Had a flash of the new "business" way of government.
This afternoon Lxn realises he has to phone Winnie.
" All lines are busy at the moment. Your business is important to us. Current wait times are 2 hours 45 minutes. Please hold the line." (Continuous racing commentary plays).
And so today we get the final results of the election, 20 days after the closing of the polls.
Unpopular take but the critics of the delay – and the overall competence of the way the election was conducted – have a point. The MSM political journalists seem to largely to be having a childish junkie's tantrum over being denied their fix, so as per usual they can't see the issue for their egos.
But there were big issues that need answers from the electoral commission. The use of technology – in particular the reliance on an app that crashed – didn't scale particularly well, leading to delays – often long ones – as the election volunteers were insufficient in numbers and training to fill the gap. Why it was decided to adopt an app based approach at all (solution looking for a problem?) needs to be answered, especially when you consider the also online technology led fiasco that was the census.
The running out of ballot papers in some South Auckland electorates is a basic competency scandal that, had it occurred in Herne Bay and Remuera, you'd have heard trumpeted on the front page of the Herald for weeks.
The confusion over closing advanced voting places on election day – which common sense should have told the electoral commission people would have noticed leading up to polling day and filed away as a voting location – was an act of almost bovine stupidity.
But the biggest concern has to be the delay over announcing the final result. Three weeks is an unacceptable delay in the transfer of power. People might think it inconsequential, but we've seen in the USA what happens when you dawdle over an immediate transfer of power. There is a reason the second old QEII breathed her last Charlie became King. What would stop an errant Trumpist right wing government deciding via a flurry of orders in council to abolish ministries, mass fire employees and stop civil service pay in the three weeks it takes to form a government now? Convention is well and good but as the USA demonstrates, it is actually a constraint on anyone. We have to come up with a quicker way of getting the final result.
We need to be a bit careful what we wish for. Luxon may well use the 3-week wait this time as an excuse for changing the rules and not allowing voters to enroll on the day. That would surely save some time. The right is always keen to shrink the franchise to people with stable, predictable lives.
I think you are wrong in this case Sanc. By complaining about the 3 week delay you are helping Luxon and Seymour to stop same day enrolment, which is an important plus for democracy in NZ.
The 3 week delay has little effect. We have a caretaker PM/government that consults with the PM elect. Government goes on in this period.
Meanwhile Luxon has said that he has had meaningful (but secret) talks with ACT and NZF in these 3 weeks that will have already sorted out most of what will happen after we receive the final result at 2pm today.
What's the problem?
Having said that, if some of the accuracy checks, where they are extremely unlikely to affect the final result, could be done later, they might be able to get the results out more quickly.
Mostly the delay isn't over counting the specials, but rather over all of the checks and balances which we (as a robust democracy) need to have in place to ensure that the election results are valid.
But there is no good reason why daily updates couldn't be released – giving some guidance to those in marginal seats.
Having said that – I'd be predicting that any seat with a less than 50-100 majority is going to have a re-count challenge. So even the 'final' result may not be final.
Rimmer was suggesting exactly that this morning on RNZ I think but Golriz Ghahraman was quoted in response saying something like people should be given as many opportunities to vote as possible.
I think it plays to a wider and ultimately I think very damaging criticism of the last Labour government – lack of delivery despite copious funding and the frustrations that grew from that.
Richard Harman notes today in Politik:
“…The number of pure Public Servants has increased by 7255 from the number employed when National left office in 2017.That is an increase of 35.64 per cent to bring the total in the capital to 27,612. Over the same period, public sector education and health workers in Wellington have increased by only 16 per cent. They very slightly outnumber the bureaucrats with a total of 29,000. The Public Service Commission yesterday also released public service salary data, which showed the average public service pay was $97,200, which suggests that the Wellington increase since 2017 has added $705 million to the government’s annual wage bill…”
Now, nobody minds a big jump in bureaucrats if they deliver results. But the sinking feeling is the electoral commission went with an app because it created work for a project manager who they quite like and would rather not let go, for the Wellington based IT industry who need fat government contracts to survive, and it meant they could justify increasing head count in the IT delivery team. Ditto for the census. In other words, it isn’t hard to imagine a lot of the increased spending was just to create a giant middle class make work scheme designed mainly to enrich a mildly incompetent Wellington government feedback loop.
There's sure plenty of those kinds of dead or dying expensive i.t. projects across a whole bunch of Departments. Just wait for the health one to metastasize.
I find it hard to believe National+Act can make massive financial cuts without bringing consultants in to assist. Will make for a fascinating 100 Day Plan, since Labour forgot to do one in 2017.
Wellington is going to be a bloodbath of thousands of woke carcasses. They can occupy parliament grounds and see if the opposition will come out to rally them.
Stop demonising people in public service, these are usually people who are trying to keep government going smoothly and we don't know who or which jobs or organisations will be axed under the incoming government that will affect the functioning of the country or not.
I don't like the disdain and dismissiveness of that language.
Public service is an important aspect of governance and the idea of the language that they're all airy-fairy angers me because a lot of them are behind the scenes trying their best and they are usually part of many a health/disability community advocacy push.
We need many people who are willing to work for the best of New Zealand/Aotearoa and we cannot afford to play silly buggers with what may happen in the future.
Ad is the best and asking Ad, the brightest the Labour Party has to offer…
I don’t actually know if he’s (sorry I’m actually not sure on Ad’s gender or if the posters under the handle are many) a Labour voter and supporter. Or if he’s the only one left.
Seeing he’s an author he rarely seems to get censured for his extravagant style. It’s Cullen-lite. Large attempts at wit, but much less knowing everything despite all that!
Not in the best vein this morning, old chap. Too much partying with your other undead rogernome buddies for Halloween…
Yes let's bring back candlewick snuffers tripping through the rooms at midnight, paper bus tickets on trolley buses, nightcart soil pullers, handwritten receipts from the smiling butcher, looped cursive cheque writing, A0 newspapers stretched across the breakfast table as Dad puffs his pipe, wringer washing machines for Mum to stay busy, milkmen whistling the milk of human kindness to your door, dial phones attached to your wall, and of course a basement of bright yellow preserved peaches.
Sounds like Timaru, the place where the inhabitants are flattered when they come to Auckland and discover MOTAT has an entire exhibit dedicated to their town.
Some things, such as counting votes in a general election, must always be done properly. There is no other way unless you want to live in a corrupt nation.
"We've seen in the USA what happens when you dawdle over an immediate transfer of power?"
Do you mean we've seen what happens in the USA when you expect the traditional (over a couple of hundred years) transfer of power when the loser in the election is a narcissistic megalomaniac with a cult following roused to be violent?
The 1984 constitutional crisis occurred over four days when a narcissistic megalomaniac with a cult following refused to devalue the NZ dollar. Imagine if that had been dragged on for almost three weeks, it would have wrecked the economy.
How do you know? There are some who said that, but it may have just been propaganda. Douglas, in one of his books, said that he favoured devaluation, but that may just have given rise to a sort of self-fulfilling prophesy. There were no doubt people in the economy who figured to make money from a devaluation.
I agree with you with respect to the delay. If 1,000,000 plus votes cast on election day can be counted that day, then why on earth should we have to wait three weeks for approx half that amount?
As I tried to point out to you mid last month processing special votes is a more complicated and time-consuming process than counting the votes of people who cast an ordinary vote on the day. For ordinary votes there is a preliminary count on the night and they are re-counted later for the official result.
Each person who makes a special vote has to make a special vote declaration to the returning officer in the electorate they believe they are entitled to vote in. The declaration is checked and witnessed by the issuing officer in the voting place who issues them a ballot paper which goes into an envelope with two pockets along with the declaration and is returned to the home electorate. If someone is enrolling and voting their enrolment form is processed separately post voting day. There are seven options as to why someone is making a special vote.
From what I understand (as we just did the declaration checking and witnessing and ballot issuing) the specials are returned to the home electorate where each one has be be checked to confirm it is a valid special vote. I think this is what takes the time. The counting is the easy bit at the end.
Of course one way to speed it up would be to employ more people to do the job but that would obviously cost more which would probably stick in the throat of small government proponents.
There are a lot more people available to be hired for one Saturday (the public service encourages public servants to do it) plus some people for advance voting, than people for 2-3 weeks.
The running out of ballot papers in some South Auckland electorates is a basic competency scandal that, had it occurred in Herne Bay and Remuera, you'd have heard trumpeted on the front page of the Herald for weeks.
Thus it is fortunate in a way that National got a mandate to form a government, but will be still be denied a NACT majority – otherwise this would be a much bigger issue.
I enjoyed the break after the pre-election madness. The relatively quiet time of this 3-week interregnum allowed for some much-needed reflection and introspection without the usual cacophony from the bread & circuses from and through MSM & SM. It felt like the calm after and before the next shitstorm. To some people the result and sub-sequent wait may have felt like an anti-climax but to me it felt cathartic.
If anyone wonders why Egypt and Saudia Arabia or frankly any arab country isn't offering to take in Palestinian refugees, here's a few of their excuses set out here:
Their primary reason for not accepting Palestinians will be because of the economic and political effects in their own countries. But the reasons they give here are not silly – knowing that fleeing to neighbouring countries is an option would simply embolden the Israeli government to complete the eviction process started in 1948. And as the Israeli government doesn't care, they will try to push and push until the international pressure on the Arab states makes them cave in.
The live Cavern Club album recorded by someone in the audience and found years later has some great unexpected covers. Some Ray Charles in there….
It's low-fi and the quality isn't great but does give some insight into that early part of their career. I quite like putting it on now and then.
I Saw Her Standing There
Roll Over Beethoven
Hippy Hippy Shake
Sweet Little Sixteen
Lend Me Your Comb
Your Feet's Too Big
Twist And Shout
Mr. Moonlight
A Taste Of Honey
Besame Mucho
Reminiscing
Kansas City
Ain't Nothing Shakin' Like The Leaves On A Tree
To Know Her Is To Love Her
Little Queenie
Falling In Love Again
Ask Me Why
Be-Bop-A-Lula
Halleluja, I Love Her So
Red Sails In The Sunset
Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby
Matchbox
Talkin' 'Bout You
Shimmy Shake
Long Tall Sally
Remember You
Felt and sounded like a funeral dirge with lyrics as silly as Fat Mattress's Petrol Pump Assistant.
Can see why it was never finished. They should have left it alone.
Though it could go well as a lament for the Labour Party to it's voting base who only now and then seem to need its poor and working class.
Now (Now) and then (And then)
I miss you (I miss you)
Oh, now (Now) and then (And then)
I want you to return to me
Now (Now) and then (And then)
I miss you (I miss you)
Oh, now (Now) and then (And then)
I want you to return to me
Now (Now) and then (And then)
Sad cause some post John Lennon stuff has been really good. The stripped back version of Woman was brilliant.
Te Pati Māori has increased from four seats to six, after their candidates defeated two seasoned Labour candidates. The Green Party also gained one seat, up from 14 on election night.
Takutai Kemp won the Māori electorate seat, Tāmaki Makaurau by four votes over Peeni Henare while Mariameo Kapa-Kingi won Te Tai Tokerau with a majority of 517 votes over Labour Party deputy leader Kelvin Davis. As a result, there will be overhang in Parliament by two seats because Te Pati Māori won more electorate seats than it would otherwise have from its share of the party vote.
National lost two electorate seats. Labour’s Rachel Boyack took Nelson, and Phil Twyford, has won Te Atatū in Auckland, overtaking the National candidates by 29 and 131 votes, respectively.
This leaves National with 48 seats in Parliament – down from 50 on election night. Even combined with the ACT Party’s 11 seats, which were unchanged from election night, this is short of the majority needed for the parties to form a coalition government.
Dunno where Stuff got it from: I was watching this:
The Electoral Commission will have the official results for the 2023 General Election published here on Friday 3 November 2023. https://www.electionresults.govt.nz/
Right. Geddes just told Jack Tame that Henare will almost certainly go for a recount (lost by 4 votes). Celia Wade Brown may get in @ # 15 on the Greens list…
Not according to the LEC. That’s still what matters. And weren’t you complaining about the party being completely run by a professional class from Wellington?
In 3 years time the lessons we learn every 3 years will be forgotten once again, and it will be the same misleading picture.
Election night is not the election result. It never is. Learn, forget … Rinse, repeat, rinse, repeat.
Around 8 pm on election night National were on 42%. So a lot of people in TV studios said silly things and kept on saying them. National plus ACT were 65 seats, and then 64,63, 62 … and finally 59 (which will be 60 after the by-election).
I suppose nobody wants to say "let's wait, let's wait", coz it's boring telly. But it is accurate reporting.
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Half of Christchurch City Holdings Ltd’s directors and its chair resigned en masse last night in protest at Christchurch City Council’s demand to front-load dividends File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The chair of Christchurch City Council’s investment company and four of its independent directors resigned in protest last ...
The University of Waikato has reworded an advertisement that begins the tender process for its new $300 million-plus medical school even though the Government still needs to approve it. However, even the reworded ad contains an architect’s visualisations of what the school might look like. ACT leader David Seymour told ...
As a follow-up to the Rings of Power trailer discussion, I thought I needed to add something. There has been some online mockery about the use of the same actor for both the Halbrand and Annatar incarnations of Sauron. The reasoning is that Halbrand with a shave and a new ...
This isn’t quite as dramatic as the title might suggest. I’m not going anywhere, but there is something I wanted to talk to you about.Let’s start with a typical day.Most days I send out a newsletter in the morning. If I’ve written a lot the previous evening it might be ...
Buzz from the Beehive The promise of tax relief loomed large in his considerations when the PM delivered a pre-Budget speech to the Auckland Business Chamber. The job back in Wellington is getting government spending back under control, he said, bandying figures which show that in per capita terms, the ...
Te Pāti Māori have launched a petition to stop the repeal of Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act. This announcement comes prior to the first reading of the Section 7AA repeal bill in Parliament today. “Section 7AA forces the Government to adhere to Te Tiriti o Waitangi with respect ...
The Government has yet again failed to do the one thing that needs to happen to ensure houses can be built – commit to ongoing funding, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Treasury officials have outlined many ways in which the Fast Track Approvals Bill is deeply flawed, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking says. ...
Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick used this year's State of the Planet to call on the Government to prioritise people and planet as the delivery of the Budget approaches. A full transcript of their speeches can be found below. ...
Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick have used their State of the Planet speeches to challenge the Government to prioritise people and planet over profit as the delivery of the Budget approaches. ...
The Government’s introduction of legislation that would enable landlords to end tenancies with no reason marks a dark day for the 1.4 million people who rent their home in Aotearoa. ...
The Minister for Mental Health has found the Suicide Prevention Office and mental health support for 111 calls slipping through his fingers, says Labour spokesperson for Mental Health Ingrid Leary. ...
Today’s justification from the Minister for Children for scrapping protections for our tamariki was either a case of ignorance or deliberate deception. ...
The Green Party says the Government’s misguided policy on gangs will fail, following the announcement of the establishment of a national gang unit and district gang disruption units to target gang activities. ...
“With Police pay negotiations still unresolved after six months in Government, Mark Mitchell has today rolled the Commissioner out for a rebrand of their approach to gang crime,” Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said. ...
The Government bringing back 50 charter schools will not increase achievement and is a distraction from the core mission of the education system, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Te Pāti Māori is showing extreme concern over the Environment Select Committees adoption of a lucky dip draw to determine hearings for the Fast Track Approvals bill. Of the 27,000 submissions, 2,900 requested to present. All organisations will be heard; however, the remaining 2,350 submitters will be subject to a ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
Thousands more young New Zealanders will have better access to mental health services as the Government delivers on its commitment to fund the Gumboot Friday initiative, says Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey. “Budget 2024 will provide $24 million over four years to contract the ...
The Coalition Government’s Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill, which will improve tenancy laws and help increase the supply of rental properties, has passed its first reading in Parliament says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “The Bill proposes much-needed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 that will remove barriers to increasing private ...
Standing here in Cassino War Cemetery, among the graves looking up at the beautiful Abbey of Montecassino, it is hard to imagine the utter devastation left behind by the battles which ended here in May 1944. Hundreds of thousands of shells and bombs of every description left nothing but piled ...
I present a legislative statement on the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill Mr. Speaker, I move that the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Social Services and Community Committee to consider the Bill. Thank you, Mr. ...
The Bill to repeal Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has had its first reading in Parliament today. The Bill reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the care and safety of children in care, says Minister for Children Karen Chhour. “When I became the Minister for Children, I made ...
Kia ora koutou, good morning, and zao shang hao. Thank you Fran for the opportunity to speak at the 2024 China Business Summit – it’s great to be here today. I’d also like to acknowledge: Simon Bridges - CEO of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. His Excellency Ambassador - Wang ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed a New Zealand Government plane will head to New Caledonia in the next hour in the first in a series of proposed flights to begin bringing New Zealanders home. “New Zealanders in New Caledonia have faced a challenging few days - and bringing them ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed a New Zealand Government plane will head to New Caledonia in the next hour in the first in a series of proposed flights to begin bringing New Zealanders home. “New Zealanders in New Caledonia have faced a challenging few days - and bringing ...
The Coalition Government will introduce legislation this year that will enable roadside drug testing as part of our commitment to improve road safety and restore law and order, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Alcohol and drugs are the number one contributing factor in fatal road crashes in New Zealand. In ...
The Government has announced a series of immediate actions in response to the independent review of Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “Kāinga Ora is a large and important Crown entity, with assets of $45 billion and over $2.5 billion of expenditure each year. It ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour is pleased that Pseudoephedrine can now be purchased by the general public to protect them from winter illness, after the coalition government worked swiftly to change the law and oversaw a fast approval process by Medsafe. “Pharmacies are now putting the medicines back on their ...
Tēnā koutou katoa. Da jia hao. Good morning everyone. Prime Minister Luxon, your excellency, a great friend of New Zealand and my friend Ambassador Wang, Mayor of what he tells me is the best city in New Zealand, Wayne Brown, the highly respected Fran O’Sullivan, Champion of the Auckland business ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced that the Government will make it easier for lines firms to take action to remove vegetation from obstructing local powerlines. The change will ensure greater security of electricity supply in local communities, particularly during severe weather events. “Trees or parts of trees falling on ...
Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani were the top winners at this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy awards recognising the best in Māori dairy farming. Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka announced the winners and congratulated runners-up, Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board, at an awards celebration also attended by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister ...
"On the 27th of March, I sought assurances from the Chief Executive, Department of Internal Affairs, that the Department’s correct processes and policies had been followed in regards to a passport application which received media attention,” says Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden. “I raised my concerns after being ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins has announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges, to replace Judges who have recently retired. Peter James Davey of Auckland has been appointed a District Court Judge with a jury jurisdiction to be based at Whangarei. Mr Davey initially started work as a law clerk/solicitor with ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour is calling on the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) to put ideology to the side and focus on students’ learning, in reaction to the union holding paid teacher meetings across New Zealand about charter schools. “The PPTA is disrupting schools up and down the ...
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly today announced the appointment of Craig Stobo as the new chair of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). Mr Stobo takes over from Mark Todd, whose term expired at the end of April. Mr Stobo’s appointment is for a five-year term. “The FMA plays ...
Surf Life Saving New Zealand and Coastguard New Zealand will continue to be able to keep people safe in, on, and around the water following a funding boost of $63.644 million over four years, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “Heading to the beach for ...
New Zealand and Tuvalu have reaffirmed their close relationship, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand is committed to working with Tuvalu on a shared vision of resilience, prosperity and security, in close concert with Australia,” says Mr Peters, who last visited Tuvalu in 2019. “It is my pleasure ...
New Zealand is gravely concerned about the situation in New Caledonia, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The escalating situation and violent protests in Nouméa are of serious concern across the Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “The immediate priority must be for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met today with Samoa’s O le Ao o le Malo, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, who is making a State Visit to New Zealand. “His Highness and I reflected on our two countries’ extensive community links, with Samoan–New Zealanders contributing to all areas of our national ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced that he has approved Waiheke Island ferry operator Island Direct to be eligible for SuperGold Card funding, paving the way for a commercial agreement to bring the operator into the scheme. “Island Direct started operating in November 2023, offering an additional option for people ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters today announced further sanctions on 28 individuals and 14 entities providing military and strategic support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Russia is directly supported by its military-industrial complex in its illegal aggression against Ukraine, attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity. New Zealand condemns all entities and ...
A year on from the tragedy at Loafers Lodge, the Government is working hard to improve building fire safety, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I want to share my sincere condolences with the families and friends of the victims on the anniversary of the tragic fire at Loafers ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for having me here in the lead up to my Government’s first Budget. Before I get started can I acknowledge: Simon Bridges – Auckland Business Chamber CEO. Steve Jurkovich – Kiwibank CEO. Kids born ...
New Zealand and Vanuatu will enhance collaboration on issues of mutual interest, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “It is important to return to Port Vila this week with a broad, high-level political delegation which demonstrates our deep commitment to New Zealand’s relationship with Vanuatu,” Mr Peters says. “This ...
Minister for Land Information, Chris Penk will travel to Peru this week to represent New Zealand at a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific region on behalf of Trade Minister Todd McClay. The annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting will be held on 17-18 May ...
Minister of Education Erica Stanford will head to the United Kingdom this week to participate in the 22nd Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) and the 2024 Education World Forum (EWF). “I am looking forward to sharing this Government’s education priorities, such as introducing a knowledge-rich curriculum, implementing an evidence-based ...
Minister of Education Erica Stanford has today thanked outgoing New Zealand Qualifications Authority Chair, Hon Tracey Martin. “Tracey Martin tendered her resignation late last month in order to take up a new role,” Ms Stanford says. Ms Martin will relinquish the role of Chair on 10 May and current Deputy ...
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and President Emmanuel Macron of France today announced a new non-governmental organisation, the Christchurch Call Foundation, to coordinate the Christchurch Call’s work to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. This change gives effect to the outcomes of the November 2023 Call Leaders’ Summit, ...
Distinguished public servant and former diplomat Sir Maarten Wevers will lead the independent review into the disability support services administered by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. The review was announced by Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston a fortnight ago to examine what could be done to strengthen the ...
Today’s announcement by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster of a National Gang Unit and district Gang Disruption Units will help deliver on the coalition Government’s pledge to restore law and order and crack down on criminal gangs, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. “The National Gang Unit and Gang Disruption Units will ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today expressed regret at North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric towards New Zealand and its international partners. “New Zealand proudly stands with the international community in upholding the rules-based order through its monitoring and surveillance deployments, which it has been regularly doing alongside partners since 2018,” Mr ...
Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies MNZM is the new Chief of Defence Force, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. The Chief of Defence Force commands the Navy, Army and Air Force and is the principal military advisor to the Defence Minister and other Ministers with relevant portfolio responsibilities in the defence ...
Legislation to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act has been introduced to Parliament. The Bill’s introduction reaffirms the Coalition Government’s commitment to the safety of children in care, says Minister for Children, Karen Chhour. “While section 7AA was introduced with good intentions, it creates a conflict for Oranga ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins will this week travel to the UK and Italy to meet with her defence counterparts, and to attend Battles of Cassino commemorations. “I am humbled to be able to represent the New Zealand Government in Italy at the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of what was ...
The upcoming Budget will include funding for up to 50 charter schools to help lift declining educational performance, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced today. $153 million in new funding will be provided over four years to establish and operate up to 15 new charter schools and convert 35 state ...
“The results of the public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has now been received, with results indicating over 13,000 submissions were made from members of the public,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “We heard feedback about the extended lockdowns in ...
Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, other Members of Parliament Acting Chief of Defence Force, Secretary of Defence Distinguished Guests Defence and Diplomatic Colleagues Ladies and Gentlemen, Good afternoon, tēna koutou, apinun tru It’s a pleasure to be back in Port Moresby today, and to speak here at the Kumul Leadership ...
WHAT: Prison abolitionist community group People Against Prisons Aotearoa has called for a demonstration to protest the Government’s announcement of a $1.9 billion megaprison in Waikeria. The protest will call for the Government to cancel the prison ...
Social media stars are being targeted by a campaign aimed at drawing attention to the bombing of Palestinian civilians. Gabi Lardies looks at what the ‘blockout’ hopes to achieve, and the alternative way to boycott. On May 6, celebrities flocked to the Met Gala wearing tulle, crystals, lace and lamé. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melanie Ashe, PhD Candidate, School of Media, Film & Journalism, Monash University Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures The Mad Max films are set in an arid, barren, post-apocalyptic world known in the movies as “the wasteland”. This is a world of ...
New Zealand police have a lot of guns, and every year one or two are briefly misplaced. Oscar Francis reports on an official investigation into a singularly striking case, that of a helicopter-borne constable who dropped their pistol into an illegal cannabis plantation. You know how sometimes you find yourself ...
An alliance of mental health organisations is urging the Minister for Mental Health, Matt Doocey and the Coalition Government to invest in the Aotearoa New Zealand’s mental health system in an open letter. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Bartley, Postdoctoral Fellow, RMIT Centre for Cyber Security Research and Innovation, RMIT University In the occupied far east of Ukraine, Russian forces are aiming waves of missiles against Ukrainian civilian targets. Each of Russia’s state-of-the-art missile launch systems costs more than ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna DeMello, Research Fellow, University of Otago Getty Images Despite measures to reduce young people’s access to vapes, many countries are recording rising use by underage adolescents, especially since refillable “pod mods” and disposable devices have become widely available. In ...
The Education Ministry has taken back the job of financing, designing and building several school expansions, after companies said the public-private-partnership approach was too difficult. ...
Barring an unplanned byelection, the July 20 council election will be our only major election of the year, explains Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The National Party insists there has been no conflict of interest in David Macleod's chairing the committee considering the contentious fast-track bill. ...
Joel MacManus endures five hours of fear and hatred as some of New Zealand’s most controversial figures – and a sitting MP – gather to fight against trans rights. Note: This article contains quotes that may offend. They have been included to present an accurate report of what was said ...
It raises valid concerns about Kāinga Ora, but there’s little to suggest the new direction for state housing charted in Sir Bill English’s report will address Aotearoa’s chronic shortage of affordable rental housing, argues Alan Johnson.Given previous National governments’ indifference or even hostility toward the idea of state housing, ...
The publishing sensation of 2024 is wartime memoir The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour and Jude Dobson, which tells the amazing story of a woman who operated behind enemy lines in Nazi-occupied France. Sales went through the roof as soon as it was published: in its first week it became ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 22 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Comment: NZ’s main political parties need to reach a consensus on how to adjust to China’s dominance and coercion The post Bridging the Aukus chasm appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Opinion: Jacinda Ardern’s leadership significantly enhanced New Zealand’s profile on the global stage. In the first five months of her second term of government, between December 2020 and April 2021, her name appeared 24 times in the Washington Post, 10 in the New York Times, 27 in the Times and ...
Comment: The public has seen the PM’s ruthless side, but it’s hard to imagine a scenario where a member of the coalition faces the same punishment The post Christopher Luxon the disciplinarian appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Education is facing a bunch of changes, but the important ones are not banned cell phones or ‘woke’ foods. The Government has ordered teachers to adopt ‘structured literacy’ to get children reading. That means Reading Recovery, a system New Zealand pioneered and spread to the world, along with ‘whole language’, ...
What a difference a year has made for Caroline Powell. After coming last at the Badminton Horse Trials in 2023, Powell triumphed at this year’s event earlier this month, on board her sometimes-feisty Irish-bred mare Greenacres Special Cavalier – much to her astonishment. Now she hopes to succeed at the ...
By Maia Ingoe, RNZ News journalist A NZ Defence Force plane carrying 50 New Zealanders evacuated from New Caledonia landed at Auckland International Airport last night. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it would be working with France and Australia to ensure the safe departure of several evacuation ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Snow, Research Scientist, CSIRO CSIRO How often do you check your local weather forecast? How about your local climate projections for 2050? For many farmers, the answer to the first question is all the time. But the answer to the ...
Pacific Media Watch A Māori supporter of Pacific independence movements claims the French government has “constructed the crisis” in New Caledonia by pushing the indigenous Kanak population to the edge, reports Atereano Mateariki of Waatea News. A NZ Defence Force Hercules is today evacuating about 50 New Zealanders stranded in ...
COMMENTARY:By Gordon Campbell The split opening up in Israel’s “War Cabinet” is not just between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his long-term rival Benny Gantz. It is actually a three-way split, set in motion by Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. It was Gallant’s open criticism of Netanyahu that finally flushed ...
Reacting to today’s Budget Speech from Labour’s Finance spokesperson, Barbara Edmonds, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said: “It is encouraging to see that one of Labour’s stated priorities is to focus on creating ‘a level ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kylie Turner, System Lead, Sustainable Economies, Climateworks Centre atk work/Shutterstock In the budget last week, the government was keen to talk about its efforts to turn Australia into a renewable superpower under the umbrella of the Future Made in Australia policies. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Opposition Leader Peter Dutton might have done us a favour. As part of his budget reply speech on Thursday night he promised to stop foreigners buying existing Australian homes. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Maguire, Associate Professor in Human Rights and International Law, University of Newcastle The request by Karim Khan, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), for arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders is a significant step in the effort to ...
RNZ Pacific A New Zealand author, journalist and media educator who has covered the Asia-Pacific region since the 1970s says liberation “must come” for Kanaky/New Caledonia. Professor David Robie sailed on board Greenpeace’s flagship Rainbow Warrior until it was bombed by French secret agents in New Zealand in July 1985 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Renwick, Professor of Agricultural Economics, Lincoln University, New Zealand Fonterra caught the business world by surprise last week with plans to sell off its consumer brands and businesses – including supermarket mainstays such as Anchor, Fresh’n Fruity and Mainland. The move ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Small, Senior lecturer, Above the Bar School of Educational Studies and Leadership, University of Canterbury With an air force plane on its way to rescue New Zealanders stranded by the violent uprising in New Caledonia, many familiar with the island’s history ...
A New Zealand government plane is heading to New Caledonia to assist with bringing New Zealanders home. Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today confirmed it was the first in a series of proposed flights. Peters said the flight would carry around 50 passengers with the most pressing needs from Nouméa ...
Regional councils must focus on building meaningful and enduring relationships with iwi and hapū to support better freshwater management, says the Auditor-General in a new report. ...
Chris Glaudel, Deputy Chief Executive of Community Housing Aotearoa, sees the announcement as a step towards addressing New Zealand’s high and rising levels of homelessness by improving our approach and system to delivering affordable homes. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Mamouri, Research fellow, Middle East studies, Deakin University The death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash this week occurred during one of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s most challenging periods. Raisi, a prominent figure in the political elite, ...
The end of universal flu shot funding for under-12s is a step backwards for New Zealand child health, say experts from the University of Auckland and the University of Otago. New Zealand’s decision to no longer offer free influenza vaccines for all children under 12 will likely wipe out recent ...
The PSA is taking action to force the Ministry of Education to comply with its legal obligations to do everything it can to find other roles for staff it is laying off because of the Government’s spending cuts. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Waling, Senior Lecturer & Research Fellow, Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University Netflix There has been much excitement in the lead up to the first four episodes of Bridgerton’s season three, featuring leading couple Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa De Bortoli, Senior Research Fellow, Australian Council for Educational Research Taylor Flowe/Unsplash, CC BY Australian teenagers have more disruptive maths classrooms and experience bullying at greater levels than the OECD average, a new report shows. But in better news, Australian ...
Poet, editor and former bookseller Jane Arthur’s debut children’s novel Brown Bird is the story of a shy, self-conscious 11-year-old – partly based on her childhood self – venturing out of her quiet comfort zone. Children’s books are close to my heart because mostly I believe that adults are rings ...
Peter Jackson is bringing Lord of the Rings back to Wellington, producing two new Gollum films in Wellington. Madeleine Chapman (Gollum) argues with Madeleine Chapman (Smeagol) about it. First of all, I can’t believe we’re even having this conversation. Of course it’s great news!I don’t know, it gives me ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a part-time media librarian and superannuitant explains how he spends and saves. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Male Age: 65 Ethnicity: EuropeanRole: Media librarian ...
The Government’s Environmental Select Committee is refusing to engage meaningfully when it matters the most over new fast tracking environmental legislation, says Ngāti Ruanui. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Marsh, Senior Research Fellow in Public Health, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Christoph Soeder/dpa New Zealand’s decision to no longer offer free influenza vaccines for all children under 12 will likely wipe out recent gains in uptake. And it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexis Anja Kallio, Deputy Director (Research), Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University Many young people in contact with the justice system come from backgrounds of extreme poverty, parental abuse or neglect, parental incarceration and disrupted education. These complex traumas often manifest as addictions ...
The agency was found to be underperforming and ‘not financially viable’, explains Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A damning report A government-ordered ...
Had a flash of the new "business" way of government.
This afternoon Lxn realises he has to phone Winnie.
" All lines are busy at the moment. Your business is important to us. Current wait times are 2 hours 45 minutes. Please hold the line." (Continuous racing commentary plays).
Anyone want to take it from there/
Maybe Winston could be playing this song from Aftermath, the 1966 album by the Rolling Stones.
"I Am Waiting"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMNEozyzpZI
Maybe Abba's "Ring Ring"?
"Ring, ring, why don't give me a call……."
Boots?
"So you are sending Brownlee to the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting without consulting me?"
And so today we get the final results of the election, 20 days after the closing of the polls.
Unpopular take but the critics of the delay – and the overall competence of the way the election was conducted – have a point. The MSM political journalists seem to largely to be having a childish junkie's tantrum over being denied their fix, so as per usual they can't see the issue for their egos.
But there were big issues that need answers from the electoral commission. The use of technology – in particular the reliance on an app that crashed – didn't scale particularly well, leading to delays – often long ones – as the election volunteers were insufficient in numbers and training to fill the gap. Why it was decided to adopt an app based approach at all (solution looking for a problem?) needs to be answered, especially when you consider the also online technology led fiasco that was the census.
The running out of ballot papers in some South Auckland electorates is a basic competency scandal that, had it occurred in Herne Bay and Remuera, you'd have heard trumpeted on the front page of the Herald for weeks.
The confusion over closing advanced voting places on election day – which common sense should have told the electoral commission people would have noticed leading up to polling day and filed away as a voting location – was an act of almost bovine stupidity.
But the biggest concern has to be the delay over announcing the final result. Three weeks is an unacceptable delay in the transfer of power. People might think it inconsequential, but we've seen in the USA what happens when you dawdle over an immediate transfer of power. There is a reason the second old QEII breathed her last Charlie became King. What would stop an errant Trumpist right wing government deciding via a flurry of orders in council to abolish ministries, mass fire employees and stop civil service pay in the three weeks it takes to form a government now? Convention is well and good but as the USA demonstrates, it is actually a constraint on anyone. We have to come up with a quicker way of getting the final result.
We need to be a bit careful what we wish for. Luxon may well use the 3-week wait this time as an excuse for changing the rules and not allowing voters to enroll on the day. That would surely save some time. The right is always keen to shrink the franchise to people with stable, predictable lives.
They hate same day enrolment, they won't need an excuse to axe it if they want.
I think you are wrong in this case Sanc. By complaining about the 3 week delay you are helping Luxon and Seymour to stop same day enrolment, which is an important plus for democracy in NZ.
The 3 week delay has little effect. We have a caretaker PM/government that consults with the PM elect. Government goes on in this period.
Meanwhile Luxon has said that he has had meaningful (but secret) talks with ACT and NZF in these 3 weeks that will have already sorted out most of what will happen after we receive the final result at 2pm today.
What's the problem?
Having said that, if some of the accuracy checks, where they are extremely unlikely to affect the final result, could be done later, they might be able to get the results out more quickly.
Mostly the delay isn't over counting the specials, but rather over all of the checks and balances which we (as a robust democracy) need to have in place to ensure that the election results are valid.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/501459/final-vote-delay-criticisms-not-fair-but-daily-updates-could-work-edgeler
But there is no good reason why daily updates couldn't be released – giving some guidance to those in marginal seats.
Having said that – I'd be predicting that any seat with a less than 50-100 majority is going to have a re-count challenge. So even the 'final' result may not be final.
Rimmer was suggesting exactly that this morning on RNZ I think but Golriz Ghahraman was quoted in response saying something like people should be given as many opportunities to vote as possible.
Agree. Do they really have to re-could the whole thing?
I think it plays to a wider and ultimately I think very damaging criticism of the last Labour government – lack of delivery despite copious funding and the frustrations that grew from that.
Richard Harman notes today in Politik:
“…The number of pure Public Servants has increased by 7255 from the number employed when National left office in 2017.That is an increase of 35.64 per cent to bring the total in the capital to 27,612. Over the same period, public sector education and health workers in Wellington have increased by only 16 per cent. They very slightly outnumber the bureaucrats with a total of 29,000. The Public Service Commission yesterday also released public service salary data, which showed the average public service pay was $97,200, which suggests that the Wellington increase since 2017 has added $705 million to the government’s annual wage bill…”
Continue reading at https://www.politik.co.nz/public-servant-numbers-jump/ | Politik
Now, nobody minds a big jump in bureaucrats if they deliver results. But the sinking feeling is the electoral commission went with an app because it created work for a project manager who they quite like and would rather not let go, for the Wellington based IT industry who need fat government contracts to survive, and it meant they could justify increasing head count in the IT delivery team. Ditto for the census. In other words, it isn’t hard to imagine a lot of the increased spending was just to create a giant middle class make work scheme designed mainly to enrich a mildly incompetent Wellington government feedback loop.
There's sure plenty of those kinds of dead or dying expensive i.t. projects across a whole bunch of Departments. Just wait for the health one to metastasize.
I find it hard to believe National+Act can make massive financial cuts without bringing consultants in to assist. Will make for a fascinating 100 Day Plan, since Labour forgot to do one in 2017.
Wellington is going to be a bloodbath of thousands of woke carcasses. They can occupy parliament grounds and see if the opposition will come out to rally them.
"Woke carcasses"?
That's just disgusting language tbh.
Stop demonising people in public service, these are usually people who are trying to keep government going smoothly and we don't know who or which jobs or organisations will be axed under the incoming government that will affect the functioning of the country or not.
I don't like the disdain and dismissiveness of that language.
Public service is an important aspect of governance and the idea of the language that they're all airy-fairy angers me because a lot of them are behind the scenes trying their best and they are usually part of many a health/disability community advocacy push.
We need many people who are willing to work for the best of New Zealand/Aotearoa and we cannot afford to play silly buggers with what may happen in the future.
Smh. Sometimes I just hate reading this blog.
Ad is the best and asking Ad, the brightest the Labour Party has to offer…
I don’t actually know if he’s (sorry I’m actually not sure on Ad’s gender or if the posters under the handle are many) a Labour voter and supporter. Or if he’s the only one left.
Seeing he’s an author he rarely seems to get censured for his extravagant style. It’s Cullen-lite. Large attempts at wit, but much less knowing everything despite all that!
Not in the best vein this morning, old chap. Too much partying with your other undead rogernome buddies for Halloween…
We have to come up with a quicker way of getting the final result.
That's the problem with this world. It's rush, rush, rush; everything has got to be done 'yesterday'. Everybody's too bloody impatient.
Agreed! Checking and accuracy come second to expediency – the vibe matters more than the fact.
Yes let's bring back candlewick snuffers tripping through the rooms at midnight, paper bus tickets on trolley buses, nightcart soil pullers, handwritten receipts from the smiling butcher, looped cursive cheque writing, A0 newspapers stretched across the breakfast table as Dad puffs his pipe, wringer washing machines for Mum to stay busy, milkmen whistling the milk of human kindness to your door, dial phones attached to your wall, and of course a basement of bright yellow preserved peaches.
Sounds like Timaru, the place where the inhabitants are flattered when they come to Auckland and discover MOTAT has an entire exhibit dedicated to their town.
I'm gonna agree with the last one. Home bottled peaches…..Yummmmm
Need the climate to grow the trees and have those that are there already not to die off…
At least all that shit worked and did the job it was supposed to.
Correct.
Some things, such as counting votes in a general election, must always be done properly. There is no other way unless you want to live in a corrupt nation.
"We've seen in the USA what happens when you dawdle over an immediate transfer of power?"
Do you mean we've seen what happens in the USA when you expect the traditional (over a couple of hundred years) transfer of power when the loser in the election is a narcissistic megalomaniac with a cult following roused to be violent?
The 1984 constitutional crisis occurred over four days when a narcissistic megalomaniac with a cult following refused to devalue the NZ dollar. Imagine if that had been dragged on for almost three weeks, it would have wrecked the economy.
it would have wrecked the economy.
How do you know? There are some who said that, but it may have just been propaganda. Douglas, in one of his books, said that he favoured devaluation, but that may just have given rise to a sort of self-fulfilling prophesy. There were no doubt people in the economy who figured to make money from a devaluation.
I agree with you with respect to the delay. If 1,000,000 plus votes cast on election day can be counted that day, then why on earth should we have to wait three weeks for approx half that amount?
As I tried to point out to you mid last month processing special votes is a more complicated and time-consuming process than counting the votes of people who cast an ordinary vote on the day. For ordinary votes there is a preliminary count on the night and they are re-counted later for the official result.
Each person who makes a special vote has to make a special vote declaration to the returning officer in the electorate they believe they are entitled to vote in. The declaration is checked and witnessed by the issuing officer in the voting place who issues them a ballot paper which goes into an envelope with two pockets along with the declaration and is returned to the home electorate. If someone is enrolling and voting their enrolment form is processed separately post voting day. There are seven options as to why someone is making a special vote.
From what I understand (as we just did the declaration checking and witnessing and ballot issuing) the specials are returned to the home electorate where each one has be be checked to confirm it is a valid special vote. I think this is what takes the time. The counting is the easy bit at the end.
Of course one way to speed it up would be to employ more people to do the job but that would obviously cost more which would probably stick in the throat of small government proponents.
There are a lot more people available to be hired for one Saturday (the public service encourages public servants to do it) plus some people for advance voting, than people for 2-3 weeks.
Thus it is fortunate in a way that National got a mandate to form a government, but will be still be denied a NACT majority – otherwise this would be a much bigger issue.
I enjoyed the break after the pre-election madness. The relatively quiet time of this 3-week interregnum allowed for some much-needed reflection and introspection without the usual cacophony from the bread & circuses from and through MSM & SM. It felt like the calm after and before the next shitstorm. To some people the result and sub-sequent wait may have felt like an anti-climax but to me it felt cathartic.
Sorry to see Redline folding. Sometimes it's good to be annoyed.
BTW could sure do with more writers here people.
They seem to have got sucked into the culture war thing over trans rights and having brought into that narrative they eventually exploded.
If anyone wonders why Egypt and Saudia Arabia or frankly any arab country isn't offering to take in Palestinian refugees, here's a few of their excuses set out here:
https://apnews.com/article/palestinian-jordan-egypt-israel-refugee-502c06d004767d4b64848d878b66bd3d
Their primary reason for not accepting Palestinians will be because of the economic and political effects in their own countries. But the reasons they give here are not silly – knowing that fleeing to neighbouring countries is an option would simply embolden the Israeli government to complete the eviction process started in 1948. And as the Israeli government doesn't care, they will try to push and push until the international pressure on the Arab states makes them cave in.
The last "new song" we will ever hear from The Beatles called "Now and Then" has been officially released.
Warning – if you are a Beatles nut like me you may get tears in your eyes.
😎
Just last week I found a new version of an oldie which had me reflecting on the variety of their songs.
great find.
The live Cavern Club album recorded by someone in the audience and found years later has some great unexpected covers. Some Ray Charles in there….
It's low-fi and the quality isn't great but does give some insight into that early part of their career. I quite like putting it on now and then.
I Saw Her Standing There
Roll Over Beethoven
Hippy Hippy Shake
Sweet Little Sixteen
Lend Me Your Comb
Your Feet's Too Big
Twist And Shout
Mr. Moonlight
A Taste Of Honey
Besame Mucho
Reminiscing
Kansas City
Ain't Nothing Shakin' Like The Leaves On A Tree
To Know Her Is To Love Her
Little Queenie
Falling In Love Again
Ask Me Why
Be-Bop-A-Lula
Halleluja, I Love Her So
Red Sails In The Sunset
Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby
Matchbox
Talkin' 'Bout You
Shimmy Shake
Long Tall Sally
Remember You
I had tears in my eyes all right.
Felt and sounded like a funeral dirge with lyrics as silly as Fat Mattress's Petrol Pump Assistant.
Can see why it was never finished. They should have left it alone.
Though it could go well as a lament for the Labour Party to it's voting base who only now and then seem to need its poor and working class.
Now (Now) and then (And then)
I miss you (I miss you)
Oh, now (Now) and then (And then)
I want you to return to me
Now (Now) and then (And then)
I miss you (I miss you)
Oh, now (Now) and then (And then)
I want you to return to me
Now (Now) and then (And then)
Sad cause some post John Lennon stuff has been really good. The stripped back version of Woman was brilliant.
Fat Mattress’s Petrol Pump Assistant.
6 seat for Te Pāti Māori and overhang baby!
Yeah…
NZF in control:
Dunno where Stuff got it from: I was watching this:
The Electoral Commission will have the official results for the 2023 General Election published here on Friday 3 November 2023. https://www.electionresults.govt.nz/
Finals still not posted @ 2.11pm…
National will go to 49 with the by election.
Greens an extra seat to 15
TPM 6
Labour stay 34
68-55
Right. Geddes just told Jack Tame that Henare will almost certainly go for a recount (lost by 4 votes). Celia Wade Brown may get in @ # 15 on the Greens list…
These are the MP's at this point – because of the 3 electorate seats CWB is next (16th).
https://elections.nz/assets/2023-General-Election/Attachment-A-successful-candidates-2023.pdf
Andrew Little has packed it in, I wonder who the lucky punter next off the rank is?
Camille Bellich – no 26.
https://www.labour.org.nz/ourteam
Bellich should haave got Mt. Albert over that waste of space Helen White.
Not according to the LEC. That’s still what matters. And weren’t you complaining about the party being completely run by a professional class from Wellington?
Helen White is only 20 votes ahead in Mt Albert, which is the number Geddes said is viable for a recount.
https://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2023/electorate-status.html
So who made it in for Labour?
Twitty and Boyack
See #8…
The number 26 on the Labour list is Camille Bellich – she comes in when Little goes.
122 of our MP's plus one off the National list when "someone" moves on to become PW MP.
https://elections.nz/assets/2023-General-Election/Attachment-A-successful-candidates-2023.pdf
Trump the complete ass he was, has enabled another dick waving ass to play dangerous games.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/11/03/putin-revokes-russias-ratification-of-nuclear-test-ban-treaty/
Here I was waiting for Sue Grey to be catapulted into the Beehive!
I don't believe that she wanted to un-ban catapults. A trebuchet or a ballista perhaps.
Or perhaps a slingshot.
In 3 years time the lessons we learn every 3 years will be forgotten once again, and it will be the same misleading picture.
Election night is not the election result. It never is. Learn, forget … Rinse, repeat, rinse, repeat.
Around 8 pm on election night National were on 42%. So a lot of people in TV studios said silly things and kept on saying them. National plus ACT were 65 seats, and then 64,63, 62 … and finally 59 (which will be 60 after the by-election).
I suppose nobody wants to say "let's wait, let's wait", coz it's boring telly. But it is accurate reporting.
My on the night guesses at midnight for the final were
Nat ~38% (close) they kept going down as the bigger booths gave results Just slipped below 40% when I was going to bed.
Lab ~28% (not close) obviously not as much as I expected
Greens ~11.5% + from specials
NZF ~6% – never move much on specials
I expected Act to fall a little bit and TPM to remain the same (outside of electorate seats).
The results thus so far:
26 – Labour
11 – Greens
3 – Te Patī Māori
(40% seats)
38 (soon to be 39) – National
8 – Act
6 – NZ First
(52-3% seats)
The highest non-overhang seat percentage is:
2 – The Opportunities Party
My source?
https://elections.nz/media-and-news/2023/official-results-for-the-2023-general-election/