It appears that a automated update last night managed to knock the internal server network offline. So the database wasn't talking to the php.
My alarms didn't trigger because all of the bits were working individually – just not together. I didn't read the site of my personal my email until late in the day because of work!
Back up and running, now on 6.2.0.26 kernel.
I’ll add a website page checker. But that will have to be a admin page so that I can test without any exterior caching.
I'd be interested what conspiracy theories came up during the site absence
Wondered about that for a coupla secs, realised a cyber-attack would only be likely if the left was being competitive. Figured that made a material malfunction likely!
a automated update last night managed to knock the internal server network offline
So a system malfunction rather than hardware? That's way more interesting. When I was a kid the standard explanation for those was gremlins…
Top is making a showing…and should they get to 5% @ election one would think they would want to be part of a progressive coalition…rather than a reactionary/far right coalition..
(I have read their policies…and there is some good progressive stuff/ideas in there..)
It would be interesting to see some polling from the seat in christchurch the leader is standing in…
I also think the minor party wave is just beginning…and I expect green/tmp/top to all do better than these numbers…
Bearded Git, I'd appreciate a link to Luxon's view on sex education in schools. As a former teacher of that subject, and knowing the results at that time of the effectiveness of that upon teenage pregnancy rates in our province as reported by the local health unit, I'd of course be opposed to such a retrograde move, but I'd like to see exactly what he said, and upon what evidence.
"Ms Willis replied she was a mum, too, and had four children aged from 7 to 13.
‘‘Here’s how I feel about sexual education. That’s the job for me and my husband to do with our kids, based on our values and our views of the world . . .I want my education system focused on teaching my children how to read, how to write and how to do maths.’’
I suspect now the issue is about gender identity, as the questioner in the Willis news report seems to suggest, and about National's back to the basics three hour daily focus on the 3 Rs.
I suspect also that the religious right is being courted by National which has a strong caucus following to drive that.
I wouldn't pay much attention to dear old Roy, whether the poll is good or bad for whoever you support. The chances of NZF/TMP/TOP getting those numbers are negligible.
Tomorrow TV3 have a poll out, a better guide. Labour will probably be down but the minor parties' numbers will be more credible.
I certainly have problems voting labour at the mo, starting to think chippie ain't got it, as terrible as it sounds Winston is moving into veiw , as a counter to act and National, better 3 years of stasis imho.
Vs. nact with nz first..(tho'peters has left himself some wriggle room..j.ardern being gone seems to have stilled his ire somewhat..and he dislikes national as much as he does labour…so he is too hard to call..)
You don't need RNZ or my "reckons". Google the actual polls.
Roy Morgan consistently overstates minor party support. Always have. They weren't very wrong in 2020, to be fair, but they weren't "on the money" either.
I find Roy Morgan particularly unconvincing on the minor minor parties. They don't seem to be in line with any of the other polls. And consistently over-inflate the results for both them, and the GP and ACT (in comparison to other polls)
In their last one they had TPM at 7% (dropping to 6% in this current one); but the general average of polls for TPM has been around 4%.
Either RM have a hot line to a better interview group – which more accurately reflects the voting public, than any of the rest of the pollsters; or they are consistent outliers.
I question why TPM and the GP would have dropped from their last poll (nothing in the media coverage would incline me to believe that their support has dropped – where would they be going?)
I can more easily believe that Labour ex-supporters would go to TOP and NZF (more as a brake on a potential N/ACT coalition, than through conviction) – especially with the bad news coverage that Labour have been suffering through recently. But, I'd be surprised if this trend is anything like as pronounced in other polls.
I was surprised at NZ First's result, because Winston has said or done very little up til now and I must assume that it is the traditional hardcore Winstonophiles who are waking up after a near six-year slumber.
Will certainly add some interesting possibilities into the mix.
Yeah, seems more of a reaction to nothing from Labour. Oldies who are conservative enough to prefer Winston's hand-brake option. Still floating, could return…
So, the incident occurred a month ago but has only now been referred to the Privileges Committee? Looking at the photo included in the link… I wouldn't want to meet him on a dark night.
On the Roy Morgan poll, apart from those that either quit or lost their seats the only difference in National personnel from 2020 is Christopher Luxon and his ratings are low. So if the polls are reflecting any form of reality then we are a truly mixed up country.
Labour has not introduced any radical policies to cause a major or even minor shift in direction since 2020. This polling on "wrong direction" is misleading and a complete nonsense. If such a high percentage believe that true then that alone just shows how fickle the electorate is.
God defend NZ has more meaning than ever……if these polls are to be believed.
Yes, "wrong direction" on it's own is pretty meaningless. Do people feel that the country/government needs to be moving further 'left' or further 'right'? ATM – both of these are lumped together – giving very little guidance.
"Wrong direction" on its own or not, has great significance for the incumbents…it certainly indicates the level of support for existing policy direction.
Well, if you're the party concerned, it matters quite a bit. It's very hard to move with the popular wind, if you can't tell which direction it's going in!
I'm not sure the leader approval ratings have much bearing on election outcomes. 1999 is a classic example. Helen Clark’s approval ratings as opposition leader were in single digits from memory and she went on to win the next three elections. Jim Bolger wasn’t loved by many either but he still managed to win three elections as well. Labour in 2023 have a feel of 1989/90. They have lost a popular leader and the replacement is struggling to fill the PM shoes….
You're mixing up 1999 and 1996. It's a common mistake, people often say "Oh, Clark's ratings were rock bottom" (which is correct, they were … in 1996). But the essential point is that she was kept on as leader for the following election after defeat, which no Nat/Lab leader has done since. Caucus loyalty to Clark was very strong, and it's unlikely Luxon or Hipkins would have anything like as much.
I agree. I think that (setting Hipkins aside) NZ has had 2 very personally popular PMs in a row (Key and Ardern) – and we've forgotten what it's like to have an 'ordinary' PM – one who doesn't have a significant degree of personal popularity – where voters are choosing a party (and, God help us, even a suite of policies) rather than a person.
A lot of the reason people, especially young people, hate labour is because they haven't been radical on housing, or poverty or the environment or healthcare.
Labour ran as low key populists in 2017 and in 2020, were given a mandate to everything they promised my generation in 2017 on housing and inequality.
They didn't because they thought if they were as centrist as possible they could hold onto older voters.
The things they didn't do infuriated my generation.
The things they did do infuriated older voters.
By trying to be everything to everyone, they've become nothing to anyone.
Disastrous poll for the left today. I hope the tide turns and we can get back on track and win in October, but it isn't looking great, especially with a very meek and mild Hipkins.
Ruling out wealth and a CGT although unpopular, is imo a big error. People on the left from what I see want transformational change not tinkering around the edges. But I can understand why he did it.
I'm going to look at Peters if Labour or the Greens don't look like they can form a government. At least Peters will ruin the majority of NACTs plans and we can have at least one term of no progress for the right.
Just bringing stamp duty back to help further cool the housing market would be good.
Change buying houses under kiwibuild to only buying the house and the state retaining the land would help many more low income people into housing. The Singapore model of this means less debt to banks and more into the productive economy.
“This book will show how Singapore has used its scarce land resources to balance between maximising rent revenue and using its landed property for public good, to provide public housing for the majority of its population and public industrial space for the transnational companies locating in Singapore. The state land in Singapore is treated as a use value (public housing and industrial space), as an exchange value (leased for private developers) and as a source of public revenue (land leases and property tax). This triple way of using public land has caused Singapore’s economy to grow and, paradoxically, Singapore’s development companies to prosper.”
President Trump on the day he announced tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China, unleashing a shock to supply chains globally that is expected to slow economic growth and increase inflation for most large economies. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 9 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 3Politics: New Zealand Government cabinet meeting usually held early afternoon with post-cabinet news conference possible at 4 pm, although they have not been ...
A listing of 24 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 26, 2025 thru Sat, February 1, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
What seems to be the common theme in the US, NZ, Argentina and places like Italy under their respective rightwing governments is what I think of as “the politics of cruelty.” Hate-mongering, callous indifference in social policy-making, corporate toadying, political bullying, intimidation and punching down on the most vulnerable with ...
If you are confused, check with the sunCarry a compass to help you alongYour feet are going to be on the groundYour head is there to move you aroundSo, stand in the place where you liveSongwriters: Bill Berry / Michael Mills / Michael Stipe / Peter Buck.Hot in the CityYesterday, ...
Shane Jones announced today he would be contracting out his thinking to a smarter younger person.Reclining on his chaise longue with a mouth full of oysters and Kina he told reporters:Clearly I have become a has-been, a palimpsest, an epigone, a bloviating fossil. I find myself saying such things as: ...
Warning: This post contains references to sexual assaultOn Saturday, I spent far too long editing a video on Tim Jago, the ACT Party President and criminal, who has given up his fight for name suppression after 2 years. He voluntarily gave up just in time for what will be a ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is global warming ...
Our low-investment, low-wage, migration-led and housing-market-driven political economy has delivered poorer productivity growth than the rest of the OECD, and our performance since Covid has been particularly poor. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty this ...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.As far as major government announcements go, a Three Ministers Event is Big. It can signify a major policy development or something has gone Very Well, or an absolute Clusterf**k. When Three Ministers assemble ...
One of those blasts from the past. Peter Dunne – originally neoliberal Labour, then leader of various parties that sought to work with both big parties (generally National) – has taken to calling ...
Completed reads for January: I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson The Black Spider, by Jeremias Gotthelf The Spider and the Fly (poem), by Mary Howitt A Noiseless Patient Spider (poem), by Walt Whitman August Heat, by W.F. Harvey Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White The Shrinking Man, by Richard Matheson ...
Do its Property Right Provisions Make Sense?Last week I pointed out that it is uninformed to argue that the New Zealand’s apparently poor economic performance can be traced only to poor regulations. Even were there evidence they had some impact, there are other factors. Of course, we should seek to ...
Richard Wagstaff It was incredibly jarring to hear the hubris from the Prime Minister during his recent state of the nation address. I had just spent close to a week working though the stories and thoughts shared with us by nearly 2000 working people as part of our annual Mood ...
Odd fact about the Broadcasting Standards Authority: for the last few years, they’ve only been upholding about 5% of complaints. Why? I think there’s a range of reasons. Generally responsible broadcasters. Dumb complaints. Complaints brought under the wrong standard. Greater adherence to broadcasters’ rights to freedom of expression in the ...
And I said, "Mama, mama, mama, why am I so alone"'Cause I can't go outside, I'm scared I might not make it homeWell I'm alive, I'm alive, but I'm sinking inIf there's anyone at home at your place, darlingWhy don't you invite me in?Don't try to feed me'Cause I've been ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ star is on the rise, having just added the Energy, Local Government and Revenue portfolios to his responsibilities - but there is nothing ambitious about the Government’s new climate targets. Photo: SuppliedLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
It may have been a short week but there’s been no shortage of things that caught our attention. Here is some of the most interesting. This week in Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt took a look at public transport ridership in 2024 On Thursday Connor asked some questions ...
The East Is Red: Journalists and commentators are referring to the sudden and disruptive arrival of DeepSeek as a second “Sputnik moment”. (Sputnik being the name given by the godless communists of the Soviet Union to the world’s first artificial satellite which, to the consternation and dismay of the Americans, ...
Hi,Back on inauguration day we launched a ridiculous RFK Jr. “brain worms” tee on the Webworm store, and I told you I’d be throwing my profits over to Mutual Aid LA and Rainbow Youth New Zealand. Just to show I am not full of shit, here are the receipts. I ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: on the week in geopolitics, including the latest from Donald Trump over Gaza and Ukraine.Health expert and author David Galler ...
In an uncompromising paper Treasury has basically told the Government that its plan for a third medical school at Waikato University is a waste of money. Furthermore, the country cannot afford it. That advice was released this week by the Treasury under the Official Information Act. And it comes as ...
Back in November, He Pou a Rangi provided the government with formal advice on the domestic contribution to our next Paris target. Not what the target should be, but what we could realistically achieve, by domestic action alone, without resorting to offshore mitigation. Their answer was startling: depending on exactly ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guest David Patman and ...
I don't like to spend all my time complaining about our government, so let me complain about the media first.Senior journalistic Herald person Thomas Coughlan reported that Treasury replied yeah nah, wrong bro to Luxon's claim that our benighted little country has been in recession for three years.His excitement rose ...
Back in 2022, when the government was consulting internally about proactive release of cabinet papers, the SIS opposed it. The basis of their opposition was the "mosaic effect" - people being able to piece together individual pieces of innocuous public information in a way which supposedly harms "national security" (effectively: ...
With The Stroke Of A Pen:Populism, especially right-wing populism, invests all the power of an electoral/parliamentary majority in a single political leader because it no longer trusts the bona fides of the sprawling political class among whom power is traditionally dispersed. Populism eschews traditional politics, because, among populists, traditional politics ...
I’ve spent the last week writing a fairly substantial review of a recent book (“Australia’s Pandemic Exceptionalism: How we crushed the curve but lost the race”) by a couple of Australian academic economists on Australia’s pandemic policies and experiences. For all its limitations, there isn’t anything similar in New Zealand. ...
Mr Mojo Rising: Economic growth is possible, Christopher Luxon reassures us, but only under a government that is willing to get out of the way and let those with drive and ambition get on with it.ABOUT TWELVE KILOMETRES from the farm on the North Otago coast where I grew up stands ...
You're nearly a good laughAlmost a jokerWith your head down in the pig binSaying, 'Keep on digging.'Pig stain on your fat chinWhat do you hope to findDown in the pig mine?You're nearly a laughYou're nearly a laughBut you're really a crySongwriter: Roger Waters.NZ First - Kiwi Battlers.Say what you like ...
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Climate denial is dead. Renewable energy denial is here. As “alternative facts” become the norm, it’s worth looking at what actual facts tell us about how renewable energy sources like solar and wind are lowering the price of electricity. As ...
SIR GEOFFREY PALMER is worried about democracy. In his Newsroom website post of 27 January 2025 he asserts that “the future of democracy across the world now seems to be in question.” Following a year of important electoral contests across the world, culminating in Donald Trump’s emphatic recapture of the ...
The Government hasn’t stopped talking about growth since the Prime Minister made his “yes” speech at the Auckland Chamber of Commerce last week. But so far, the measures announced would seem hardly likely to suddenly pitch New Zealand into the fast-growth East Asian league. The digital nomad announcement hardly deserved ...
It's election year for Wellington City Council and for the Regional Council. What have the progressive councillors achieved over the last couple of years. What were the blocks and failures? What's with the targeting of the mayor and city council by the Post and by central government? Why does the ...
Someone defames you anonymously online. Can you find out who it is? Maybe. There are legal avenues to seek a court order that an internet host reveal the identity of the person. One of them is called a Norwich Pharmacal order, but as Hugh Tomlinson KC points out, it only ...
The results of the 2025 Mood of the Workforce survey have been released, with working people revealing deep concerns regarding their work lives, housing, health care, and perceptions of the coalition government in Aotearoa New Zealand.Christopher Luxon has signalled that National may campaign on asset sales in the next election, ...
Hey, hey, heyJust think, while you've been gettin' down and out about the liarsAnd the dirty, dirty cheats of the worldYou could've been gettin' down to this sick beatSongwriters: Taylor Swift / Shellback / Martin Max. Read more ...
Luxon has once again let National’s junior coalition partner, ACT, set the political agenda, dragging him and National into another politically draining debate. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, January 29 are:PM Christopher ...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Fresh from the maelstrom surrounding the Treaty Principles Bill, and before fury and dust from that toxic piece of rubbish has settled, Act Leader, David Seymour has launched a new narrative into the public ...
Note: This video featuring speakers such as Finlayson, Waring, Kelsey and Little is a long one - 35 minutes. In the first 9 of 80 hours that the Justice Select Committee will spend on Treaty Principles Bill public hearings1, from a smidgeon of the 343,000 record submissions2, in a months ...
When I created a Youtube channel, I labelled the playlist for National: “National Privatize NZ Party”.Now, why did I do that?It’s late and my brain isn’t working at full capacity, so my off the cuff answer is - 1. I follow far too much of this Government’s statements, actions, and ...
The week’s big story has been about China’s DeepSeek low-cost AI model. Because DeepSeek requires fewer advanced chips, its advent has had a huge impact on the fortunes of US chip-making giant, Nvidia – which immediately lost $600 billion of its value, making that the biggest one day loss in ...
1. Is this the one that brings everything crashing down? This is a question I have asked myself many times now: The '87 crash; the Asian Financial Crisis; the Dotcom bubble; the Global Financial Crisis; the COVID.Each time the answer has turned out be: no, there will be No Great ...
The NZCTU strongly opposes the Employment Relations (Pay Deductions for Partial Strikes) Amendment Bill (the Bill). It is a clumsily drafted and punitive piece of legislation aimed at taking industrial power away from working people, undermining the right to strike and entrenching the inherent imbalance of power between workers and ...
A ballot for two member's bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Crimes (Coward Punch Causing Injury or Death) Amendment Bill (Paulo Garcia) Juries (Age of Excusal) Amendment Bill (Carl Bates) So a harmless bill and some "tough on crime" bullshit. There were ...
I wanna be FREE! Don't wanna be judged; I wanna be meIt's easy to see stereotypes are cutting me deepI pray every day doesn't mean I'm gonna get my wayBut Look how we get displayed. We need to get this straightLyrics of Freedom by Tipene Harmer.Nothing says a right-wing populist ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters The planet was besieged by 58 billion-dollar weather disasters in 2024, ranking second-highest behind only 2023, which had 73, said insurance broker Gallagher Re in its annual report issued 17. The total damage wrought by weather disasters in 2024 was $402 billion, ...
National campaigned on a digital nomad visa capped at 250 applicants a year but has pivoted to allow an uncapped number people to stay working remotely for up to nine months. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on ...
Hi,Just quickly, I wanted to say thanks for all the discussion going on under the Elon Musk piece. Your commentary has helped me feel more sane. The AMA was also super fun — I’ll be emailing the 10 Flightless Bird t-shirt winners later this week.Now, onto something else entirely. Have ...
How did public transport ridership perform in 2024, where has the post-covid recovery been the strongest and weakest and how do we compare to other cities. Those and more are questions that I’ll answer over few posts. In this first post I’m taking a look at the high-level numbers. In ...
Insecurity in work, housing, and health among working people has emerged as the key finding from the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi’s 2025 annual Mood of the Workforce survey. NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff says the survey, which polled more than 1900 people, shows immense concern that ...
Since 2019, we have asked working people to talk about their experiences of work over the past 12 months, and what their thoughts are on issues likely to impact their work and lives in the future. We do this because we think the voice of working people should be heard ...
Oral submissions on National's racist, ahistorical Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill are being heard today, and in addition to the expected iwi, academics, lawyers, and constitutional experts calling bullshit, there's been a succession of racist, swivel-eyed loons spewing hate. You might think that that's the luck of the ...
Here’s the six things I think mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to January 27 around housing, climate and poverty:PM Christopher Luxon bought himself another six months of National caucus peace and tried to reassure an increasingly restive business community by massively reshuffling his key personnel in the ...
Hi,It’s not even been week since the inauguration and I can already feel reality slipping. Let me try and explain where my head is at.Ever since 2016 — with Donald Trump’s cries of “fake news” — the line between what is real and what is not has become increasingly blurred. ...
Money changes everythingI said money, money changes everythingWe think we know what we're doin'That don't mean a thingIt's all in the past nowMoney changes everythingSong: Tom Gray.Late last year, the Fast-track Approvals Bill passed into law to the consternation of opponents concerned about removing environmental protections, a government that sees ...
Donald Trump made his fortune by speculating in real estate. These days, Christopher Luxon makes a lot of his money the very same way. True, Luxon did also run a neo-monopoly airline during those bygone days when domestic and international air travel was affordable, and consumer demand was at its ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 19, 2025 thru Sat, January 25, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Sooner or later, like a gym bro flexing in the mirror, like a teen rolling their eyes, like a mansplainer patronisingly clearing his throat, the ACT party will start talking about privatisation.In the eyes of David Seymour and his LinkedIn ACTolytes, there's not a thing in this world that cannot ...
Confession: I used to follow US politics and UK politics - never as closely as this - but enough to identify the broad themes.I stopped following US politics after I came to the somewhat painful realisation that my perception was simply that - a perception. Mountain Tui is a reader-supported ...
Life is cruel, life is toughLife is crazy, then it all turns to dustWe let 'em out, we let 'em inWe'll let 'em know when it's the tipping point. The tipping point.Songwriters: Roland Orzabal / Charlton PettusYesterday, we saw the annual pilgrimage to Rātana, traditionally the first event in our ...
The invitation to comment on the proposed Regulatory Standards Bill opens with Minister David Seymour stating ‘[m]ost of New Zealand's problems can be traced to poor productivity, and poor productivity can be traced to poor regulations’. I shall have little to say about the first proposition except I can think ...
My friend Selwyn Manning and I are wondering what to do with our podcast “A View from Afar.” Some readers will also have tuned into the podcast, which I regularly feature on KP as a media link. But we have some thinking to do about how to proceed, and it ...
Don't try to hide it; love wears no disguiseI see the fire burning in your eyesSong: Madonna and Stephen BrayThis week, the National Party held its annual retreat to devise new slogans, impressing the people who voted for them and making the rest of us cringe at the hollow words, ...
Support my work through a paid subscription, a coffee or reading and sharing. Thank you - I appreciate you all.Luxon’s penchant for “economic growth”Yesterday morning, I warned libertarianism had penetrated the marrow of the NZ Coalition agenda, and highlighted libertarian Peter Thiel’s comments that democracy and freedom are unable to ...
A couple of recent cases suggest that the courts are awarding significant sums for defamation even where the publication is very small. This is despite the new rule that says plaintiffs, if challenged, have to show that the publication they are complaining about has caused them “more then minor harm.” ...
Damages for breaches of the Privacy Act used to be laughable. The very top award was $40,000 to someone whose treatment in an addiction facility was revealed to the media. Not only was it taking an age for the Human Rights Review Tribunal to resolve cases, the awards made it ...
It’s Friday and we’ve got Auckland Anniversary weekend ahead of us so we’ve pulled together a bumper crop of things that caught our attention this week. This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew and made possible by generous donations from our readers ...
Long stories short, the six things of interest in the political economy in Aotearoa around housing, climate and poverty on Friday January 24 are:PM Christopher Luxon’s State of the Nationspeech in Auckland yesterday, in which he pledged a renewed economic growth focus;Luxon’s focused on a push to bring in ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to stand firm and work with allies to progress climate action as Donald Trump signals his intent to pull out of the Paris Climate Accords once again. ...
The Green Party has welcomed the provisional ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, and reiterated its call for New Zealand to push for an end to the unlawful occupation of Palestine. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
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Well that was annoying.
It appears that a automated update last night managed to knock the internal server network offline. So the database wasn't talking to the php.
My alarms didn't trigger because all of the bits were working individually – just not together. I didn't read the site of my personal my email until late in the day because of work!
Back up and running, now on 6.2.0.26 kernel.
I’ll add a website page checker. But that will have to be a admin page so that I can test without any exterior caching.
BTW: I'd be interested what conspiracy theories came up during the site absence There are usually a few.
Don't worry about it man. Shit happens. Your tech explain went way over my head.
I'm just happy that you do what you do. Lefty comment is a rare event these days.So I truly appreciate your efforts. Travel well.
I'd be interested what conspiracy theories came up during the site absence
Wondered about that for a coupla secs, realised a cyber-attack would only be likely if the left was being competitive. Figured that made a material malfunction likely!
a automated update last night managed to knock the internal server network offline
So a system malfunction rather than hardware? That's way more interesting. When I was a kid the standard explanation for those was gremlins…
Windows is a dog, it barked hard and made the site fall over.
I suspected Labour could drop below 30% but how far was a surprise: https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2023/08/01/boom-roy-morgan-poll-mmp-spectrum-splintering-labour-party-collapse/
Roy Morgan poll for July:
National: 33.5 (3.5+)
Labour: 26 (4.5-)
Act: 14 (1-)
Greens: 9 (0.5-)
Maori: 6 (1-)
NZ First: 5 (2+)
TOP: 4 (1+)
NZF revival at Labour's expense: the old houdini jack in the box effect…
well, maybe the best we can hope for now is that luxon needs peters, peters demands deputy pm, then the whole thing implodes like it did in 1998.
or we sort our shit out and give Labour, Greens and/or TPM as much support between now and the election as we can.
Remember what happened in 2017? Everyone said the left would lose. It didn't.
+100
It's not great but it does follow a couple of bad weeks for Labour, much of this contrived by the MSM.
Still Lab/Gr/TPM 41.0 versus Nat/ACT 47.5 is recoverable providing Winston gets 4.9% not 5%.
The Nats are all over the place on funding their massively expensive RONS policy.
Luxon saying this week that he does not support sex education in schools may wake a few people up.
Well apparently China has some $ billions up for grabs….
@ b.g.
Top is making a showing…and should they get to 5% @ election one would think they would want to be part of a progressive coalition…rather than a reactionary/far right coalition..
(I have read their policies…and there is some good progressive stuff/ideas in there..)
It would be interesting to see some polling from the seat in christchurch the leader is standing in…
I also think the minor party wave is just beginning…and I expect green/tmp/top to all do better than these numbers…
Good point Phillip, though I think TOP tends to steal Green votes in a Teal manner.
Top can also be a home for those soft national voters..who are deeply uneasy about act..
Not all national voters are scorched earth/climate change denying far-right nutbars…
And wouldn't be keen about being lumped in with them..
Bearded Git, I'd appreciate a link to Luxon's view on sex education in schools. As a former teacher of that subject, and knowing the results at that time of the effectiveness of that upon teenage pregnancy rates in our province as reported by the local health unit, I'd of course be opposed to such a retrograde move, but I'd like to see exactly what he said, and upon what evidence.
I can't find anything from Luxon but Nicola Willis did get reported as follows.
https://www.thenews.co.nz/news/national-leaders-hold-public-meeting/
"Ms Willis replied she was a mum, too, and had four children aged from 7 to 13.
‘‘Here’s how I feel about sexual education. That’s the job for me and my husband to do with our kids, based on our values and our views of the world . . .I want my education system focused on teaching my children how to read, how to write and how to do maths.’’
In 2001 NZers were 80% in favour of sex education in schools. What has changed?https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/sex-education-in-class-fine-with-most-parents/
I suspect now the issue is about gender identity, as the questioner in the Willis news report seems to suggest, and about National's back to the basics three hour daily focus on the 3 Rs.
I suspect also that the religious right is being courted by National which has a strong caucus following to drive that.
I wouldn't pay much attention to dear old Roy, whether the poll is good or bad for whoever you support. The chances of NZF/TMP/TOP getting those numbers are negligible.
Tomorrow TV3 have a poll out, a better guide. Labour will probably be down but the minor parties' numbers will be more credible.
The thing is observer….that nat rad reported that roy morgan were right on the money@ last election…
Hard to scoff at that…eh…?
And a bit more credible than your reckons….d’yareckon..?
I certainly have problems voting labour at the mo, starting to think chippie ain't got it, as terrible as it sounds Winston is moving into veiw , as a counter to act and National, better 3 years of stasis imho.
Greens frontrunner at the mo.
But if it's a slam dunk for the right I dunno
When your minister of revenues quits and you are making policy on the fly it ain't good
@ waghorn..
I don't see it as a slam dunk for the right…
I see it as being far to close to call..
But it seems to come down to lab/grn/tmp/top ..
Vs. nact with nz first..(tho'peters has left himself some wriggle room..j.ardern being gone seems to have stilled his ire somewhat..and he dislikes national as much as he does labour…so he is too hard to call..)
You don't need RNZ or my "reckons". Google the actual polls.
Roy Morgan consistently overstates minor party support. Always have. They weren't very wrong in 2020, to be fair, but they weren't "on the money" either.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2020_New_Zealand_general_election
I heard that too Mr. Ure, though it was Bryce Edwards saying it so should probably be checked.
I find Roy Morgan particularly unconvincing on the minor minor parties. They don't seem to be in line with any of the other polls. And consistently over-inflate the results for both them, and the GP and ACT (in comparison to other polls)
In their last one they had TPM at 7% (dropping to 6% in this current one); but the general average of polls for TPM has been around 4%.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2023_New_Zealand_general_election
Either RM have a hot line to a better interview group – which more accurately reflects the voting public, than any of the rest of the pollsters; or they are consistent outliers.
I question why TPM and the GP would have dropped from their last poll (nothing in the media coverage would incline me to believe that their support has dropped – where would they be going?)
I can more easily believe that Labour ex-supporters would go to TOP and NZF (more as a brake on a potential N/ACT coalition, than through conviction) – especially with the bad news coverage that Labour have been suffering through recently. But, I'd be surprised if this trend is anything like as pronounced in other polls.
Its that exact effect that can make polls a self fufulling prohecy.
Bella-the problem with that Wiki poll of polls is that it includes the flaky Horizon poll.
I was surprised at NZ First's result, because Winston has said or done very little up til now and I must assume that it is the traditional hardcore Winstonophiles who are waking up after a near six-year slumber.
Will certainly add some interesting possibilities into the mix.
Yeah, seems more of a reaction to nothing from Labour. Oldies who are conservative enough to prefer Winston's hand-brake option. Still floating, could return…
Yes a cyber attack for a moment, and then realism set in and I thought it was probably a nuts and bolts site issue.
Thanks for fixing it……makes me appreciate having this forum.
Thank you for your good work.
My first thought was: what have I done now..?
http://Complaint about behaviour of National MP Tim Van De Molen received by Speaker https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/494923/complaint-about-behaviour-of-national-mp-tim-van-de-molen-received-by-speaker
Is Tim Van de Molen receiving Anger Management Training from Uffindell?
Vance and Obrien will be baying for blood.
I'll give a $5 donation to this site, if Vance and Obrien say more than the bare minimum to nothing at all.
Five bucks eh..?
Are you noted for your philanthropy..?
So, the incident occurred a month ago but has only now been referred to the Privileges Committee? Looking at the photo included in the link… I wouldn't want to meet him on a dark night.
http://ACT MP Simon Court committed 'clear breach' of confidentiality – Privileges Committee https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/494520/act-mp-simon-court-committed-clear-breach-of-confidentiality-privileges-committee
and ACT will be calling for his resignation I'm sure. /sarc
Great re site. I did wonder, but knew you'd be into it.
It's such an important resource, this
Something happened when you pushed that button…..
On the Roy Morgan poll, apart from those that either quit or lost their seats the only difference in National personnel from 2020 is Christopher Luxon and his ratings are low. So if the polls are reflecting any form of reality then we are a truly mixed up country.
Labour has not introduced any radical policies to cause a major or even minor shift in direction since 2020. This polling on "wrong direction" is misleading and a complete nonsense. If such a high percentage believe that true then that alone just shows how fickle the electorate is.
God defend NZ has more meaning than ever……if these polls are to be believed.
Yes, "wrong direction" on it's own is pretty meaningless. Do people feel that the country/government needs to be moving further 'left' or further 'right'? ATM – both of these are lumped together – giving very little guidance.
"Wrong direction" on its own or not, has great significance for the incumbents…it certainly indicates the level of support for existing policy direction.
But doesn't tell them whether they need to be more centrist, or more extreme.
Dosnt matter…tells them they are not wanted …and alternatives will be sought, or the effort will not be made.
Well, if you're the party concerned, it matters quite a bit. It's very hard to move with the popular wind, if you can't tell which direction it's going in!
Tis too late to appeal to the 'popular winds' for the incumbents….even if they knew which way they were blowing
Yes. If I was asked about direction I don't know what I would say as I don't know what it means. Its like Mood of the Boardroom. Huh?
I'm not sure the leader approval ratings have much bearing on election outcomes. 1999 is a classic example. Helen Clark’s approval ratings as opposition leader were in single digits from memory and she went on to win the next three elections. Jim Bolger wasn’t loved by many either but he still managed to win three elections as well. Labour in 2023 have a feel of 1989/90. They have lost a popular leader and the replacement is struggling to fill the PM shoes….
You're mixing up 1999 and 1996. It's a common mistake, people often say "Oh, Clark's ratings were rock bottom" (which is correct, they were … in 1996). But the essential point is that she was kept on as leader for the following election after defeat, which no Nat/Lab leader has done since. Caucus loyalty to Clark was very strong, and it's unlikely Luxon or Hipkins would have anything like as much.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_1999_New_Zealand_general_election
I agree. I think that (setting Hipkins aside) NZ has had 2 very personally popular PMs in a row (Key and Ardern) – and we've forgotten what it's like to have an 'ordinary' PM – one who doesn't have a significant degree of personal popularity – where voters are choosing a party (and, God help us, even a suite of policies) rather than a person.
Poor Bill …
A lot of the reason people, especially young people, hate labour is because they haven't been radical on housing, or poverty or the environment or healthcare.
Labour ran as low key populists in 2017 and in 2020, were given a mandate to everything they promised my generation in 2017 on housing and inequality.
They didn't because they thought if they were as centrist as possible they could hold onto older voters.
The things they didn't do infuriated my generation.
The things they did do infuriated older voters.
By trying to be everything to everyone, they've become nothing to anyone.
Good comment.
A younger gen way of putting it: there's no there there…
Disastrous poll for the left today. I hope the tide turns and we can get back on track and win in October, but it isn't looking great, especially with a very meek and mild Hipkins.
Ruling out wealth and a CGT although unpopular, is imo a big error. People on the left from what I see want transformational change not tinkering around the edges. But I can understand why he did it.
I'm going to look at Peters if Labour or the Greens don't look like they can form a government. At least Peters will ruin the majority of NACTs plans and we can have at least one term of no progress for the right.
If you are going to vote for Peters you may as well vote for the Nats or ACT. He will have little influence in a coalition and they may not need him.
Surely the Greens are a better bet?
The Greens can't spoil NACTs party, Winston can. And given Winston's history, I think he will.
There is a TV3 poll tomorrow night that may give a clearer picture.
Just bringing stamp duty back to help further cool the housing market would be good.
Change buying houses under kiwibuild to only buying the house and the state retaining the land would help many more low income people into housing. The Singapore model of this means less debt to banks and more into the productive economy.
“This book will show how Singapore has used its scarce land resources to balance between maximising rent revenue and using its landed property for public good, to provide public housing for the majority of its population and public industrial space for the transnational companies locating in Singapore. The state land in Singapore is treated as a use value (public housing and industrial space), as an exchange value (leased for private developers) and as a source of public revenue (land leases and property tax). This triple way of using public land has caused Singapore’s economy to grow and, paradoxically, Singapore’s development companies to prosper.”
https://www.landandliberty.net/urban-land-rent-singapore-as-a-property-state/
Yeah….we could start with the golf courses…