a great one has an innocent man convicted on hearsay, appealing to the bigotry of the jury and claim to special knowledge.

                • alwyn …
                  7 June 2023 at 5:48 pm

                  Now I understand how he became the Labour Party leader.

                  It reminds me a little of the question addressed to Abraham Lincoln's wife. "Apart from that little unfortunate incident Mrs Lincoln how did you enjoy the play?"

                  With Hipkins I suppose we say. "Apart from a couple of minor flaws what do you think of him as a leader?"

                • Patricia Bremner …
                  7 June 2023 at 8:14 pm

                  Ad, Chippy did not do this, Woods has caused this by prevaricating.

                  Surely Chippie's blood is red???? What are you on????

                • Patricia Bremner …
                  8 June 2023 at 8:01 am

                  Anyone who is alarmed by Ad's description of Chippie should reread his maiden speech, in which he states his values and beliefs quite clearly.

                  • PsyclingLeft.Always …
                    8 June 2023 at 8:07 am

                    Good morn Patricia. How are you ? Well apparently Ad is "provocative"…or, something ? : ) Im not sure how many grains of salt you'd need. Possibly a lethal amount.

                    • Patricia Bremner …
                      8 June 2023 at 12:54 pm

                      devil Hi PLA all good thanks…the sun is outsmiley,

                      Well Ad has at times played the Devil's Advocate" to stir the pot.

                      He has removed Chippie's humanity which is a little too extreme. imo. So I suggest look at Chippie's Maiden Speech. His beliefs shine through.

                      Of course Chris Hipkins is trying to win in spite of events dirty politics a tired electorate and an untrustworthy opposition which is flip flopping.

                      Ad is reverting to hyperbole. His arrows should be aimed at Luxon et al, but as usual he is playing the Leader rather than the situation in my opinion, as he did when Jacinda faced difficulties. Letting off steam?

                    • Anne …
                      8 June 2023 at 5:24 pm

                      He plays devil's advocate.

                  • Stuart Munro …
                    8 June 2023 at 3:07 pm

                    We must forgive Ad's Ad homs on Chippie.

                    Taking potshots at Luxon is about as thrilling as stalking a tapioca pudding. We really need a better opposition.

              • Incognito …
                7 June 2023 at 3:59 pm

                I see, you think that Ad implied that Kieran McAnulty interim position as acting Minister of Transport is or will become permanent.

                Yes, you could be correct. However, Wood still has several other Ministerial portfolios.

                I also agree that it may be premature to suggest that Wood has peaked and will be out of the race/contention for being the next or a future leader of Labour.

                In relation to John Key, Labour is not National, and it has (slightly) higher standards, I’d like to think. I also like to think that Labour voters can see through this screw-up turned into a beat-up, which is quite different from the welcoming & embracing of John Key by Nat voters, which frankly was and still is sickening.

  17. Corey 17
    7 June 2023 at 1:14 pm

    National are absolutely disgusting hypocrites on this matter.

    However, lefty's should tread with caution before calling $13, 000 "nothing" in a country where so many people who genuinely have NOTHING.

    Even workers on 60 k a year are on the bones of their arses working just to rent a shitty cold house.

    Then you have the legions of working poor and thousands and thousands of kiwis in motels.

    An insignificant amount would be a beneficiary getting their benefit cut cos they can't explain where an extra $50 they get from a relative comes from

    …nor a beneficiary getting their benefit cut because they didn't immediately respond to a request.

    $13000 is not trivial, it is a lot of money and I think those who say it isn't, aren't reading the mood of the country.

    Im glad the prime minister is taking the heat out of this issue and removing him from this portfolio while the issue is rectified.

    Wood seems like a really good bloke and hopefully this is a learning experience for him and other mp's to fully go through their finances and register them with the releavent authorities.

  18. tsmithfield 18
    7 June 2023 at 1:24 pm

    I think Wood could be in trouble now. Turns out he declined the application by North Shore airport application while holding shares in Auckland airport.

    The problem I see here is not so much the value of the shares, but the possibility that Wood may have had a unconscious predispostion against the North Shore application due to an unconscious sense of ownership in Auckland airport.

    To manage this sort of conflict, I think he should have been proactive and have had his decision independently reviewed, to ensure his decision was the right one. Even disposing of the shares may not have been enough.

    • SPC 18.1
      7 June 2023 at 1:35 pm

      Shall I compare thou to … 100,000 shares in TranzRail and 1500 shares in Auckland Airport

      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/key-caught-out-over-rail-shares/6USXEACH6DEXR3FAI4V2SD5RQE/

      Or do I have to quote the first thought of David Seymour of the day before – who basically said why would anyone on a ministerial salary be influenced by a piddling amount of shares bought on a teens income.

      • tsmithfield 18.1.1
        7 June 2023 at 2:49 pm

        Whataboutism doesn't make this right unfortunately.

        As I have said a number of times, the issue isn't about the fact the shares were owned by Wood, or the number of them. It is the fact that the conflict of interest wasn't declared, and now it turns out he has made at least one decision where that conflict could be seen as material.

        Imagine being someone who was pushing for the North Shore proposal finding this out now. They would undoubtably feel pissed off, and maybe suspicious of Wood's motivations in making the decision.

        In my view, I don't think it likely that owning the shares actually affected Wood's decision-making. But many may well be thinking that way. Hence the problem.

        Hopefully, this case will be a lesson to other MPs about the importance of dealing properly with perceived conflicts.

        • newsense 18.1.1.1
          7 June 2023 at 5:40 pm

          Na.
          I mean I understand you have to back your teams play and chase the ball and no Nat needs an excuse to take a potshot at a Mt Roskill Labour guy.

          It’s another paintball, but given they own Auckland property and given his reputation for public service it’s hardly a big one. Unless there’s enough endless clammering and enough interests aligning. We’ll see.

          Ad’s description of Chippy above was frankly terrifying and sounded like that of someone who was personally familiar with him.

          The long term is apart from the CRL, Auckland might be getting shafted by both main parties and the Mayor for good measure. But the rate rises will be contained and the non flooding suburbs will do fine.

      • James Simpson 18.1.2
        7 June 2023 at 4:21 pm

        SPC – You either call both Key and Wood out, or excuse them both.

        I am not sure which of those options you are choosing.

    • Ed1 18.2
      7 June 2023 at 2:34 pm

      You may well be onto something here, tsmithfield – unconscious pre-dispositions can lead to repetition of previous posts, with no added content, but you do raise an important issue – that policy may be distorted by the personal experience and financial interests of Members of Parliament. In this case the decision regarding an extension of air services was probably based on departmental advice, but there is the issue of the charging tax on capital gains on the sale of only some assets – this may be giving an unconscious predisposition to enable such an exemption by most members of parliament – indeed you may have seen comment about this before. I do not know of any other country that has such an inconsistency in its taxation system. Then there is the issue of how those elected to parliament can ensure that they do not have such potential biases – this is an issue that may affect most members of parliament. Still, your advice to have decisions pro-actively reviewed could be worthwhile – and I suggest it could also apply with just as much validity to your posts to The Standard.

    • Anker 18.3
      7 June 2023 at 3:22 pm

      even if owning the shares played no role in Woods declining the North Shore application (and it probably didn't) this makes it significant now.

  19. Sanctuary 19
    7 June 2023 at 4:30 pm

    Now Chris Darby? The timing stinks. Brown hasn't got the numbers to sell the airport shares so he is throwing an orchestrated dirty tricks campaign to try and force these two ccouncillors to say they won't vote on the matter.

    How does the mayors office think it is going to agreement on anything after this? A pathogical bully will run into a wall of resistance.

    • Ad 19.1
      7 June 2023 at 5:10 pm

      Does Mayor Brown have the numbers for his budget?

    • Foreign waka 19.2
      8 June 2023 at 10:47 am

      They all had plenty of time to clean up their act. In an election year these things are expected. Integrity would be a sign of character, none of those involved have any. The public will notice, especially those who are battling every day and have no millions to count.

  20. John Francis 20
    7 June 2023 at 5:23 pm

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/auckland-council-loses-14-billion-in-interest-rate-bet/EJ4XGSXMJDVUYLGMRPIYBTINKE/

    Council staff playing the Money Changer never goes well. Please re-read the article – Derivatives trading cost 5 times the Brown hole in finances.

    Please read this and send on.

    If the Airport is sold then you will have NO say in it – don't complain if you have flights overhead at 2 in the morning – private enterprise does not care.

    Marston Point closing is a case in point. This is not a decision any sane government would take but an Australian lawyer in charge makes the decision and we are all going to suffer for it because WE HAVE NO SAY.

    [Please do not shout, but use italics for emphasis if desired, thanks – Incognito]

  21. barry 21
    7 June 2023 at 7:20 pm

    Venality is excusable, stupidity is not

    • Foreign waka 21.1
      8 June 2023 at 10:50 am

      I would say the opposite. Corruption is not acceptable in any shape or form.

  22. Mike the Lefty 22
    7 June 2023 at 7:33 pm

    Martyn Bradbury on The Daily Blog points out that David Seymour made "an honest mistake" in 2021 when he made a virtue of owning no property and then had to correct his mistake when he found he was a financial beneficiary in three properties via a trust.

    Also he said that John Key lied about his shareholding in Air New Zealand.

    So when you compare this with Michael Woods' mistakes it kind of brings it back into perspective doesn't it?

    • georgecom 22.1
      8 June 2023 at 3:38 pm

      woods should have declared the shares earlier and should have gotten rid of them to be seen to do the right thing. some sloppy work. National and ACT have been calling for his sacking.

      A few years ago a National Prime Minister made comments and ask questions regards Kiwirail and then forgot he owned shares and then forgot how many he owned. I can't remember National standing him down nor cries from National or ACT for him to be sacked.

      Sure, woods has some cleaning up to do. The sanctimonious opposition should check on a bit of fairly recent history before they open their mouths too much more

  23. Stuart Munro 23
    7 June 2023 at 8:37 pm

    My understanding is that MW is one of the better Labour ministers, and that his shareholding is, in the greater scheme of things, relatively insignificant. But I fully approve of his being stood down until he sorts it out. We should not allow our partisanship to lead us to playing favourites.

    Key's insider trading of NZRail shares was much more serious, and he should have had the fucking book thrown at him. Luxon's not dodgy but lazy failure to provide a list of assets should have seen him lose his speaking rights until he complied.

    Having clear and enforced rules around such conflicts tends to incrementally decrease corruption – letting them slide sets a very unhealthy precedent.

    • alwyn 23.1
      7 June 2023 at 10:02 pm

      "Key's insider trading of NZRail shares".

      You clearly haven't the faintest idea what insider trading is.

      • Drowsy M. Kram 23.1.1
        7 June 2023 at 10:32 pm

        Key keeps lying – when will it end? [24 Sept 2008]

        [Key claims that] He only took part in select committee meetings regarding rail and Tranz Rail after he issued an order to sell the shares which he claims (but has produced no evidence of) was made on 9 June 2003

        o Fact: John Key attended select committee meetings on 27 March and 30 April 2003 that directly involved Tranz Rail

        o Fact: At the 30 April meeting of the select committee, Richard Prebble [ACT] disclosed his conflict relating to Mainfreight while Mr Key sat silent

        Mad Dog and the Smiling Assassin might be besties now – 'funny' old world.

        And ‘blind’ trusts are handy.
        https://groups.google.com/g/nz.general/c/XjcyMENswwo

      • Stuart Munro 23.1.2
        8 June 2023 at 5:49 am

        Oh really – do enlighten us then, great pretender.

        • alwyn 23.1.2.1
          8 June 2023 at 8:59 am

          Insider trading is buying or selling shares in a company where the person doing so has information that is material to the shares value but which is not generally available to the public.

          To accuse Key of insider trading you would have to show that when he bought or sold shares he had such information. I can see no such evidence.

          It is quite different to someone having a conflict of interest.

          • Foreign waka 23.1.2.1.1
            8 June 2023 at 10:57 am

            You mean like sitting at the council table that votes on shareholding sales and meanwhile holding the same shares privately too?

          • Stuart Munro 23.1.2.1.2
            8 June 2023 at 1:05 pm

            If you taken the trouble to read the link I provided, you would have noted that Key made use of his role as an MP, and his presence on a transport subcommittee, to request and obtain a substantial amount of information that was not available to the public.

            Though the legal test may differ slightly, using your definition, Key was certainly guilty of, or in the process of attempting to conduct, insider trading.

            This is a species of conflict of interest, and had Key been a scrupulous individual rather than a born to hang financial wide-boy, he would have taken pains not to obtain insider information, recused himself from discussion of Rail, while he held shares, or disposed of the shares. Oddly, he did no such thing, in fact going out and buying more.

            • alwyn 23.1.2.1.2.1
              8 June 2023 at 5:30 pm

              Well I have read it again and there is nothing there that tells me anything other than that Cullen had a very well developed imagination.

              There is nothing there than shows that Key had access to any information that was both confidential to the company and was material in respect to the value of the shares.

              There is nothing there that shows that while having access to any such material that Key either bought or sold shares in the company.

              Thus Key cannot be accused of insider trading.

              • Stuart Munro …
                10 June 2023 at 8:08 pm

                Look, we realize you a knee-jerk ultra righty that sees nothing wrong with corruption and insider trading anyway – but Cullen had knowledge of what was covered in those meetings – which you do not. If the material was sufficiently sensitive to deter even the not-notably-scrupulous-at-the-best-of-times Prebble, it ought to have sufficed to budge Key.

                But by all means, embrace the lower standard – that is how self-serving neolibs do.

  24. Stefan 24
    7 June 2023 at 8:46 pm

    Thought they were in a trust? So did he not read who the dividends were issued to each year for 20 + years? Or more worrying considering he is a Associate Finance minister did he not collect his dividends?

  25. newsense 25
    7 June 2023 at 11:04 pm

    Over $1300 dollars? Omg

    the housing rort of the last decade and particularly the government secured growth of the COVID period has been millions if not billions in growth.

    And it will be accelerated by National’s recent flip flopping.

  26. tsmithfield 26
    8 June 2023 at 6:37 am

    DPF gives an interesting comparison between the Key and Wood share controversies.

    I don't think anyone seriously believes that Wood has made decisions in his capacity as Transport Minister to benefit himself with respect to his share holding in Auckland Airport.

    I think the bigger questions now are around his competence and judgement.

    As was disclosed in question time yesterday Wood was actually asked twelve times if he had sold his shares. Selling shares is not at all difficult to do. So it is hard to fathom why it has taken so long for him to comply. And, he has made at least one decision in his capacity as a minister that was technically conflicted with his share holding in Auckland Airport.

    I think Hipkins is now in the horns of a dilemma. Either he sacks Wood and makes his government look weak. Or he keeps Wood on and makes himself look weak.

  27. Sanctuary 27
    8 June 2023 at 8:30 am

    NZME is riding this issue hard, but it isn't registering anywhere else. Their vocal audience of far-right boomers lap this sort of thing up of course.

    What it SHOULD be telling labour is NZME and National and in cahoots to run a dirty tricks campaign of trumped up accusations and headline this election and they'd better make sure their political radars are sensitive to that.

    • PsyclingLeft.Always 27.1
      8 June 2023 at 8:46 am

      ‘ What it SHOULD be telling labour is NZME and National and in cahoots to run a dirty tricks campaign of trumped up accusations and headline this election and they’d better make sure their political radars are sensitive to that.’

      I kinda hoped the Labour crew would have been well aware of that?

      Nact Willis is hopping from foot to foot and Nact Seymour is well, twerking over it ?

      From this..( a silver coloured lining) Labour should finally get it? Its really on !

      Fucks sake. Keep tight. and Fight back !

      I do not want these Nact slime in govt !

    • tsmithfield 27.2
      8 June 2023 at 8:59 am

      I think you are misreading the situation a bit.

      Firstly, the only reason this is a story is due to Wood himself. Not the media. And, it really isn't very good, from a competence and judgement perspective, from someone who's job it is to make good decisions for the country.

      Secondly, National has also been focus of media attention in similar circumstances. From my perspective, probably more so than Labour. For instance, the saga was well into TV1 news last night, not leading it, as has been the case with National in similar circumstances. So, I don't think there really is a case for bias in the media.

      Thirdly, this is just another incident in a long saga of misbehaving/misperforming ministers lately. So, it is just part of a trend. People may not be overly interested in individual instances. But, they probably get a general impression of the state of the government.

      • pat 27.2.1
        8 June 2023 at 9:09 am

        "But, they probably get a general impression of the state of the government."

        …only if they are still listening …and without tribal ears.

        My sense is that many have put all political consideration aside until nearer the election when they will be forced to assess.

        • tsmithfield 27.2.1.1
          8 June 2023 at 9:24 am

          Put it this way, if you were in Hipkin's shoes, would you have preferred that all this stuff hadn't blown up over recent months?

          If nothing else, all this stuff is drowning out positive messaging.

          • pat 27.2.1.1.1
            8 June 2023 at 9:34 am

            Undoubtably, however s stated im not sure that the all important non tribal voter is listening any more so the impact may be somewhat limited.

            • tsmithfield 27.2.1.1.1.1
              8 June 2023 at 9:52 am

              I agree. The thinking of tribal voters, for Labour anyway, is likely represented here. And, right wing voters likely won't change very easily either. There could be some drift from Labour to the Greens though.

              But, I think the swing voters in the centre will be taking more notice of this. If the economy was doing well (fuel taxes coming back on, economic slowdown etc), and crime wasn't such a concern at the moment, and hospital waiting lists weren't increasing, then likely those voters would shrug it off.

              But, in combination with other trends that aren't going too well, swing voters might join the dots.

              • Foreign waka …
                8 June 2023 at 11:01 am

                Confirmed, they do and I am one of them after always voting left.

              • pat …
                8 June 2023 at 6:44 pm

                It is the day to day concerns that are distracting (or annoying) the non tribal voter from the beltway pedantry I would suggest…at least that is the impression I get from those i interact with….the likes of Woods and Tinetti are just considered an annoyance of little import….the price of food and rent however garner much passion.

                • tsmithfield …
                  8 June 2023 at 9:58 pm

                  As I said, it becomes an issue if voters rightly or wrongly link the dysfunction in the government with their day to day problems.

      • newsense 27.2.2
        8 June 2023 at 9:50 am

        No? It’s a bit silly, but doesn’t refer to misbehaving the way there is a clear pattern of misogyny and misbehavior around privacy and recording amongst National candidates.

        You pop in here, quote a DPF piece and then claim that it’s all on Wood.

        If this were a Nat it might not have even made dispatches.

        It’s an issue because it was raised in the house. It’s an issue because of the Auckland budget. And because of how Hipkins has reacted, imo.

        It either indicates sentimentality or a misguided deprioritisation, nothing more.

        • tsmithfield 27.2.2.1
          8 June 2023 at 9:55 am

          I actually think it is a bit sad that Wood has got himself into so much trouble over such a trivial issue. But, it was within his power to have resolved that yonks ago, but didn't. So, yes, I do think this is all on Wood.

    • Ad 27.3
      10 June 2023 at 7:53 pm

      It's all the media's fault.

      Always works.

  28. tsmithfield 28
    8 June 2023 at 10:32 am

    Peter Dunne gives a good analysis of the situation. He points very much to the dilemma that Hipkins is facing at the moment with this situation, as I pointed out earlier.

    From the article:

    “If he fires Wood, he gets some kudos for being decisive but then that’s another blow – and another minister promoted and the image of a Government in shambles,” Dunne told AM Early host Michael O’Keefe.

    If there already hadn't been a string of issues with MPs, I think Wood would likely be sacked, as that would have framed Hipkins as strong and decisive. But, recent history has made this situation much tougher for Hipkins.

    • newsense 28.1
      8 June 2023 at 11:57 am

      Christopher Luxon is one of Labour’s greatest assets-says Richard Prebble.
      Old man says- Luxon bad!

      Perhaps you could quote some text from that- I’m not paying for premium at the Herald online!

      Remember when the Greens outpolled Dunne’s party in his own electorate?

      What does Russell Marshall think? Or Jonathan Hunt?

      Just because you’ve never left the public eye, doesn’t mean your opinion carries mana or even interest and you don’t have to be constantly in the public gaze to have mana.

      • tsmithfield 28.1.1
        8 June 2023 at 12:02 pm

        Dunne is a reasonable commentator because his party was intentionally central. So, he is quite balanced in his opinions.

        Yeah, I am not paying for the Herald Online either. But the article you point to was dated late April. A bit has happened since then.

        • newsense 28.1.1.1
          8 June 2023 at 2:00 pm

          As is Nicola Willis, and I’d love to know her honest opinion of Luxon right now. What’s happened? More Luxon flip flopping on areas of rapidly approaching future need.

          MRDS was a policy very easy to agree to from either side. Proper urban planning is not particularly aligned to workers or capital. A failure of planning means greater costs for all down the road.

          I wonder if your assessment of plain Petey is the same for Winston- the logic is the same after all…

          • newsense 28.1.1.1.1
            8 June 2023 at 2:12 pm

            I’ll give you the other version- disliked by all for asking pertinent questions, Mr Bernard Hickey from the Kaka on National’s continued failure:

            National has released its infrastructure policy for the election, opting for a tweaked version of a bipartisan and 30-year-long low-infrastructure-investment and low-public-debt strategy that created our housing and climate crises and has dug a $200 billion infrastructure hole for future generations to live with or fill.

            Plus the 24 billion and rising in climate obligations that can’t be paid with dodgy international credits.

            Or 1300 in airport shares. Guess which I deem more important. The commentariat can interview themselves to attack a more unapologetically left wing figure, but they still have to have substance when it comes to the issues of the day and decade.

            https://thekaka.substack.com/p/the-holes-still-in-nationals-not?utm_medium=email

            • tsmithfield 28.1.1.1.1.1
              8 June 2023 at 2:38 pm

              Look, everything you say might be 100% accurate. But, it doesn't change the situation that Hipkins is in now.

              Even though I am from a right wing perspective, I do try to be balanced (most of the time), and I do put the boot into National myself from time to time if I feel it is warranged.

              • newsense …
                9 June 2023 at 2:33 am

                For me housing and the closely related climate change and transport policies are so important and such a touch paper. I would hazard a guess you’re probably sitting in a position where none of those policies would have an enormous potential effect on your lifestyle or life choices.
                I think this probably explains most of the differences. Similar approaches, but different circumstances.

                • newsense …
                  9 June 2023 at 2:42 am

                  For example today I had a salesman try to get me to look at a brand new, well-designed and swiftly built, slim 3 storey townhouse. It was 5 minutes or less from a train station and has several parks within a 5-15 minute walk.
                  That city should have been Auckland, but it wasn’t.

                  • tsmithfield …
                    9 June 2023 at 10:47 am

                    All of what you say may be 100% accurate. But again, it is not relevant to the point being discussed. And, probably wise not to guess about my circumstances.

        • SPC 28.1.1.2
          8 June 2023 at 9:52 pm

          This is my personal experience of Peter Dunne.

          He wrote an article in which he said explained his (United Party) liberal values, I wrote a letter to the editor saying that an explanation of liberalism that did not include the words human rights, civil liberties, environment or conservation was a limited one.

          He responded by claiming I was an extreme left wing fellow traveller, one of that ilk.

          I would suggest that anyone who associates human rights, civil liberties, environment and conservation with being extreme left is no liberal, but a poseur.

          This was back in 1999.

          No liberal responds to criticism with the language of McCarthyism.

        • Stuart Munro 28.1.1.3
          9 June 2023 at 6:46 pm

          So, he is quite balanced in his opinions.

          The logic is promising, but his judgment proved to be rather poor. Dunne understood procedure, and thus had the semblance of a decent politician – but he was an obstacle to dealing with the more obvious failing of Rogergnomics. A white butterfly – and just as good for our brassicas.

        • Anne 28.1.1.4
          10 June 2023 at 8:03 pm

          "… a reasonable commentator because his party was intentionally central."

          You mean he and his party sat on the fence and leaned whatever way the political wind was blowing.

    • Peter 28.2
      8 June 2023 at 3:36 pm

      Ah, the same Peter Dunne of 'I was unwise, even stupid'.

      https://www.odt.co.nz/news/politics/i-was-unwise-even-stupid-dunne

  29. Ffloyd 29
    8 June 2023 at 12:22 pm

    In my opinion PM Hipkins needs to learn the art of short and to the point. Key used to just to pop up and use short answers to question. Like yes…and no…. Smirk. Also the old chestnut ‘this was dealt with last week and we have moved on’ …..smirks . Media says sure John, no worries. How’s your wife and kids? All good? Wonderful.

    If Hipkins says the matter has been looked at, and he has accepted the statement of Wood and proper process will be followed, that he stands by his Minister and that HE will decide on future actions. Then that is all that needs to said at the moment. Knee jerking is not a good look. Jacinda was also very good at deflecting. There is any amount of buried treasure in the National vaults can be brought up and used as a bullet. For example. What about Luxons handling of the Uffendull vicious uncalled for assault against young defenceless boys. Review that he alone decided was nothing that needed to go into the public arena. No one, I gather, has ever seen it. Why was this horrific assault buried? If he and Nicolas want to go after Wood for his admittedly sloppy handling of his shares , in which nobody was physically hurt then he should front up to the media and publish it. I for one would not trust Uffendull in any situation. Transparency for EVERONE Lux and Nic. Stay calm Chippy.

    • Tiger Mountain 29.1
      8 June 2023 at 12:26 pm

      Yep, “bed leg basher” Uffindell cruises on. NZ Labour has to bite back.

  30. Tiger Mountain 30
    8 June 2023 at 12:24 pm

    I noted the take by another commenter this morning that Mr Wood was collateral damage in Mayor Browny’s witch hunt to take out dissenting councillors.

    But regardless of that it now appears the Natzos dirty politics department has had an inadvertent “win” because of Michael Wood’s own actions or lack thereof.

    Sad shit given the positive results the Minister has achieved for Bus Drivers and Coastal Shipping.

    Labour of course will not go on attack mode and do a bit of “whadda–bout…” whadda–bout Sirkey of course being a main offender. Labour have dun it to themselves again, just as they squandered the 2020 MMP majority chance to bury Rogernomics, which will not happen again soon.

  31. tsmithfield 31
    9 June 2023 at 9:01 am

    My pick is that Wood is not going to be sacked, because, who is there to replace him?

    • JohnO 31.1
      9 June 2023 at 10:54 am

      Kieran McAnulty. The next one off Labour's endless conveyor belt of game-changing Mr Fixits!

      In reality, the cabinet is held together by a core of about 4 overworked ministers, with the rest of them there to fill gaps in the photo ops.

      • tsmithfield 31.1.1
        9 June 2023 at 12:05 pm

        In reality, the cabinet is held together by a core of about 4 overworked ministers, with the rest of them there to fill gaps in the photo ops.

        LOL. Probably not far from the truth. And I bet they are hoping that McAnulty doesn't stuff up, or what will they do then?

      • Ad 31.1.2
        9 June 2023 at 1:30 pm

        Hipkins was and is holding up at least as much as Kevin Spacey in Season 1 of House of Cards.

        Otherwise the broadest shoulders are Robertson, Dr Woods, Little, Verrall, and Parker.

        • tsmithfield 31.1.2.1
          9 June 2023 at 4:46 pm

          Yes, I think Hipkins becoming leader definitely had its upsides and downsides.

          The upsides are that he is the most capable and relatable person for that job.

          The downside is that it has left a big gap to be filled. And that problem is becoming painfully obvious at the moment.

  32. Anker 32
    9 June 2023 at 12:06 pm

    https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2023/06/09/bryce-edwards-does-michael-wood-have-enough-integrity-to-be-a-minister/

    Perhaps it is time to change the headline "much ado about nothing" on this post.

    When you read what happened as Bryce Edwards sets out quite factually, there is indeed a lot of to be having an ado about.

    I must claim a certain amount of schadenfreude about Mr Woods plight. To sum it up two phrases; "a river of filth" and "incorrect world view"

    • bwaghorn 32.1
      9 June 2023 at 6:16 pm

      Funny I don't recall edwards calling out the 5 hats, share owner of forgotten shares, hair fondling douche slime key, but sure go after the slightly dipping $13000 dollar man.

      • Incognito 32.1.1
        9 June 2023 at 6:35 pm

        The choice of words (e.g., “integrity” 8×) is quite telling and aims to cast aspersions of moral shortcomings both at the individual and team/government level. That’s subjective speculation and personal bias on behalf of Edwards, which has become his MO; simple as that.

        • bwaghorn 32.1.1.1
          9 June 2023 at 7:02 pm

          Yip he's no use. But hipkins is weak he should have told them all fuck off ,

    • PsyclingLeft.Always 32.2
      9 June 2023 at 6:32 pm

      I must claim a certain amount of schadenfreude about Mr Woods plight.

      That says so much about you….

    • Louis 32.3
      10 June 2023 at 4:16 pm

      Minister Wood was referring to right-wing ideology, not people.

      "There are some people who have been hurt over the past couple of years and they're lashing out.

      "We feel for those people. But underneath all of that, there is a river of filth.

      "There is a river of violence and menace. There is a river of anti-Semitism. There is a river of Islamophobia. There is a river of threats to people who work in this place and our staff."

      "I would say that there is a river of genuine fascism in parts of the event that we see out the front of this Parliament today," he said. "I just urge colleagues in this House – decent and honourable members of the centre-right parliamentary parties in this Parliament – that a lot is actually on them to not give succour and comfort to an emergent and dangerous far-right movement. I just ask those members to reflect upon that."

      https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/02/labour-s-michael-wood-warns-mps-who-want-to-support-anti-mandate-protest-it-has-river-of-filth-running-through-it.html

      • Incognito 32.3.1
        10 June 2023 at 4:28 pm

        It doesn’t matter how often you repeat this fact, some commenters here continue to stick to their own favoured narrative even though it requires twisting words & meanings and warping reality.

        • Louis 32.3.1.1
          10 June 2023 at 5:35 pm

          Very true that.

          • Anker 32.3.1.1.1
            10 June 2023 at 7:07 pm

            As another commenter said at the time, it was the river of filth comment that stuck though.

            The river of filth comment was aimed at smearing the protesters (all of them). It seems to be a tactic Labour uses with its opponants
            I think most of us do stick to our own favoured narrative. That's pretty normal actually. I am probably one of the few people on this site who hasn't stuck to my own narrative. I use to support labour without exception. I have enough of a critical mind to challenge my thinking on that.

            Woods "incorrect world view" comment is pure 1984

            Anyway the facts that have unfolded about Wood and his airport shares make his return to the cabinet, certainly in this term untenable. Lying to the PM is not good

    • Bearded Git 32.4
      10 June 2023 at 10:40 pm

      Bryce Edwards has long been a covert National lackey.

      So don't believe a word he says.

  33. Ad 33
    9 June 2023 at 1:25 pm

    Someone needs to do a cartoon of Minister Wood as St Lawrence of Rome.

    Chippie will just wait for the probe to finish.

    Jacopo Palma the Younger, The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence

    [image resized – Incognito]

  34. gsays 34
    9 June 2023 at 6:34 pm

    Wood would be glad it was a 3 day weekend.

    He started the week with some paperwork that needed sorting, oversight you see, and ended it facing an inquiry conducted by the registrar of pecuniary interests Sir Maarten Wevers.

    https://www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-national/michael-wood-faces-inquiry-pressure-mounts

    In the meantime made his boss look like an ass and was revealed to have told porkies to Newsroom.

    https://www.newsroom.co.nz/michael-wood-denied-any-other-pecuniary-interests-in-email-to-newsroom

    Imagine if it had been a 5 day week.

  35. Louis 35
    10 June 2023 at 4:10 pm

    "While the shares had previously been estimated to be worth about $13,000, he received about $16,400 for them when sold and clarified the sum had been donated to the Anglican Trust for Women and Children"

    https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/06/08/michael-wood-sells-auckland-airport-shares/

  36. Anker 36
    10 June 2023 at 7:13 pm

    Did you read my link to Bryce Edwards article at 32? The shares looked bad, but when it first came out, I thought ho hum.

    Its the ignoring 12 requests for him to sell them by the cabinet office, telling the PM he had sold them, telling the media he had sold then, ploughing on with light rail to the airport and turning down the North Shore application for another airport.

    He's either incompetant, arrogant, a fool and he certainly had an "incorrect worldview' in what is acceptable behaviour for a Cabinet Minister

    • Bearded Git 36.1
      10 June 2023 at 10:43 pm

      Or he thought he had better things to do for the country than worry about shares that were worth a piddling amount-one millionth of the capital value of AIA.

      I repeat, for the n'th time, there is no COI.

      • Belladonna 36.1.1
        11 June 2023 at 10:50 am

        Unfortunately for your point of view, the Cabinet office, the Cabinet Manual and the Prime Minister all disagree with you. Which is why Wood was instructed to (and agreed to) divest himself of the shares when he became a Minister in 2020. Unfortunately, for himself (and his party) he failed in this basic task.

        It's not the initial share ownership which is the issue – it's the incompetence in dealing with the issue, and, it now turns out, lying, which ensued.

        Making a mistake is one thing – lying about it, gets you into a much greater degree of trouble.

        Are you proposing that each MP can make an independent decision over which of their assets are 'relevant' when filling out the pecuniary interests register? Or which of their assets are potential conflicts of interest when they become a Minister? Really?

        • Bearded Git 36.1.1.1
          13 June 2023 at 9:35 am

          Yes I am saying the rules are wrong-they are too black and white.

          The Cabinet Manual and pecuniary interests disclosure should be able to take into account whether the value of an asset is likely to affect somebody's decision on an issue. Owning one millionth of AIA does not compromise Wood in his decision making ability because he will never benefit from this shareholding in any meaningful way….perhaps a couple of hundred dollars at most. He would obviously not jeopardise his $300k a year salary to make $200. Hence, no COI exists.

          " A conflict of interest occurs when an individual’s personal interests – family, friendships, financial, or social factors – could compromise his or her judgment, decisions, or actions in the workplace."

          https://compliance.ucf.edu/understanding-conflict-of-interest/

          Luxon on the other hand will have a massive COI if he changes the rules with regard to the bright line test and interest allowability for tax purposes if he is elected as PM because he has a $16m property portfolio and stands to gain millions from the law changes.

          • Belladonna 36.1.1.1.1
            13 June 2023 at 11:53 am

            Well, no.

            There is already the capability for conflicts of interest to be evaluated and managed. It's regularly done, and is explicitly covered by the Cabinet Manual.

            It just requires the interest to be declared. Which Wood failed to do up until he became a minister in 2020.

            If MPs can decide which asset or association is 'important' and needs to be declared – then there is a huge gaping hole through which people of ill-intent (I do not include Wood, in this, BTW) – to conceal their bias.

            Requiring everything to be declared is the simplest and best solution.

            In this case, the agreed action between Wood and the Cabinet Office, was for Wood to divest himself of this shareholding – in order to be scrupulously neutral. I don't think it was necessary – I think that the conflict could have been managed without a sale – but, importantly, this was the action that Wood agreed to.

            Again Wood failed to take action, and then lied about his failure.

      • Louis 36.1.2
        11 June 2023 at 1:40 pm

        yes Bearded Git. "He said he had put selling the shares "to the side" while he focused on his work." See link @ 37.1. During 2020 – 2023 govt ministers were focused on the global pandemic, the recent floods, and a cyclone and this is on top of an already heavy workload. People seem to have forgotten about those events.

    • newsense 36.2
      10 June 2023 at 11:12 pm

      What’s this? A contest to see how many times we can say Bryce Edwards?

      All that that shows me is he goes in the basket with DPF and Dunne as people who hold no respect.

      The people with the biggest incentive are here making the loudest noise. Showing some of them to be idiots prepared to put anything out of context and prepared to do the bosses work for them.

      Wood as a minister has sheparded fair pay agreements this far and this is his reward. Damn those low paid workers finally getting a little back their way! Increase their rents! I’m listening to Farrar and Edwards!

  37. Anker 37
    10 June 2023 at 7:22 pm

    "To make matters worse, it appears as though Wood has also misled the Cabinet Office on the issue of divesting his shares. According to the Prime Minister, “One of the challenges is that the Cabinet Office had been advised by [Wood] on a number of occasions that he has divested himself of the shares, that clearly hasn’t happened. That is quite a material issue”. From the link I posted at 32 from Bryce Edwards article.

    Hipkins is stuffed. Dammed if he does dammed if he doesn't. He must be really, really pissed with Wood.

    • Louis 37.1
      10 June 2023 at 7:39 pm

      @36/37 "Wood said he had not been across "detailed information" and it was an "error" and he had not "deliberately misled".

      He said he had put selling the shares "to the side" while he focused on his work.

      “I do acknowledge these are major errors on my part. I deeply, deeply regret them.”

      He said he welcomed Parliament's inquiry into the matter.

      https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/06/08/michael-wood-sells-auckland-airport-shares/

      • Ad 37.1.1
        10 June 2023 at 7:50 pm

        Put a fork in him he's done.

      • tsmithfield 37.1.2
        11 June 2023 at 6:53 am

        @36/37 "Wood said he had not been across "detailed information" and it was an "error" and he had not "deliberately misled".

        It isn't much of a defense for a minister of the crown when the explanation is "I didn't deliberately mislead, I was just incompetent".

        That argument might have been believable if it had been once or twice. But twelve times??

        Hipkins is in such a difficult position over this. He either sacks Wood and makes his party look weak. Or he keeps him on and makes himself look weak.

        IMHO I think the best course of action is for Hipkins to sack Wood. But with the qualification that Wood could come back into cabinet in the future. That would indicate to voters that Labour still has talent in the team going forward.

        Labour's brand is very Leader dependent. And if Hipkins is himself undermined, then they haven't got much left. So, Hipkins appearing strong is really essential.

        The other thing Hipkins should do, is offer an amnesty to other MPs to come clean about any potential issues right away. That is better than having things continually dripping out.

  38. observer 38
    10 June 2023 at 7:27 pm

    Here's the latest news about the "river of filth". Yes, it is the same people.

    https://www.waikatotimes.co.nz/a/nz-news/350019375/i-ve-never-seen-it-to-that-extent-city-leaders-flee-conspiracy-mob

    If you think Michael Wood is worse than a democracy-hating misogynist mob, then your moral compass and perspective is broken beyond repair.

    • Ad 38.2
      11 June 2023 at 8:03 am

      Michael Wood failed to front up as a democratically elected representative to disaffected people at Parliament. He just shielded behind calling them names.

      Hardly a surprise that no one from his transport ministry let alone the whole of government would fail to front to an angry crowd about the consequences of car addiction.

      • Gabby 38.2.1
        11 June 2023 at 8:48 am

        Nobody's obliged to make nice with a howling mob.

        • Ad 38.2.1.1
          11 June 2023 at 8:58 am

          Well sure no politician is obliged.

          Though if they stop going to meetings they can in no way be democratic.

          And simply calling them names instead of fronting up is what you do when you can't face the consequences of your own policy.

      • RedLogix 38.2.2
        11 June 2023 at 9:10 am

        The 20 minute city is a perfectly ordinary, non-controversial idea. Most of our smaller towns and cities reflect this principle already – at least to some degree.

        The problem is that COVID over-reach has caused a fraction of people to become disillusioned, losing trust in the motives of public officials. It's all sweet for the laptop class or those who were not impacted by extended lockdowns, destruction of businesses, vaccine mandates and the like to pretend it was all for the 'public good' – but there were plenty of people who bore the costs of these policies and have not forgotten.

        Easy and lazy to smear them all as 'conspiracy theorists' but this is what you get when you gaslight people and ignore them – you are teaching them not to trust. From there on in they will think the worst of anything you propose – and in this case the '20 min' city looks to them like a geographically extended version of lockdown – loss of freedom to move only with somewhat larger boundaries and permanent. With COVID over-reach still fresh in recent memory, they will rightly suspect "how long before this morphs from a planning guide into an enforcement regime?"

        • Ad 38.2.2.1
          11 June 2023 at 9:21 am

          321 people per day not taking a car from Hamilton to Auckland is a start, but honestly it's a fairly small start.

          https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK2305/S00445/te-huia-cracks-carbon-emissions-and-patronage-goals.htm

          Otherwise Hamilton's Orbiter is the only frequent bus in existence.

          • RedLogix 38.2.2.1.1
            11 June 2023 at 9:53 am

            I get your point – it seems like a very long bow to draw from the reality of a nascent train service and a few busses to get to a world in which you have to present papers and ask permission to leave your '20 min neighbourhood'. (But then again there is historic precedent for this – the Soviet Union being one proximate example.)

            But this kind of hypersensitivity to perceived threats is exactly what you get with people who no longer trust. I don't know if there is an easy public scale solution to this – it may well be just one of the trade-offs arising from what we did to them over the past three years.

            • Anne 38.2.2.1.1.1
              11 June 2023 at 10:28 am

              "{… it may well be just one of the trade-offs arising from what we did to them over the past three years."

              What we did to them RL? It was my sense that the govt. made 'saving lives' the number one priority during the pandemic. We will never know how many lives were saved before mass vaccination of the populace was complete, but most estimate it was thousands.

              As someone in the senior bracket I say a huge thank-you to the govt. for possibly saving my life. That there are some 2 to 3% of people in this country who were/are apparently too stupid or irrational (or both) to comprehend the necessity to take drastic action is unfortunate but it was nobody's fault but their own.

              • Ad …
                11 June 2023 at 10:33 am

                Yes that's the same logic coming out of Act and National about beneficiaries. Scummy filth.

              • RedLogix …
                11 June 2023 at 10:42 am

                It was my sense that the govt. made 'saving lives' the number one priority during the pandemic.

                And in hindsight it was all a lot less use than was trumpeted at the time. Extended lockdowns achieved little at high cost, the vaccine mandates much the same. Most people I talk to will quietly agree with this.

                https://iea.org.uk/publications/did-lockdowns-work-the-verdict-on-covid-restrictions/

                As I suggested above – the costs of these policies were very unevenly spread, and now we get the consequences of this.

              • Belladonna …
                11 June 2023 at 11:02 am

                It was my sense that the govt. made 'saving lives' the number one priority during the pandemic.

                No, they made protecting people from possibly catching Covid number one priority.

                I know (personally) three people who have subsequently died of treatable cancer – all of whom did not have it diagnosed and treatment begin, because of lockdown in Auckland.

                The Government didn't make saving their lives any sort of priority.

                Lockdown is a very large hammer. And it may have been the best solution the government could have come up with in April 2020. But it was a poor tool for the subsequent extended lockdowns in Auckland (and other North Island areas) – which failed to contain Covid in any case.

              • Louis …
                11 June 2023 at 1:56 pm

                yes Well said Anne.

              • Drowsy M. Kram …
                12 June 2023 at 12:02 pm

                Thanks for that Anne, and thank goodness our govt largely followed the science, particularly given the constraints on public health professionals.

                COVID-19 vaccination and governance in the case of low, middle and high-income countries [5 June 2023]
                Regarding the governance indicators, as a whole, the highest average is found at the RQ [regulatory quality] level (49.745), Singapore, New Zealand, Finland, Luxembourg, Australia (over 97) being ranked in the upper hierarchy…

                When it comes to the CC [control of corruption], the mean of all sample states is 48.16, with maximum values in Denmark, Finland, Singapore, New Zealand, Sweden (over 95)…

                A global analysis of the effectiveness of policy responses to COVID-19 [6 April 2023]

                A chorus of Plan B-like hindsight wallahs will drone on (and on) about how they always knew best – flitting from 'herd immunity is the answer', to 'it's over thanks to treatment X (or Y, or Z)', 'mRNA vaccines are too risky', 'masks are pointless', 'travel restrictions are onerous' – just the monotonous whine of the inconvenienced entitled 'Freedums' mob, imho.

                For as long as I'm able to look back on Aotearoa's 'COVID experience', I'll be grateful to 'ordinary' Kiwis who made govt policy work for me.

                Assessing COVID-19 pandemic policies and behaviours and their economic and educational trade-offs across US states from Jan 1, 2020, to July 31, 2022: an observational analysis
                [22 April 2023]
                COVID-19 magnified the polarisation and persistent social, economic, and racial inequities that already existed across US society, but the next pandemic threat need not do the same. US states that mitigated those structural inequalities, deployed science-based interventions such as vaccination and targeted vaccine mandates, and promoted their adoption across society were able to match the best-performing nations in minimising COVID-19 death rates. These findings could contribute to the design and targeting of clinical and policy interventions to facilitate better health outcomes in future crises.

                Thanks to what's been learned during COVID-19, many countries may mount improved responses during future pandemics, but will NZ's response be any better? Time will tell if we can maintain a pandemic 'value consensus', although that seems unlikely given the recent trashing of two too short-lived examples of political bipartisanship.

                When the role of uncertainty is… uncertain [24 May 2023]
                Specific economic sectors may have been more concerned with disrupted operations or financial losses than with the overall health of the population.
                …
                In summary, Shea et al. have demonstrated that scientific and epidemiological uncertainties were not barriers to formulating optimal disease control policy early in a pandemic caused by a novel virus. I suggest that the greater barrier to good policy in the United States and elsewhere was lack of value consensus, at least behind closed doors. Given current pandemic threats on our horizon, perhaps we need to apply the same attention and study to issues of values, ethics, and equity during pandemics as we have successfully applied to questions of epidemiological uncertainty.

                The Act Party hopes to win 20% of votes in the election and force National to scrap more Labour policies [10 June 2023]
                “The National Party have been in power for 47 of the last 74 years, or something like that, so you can’t be critical of NZ’s current state without being critical of the National Party,”
                – Seymour

                Even now, some still don't appreciate just how lucky most Kiwis have been.

      • Anne 38.2.3
        11 June 2023 at 9:57 am

        You are prone to memory lapses Ad @ 38.2

        Security told all MPs NOT to front up to that mad crowd. There were crackpots galore – any one of whom could have taken to them with an axe or something similar. No Nat MPs fronted up. No ACT MPs fronted up. No Greens fronted up. And no-one from Labour fronted up.

        To single out Wood and chastise him for not fronting up is disingenuous to say the least. Sure his wording was strong but he was correct. It was "a river of filth" in more ways than one. Filthy living conditions (as seen during the clean-up phase), filthy language (degrading and inflammatory) filthy unlawful actions taken (too many to start listing) and attempts to invade parliament and kill the Prime Minister.

        It was a rabble the like of which this country had never seen before and imo they were allowed to get away with far too much. There should have been more arrests and much stronger sentences handed down in an attempt to stop any such behaviour being contemplated again.

        • Ad 38.2.3.1
          11 June 2023 at 10:07 am

          I bet 'security' told all MPs not to front up to the Foreshore and Seabed hikoi.

          But they didn't. They fronted and were accountable for their own hard policy choices.

          You clearly don’t remember that Labour ‘rabble’ in unruly protests for over a century were and are the main reason we’ve got progress in this country.

      • Louis 38.2.4
        11 June 2023 at 1:53 pm

        Minister Wood didn't call members of the lynch mob names. See link @32.3

    • Louis 38.3
      11 June 2023 at 1:48 pm

      That's pretty delusional and crazy. There are some deeply unwell people there.

  39. Gabby 39
    11 June 2023 at 9:08 am

    'if they stop going to meetings' – Is that one o them strawman fings?

    • Ad 39.1
      11 June 2023 at 9:17 am

      Fear Of Baptists must run strong.

      All those scary pikelets with jam and cream.

      • observer 39.1.1
        11 June 2023 at 12:45 pm

        You could imagine that, or more usefully, you could just read the statements of people who were there, as provided above. People who have nothing to do with Michael Wood.

        It wasn't pikelets.

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