It creates the ridiculous straw man of perfect government under FPP. The same FPP which saw the scrapping of the visionary Kirk Superannuation scheme and all that was Muldoonism.
MMP was introduced because of the abject failure of FPP. From 1987 to 1996 FPP elections returned governments that had lied to the electorate then proceeded to behave like elected dictatorships ramming through hard right economic reforms. The purpose of MMP was to ensure that never again Rogernomic/Ruthenania could be inflicted on the country against it’s will and so far it has done that.
For example, we would never have scrapped Kirk’s super scheme in 1975 if we had have MMP. Muldoons “landslide” was with 47.59% of the vote. He would have needed Social Credit to govern, or alternatively Labour, Social Credit and the Values party (5.19%!) could have formed a government.
There’s a double play going on from National here: there’s a short term ploy to weaken NZF’s hand in doing a deal with the Nats.
There’s a long term ploy in trying to weaken and split the Green Party – to split the centrists from the left wingers, both in GP membership and broader support. And also the ploy to de-legitimise any possible NZF-Lab-GP government.
So, folks, we are warned. This is the way the Nats will play it for the next few years, whether the Nats or Labour get to lead a new government.
The Nats will try to continue to weaken the GP and thereby any strong left wing platform. They will also try to continue to de-legitimise MMP.
Good points Carolyn_nth. Normally I would hope that Kiwis would see through such moves but I was discouraged to see how many NZers were willing to believe National’s election campaign lies.
I’ve been picking up the whole theme of “how dare one man hold a country to ransom, blah, blah ,blah..” I note he is described as “unelected” (meaning on the list) which I thought put him in the same category as the Double Dipper yet it doesn’t get said of him.
It does concern me that with so many NZers willing to believe or ignore National’s lying that the same thing may happen with MMP.
From 1987 to 1996 FPP elections returned governments that had lied to the electorate then proceeded to behave like elected dictatorships ramming through hard right economic reforms.
I seem to recall the present government doing exactly that – for three terms.
The purpose of MMP was to ensure that never again Rogernomic/Ruthenania could be inflicted on the country against it’s will and so far it has done that.
No it hasn’t.
The government signed the TPPA against our wishes.
They sold our power SOEs against our wishes.
They put in place 90 day fire at will legislation against our wishes.
The list goes on.
For example, we would never have scrapped Kirk’s super scheme in 1975 if we had have MMP.
It’s entirely possible that a government would have. It’s just less likely that they would have been returned.
Labour, Social Credit and the Values party (5.19%!) could have formed a government.
That would have been good if they’d got round to implementing a sovereign monetary system.
MMP was introduced because of the abject failure of FPP.
The FPP-nostalgics never mention that bit. Although, Damien Grant does kind of cover it off with this line:
“In the New Zealand mind sits, like a gnarled hobbit, the idea of fairness.”
Fairness! What a crock! Let’s all sneer together at this risible concept that your political system should involve fairness! What a bunch of saps! Aah, the admirable senses of empathy and self-awareness displayed by the libertarian, how sad there are so few of them in our country… /sarc
She used lots of words but said the same stuff as all those who refuse to analyse
Greens election promise to not go into coalition with National
Greens complete lack of trust of National in part due to Nationals election promises being what we call in Contract Law an “invitation to treat”. Not binding and only meant to lure you into the shop for the real bargaining to begin.
Scott, its called sore loser, foot stumping comes with that. Of cause you cannot see this when you just have the written article in front of you. But what it does show is, that the manipulators in the media are coming to the surface and now you can identify those who are all year round trying to “massage” public opinion towards a certain goal. It also pinpoints the publications bias, its educational. Stupid is what stupid does.
An interesting nerdy discussion on whether and when radical proposals attract the centre closer by making less extreme proposals look moderate and when they repel the centre away by tarnishing less extreme proposals so they also look nuts.
Very good piece. And sums up John key nicely – can sound like he cares about the least powerful, suffering people…. but actually, is more interested in getting an interviewer talking about a fun run.
Then Slack describes his encounters with/knowledge of grandparents struggling to care their grandchildren, and with very little resources or power.
But it’s entirely possible to look away from these broken lives. It’s entirely possible to ignore what poverty means here today. It’s entirely possible to denigrate feckless parents and suggest that they make “better life choices”.
But is that fair, or compassionate, or humane?
How much political will is there to make this right, to tackle poverty, to provide support for the foster parents and grandparents to do their selfless work?
Whatever happened to the discussion just prior to the election about the National party funding sources and the source and number of jobs ex Nat politicians are receiving from overseas interests. Are the Nats too close to overseas governing parties?
It seems to have been shut down real quick in favour of the endless harassment of the Greens going with Nats. If the Nats were serious then they surely would have called the Greens by now but they apparently haven’t.
Martyn Bradbury says he’s going to focus strongly in the future on the Nat MP as Chinese spy issue. This is a narrow focus that looks too much at only influence from China. Needs to be broader than that.
In fact, this has brought attention to certain issues the country (as a whole) need to reconsider.
For example, isn’t it time we take the money out of politics and put an end to political donations?
Should only those born here be able to stand and enter parliament?
Do we need better policing of our MPs and the different ways they can potentially be influenced? Such as, being given prominent roles in companies, boards etc… or being paid a record breaking price for the sale of their home or business?
There are some overseas companies with similar names, but I don’t see any links between them.
So, is there any info that shows Jan Trotman has had links with international Big Pharma in the time the Nat government has been promoting its social bonds policy?
I was implying potential conflict of interest isn’t limited to one particular party or nation for that matter. And it’s not the first time Johnson & Johnson has been implicated.
And also foreign land ownership we may be one of the only developed nations who allow it… of all the things to choose to go against the grain… Key used to say we were too small to lead
Plus, i see via twitter Jim Bolger is still running the Nat-GP coalition line on qu@a.
The Nats are acting like a pack of authoritarian bullies. Doesn’t matter how often GP supporters and members say “No” – they keep with the saturated media and social media spin of why the GP-Nat idea is in the Greens best interests – won’t take NO for an answer.
It is ignorant and patronising. There is not only one view of all this but many in the media are buying that there is only one view and it is the one that sees National being permitted to continue.
Seems all media are frantically interviewing their computers in their frustration at no electoral outcome and in desperation for something to write about.
Patience is a concept they are unfamiliar with.
And all these know-alls being wheeled out to give their opinions – had hoped to see the last of the hair-do and others of his ilk.
My God, Jim Mora is mind numbingly boring on Sunday Morning. Such a conservative mealy mouthed reactionary with an obvious agenda, busily taking Sunday Morning back to the 1970s. I turned off. Couldn’t cope with his trite religious blather.
Yep, can’t wait for Wallace to get back….why the f$%^ is NZ on Air not funding Back Benches any more, so that it has had to be cancelled*….PM Jacinda should have a look at this….it is one of the only programmes I watch on TV and a programme that humanises politics; plenty of humour too.
*of course Prime TV could have funded Back Benches itself-it can’t be very expensive to produce. Says everything about Prime and Sky.
I turned off Q & A this morning because I could no longer stand all the tripe about the Nats and Greens going into coalition. With the exception of John Tamihere, who valiantly tried to keep the debate on a rational footing, it was appalling to hear the other two guests (Wayne Mapp, Josie Pagani) belting out the same lines prepared by Steven Joyce and co.
Here’s a summary of the timelines and facts:
In 1993 a referendum was held which saw MMP introduced. In 1994, merely months after that referedndum, a new political party was established called ACT. It was a direct response to the advent of MMP and was financed into being by some of our wealthiest business tycoons (Alan Gibbs, Craig Heatley, Douglas Myers to name just three of them). It was set up in cahoots with National to provide them with a coalition party.
The Labour Party already had a coalition party (albeit set up for different reasons) the Alliance Party which was born prior to the referendum in 1991.
So the scene was set for MMP well in advance of the first MMP election in 1996.
The Left block – Labour and the Alliance Party.
The Right block – National and ACT.
Sitting in the centre was NZ First.
Nothing has changed since except the fortunes /misfortunes of the coalition parties:
1) the Alliance party imploded and what was left of it morphed into the Green Party. It has since succeeded in maintaining a significant role and potential coalition partner for Labour in parliament.
2) the ACT Party started out as a significant presence but over time lost its support and ended up with one seat courtesy of the Nats. National has been able to cobble together coalition governments by including the tiddler parties of ACT, UF and the Maori Party.
It does not alter the Left/Right blocks arrangement we inherited under MMP.
Now we are seeing a mischievous attempt by National and the highly suspect MSM re-writing history (see John Roughan’s latest appallingly inaccurate opinion piece in the Herald) and trying to snaffle Labour’s natural support party away from them using the usual dirty political tactics.
It is yet another of the myriad of examples that already exist where National is so devoid of principles and values, they will do anything to retain power and wealth for themselves and to hell with the rest of us. The Greens will be the ultimate loser if they succumb.
I hope the Greens and NZ First don’t fall for it!
Edit: if someone has the time to play around with this and turn it into a post I don’t mind. It is such an important message to get out there.
There are some interesting insights but, he claims the MSM are not really that biased.
‘Media bias’ is everyone’s excuse for everything that happens in politics that they don’t like. Occasionally it’s true, but mostly it’s a more palatable alternative to admitting that your values aren’t popular or that the politicians you admire aren’t very good at their jobs. Of course there’s always bias, but as an institution the media are biased towards whoever produces good content for them, and this election that was Jacinda.
That is partially true, in that the MSM do tend to foreground drama, clickbait, etc.
But, it doesn’t explain how so many MSM journos are running the Nat line on Nat-GP coalition.
I suspect that people in the centre ground of politics, like McLauchlan, are blind to the narrow range of views that are allowed to dominate around the (shifting) centre of politics in the MSM.
The MSM probably connects with their view of the world. I also think MSM journos tend to respond positively to politicians who speak and behave somewhat like themselves and their social set.
Ardern does that somewhat, so they feel connected to her – but then she also sometimes steps outside that cultural frame, and then Ardern gets hammered.
Yes she did by way of agreeing with everything Wayne Mapp said. It stupifies me they keep her on these Q&A panels when her Labour/Left credentials have been so torn asunder.
And if she does win, where is the extra money coming from? And if she does win does that mean the company that owns the hospital isn’t making much profit?
So much for the constant refrain that the younger suffer from a need for instant gratification. Their parents and grandparents are barely stopping short of tantrums to satisfy their instant gratification.
There are plenty of other stories out there. Start writing them?
In the meantime this is an interesting piece which could be applied to Nats from the GFC and Earthquakes and how they “used” those to implement their own Shock Doctrine.
When you read this kind of stuff you realise how shallow our media writing is.
Anyone who wonders why Labour didn’t do as well as expected in the election should read this brilliant exposition of just how it is that political rhetoric meshes with economics:
Clayton’s privatisation of public services, employed in various forms by neo-liberal governments the world over. (or how to privatise essential services without telling anybody).
Professor Allyson Pollock, director of Newcastle University’s Institute of Health and Society, said the change in the law during the Coalition years has paved the way for the part-privatisation of the health service.
She said: “It’s not a surprise to see foundation trusts with niche specialities like cancer or cardiac [care] are turning to private patients.
“The problem is formerly these hospitals were almost 100 per cent public. Up to 49 per cent of the capacity – doctors, nurses and beds – can be diverted to private patients. In London … some of these patients will be very wealthy, medical tourists.
“The NHS is being squeezed and inevitably there will be a diversion of funds [from ordinary NHS patients to private ones]. We are losing our NHS. We will lose our NHS unless the Government stops commercial contracting and stops foundation trusts from bringing in private patients.”
Blinded by the Media National argument that Winston is a rogue and how dare he hold the country to ransom, it dimly occurred to me it is not Winston’s fault. He is just dealing with the MMP hand that he was dealt. How else would it have worked out? Huh?
it is the ‘its not me’ syndrome, it must be the fault of the other. so blame winston, the system, the greens, humpty dumpty but lets not blame the ones that have been running the country for 9 years.
A bit like for the first 5 years of N everything was the fault of Helen Clark, then it was look how awesome John Key is and don’t you want your pony tail pulled too?, and now its the fault of Winston. IT must be the others fault cause if it ain’t it must be National that has done the fucking up.
Question??
if nzf offer the nats c and s and stay on the cross benches , would it not allow the greens and or labour to work with the nats on policy they want that nzf is against.
I truly doubt that there is much intersection between Nats and Labour/Greens in policy.
Private members bills for areas with significant policy overlap between Labour , Greens and NZ First would be hell to deal with for both the Nats and NZ First in such a situation
It was Gareth’s lumping together of all property owners and pensioners as an elite group screwing over the young that was largely his downfall.
Coupled with wanting to reduce the rate of our current UBI (Super) and his willingness to add to the cost of home ownership while taxing home owning low income earners out of their homes.
to ‘The Chairman’ at 14 : yes, I agree these aspects of TOP policy were scary, and not to my mind emphasised/criticised in press . We pensioners are certainly NOT all well-heeled. I have always felt he thinks from wealthy viewpoint albeit given to philanthropy.
A vigorous campaign by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to break Catalonia off from Spain, further splintering Europe, is landing him in hot water with the government of Ecuador that has provided him with diplomatic refuge in its embassy in London.
Assange and Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno have traded barbs this week over whether his behavior comports with that of someone granted political asylum.
Assange challenged Moreno Thursday to try to silence him.
“If President Moreno wants to gag my reporting of human rights abuses in Spain he should say so explicitly—together with the legal basis,” Assange tweeted.
If President Moreno wants to gag my reporting of human rights abuses in Spain he should say so explicitly–together with the legal basis.
— Julian Assange (@JulianAssange) September 28, 2017
Friction between Assange and his Ecuadorean hosts has grown since May, when Moreno took office and surprised his nation’s voters by departing sharply from the path set by his predecessor, the fiery populist Rafael Correa. Moreno was considered Correa’s protégé.
Moreno has told two international television networks in the past week that Assange should watch his tongue and not harm Ecuador’s relations with its allies.
national are despite and making fools of them selves trying to hold a hand out to the Greens and we no that that would be like crossing the positive and negative 12 volt terminals together a lot of sparks and boom . One of the main goals of the coalition should be to ensure there long term rule in a fair and just way as the changes needed to fix our country will not happen over nite compulsory voting would be one and another would be to keep the media honest and un biased ban social media video ads and poll’s 2 month’s before a election
To Gareth Morgan you mite not have achieved directly what you wanted to achieve but you have help the debate on topics everyone else was to scared to talk about and TOPs policy will have some influence on our new laws that will make our country more equal for everyone
It was awesome to see the General Silveria setting a excellent example on how racism should not be tolerated anywhere in OUR WORLD .
BIG UPPS to see 2 of my favorite people on the news they make excellent role models for all people
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This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own.Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...
Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
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I see the MMP bashers are surfacing. Damien Grant in Stuff lamenting the landslide victory National would have won under FPP.
So stupid it’s hilarious.
But on the side of the angels there’s a nice piece from David Slack:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/97388496/david-slack-think-of-the-children
“…So stupid it’s hilarious…”
+1000
It creates the ridiculous straw man of perfect government under FPP. The same FPP which saw the scrapping of the visionary Kirk Superannuation scheme and all that was Muldoonism.
MMP was introduced because of the abject failure of FPP. From 1987 to 1996 FPP elections returned governments that had lied to the electorate then proceeded to behave like elected dictatorships ramming through hard right economic reforms. The purpose of MMP was to ensure that never again Rogernomic/Ruthenania could be inflicted on the country against it’s will and so far it has done that.
For example, we would never have scrapped Kirk’s super scheme in 1975 if we had have MMP. Muldoons “landslide” was with 47.59% of the vote. He would have needed Social Credit to govern, or alternatively Labour, Social Credit and the Values party (5.19%!) could have formed a government.
neither stupid nor hilarious but rather a sad commentary on the past 9 years
There’s a double play going on from National here: there’s a short term ploy to weaken NZF’s hand in doing a deal with the Nats.
There’s a long term ploy in trying to weaken and split the Green Party – to split the centrists from the left wingers, both in GP membership and broader support. And also the ploy to de-legitimise any possible NZF-Lab-GP government.
So, folks, we are warned. This is the way the Nats will play it for the next few years, whether the Nats or Labour get to lead a new government.
The Nats will try to continue to weaken the GP and thereby any strong left wing platform. They will also try to continue to de-legitimise MMP.
They will lie, deceive and disrupt to try to undermine any possibility of a Left government.
Just business as usual then DTB !
Good points Carolyn_nth. Normally I would hope that Kiwis would see through such moves but I was discouraged to see how many NZers were willing to believe National’s election campaign lies.
I’ve been picking up the whole theme of “how dare one man hold a country to ransom, blah, blah ,blah..” I note he is described as “unelected” (meaning on the list) which I thought put him in the same category as the Double Dipper yet it doesn’t get said of him.
It does concern me that with so many NZers willing to believe or ignore National’s lying that the same thing may happen with MMP.
I seem to recall the present government doing exactly that – for three terms.
No it hasn’t.
The government signed the TPPA against our wishes.
They sold our power SOEs against our wishes.
They put in place 90 day fire at will legislation against our wishes.
The list goes on.
It’s entirely possible that a government would have. It’s just less likely that they would have been returned.
That would have been good if they’d got round to implementing a sovereign monetary system.
MMP was introduced because of the abject failure of FPP.
The FPP-nostalgics never mention that bit. Although, Damien Grant does kind of cover it off with this line:
“In the New Zealand mind sits, like a gnarled hobbit, the idea of fairness.”
Fairness! What a crock! Let’s all sneer together at this risible concept that your political system should involve fairness! What a bunch of saps! Aah, the admirable senses of empathy and self-awareness displayed by the libertarian, how sad there are so few of them in our country… /sarc
She used lots of words but said the same stuff as all those who refuse to analyse
Greens election promise to not go into coalition with National
Greens complete lack of trust of National in part due to Nationals election promises being what we call in Contract Law an “invitation to treat”. Not binding and only meant to lure you into the shop for the real bargaining to begin.
Scott, its called sore loser, foot stumping comes with that. Of cause you cannot see this when you just have the written article in front of you. But what it does show is, that the manipulators in the media are coming to the surface and now you can identify those who are all year round trying to “massage” public opinion towards a certain goal. It also pinpoints the publications bias, its educational. Stupid is what stupid does.
An interesting nerdy discussion on whether and when radical proposals attract the centre closer by making less extreme proposals look moderate and when they repel the centre away by tarnishing less extreme proposals so they also look nuts.
https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/9/29/16377806/mckibben-effect
It’s like the adult version of introducing new foods to children really, isn’t it
Very good piece. And sums up John key nicely – can sound like he cares about the least powerful, suffering people…. but actually, is more interested in getting an interviewer talking about a fun run.
Then Slack describes his encounters with/knowledge of grandparents struggling to care their grandchildren, and with very little resources or power.
So does this in relation to how National used GFC and Earthquake…
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/28/labour-shock-doctrine-moral-strategy-naomi-klein?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Sunday morning larfs. Bill Maher turns TV detective with what we know about Donny Littlehands.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bill-maher-donald-trump-russia-joins-the-dots_us_59cf4640e4b05f005d346ae5
Whatever happened to the discussion just prior to the election about the National party funding sources and the source and number of jobs ex Nat politicians are receiving from overseas interests. Are the Nats too close to overseas governing parties?
It seems to have been shut down real quick in favour of the endless harassment of the Greens going with Nats. If the Nats were serious then they surely would have called the Greens by now but they apparently haven’t.
very good point.
Martyn Bradbury says he’s going to focus strongly in the future on the Nat MP as Chinese spy issue. This is a narrow focus that looks too much at only influence from China. Needs to be broader than that.
Indeed, Carolyn.
In fact, this has brought attention to certain issues the country (as a whole) need to reconsider.
For example, isn’t it time we take the money out of politics and put an end to political donations?
Should only those born here be able to stand and enter parliament?
Do we need better policing of our MPs and the different ways they can potentially be influenced? Such as, being given prominent roles in companies, boards etc… or being paid a record breaking price for the sale of their home or business?
This twitter thread is also worth a look – about how Johnson and Johnson, and Wilberforce Foundation (with links to US big pharma) are investors in the Nat government’s social bonds scheme.
Thanks, Carolyn.
Speaking of Johnson & Johnson. Remember this?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11238832
So Peters’ Partner, Jan Trotman, was NZ manager of Johnson & Johnson from 1993-2006.
Now a director for Micromed healthcare.
There are some overseas companies with similar names, but I don’t see any links between them.
So, is there any info that shows Jan Trotman has had links with international Big Pharma in the time the Nat government has been promoting its social bonds policy?
Obviously she has links but I can’t confirm whether or not she had direct links at that certain time. Nor was it what I was implying.
Is collins one of them? Or are you implying something else.
I was implying potential conflict of interest isn’t limited to one particular party or nation for that matter. And it’s not the first time Johnson & Johnson has been implicated.
Thanks.
And also foreign land ownership we may be one of the only developed nations who allow it… of all the things to choose to go against the grain… Key used to say we were too small to lead
And so it continues. HDPAs turn this time to spin why Labour should walk away from NZ First. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11928211
Stacey Kirk on Sunday Star Times on why leaders of the GP should ignore their base and deal with Nats.
Plus, i see via twitter Jim Bolger is still running the Nat-GP coalition line on qu@a.
The Nats are acting like a pack of authoritarian bullies. Doesn’t matter how often GP supporters and members say “No” – they keep with the saturated media and social media spin of why the GP-Nat idea is in the Greens best interests – won’t take NO for an answer.
This IS bullying behaviour!
Yes it is, but who’s going to call them out on it? The MSM are essentially doing the same to Winston. Just as well for him he’s made of stern stuff.
It’s just business as usual for National. Bastards.
It is ignorant and patronising. There is not only one view of all this but many in the media are buying that there is only one view and it is the one that sees National being permitted to continue.
I’d suggest that the not taking no, is not bullying behaviour, but much much worse behaviour.
Seems all media are frantically interviewing their computers in their frustration at no electoral outcome and in desperation for something to write about.
Patience is a concept they are unfamiliar with.
And all these know-alls being wheeled out to give their opinions – had hoped to see the last of the hair-do and others of his ilk.
My God, Jim Mora is mind numbingly boring on Sunday Morning. Such a conservative mealy mouthed reactionary with an obvious agenda, busily taking Sunday Morning back to the 1970s. I turned off. Couldn’t cope with his trite religious blather.
Radio Sport it is.
I thought it was the 1870s. I turned him off as well.
Me too, he is so bloody boring and soporific.
Yep, can’t wait for Wallace to get back….why the f$%^ is NZ on Air not funding Back Benches any more, so that it has had to be cancelled*….PM Jacinda should have a look at this….it is one of the only programmes I watch on TV and a programme that humanises politics; plenty of humour too.
*of course Prime TV could have funded Back Benches itself-it can’t be very expensive to produce. Says everything about Prime and Sky.
But what about the Block and Survivor… 🤤
On the upside, he e nun ci ates clear ly ( yes, Wallashe Chmpmmm, I’m looking at you).
I turned off Q & A this morning because I could no longer stand all the tripe about the Nats and Greens going into coalition. With the exception of John Tamihere, who valiantly tried to keep the debate on a rational footing, it was appalling to hear the other two guests (Wayne Mapp, Josie Pagani) belting out the same lines prepared by Steven Joyce and co.
Here’s a summary of the timelines and facts:
In 1993 a referendum was held which saw MMP introduced. In 1994, merely months after that referedndum, a new political party was established called ACT. It was a direct response to the advent of MMP and was financed into being by some of our wealthiest business tycoons (Alan Gibbs, Craig Heatley, Douglas Myers to name just three of them). It was set up in cahoots with National to provide them with a coalition party.
The Labour Party already had a coalition party (albeit set up for different reasons) the Alliance Party which was born prior to the referendum in 1991.
So the scene was set for MMP well in advance of the first MMP election in 1996.
The Left block – Labour and the Alliance Party.
The Right block – National and ACT.
Sitting in the centre was NZ First.
Nothing has changed since except the fortunes /misfortunes of the coalition parties:
1) the Alliance party imploded and what was left of it morphed into the Green Party. It has since succeeded in maintaining a significant role and potential coalition partner for Labour in parliament.
2) the ACT Party started out as a significant presence but over time lost its support and ended up with one seat courtesy of the Nats. National has been able to cobble together coalition governments by including the tiddler parties of ACT, UF and the Maori Party.
It does not alter the Left/Right blocks arrangement we inherited under MMP.
Now we are seeing a mischievous attempt by National and the highly suspect MSM re-writing history (see John Roughan’s latest appallingly inaccurate opinion piece in the Herald) and trying to snaffle Labour’s natural support party away from them using the usual dirty political tactics.
It is yet another of the myriad of examples that already exist where National is so devoid of principles and values, they will do anything to retain power and wealth for themselves and to hell with the rest of us. The Greens will be the ultimate loser if they succumb.
I hope the Greens and NZ First don’t fall for it!
Edit: if someone has the time to play around with this and turn it into a post I don’t mind. It is such an important message to get out there.
Ah. Wayne was using us for practice.
Great analysis Anne, thanks.
🙂
Danyl McLauchlan has an interesting piece on Spinoff, reporting on his experiecne as part of the Green Party team during the election.
There are some interesting insights but, he claims the MSM are not really that biased.
That is partially true, in that the MSM do tend to foreground drama, clickbait, etc.
But, it doesn’t explain how so many MSM journos are running the Nat line on Nat-GP coalition.
I suspect that people in the centre ground of politics, like McLauchlan, are blind to the narrow range of views that are allowed to dominate around the (shifting) centre of politics in the MSM.
The MSM probably connects with their view of the world. I also think MSM journos tend to respond positively to politicians who speak and behave somewhat like themselves and their social set.
Ardern does that somewhat, so they feel connected to her – but then she also sometimes steps outside that cultural frame, and then Ardern gets hammered.
Did Pagani support Greens talking to Nats?
Yes she did by way of agreeing with everything Wayne Mapp said. It stupifies me they keep her on these Q&A panels when her Labour/Left credentials have been so torn asunder.
Couldn’t agree more……but that is precisely why they roll her out.
My wife says for example, that an anaestitist is paid a huge amount more in a Private hospital than in a Public Hospital?
Does she win this time?
And if she does win, where is the extra money coming from? And if she does win does that mean the company that owns the hospital isn’t making much profit?
Out of curiosity ianmac, if your wife does win do you have to cook dinner?
I would be very surprised if they were not.
So much for the constant refrain that the younger suffer from a need for instant gratification. Their parents and grandparents are barely stopping short of tantrums to satisfy their instant gratification.
There are plenty of other stories out there. Start writing them?
In the meantime this is an interesting piece which could be applied to Nats from the GFC and Earthquakes and how they “used” those to implement their own Shock Doctrine.
When you read this kind of stuff you realise how shallow our media writing is.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/28/labour-shock-doctrine-moral-strategy-naomi-klein?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Reading a great book about solutions to neoliberalism.
‘Out of the Wreckage ‘ by George Monbiot.
Superb.
I like reading Monibots articles so I will take a peak. Thanks Ed.
Liars, damned liars and politicians.
Anyone who wonders why Labour didn’t do as well as expected in the election should read this brilliant exposition of just how it is that political rhetoric meshes with economics:
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-kelton-pony-for-all-20170929-story.html
(For “Clinton” read “National”, for “Sanders” read “Labour”.)
Please read the article, then ask yourself “What does the phrase ‘show me the money’ really mean?
Great. Thanks. Funny how articles of depth are foubd outside NZ media but in mainstream on other countries. So it is possible
The pony analogy only works for the Pentagon budget.
And here is another interesting article on the subject…What Happened? A Class Analysis of the NZ Election, Part 1 of 2…
http://watermelonmedia.co.nz/index.php/2017/09/30/what-happened-a-class-analysis-of-the-nz-election/
Clayton’s privatisation of public services, employed in various forms by neo-liberal governments the world over. (or how to privatise essential services without telling anybody).
NHS privatisation exposed in the UK.
From The Independent article:
Blinded by the Media National argument that Winston is a rogue and how dare he hold the country to ransom, it dimly occurred to me it is not Winston’s fault. He is just dealing with the MMP hand that he was dealt. How else would it have worked out? Huh?
it is the ‘its not me’ syndrome, it must be the fault of the other. so blame winston, the system, the greens, humpty dumpty but lets not blame the ones that have been running the country for 9 years.
A bit like for the first 5 years of N everything was the fault of Helen Clark, then it was look how awesome John Key is and don’t you want your pony tail pulled too?, and now its the fault of Winston. IT must be the others fault cause if it ain’t it must be National that has done the fucking up.
Question??
if nzf offer the nats c and s and stay on the cross benches , would it not allow the greens and or labour to work with the nats on policy they want that nzf is against.
I truly doubt that there is much intersection between Nats and Labour/Greens in policy.
Private members bills for areas with significant policy overlap between Labour , Greens and NZ First would be hell to deal with for both the Nats and NZ First in such a situation
Good to see voters gave Morgan the message.
It was Gareth’s lumping together of all property owners and pensioners as an elite group screwing over the young that was largely his downfall.
Coupled with wanting to reduce the rate of our current UBI (Super) and his willingness to add to the cost of home ownership while taxing home owning low income earners out of their homes.
to ‘The Chairman’ at 14 : yes, I agree these aspects of TOP policy were scary, and not to my mind emphasised/criticised in press . We pensioners are certainly NOT all well-heeled. I have always felt he thinks from wealthy viewpoint albeit given to philanthropy.
“I have always felt he thinks from wealthy viewpoint…”
Indeed. What he was pushing indicated he was out of touch with the reality on the ground.
Diddums.
The Greens won’t speak to us.
How many articles have there been in the past few days from right wing commentators whinging about this?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11928369
Yep they are so desperate even the eyes on their potatoes are bulging.
I know, pretty bad. Sorry jum.
Making friends and influencing people….
A vigorous campaign by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to break Catalonia off from Spain, further splintering Europe, is landing him in hot water with the government of Ecuador that has provided him with diplomatic refuge in its embassy in London.
Assange and Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno have traded barbs this week over whether his behavior comports with that of someone granted political asylum.
Assange challenged Moreno Thursday to try to silence him.
“If President Moreno wants to gag my reporting of human rights abuses in Spain he should say so explicitly—together with the legal basis,” Assange tweeted.
Friction between Assange and his Ecuadorean hosts has grown since May, when Moreno took office and surprised his nation’s voters by departing sharply from the path set by his predecessor, the fiery populist Rafael Correa. Moreno was considered Correa’s protégé.
Moreno has told two international television networks in the past week that Assange should watch his tongue and not harm Ecuador’s relations with its allies.
http://amp.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/national-security/article176070931.html
national are despite and making fools of them selves trying to hold a hand out to the Greens and we no that that would be like crossing the positive and negative 12 volt terminals together a lot of sparks and boom . One of the main goals of the coalition should be to ensure there long term rule in a fair and just way as the changes needed to fix our country will not happen over nite compulsory voting would be one and another would be to keep the media honest and un biased ban social media video ads and poll’s 2 month’s before a election
To Gareth Morgan you mite not have achieved directly what you wanted to achieve but you have help the debate on topics everyone else was to scared to talk about and TOPs policy will have some influence on our new laws that will make our country more equal for everyone
It was awesome to see the General Silveria setting a excellent example on how racism should not be tolerated anywhere in OUR WORLD .
BIG UPPS to see 2 of my favorite people on the news they make excellent role models for all people
That would be Brack Obama and Elon Musk I admire the crown family to