Newshub: poll shows Labour/Green could govern alone

Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, October 14th, 2019 - 73 comments
Categories: greens, labour, polls - Tags: , ,

Not that it’s apparent from Shub’s spinny headline and Tova O’Brien’s ‘Labour are loosers’ reckons, (Jacinda Ardern, Labour take massive tumble in new Newshub-Reid Research poll), so I fixed if for ya Newshub.

It’s just one poll*, a year out from an election, but if we’re going to have a little flurry of fervour over it, let’s at least enjoy the moment.

Here are the actual results,

*do we not have poll of polls anymore, or analysis of trends?

Back in Shubland: “Labour can’t do it alone”. No shit. Twenty-five years of MMP and this is the quality of analysis we have from one of our main media networks?

https://twitter.com/HilariousKiwi/status/1183271734134198273

I’m not a poll commentator but off the top of my head, here’s some things Newshub could have talked about: margin of error, individual poll vs trends, what the actual trend is, how polls influence voting, NZ First always do better at the election, Labour and especially Ardern would have had a lift in polling after their handling of the Christchurch massacre and a consequent, normal drop over time.

Shub’s chart for the poll on how well the Prime Minister is performing doesn’t even have an x axis so we don’t know if this is relative to the last election or the last five minutes. They did handily link to an article from June titled Jacinda Ardern ‘absolutely’ running for another term as Prime Minister, so perhaps they know something the rest of us don’t and NZ is about to change its electoral system and allow us to vote for a premier.

Meanwhile, from the ‘John who?’ popular PM files,

 

Not only do we have the delight of Ardern being good at her job, widely admired for it, and the potential of a Labour/Green government even with Labour taking a dip in a poll, there were some bloody fantastic left wing and progressive results in the local body elections announced on the weekend. Here’s hoping the other media can give us some useful analysis this week.

73 comments on “Newshub: poll shows Labour/Green could govern alone ”

  1. Sanctuary 1

    Hmmmm, Newshub led a massive character assassination on the PM just as they are conducting an expensive poll. Manufacturing the news much?

    I am so over our MSM. Their self-serving and carping narrative only comes in two flavours – a manufactured conflict or a gotcha fall-from-grace.

  2. mickysavage 2

    Agreed the reporting has been appalling.

    The last poll looked like an outlier in terms of support for Labour. I wrote at the time:

    "One has National 44 and Labour 42. Reid Research has Labour 51% and national 37%.

    Polling is broken. But Simon will be even more worried …"

    https://thestandard.org.nz/two-polls-out-tonight/

    • Enough is Enough 2.1

      CB out tonight according the J Collins so will be interesting to see firstly if the last poll was an outlier, and secondly whether the trend is Labour losing support to National.

      • observer 2.1.1

        Yes, TVNZ/Colmar Brunton poll 6pm tonight.

        Which just shows the absurdity of the polling narrative. Last time the two polls came out on the same day … so the easy take was "Contrast! Up, down, who to believe?".

        But this time the CB poll is published a day later. So it becomes the latest poll. It is the new up/down … for no reason whatsoever, except fortuitous timing.

        • Anne 2.1.1.1

          I expect Colmar Brunton will be roughly the same as the lastest Reid Research. Apart from the fact CB have a reputation for being biased towards National (something to do with their methodology), but Labour clearly did take a big hit over the sexual harassment claims.

          • observer 2.1.1.1.1

            The latest CB poll was more recent than RR. So … again, we have the up/down narrative, lacking context.

            Up/down from 2 months ago is obviously very different from 6 months ago. We simply have no idea what events people are reacting to.

            The CB numbers might be similar to the Tv3/RR numbers, but the change will be different because it's not from the artificial (or outdated) high of 50 for Labour. Therefore … different narrative.

            It really is a joke.

            • Dukeofurl 2.1.1.1.1.1

              The Australian election showed their 'polls' to be a fiction, and they were doing them every week and fairly regularly over the year before the election.

              The polls were so predictable with the results from different pollsters 'converging' that some were saying – 'this aint right, stats doesnt work like that'

    • Enough is Enough 2.2

      The reporting from Tova is always appalling Mickey

      Her headline for the last poll in June was:

      "Poll: National nosedives into dreaded 30s, could trigger leadership coup"

      She trys to make a story where one does not exist

  3. Dukeofurl 3

    No wonder Bridges has been busy with the daytime talk back circuit last 10 days

    • tc 3.1

      That and his FB rants you can see where they're going with the GE around the corner.

      Like 2013 and 17 with SFA policy and a hell of a lot of social media/msm mischief to swing the sheeple. Negative by default with more dog whistling than a Sheepdog trial.

      Note that Trump appears to have had the Zuck tweak his rules so BS and lying is fair game, almost encouraged now in Stalkbook. Something other domains will take advantage of.

      • greywarshark 3.1.1

        Do they still have sheepdog trials? I am sighing with nostalgia. That was something really good; worth having a tv to watch.

        • tc 3.1.1.1

          yes just not making TV out of it anymore who needs that when you can:

          a) chuck people on an island with provocative challenges and film that

          b) get couples competing at rennovating / property porn in general like find me a house

          c) film people losing weight/dignity/their temper/being people with some thematic music and a tension filled voiceover.

          Sheep have been replaced with sheeple.

          • greywarshark 3.1.1.1.1

            If only they could be rounded up to watch a nice exciting NZ movie about people living happily on an island in the Pacific, having interesting lives, cracking jokes, helping each other out, laying concrete for mates in the weekend and having a quiet little party at night singing Ten Guitars etc.

            And there are plenty of NZ films which we could watch till they ran out and then see some good ones from overseas.

            And no bloody advertising. I will never go into Harvey Norman after having watched the awful attack ads when I had TV before. Hard to get away from as they would be repeated.

            The island reality films were a practice at being self-centred a…holes ready to turn on someone for any reason, a bit like the countries instructed to freeze out Jews in the 1930-40's. It is a lesson on how it can be done with some people's full co-operation, though not all!

  4. mango 4

    <sigh>

    I am totally over idiot political journalists who can't understand statistics. They much prefer over analysis of polling noise to anything meaningful. I never believed for a second that Labour was on 50% in the last poll and I doubt if anyone else did either. The two main parties have been roughly neck and neck since the last election but obviously screaming headlines are more important than the truth.

    • Sacha 4.1

      'The two main parties' are also not the relevant focus under MMP. Dunces overseeing the newsrooms.

  5. Formerly Ross 5

    Loosers?At least they’re not losers. 🙂

  6. mauī 6

    So dishonest from shub, no wonder people are shubbing the mainstream shrubbery in droves.

  7. I guess if you've spent shitloads of cash on a political poll, your bosses aren't going to be happy if your report on it amounts to "Uh, so, our latest poll shows the government's still popular and Labour/Green could still govern alone. Now, in other news…" To avoid that, creativity is applied.

  8. CLEANGREEN 8

    Labours real problems are their failure to get their own "free to air" (TV7) style "Public affairs" media platform TV channel operating as they promised.

    Without their own social/environmental/climate change public affairs views clearly stated on a commercial free unbiased platform they can hardly expect the public to truly believe in their Governence can they?

    Clare Curren destroyed labours credibility here and Labour now need to fix this 'lack of a strong balanced media' from the current National Party corporate controlled media that we have now.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/357780/government-s-38m-public-broadcasting-boost-still-on-the-table

    • tc 8.1

      Curren's a luddite with limited gravitas being passed off as some visionary with predicatable results so far.

      The fix is easy IMO, clean out TVNZ and turn TV1 back into NZBC styled public interest leaving TV2/Duke etc free to be commercial and fund TV1.

      Enshrining independance is piss easy, take a look at the legislation across the ditch ABC/SBS operate under. It's an epic fail that shows how out of her depth she is, copy/paste OZ and start from there knowing it's flaws.

      You’d be surprised how much actual funds would be needed once you strip away the boyz club members on over 100K plus and eliminated TVNZ’s largesse remuneration culture.

      TIVO anybody ?

  9. observer 9

    Another problem with the telly polls is the complete disconnect between the news they push and the polling numbers that put those reports into perspective.

    This would have been an honest statement in last night's TV3/Newshub programme:

    "Over the past few months we have brought you many stories about wannabe parties and politicians. We have highlighted the Tamakis, the Blue-Greens, Alf Ngaro and conservative/religious parties, and so on.

    We believe in the accuracy of our poll. Therefore we now accept that the voters' support for these chancers is – zero. Zilch. Diddly squat.

    We would like to apologise unreservedly for pretending that these nonentities are relevant.

    The only other conclusion would be that these people really DO have measurable support among NZ voters, and that our poll is wrong. Our poll or our news? We've got it wrong somewhere. Our bad!"

    • Sanctuary 9.1

      Actually the media obsession with Brian & Hannah Tamiki and Destiny Church is a text book example of how irresponsible and mercenary our MSM is these days. They love to promote a false conflict narrative in order to forment anger and generate clickbait for advertising income – greed being the only "ethical" standard the corporate media shows any interest in adhering to these days.

      The fact are the census recorded less than 1800 people as members of Destiny Church. They are utterly marginal.

  10. Dukeofurl 10

    There is comment going around that the survey period of this TV3/RR poll was some time back , and its not even this month? What have others found ?

    • observer 10.1

      It's on the Newshub link in the OP. October poll.

      • Dukeofurl 10.1.1

        I meant the actual days the survey covers, normally these things are shown , but not this time ?

        Wording like 'October Poll' is meaningless if they wont give the spread of days they called people.

  11. Dukeofurl 11

    Wanna influence the Reid Research Poll, join their panel ,win prizes

    The RR political polls have about 200 or so survey participants from online panels

    http://www.reidresearch.co.nz/OUR+PANEL.html

  12. Wensleydale 12

    If you see the name Tova O'Brien attached to something, you can generally safely conclude "clickbait generator, hyperbole-infested manufactured controversy". At least she's consistent. Paddy Gower used to be guilty of exactly the same sort of shit, but he seems to have mellowed over the years.

    • Dukeofurl 12.1

      Wasnt there a 'Paddy Gower outrage generator' which would create a menagerie of power words , silly comments and twisted facts.

      Tova O'brien seems to have the same app on her laptop.

      The worrying thing is the minor TV presenters are following the same process for innocuous 'live news crosses' – huge emphasis every 5th word, most of the facts are exaggerated and mixed with hand chops and forearm lifts.

      Expect the news editing suites – like reality shows – to focus on raised eyebrows and lip pouting as the next big thing

  13. observer 13

    In the OP Weka links to the "performing well vs poorly" result.

    This is a common measure in other countries' poll reporting. Trump's "approval v disapproval" numbers are a constant feature in the USA media.

    For some reason in NZ we prefer (heh) the preferred PM polling. Which is less useful – much as I enjoy Simon Bridges' embarrassing numbers. There is no explanation for the big blank below 100% of respondents (do National voters simply cough when asked the question on the phone?).

    Anyway, Ardern's approval rating is 62%. But you had to really search for it – not broadcast on the news.

  14. Anne 14

    Thirty plus years ago, these 20-30 something 'hick' political reporters would not have been allowed near an MSM prime-spot political analysis. They would have been deemed too inexperienced and lacking in fundamental knowledge and judgment. Instead they would have been relegated to assistant positions where they could watch and learn from the professionals in the field.

    Nowadays they think they know it all by the age of 25 and the lack of nous and political maturity shows through in their every utterances. Some are worse than others, and every now and then a young person comes along who does show maturity and good judgement but they are few and far between. In fact I can't even think of one right now.

    What to do about it? I don't know but somebody here might.

    • weka 14.1

      I don't know how old O'Brien is but I assume she has backing/endorsement of her more senior boss.

      • Anne 14.1.1

        The 'professionals' I was referring to were in similar positions to O'Brien and co., but they were older and wiser heads. Ian Johnston from 30 plus years ago comes to mind but there are of course more recent examples. Most were in their late 30s and 40s before they were let loose at prime time viewing and of course they were very experienced interviewers as well.

      • Sacha 14.1.2

        Yes, it's the faceless editors and producers who have abandoned their profession's ethics and standards. Presenters and reporters do whatever they can get away with.

      • Dukeofurl 14.1.3

        Tova is likely a capable person, but just as there is identity politics, – where you match the demographic to a politician, she is part of the Indentity Reporting.

        The Young Female demographic is where TV3 News wants to be strong in, so they employ someone who ticks that box.

        Same reason Campbell was kicked out, hes NOT the right demographic, with the other disadvantage that the big advertisers/US hedge fund Oaktree wouldnt like his politics.

        Hosking plays the demographics totally with his ripped jeans -faux hipster look to cover his age of 54. Not for him the Campbell fuddy duddy style, he apes the politics of the advertisers to make sure.

  15. Formerly Ross 15

    Simon must be very worried because despite several bad news stories for the government, he is not getting any cut through. Surely he’ll be gone by the new year?

  16. Radionz this morning was shovelling the news into a pile big enough to exclaim about.

    politics : National up, Labour down in latest political poll
    "RNZ's political editor Jane Patterson speaks to us in our Wellington studio."

    From Morning Report, 7:23 am today https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018717565/national-up-labour-down-in-latest-political-poll Listen duration 3′ :40
    Labour is down and National up in the latest Newshub-Reid research poll. National's support has received a 6.5 percent boost to 43.9 percent, surpassing Labour. The Labour Party's public support is now at 41.6 percent – a 9.2 percent drop since the last poll in June….

  17. observer 17

    Just for fun, I'll tell you tonight's headline on TV1:

    "National can govern ALONE!"

    National 46 (up 1 from last poll)

    Labour 42 (down 1)

    Greens 4 (down 2)

    NZF 4 (up 1)

    Odds and sods up 1.

    So very small changes, statistically insignificant, deliver Shock Poll Boost For Bridges. And a new narrative for headless chickens.

    (and of course a slight shift back delivers "Ardern Landslide!11!!!". Yep).

  18. Jimmy 18

    There is only one poll that really counts and that will be held in 2020 when we all get to vote.

  19. DigNap15 19

    Have any of you seen the Newsbull poll this morning?

    Who do you think will be the next PM?

    Simon Bridges 49

    Jacinda Ardern 33

    Judith Collins 19

    Grant Robertson 1

    Note its who do you think! not who do you prefer!

    • observer 19.1

      Please don't call them "polls". They have nothing to do with Reid Research or any polling organisation. They are routinely spammed, see this ruling by the media council:

      https://www.mediacouncil.org.nz/rulings/jenny-kirk-against-mediaworks-newshub

      If you are online at the time, you can actually watch the bots working. A poll of around 50-50 will move to 95-5 in a matter of seconds. Then the entirely meaningless fake numbers are worked into the public discourse – as you can see.

      It would be funny if it weren't so tragic.

      I have e-mailed TV3 about this before and made a complaint. I recommend others do the same.

      • greywarshark 19.1.1

        Good on you observer for registering your disapproval with the BS being put about at TV3. Wasn't that the tv that got handouts to keep it in business at one time. We are getting the sort of outcome that could be expected from losers getting loose money from loose political sources.

      • Dukeofurl 19.1.2

        From Observers link
        'Robert Dowd of the MediaWorks Standards Committee confirmed the poll had been artificially manipulated, but believes the manipulation occurred after the broadcast. Until the complaint was received, the broadcaster was unaware of the manipulation. Generally, a daily poll will not be looked at again by Newshub, unless in relation to a further broadcast.

        Tim Watkin dissented from the 8 others who upheld the complaint in a classic case of sowhatism

      • weka 19.1.3

        that was a good read. Well done Jenny Kirk! Fuck TV3 are a mess.

        I'd love to see that happening in real time observer, if you feel like dropping me a link next time you see it.

  20. Grumpy 20

    The threat of "Labour and Greens governing alone" could send NZF's 4% rushing back to National. Winnie's followers see him as the only one keeping the current coalition honest and if it seems he is no longer relevant, they will leave.

    • No way – crossing fingers behind back.

    • xanthe 20.2

      But why would Labour go with the greens as long as they can continue to build with NZF?

      You are right tho that if Labour allows that possibility to gain traction they will lose a lot of votes.

      I think we will see a stand of "lets see what hand the voters deal us first" from Labour and quite properly so.

      • weka 20.2.1

        "But why would Labour go with the greens as long as they can continue to build with NZF?"

        Left wing Labour voters might want to ponder that one too.

        • Dukeofurl 20.2.1.1

          Even if they could 'go alone with the Greens' Labour will still govern with NZ First if they could agree to do so.

          Its how MMP has worked for both Labour with Clark and National with Key- have multiple confidence or coalition partners.

          • weka 20.2.1.1.1

            up to the point that left wing Labour voters start voting Green because they want an actual left wing govt, not a centrist one.

            • Dukeofurl 20.2.1.1.1.1

              Good luck with that one.

              You do realise that the Greens voting 'base 'isnt left wing activists, but rather is well off middle class women. Far more Green votes in Epsom than in say Mangere.

              Labour with Ardern just has to promote similar 'green values' , which they are doing, to capture that group. MMP with 2 votes allows a split vote – Green candidate , Labour party vote. That is what happens

              • weka

                There are very few Green candidates campaigning seriously to win an electorate.

                What happened to the 4.5% that voted Green in 2014 but not in 2017? I'm reasonably sure that most of them voted Labour. We have a swing vote within the left, I don't think this is a particularly controversial view.

                I didn't say anything about activists not sure what you're on about there.

                • Dukeofurl

                  yes the activists was my own view. I would have thought 'left wing' labour voters- especially younger- went over to the greens a while back.

                  Parties are complex things, if you get 1/2 of what they do that I agree with thats pretty OK.
                  Recently some long time Green members got upset over the Green Mps comments on trans gender movement. And I mean really upset. I thought The Greens Mps had a standard ‘left wing’ approach to that issue supporting a minority group who have faced enormous prejudice.

        • xanthe 20.2.1.2

          most of us are way beyond left or right. We just want honest and capable. NO political party in NZ is that now, but Jacinda and Winston are . The greens need to focus on becoming honest and capable.

  21. Michelle Gray 21

    who did they poll the farmers and the business sector ?

    • Dukeofurl 21.1

      It just brings Newshubs previously very high for labour poll back in line with Colmar Brunton/TV1

  22. ScottGN 22

    Frankly I’m surprised Labour didn’t take an even bigger hit in the RR poll back down to their election night support. The fact they didn’t is purely down to Ardern and her talents as a once-in-a-generation retail politician. She’s the only electoral asset Labour has and the way the party HQ, having completely stuffed up the sexual assault allegations, scuttled off like the losers they are and let her take the heavy fire day after day was unforgivable. The party doesn’t really deserve her and if they go on to lose next year it will be their own fault.

  23. swordfish 23

    Newshub's headline:

    Jacinda Ardern, Labour take massive tumble in new Newshub-Reid Research poll

    seems entirely justified to me … given Ardern's plunged 11 points in the Preferred PM & Labour's down 9 in the intended Party Vote (with a fairly hefty National rise). How else would you expect a media organisation (particularly one that's commissioned the poll) to present such a result ?

    It's incumbent on media organisations who commission opinion polls to construct engaging news angles around them and it doesn’t hurt them to try & get a few extra bangs for their buck while they're at it. Given that, on the face of it, this was a fairly rare / momentous shift … there's nothing intrinsically surprising or indefensible in their coverage.

    There are some obvious qualms, though.

    First, there's a reasonable argument to be made (though it's by no means certain) that the previous (June 2019) Newshub RR was something of a rogue poll & this is simply a self-correction, bringing things back into line with CB. In which case this would be a "massive tumble" from a purely fictional / unrealistic high … and that would, in turn, undermine Tova's analysis that: "This poll is a seismic political shift" (I'll discuss the implications of this for the likely results of tonight's upcoming Colmar Brunton result in a later comment).

    Second, Tova O'Brien overeggs the apparent decline in Ardern's popularity:

    The age of Jacindamania is over. Brand Ardern has taken its biggest knock yet – and when Labour's magic weapon loses its power, the party does too. The latest Newshub-Reid Research Poll shows just how wounded Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Labour have been after the string of crises that have beset them

    In terms of Preferred PM, Ardern's precisely where she was in the early stages of this Govt (when "Jacindamania" was considered to be at fever-pitch, if not quite reaching the heights following her reaction to the Christchurch Massacre):

    Newshub RR Ardern (Preferred PM)

    Jan 2018 38

    May 2018 40

    Feb 2019 42

    June 2019 49

    Oct 2019 38

    And she's currently 32 points ahead of Bridges, whereas in Jan 2018 she was just 12 above English.

    Ardern's not quite as popular in the Leadership Performance ratings as she once was … but still a significant Net positive bordering on + 40 (Performing Well 62% / Poorly 23%)

    (Incidentally,Young David Farrar over at Kiwiblog has helpfully pointed out that Key was on 51% at the same point in the TV3 Poll Preferred PM … true … but Key was a bit of a freak in that regard … Helen Clark, for instance, was on 39% at the same stage into her first term (TV3 Poll) … so pretty similar to Ardern … although admittedly Ardern's tumble since June – assuming it's authentic rather than simply the artifact of a Rogue Poll – inevitably casts things in a more negative light)

    Third, precisely the same can be said about Party Support.

    The latest Newshub RR puts things pretty much back to where they were in the earlier phase of this Govt / Results remarkably similar to RR polls during the first half of 2018

    Newshub RR

    …………………. Lab …. Govt ……. Nat …. Oppo …… Lead

    Jan 2018 …….. 42 ……. 52 ………. 45 …….. 45 …… Govt + 7

    May 2018 …… 43 ……. 51 ………. 45 …….. 45 …… Govt + 6*

    Feb 2019 ……. 48 ……..56……….. 42 ……. 42 …… Govt +14

    June 2019 …… 51 ……. 60 ………. 37 …….. 38 ……. Govt +22

    Oct 2019 ……. 42 ……. 52 ………. 44 ……… 45 ……. Govt + 7

    Here are the Newshub Headlines for their Jan 2018 Poll (which, as you can see, recorded near-identical results to yesterday's iteration, but evoked a dramatically different response at Newshub):

    Headline: Newshub poll: Labour soars to popularity not seen for a decade

    The poll's party vote has Labour on 42 percent, up 5.4 percentage points since the election.

    Opposition leader Bill English has dismissed the rise as "just a honeymoon period", but Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says that's not the case.

    And the Newshub Headlines for their May 2018 Poll (again, remarkably similar results to their latest – but greatly contrasting headline, tone & emphasis) :

    Headline: Simon Bridges failing to connect with voters – Newshub poll

    A Newshub-Reid Research poll has brought some seriously bad news for Simon Bridges.

    Mr Bridges, who has now been in the role three months to the day, has earned just 9 percent of the vote in the preferred Prime Minister stakes – the lowest result for a National leader in over a decade.

    • The Chairman 23.1

      A very good analysis, swordfish. yes

    • swordfish 23.2

      .
      Since the 2017 GE … there have been four occasions when the Colmar Brunton & Reid Research Polls have coincided – either directly overlapping or taken within a week or so of each other.

      Over the last 24 hours, a handful of Nat-friendly Twitter-types have suggested the CBs are always more (some say much more) friendly to the Nats than RR & so tonight's Colmar Brunton will be particularly brutal for the Govt.

      But these commentators appear to have been entirely influenced by the Massive contrast in June 2019. That chasm, however, was atypical.

      CB vs RR

      Lab Govt Nat Oppo Lead

      .
      Late Jan / Early Feb 2018

      RR 42 52 45 45 Govt + 7

      CB 48 56 43 44 Govt + 12

      May 2018

      RR 43 51 45 45 Govt + 5

      CB 43 52 45 46 Govt + 7

      Feb 2019

      RR 48 56 42 42 Govt + 14

      CB 45 54 42 43 Govt + 11

      June 2019

      RR 51 60 37 38 Govt + 22

      CB 42 53 44 45 Govt + 8

      (Note: Rounding may mean Lead is 1 point + / – than gap in table)

      Up until June 2019, very similar results, with Colmar Brunton at least as likely to be Govt-friendly, if not more so.

      So I guess the key question is whether the sudden eruption of this chasm between the two TV Polls in June 2019 has become the new norm. If it is … then (given the Coalition's downturn in yesterday's RR) tonight's Colmar Brunton will indeed be quite brutal for the Govt Bloc (but then, of course, that, in turn, would simply raise the question: as to which of the contrasting Polls is right ?).

      If, on the other hand, the June Newshub RR was a rogue … & has simply corrected itself … then you may find little difference in tonight's CB, with the Govt still relatively comfortably ahead.

      Just bear in mind that Labour's Late August 2019 UMR Internal had the Coalition down to its lowest rating since the 2017 GE (though still fairly comfortably ahead) … which prompted me a week or so back to tweet that the Left should brace itself for a possible downturn in the next CB. So yesterday's RR mirrors the direction of travel of that Internal, albeit to an extreme extent.

      But, as you can see, none of this is a very solid basis for certainty. Neither a Plunge for the Govt nor a No Change result would greatly surprise me. Nor, for that matter, would something in between – a mild Govt-to-Oppo swing.

      (sorry, short of time … so this brief bit of analysis is all a bit rushed, disorganised & impromptu)

  24. Labour and the Greens could govern alone?

    Nice.

    However, I like NZ First.

    That said, its a great thing happening. Esp in light of the last govt ( the ChiNational party) – easily the most corrupt govt in modern times with its tax haven leader,… john key.

    However,… I and many others would like to see the end of the 'placating the masses' neo liberalism of Labour and the 'drive a spike into the unions' ChiNational neo liberal party. We do get sick of the 'bad cop / good cop' routine going on between Labour and the ChiNational party.

    We know what they are both all about with their wealthy elites…. 35 years of neo liberal lies taught the populace to wise up… one would hope…

    You know the drill, – Labour doing nothing really effectual in its term , setting things up for the ChiNationals as the populace gets sick of the inaction of Labour , thus votes for the ChiNationals seeking change that will never happen.

    The two party system that the UK and the USA have.

    Not good enough.

    We want REAL CHANGE.

    Not mealy mouthed platitudes.

    Try a return to Keynesian economics.

    Maybe then we will see REAL change for the better.

    Huh?

    How about a bit of that , then?

  25. Brian Tregaskin 25

    I would expect the TVNZ/Colmar Brunton poll in 2 mins to be a shock poll for Labour –slightly worse than the TV3 poll.

    Somewhere between the two would an. accurate picture.

  26. Dukeofurl 26

    Observer picked the correct One News headline if the Tories polls are high

    "National and ACT have numbers to form a government in latest 1 NEWS Colmar Brunton Poll"

    When the other result for Labour and Greens , wasnt used -" Labour and Greens can govern "

    • Anne 26.1

      Jacinda Ardern did not think the internal issues with the Labour Party staffer investigation impacted the poll results.

      I'm sorry Jacinda but you are deluding yourself if you don't think the sexual harassment scandal had any impact.

      Much better to have come clean this evening and admit it was a factor.

      If the inquiry more or less exonerates the Labour Party hierarchy as not being directly responsible for what happened – and it might – then stick the knife into Bridges and Bennett and those in the media who were lying to the public… and make sure it gets wide coverage.

    • Rapunzel 26.2

      Why did the other poll not factor the a massive 18% who are there to be convinced, IMO it will not take a lot to convince them that they do not want a National govt so time to tidy up some of the stray ends that media have pumped up so doggedly.

      • WILD KATIPO 26.2.1

        Don't worry, the ChiNational party wont get in.

        Yeah there will be a a great big song and dance from the far right elites,… but it will be all smoke and noise,… even their select media embeds cant save them this election. The whole Dirty Politicking , corrupt and skullduggerous reputation of their and their hack leader ' Tax Haven Key' precedes them too much. And for every 1 finger pointing at the coalition there's 5 pointing back at them as far as scandal goes.

        We of the general public all know that. We don't need to be convinced. Its well known about the corrupt and working class/ unemployed / sickness beneficiary bashing ChiNational party.

        And have they still got that alleged Chinese intelligence officer as an MP in their ranks?- you know,- the one who trained the PRC military on surveillance of western country's… the one even the Australians rejected…?

        Come to sunny New Zealand and get a soft spot in the ChiNational party for a cool hundred grand or so 'donation '…

        Watcha say?

        • Rapunzel 26.2.1.1

          I reckon, 18% undecideds – I looked at how Reid polls last night they apparently contact a number (random/specific) several times before after not getting a "voter" moving on to another number to meet the quota. Thinking about it other than candidate vote my party vote could go to one of two – am I technically therefore "undecided". Other than having to listen to the voices of gloom and doom I see potential in these results, that is the National hardcore 47% of 82% and maybe a few the rest are p for grabs. In the cold hard light of day NZers have plenty of reasons not to want a National govt back.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Stories of varying weight

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 hours ago
  • Balancing External Security and the Economy

    New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    17 hours ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: The unravelling of the offsets

    The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    22 hours ago
  • What makes us tick

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.  “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

    The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New infrastructure energises BOP forestry towns

    New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 'Pacific Futures'

    President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests.    Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone.    Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-07-26T23:54:30+00:00