Reay wants deadly quake building complaint dismissed
A man whose company was responsible for designing the six-storey Christchurch building that collapsed in the February 2011 earthquake, killing 115 people, is trying to halt a disciplinary process, claiming he has suffered prejudice.
The complaint against Reay was first raised in December 2012, after the release of a Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission report, which found Reay breached the 1986 IPENZ Code of Ethics.
But..but..he's 82 ! Yea now he's 82. Been trying to dodge this ..for years. Those poor people… crushed. 115 killed.
Dr Alan Reay, who owned Alan Reay Consultants, has been criticised for giving his inexperienced structural engineer David Harding “sole responsibility” for designing the Canterbury Television (CTV) building when he knew the engineer lacked the necessary experience.
Some take MAGAism way too seriously, but the political fruitcakes do need to be monitored just in case, as the Christchurch Mosque massacre tragically showed.
Act wants the return of semi-autos along with mounting attacks on workers rights and benefits–voters will keep an eye on them hopefully on Oct. 14!
CTU has made a few submissions on immigration-related policy and legislation in recent years and have been consistently in favour of measures to eliminate exploitation.
Recommendation 7 recommends not tying work visas to employers.
One thing that did come up in this quick check was that the current accreditation model was intended to reduce exploitation because it could be used to remove access to migrant labour (by revoking accreditation) and CTU supported that but also made comments about resourcing needing to be sufficient to actually carry out the enforcement. Obviously that hasn't happened to date.
It is a flawed strategy–don’t use your opponents image for starters–from an organisation that has been very low profile for decades apart from the Helen Kelly period. The NZCTU excels in being subservient to State Sector affiliates & “welcoming” anything and everything that the Labour Caucus deigns to announce.
The NZ working class have long needed a fighting class left central labour organisation since the demise of the NZ Federation of Labour in 1987. But this is not an easy build given the substantial collapse of private sector union density since the Natzos first union busting ECA in 1991. Sure FIRST Union, Unite, Etū, Maritime and Dairy Workers have done some great work, but a Mick Lynch ain’t going to happen at the CTU while the PSA and friends are in charge.
NActFirst have ECA mkII well in train–a blatant attack on the NZ working class in favour of capital. Rather than attack Baldrick, the ad could better have led with the Natzos hit list of minimum wage etc. etc. etc. and a call to arms and defence of the gains made since 2017.
I absolutely agree with yr final paragraph. Some enjoy easy potshots at Luxon over his appearance, they come across as shallow and petty. Go him for his conflict of interest in being a landlord and proposing making landlording more profitable.
Your mention of Helen Kelly and thinking about Ardern, I doubt this CTU ad would have got approval from either of them.
I'm sure the ad, billboards and other sundries cost a pretty penny and it seems squandered. Kinda fitting.
It's a sliding scale. Something like Citizens for Rowling in 1975 was clearly a misstep – a group of liberal intellectuals who were pretty much right in what they said about Muldoon, but clearly gave the impression of talking down to voters. The condescension of it was grist to the mill of Muldoon and his so-called "Rob's mob", which was an earlier incarnation of "Waitakere Man". And it made no difference to the election result.
The CTU ad is not so clear cut. It's a trade union organisation with members who have legitimate interests, not a self-appointed group of supposed thought-leaders. The ad plugs into a commonly noted fact that many people are not really comfortable with Luxon in the way they were with Key.**. It is well-timed by following the grubby fiasco of letting foreign buyers back in. It gave Hipkins a chance to point out that the Taxpayers Union is a National Party front. It was a lead-in to discussing the implications for workers of National's policies. It provoked a response from National which will now make them look hypocritical if they respond with similar ads – I suspect these are already sitting in the pipeline – and they may be thinking about whether they need to pull some of them or not.
The only thing about it that crossed a line was how it made use of Luxon's unprepossessing physical appearance. In that feature alone I think it started to look like some of the unsavoury stuff that comes from the right. It's a common tactic though, for example the NZ Herald subtly uses pictures of Hipkins suffused in an orange wash, while Luxon is mostly crystal-sharp and making decisive hand-gestures like a man in the act of 'getting things done' (not spouting inane, scripted lines). So overall I'm not certain it was a misstep.
** Key's supposed likeability always baffled me. I am probably odd or unusual, but after seeing Key on the telly I always felt like I should be hosed down with antiseptic for my health's sake.
And many others..incl me ! sir Key always struck me as not as affable/likeable as he purported. A fake even….with quite a strange sleazy component. That poor Waitress for one….
Yes, sir Key seemed “off” for sure, even Winston asked if “the carpet matched the curtains” and introduced the nation to a new kink…trichophilia–hair fetishism.
“Shonkey” (rhymes with “Jean Qui“ a friend said), certainly had twin turbo boost support from Finance Capital one way or another in his political affairs. The off shore Trust debacle for instance…there is quite a trail there that so many NZers seemed totally oblivious to.
The CTU is not talking to the general voting public. They are talking to their own people. I refer to the factory workers, the road workers, forest workers, cleaners, carpenters, transport workers, port workers etc. etc.
What better way to get the message across than wrapping it in the newspaper with the largest readership as well as hoardings in cities across NZ – assuming they are in places other than Wellington.
The CTU is not talking to the general voting public. They are talking to their own people. I refer to the factory workers, the road workers, forest workers, cleaners, carpenters, transport workers, port workers etc. etc.
IE Me….and many thousands of others..who NAct will standover….and steal from.
The head of the University of Waikato was intimately involved in National's policy of establishing a medical school at the university, and told one of its senior MPs it could be a "present" to a future National government.
Documents seen by RNZ show vice chancellor Professor Neil Quigley went to considerable lengths to help National develop the policy. Quigley was in constant contact with the party's health spokesperson, Dr Shane Reti, in the lead-up to its announcement in July this year.
The university then engaged Anna Lillis, a former press secretary and political advisor to Joyce, to lead its communications strategy about the school.
According to a survey conducted annually by festival volunteers, the average Burner is getting older (the average age last year was 37, compared with 32 in 2013) and wealthier.
[lprent: deleted as simple minded spam with no apparent content.
Gloating by simpletons whilst wanking should wait until after an election. Something that has to be won first.
This is your only warning. ]
I can never understand why Labour cannot encapsulate in a really simple way the fundamentally flawed ideas around neo-liberalism and how such a system sucks wealth into one small corner of the world's population, so that average voters can understand. Instead, it lets the nactoids off the hook by letting them get away with "national's the party with the economic smarts" etc. Surely it's these really basic ideas that need to be at the heart of Labour's campaign.
Now that it's not first thing in the morning, I have re-read yr comment.
There is nothing dumb in observing that this incarnation of Labour is dyed in the wool neo-liberal. To imply otherwise is very shallow thinking.
Little's new Te Whatu Ora is an example. Going for 'efficiencies' in the back office functions, payroll and IT systems. All well and good but still out-sourcing catering, laundry, security, grounds, parking…
Woods and Little and their Approved Employer Scheme. Because, for some reason, we can't train welders and drivers anymore. So subcontract it. Neo-liberal as. Nurses, doctors, dentists the list goes on.
Maybe the onus is on you to demonstrate how they are not neo-liberal.
Latest election polling from Roy Morgan – has ACT on 18% to National's 31% – with the combined right total having enough seats to govern (i.e. not needing NZF or another 3rd party).
In this scenario – ACT with over half of the National total (23 seats to National's 39) would theoretically be in a very strong position in a coalition – in terms of getting their policy enacted. Especially as they've increased 4% (compared to the previous poll by this pollster) – so going up, while National has dropped slightly.
I don't recall a minor party with such a strong position vis-a-vis the major one in a previous NZ election.
Should the polls reverse (as is always a possibility) – the strong performance of the GP is putting them in the same position in relation to Labour.
As others have been saying – the policy platform of the 'minor' parties is more relevant than ever in this election.
I think it was Hooten that observed a few weeks ago about how the two main parties share of the vote was at an all time low. If they both keep trending down as they appear to be the minor parties may not ne so minor in October.
Its traditional for minor parties to do well in polls prior to election day but once people get to vote many slink back to one of the two main parties. The exception to the rule are the Greens who tend to be the other way round. They do less well in pre-election polls but come up trumps on election day.
You have to go back to 2014 to find a significant variation – and that was the GP polling around 2-3% less in the final election than they had in the polls immediately prior. The rest of the minor parties were within the margin of error.
In the 2011 election, the GP again dropped around 2-3% from the month prior polls (or more, if you look at the 2 immediately before election day) – but NZF actually polled significantly higher on election day than they did in any poll apart from the one immediately before election day
I don't see a pattern of all minor parties polling well immediately before election day, and then have a significant difference in the final election result. And, indeed, the only party that this has happened for in the last 12 or so years, has been the Green Party.
Another interesting point is what it (this high vote for the minor parties) does to the electorate list for the major ones.
Given that (apart from Swarbrick for the GP, Seymour for ACT and the TPM winning 2-3 electorate seats) – the vast majority of the electorates will go to Labour or National. So if there are high numbers of party votes for ACT/GP and possibly NZF – it's pretty unlikely that many list MPs from Labour and National will be getting into parliament. If ACT get 23 seats – 22 of them will be list; if the GP get 16 seats, 15 of them will be list. If NZF get over the line, that's another 7, all list. That's leaving only 15 or so list places to be split between National and Labour.
Likely to make a big difference to the government – whichever side wins. At the current polling (and bearing in mind that electorates may switch from Labour to National, 'freeing up' list places) – it doesn't look likely that Rurawhe, Little or Parker will in the next Parliament.
Harder to tell for National – since the majority of their top list places are standing in winnable electorates as well.
In the past, Labour didn't have the high numbers of list seats being taken up by ACT and the GP.
Of the 30 seats they'll get (at 24%) – the vast majority look as though they're going to be electorate seats (safe Labour seats). That leaves very few to come in off the list.
I know it makes no difference in the total number of seats. But it has the potential to make a huge difference in the representation. If the majority of the Labour party in parliament are the electorate MPs in safe seats, rather than a mixture with the list. Just go and have a look at the list-only MPs at the top of Labour's party list. That's a lot of experience that's at serious risk of not being back in parliament.
The same as other elections between 2005 and 2020 and those at risk, Parker and Little do not care – they are there for a third term, not to do another 3 years in opposition and retire in 2026.
So which year would this be then? I've checked back to 2011 – and not seen any evidence.
Are you talking about last century? It can hardly be a tradition if it hasn't happened in the last 20 years……
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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 ...
“Our exporters should, therefore, be deeply concerned that the Fast-track Approvals Bill was not assessed for consistency with any of our free trade commitments prior to being introduced to the House,” says Gary Taylor, Chief Executive of the Environmental ...
NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff is calling on all political parties to support the new Member’s Bill from Labour’s workplace relations and safety spokesperson Camilla Belich MP that would ensure negligent companies are held accountable when their employees ...
A historian with a track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go wrong for him. ...
A historian with an uncanny track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go very wrong for him. ...
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 ...
But..but..he's 82 ! Yea now he's 82. Been trying to dodge this ..for years. Those poor people… crushed. 115 killed.
I heard a passing mention on the tranny this morning (early, I hadn't woken up yet), about this.e
The PTB were more aiming at the engineering governing body and we're trying to hold them to account.
IMO..the Police passed on it….It cant be that 115 people just died…for nothing.
PTB what is this please?
PTB = Powers That Be.
NZ Labour. And the kind of moron we are up against.
A..trump supporting ! fuckwit.
Some take MAGAism way too seriously, but the political fruitcakes do need to be monitored just in case, as the Christchurch Mosque massacre tragically showed.
Act wants the return of semi-autos along with mounting attacks on workers rights and benefits–voters will keep an eye on them hopefully on Oct. 14!
For sure. Not only Chris….but previously Jacinda. And of course Greens James Shaw…attacked in a public street and suffered a fractured eye socket.
After a couple of sleeps I gotta say the CTU ad having a crack at Luxon feels like a mis-step.
Far rather the meagre resources were spent high-lighting why members should support Labour.
A punchy sentence about FTA for example. Or encouraging and supporting folk to vote.
This negative, personal strategy leaves a bad taste and implies people can't work through the issues themselves.
So far the only defence Ive read is 'They do it too…'
Pic in this article for those that haven't seen it
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/04-09-2023/is-the-ctu-doing-psyops-for-the-national-party
Thanks weka, that helps.
Now that I look at that image on a laptop there is a jarring brutal irony.
Here is the CTU and all it's might having a dubious crack at Luxon.
They appear to be rather mute on the other issue in the image. Namely Michael Woods and Andrew Little's
Migrant Visa ScandalApproved Employer Scheme.Where is the CTU on that? (Not asking you, just getting rhetorical).
they're campaigning, they're not going to attack Labour, they want Labour to win despite the limitations.
It is possible to stick up for the workers, stick it to the accredited employers/labour hire companies without attacking Labour.
CTU has made a few submissions on immigration-related policy and legislation in recent years and have been consistently in favour of measures to eliminate exploitation.
Submission on the Worker Protection (Migrant and Other Employees) Bill
9.5-9.6 continue their general opposition to work visas being tied to employers.
Submission on Modern Slavery and Worker Exploitation
Submission on MBIE's Temporary Migrant Worker Exploitation Review
3.1 continues their general opposition to work visas being tied to employers.
Submission on the MBIE Consultation on a New Approach to Employer assisted Work Visas and Regional Workforce Planning
Recommendation 7 recommends not tying work visas to employers.
One thing that did come up in this quick check was that the current accreditation model was intended to reduce exploitation because it could be used to remove access to migrant labour (by revoking accreditation) and CTU supported that but also made comments about resourcing needing to be sufficient to actually carry out the enforcement. Obviously that hasn't happened to date.
Thanks Craig.
It is a flawed strategy–don’t use your opponents image for starters–from an organisation that has been very low profile for decades apart from the Helen Kelly period. The NZCTU excels in being subservient to State Sector affiliates & “welcoming” anything and everything that the Labour Caucus deigns to announce.
The NZ working class have long needed a fighting class left central labour organisation since the demise of the NZ Federation of Labour in 1987. But this is not an easy build given the substantial collapse of private sector union density since the Natzos first union busting ECA in 1991. Sure FIRST Union, Unite, Etū, Maritime and Dairy Workers have done some great work, but a Mick Lynch ain’t going to happen at the CTU while the PSA and friends are in charge.
NActFirst have ECA mkII well in train–a blatant attack on the NZ working class in favour of capital. Rather than attack Baldrick, the ad could better have led with the Natzos hit list of minimum wage etc. etc. etc. and a call to arms and defence of the gains made since 2017.
I absolutely agree with yr final paragraph. Some enjoy easy potshots at Luxon over his appearance, they come across as shallow and petty. Go him for his conflict of interest in being a landlord and proposing making landlording more profitable.
Your mention of Helen Kelly and thinking about Ardern, I doubt this CTU ad would have got approval from either of them.
I'm sure the ad, billboards and other sundries cost a pretty penny and it seems squandered. Kinda fitting.
It's a sliding scale. Something like Citizens for Rowling in 1975 was clearly a misstep – a group of liberal intellectuals who were pretty much right in what they said about Muldoon, but clearly gave the impression of talking down to voters. The condescension of it was grist to the mill of Muldoon and his so-called "Rob's mob", which was an earlier incarnation of "Waitakere Man". And it made no difference to the election result.
The CTU ad is not so clear cut. It's a trade union organisation with members who have legitimate interests, not a self-appointed group of supposed thought-leaders. The ad plugs into a commonly noted fact that many people are not really comfortable with Luxon in the way they were with Key.**. It is well-timed by following the grubby fiasco of letting foreign buyers back in. It gave Hipkins a chance to point out that the Taxpayers Union is a National Party front. It was a lead-in to discussing the implications for workers of National's policies. It provoked a response from National which will now make them look hypocritical if they respond with similar ads – I suspect these are already sitting in the pipeline – and they may be thinking about whether they need to pull some of them or not.
The only thing about it that crossed a line was how it made use of Luxon's unprepossessing physical appearance. In that feature alone I think it started to look like some of the unsavoury stuff that comes from the right. It's a common tactic though, for example the NZ Herald subtly uses pictures of Hipkins suffused in an orange wash, while Luxon is mostly crystal-sharp and making decisive hand-gestures like a man in the act of 'getting things done' (not spouting inane, scripted lines). So overall I'm not certain it was a misstep.
** Key's supposed likeability always baffled me. I am probably odd or unusual, but after seeing Key on the telly I always felt like I should be hosed down with antiseptic for my health's sake.
And many others..incl me ! sir Key always struck me as not as affable/likeable as he purported. A fake even….with quite a strange sleazy component. That poor Waitress for one….
Yes, sir Key seemed “off” for sure, even Winston asked if “the carpet matched the curtains” and introduced the nation to a new kink…trichophilia–hair fetishism.
“Shonkey” (rhymes with “Jean Qui“ a friend said), certainly had twin turbo boost support from Finance Capital one way or another in his political affairs. The off shore Trust debacle for instance…there is quite a trail there that so many NZers seemed totally oblivious to.
Critics need to appreciate:
The CTU is not talking to the general voting public. They are talking to their own people. I refer to the factory workers, the road workers, forest workers, cleaners, carpenters, transport workers, port workers etc. etc.
What better way to get the message across than wrapping it in the newspaper with the largest readership as well as hoardings in cities across NZ – assuming they are in places other than Wellington.
Good point Anne.
IE Me….and many thousands of others..who NAct will standover….and steal from.
I'm one of them too. E Tu. That's why I have a bee in my bonnet on this, I reckon my fees have been squandered.
Whatever..take it up with them. Or NAct if they win…
I'm going hard out to prevent that…
"Whatever.."
I suppose that passes for modern solidarity.
I take yr point about Luxon/Key. Whenever I see Key I reckon you would have to count yr fingers if you shook his hand. Too smarmy for my liking.
As to hypocrisy, that would be anyone who bemoaned dirty politics/Bretheren/Whaleoil but think this CTU effort is ok.
You really see equivalence? Bizarre.
You either play with a straight bat or not.
lol..whatever . I call bizarre equivalence.
So labour bas someone in the office next to the pm feed hit prices to the ctu?
That's what national was doing with whaleoil
Let's not get carried away.
Not for a moment do I think that Hipkins didn't know about the ad.
Maybe you should be telling Luxon, Bishop and the other Nats that.
Luxon has been slogging to cow corner ever since he became leader.
Well this is interesting…
IMO doesnt pass any independence test….
Is'n that the University that paid just under $1million to Steven Joyce for his consultancy services?
Matey..you are so correct. Not even pretty legal. IMO Dodgy as fuck
This is a big issue Psyc. It needs to be pushed into the debate as often as possible, with mention of the million for Joyce too.
Very close to corruption.
Man, I reckon. The very high collusion level of them. Its does really look corrupt.
Who happens to be the sitting chair of the RBNZ.
Rob Campbell….?
https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/about-us/our-people/our-board-members#Neil_Quigley
Oh really? Good on you find that too ! I was kinda gobsmacked with just the Shane Reti Nat connection.
Pretty sure he's the son of former National and later ACT MP Derek Quigley, too.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Quigley
This gets shadier and shadier….there are votes in this for the Left.
There is a power outage where my server is. I just shifted to a different UPS.
Depends on Vector about how long the outage takes to deal with. In the meantime, I have involuntary lunch time. What can I have without power…
Time to raid the fruit bowl?
I would, but there was only a shrivelled apple and a mandarin with a green-blue blemish.
I didn’t have time to shop on the weekend because of work, and my partner was finishing a course before heading offshore with her dad.
Anyone generating sympathy for 60,000 indolent millennial louches at the Burning Man mess?
Mostly amusement.
some of the most satisfying schadenfreude all year.
No.
It is only news because it is happening in the USA.
… the sign of a rainbow.
https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/03/multimedia/burning-man-explainer-jtcv/burning-man-explainer-jtcv-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp
Elon Musk and Paris Hilton turned up
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/03/style/what-is-burning-man.html
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=Burning+Man+mess%3F#ip=1
The one in 2022 was the first since 2019 (COVID).
A return to the dust bowl years, the grapes of wrath and the old south. Post Weimar Republic and the Trumpian era.
Carnivale
[lprent: deleted as simple minded spam with no apparent content.
Gloating by simpletons whilst wanking should wait until after an election. Something that has to be won first.
This is your only warning. ]
Havent you got a bridge to be under?
Go on Lynn. Ban me then you [deleted]
[lprent: First rational and responsible thing you have said. Bye. ]
Truth hurts eh Lynn. See ya lol.
You have about as much of relationship with “truth” as Trump does.
What are you worried about? I simply did what you asked for. Banned you on your request after I’d dealt with you spurting spam on my site.
Being a ignorant sexual fetishist isn’t a problem. Stupid spam in the site is. And the truth is that you asked to be banned.
You really are a bit of a knuckle dragger.
thanks. He's been warned before.
I can never understand why Labour cannot encapsulate in a really simple way the fundamentally flawed ideas around neo-liberalism and how such a system sucks wealth into one small corner of the world's population, so that average voters can understand. Instead, it lets the nactoids off the hook by letting them get away with "national's the party with the economic smarts" etc. Surely it's these really basic ideas that need to be at the heart of Labour's campaign.
One of the reasons they don't diss neo-liberalism is that they are the main practitioners of it.
Snap.
Dumb comments like this plays to the "they are both the same" meme.
The policies of the Left are very different to those of the Right being put forward at this election.
Please acknowledge this gsays.
I wouldn't say very different. I see the two main parties as the the two closest aligned parties in Parliament.
And not only dumb….there is this.
Now that it's not first thing in the morning, I have re-read yr comment.
There is nothing dumb in observing that this incarnation of Labour is dyed in the wool neo-liberal. To imply otherwise is very shallow thinking.
Little's new Te Whatu Ora is an example. Going for 'efficiencies' in the back office functions, payroll and IT systems. All well and good but still out-sourcing catering, laundry, security, grounds, parking…
Woods and Little and their Approved Employer Scheme. Because, for some reason, we can't train welders and drivers anymore. So subcontract it. Neo-liberal as. Nurses, doctors, dentists the list goes on.
Maybe the onus is on you to demonstrate how they are not neo-liberal.
Beginning to think we need a post forecasting NZ after a term of ACT with 20% of Cabinet.
only if it's to scare lefties to stand up and fight for this election.
Latest election polling from Roy Morgan – has ACT on 18% to National's 31% – with the combined right total having enough seats to govern (i.e. not needing NZF or another 3rd party).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2023_New_Zealand_general_election
In this scenario – ACT with over half of the National total (23 seats to National's 39) would theoretically be in a very strong position in a coalition – in terms of getting their policy enacted. Especially as they've increased 4% (compared to the previous poll by this pollster) – so going up, while National has dropped slightly.
I don't recall a minor party with such a strong position vis-a-vis the major one in a previous NZ election.
Should the polls reverse (as is always a possibility) – the strong performance of the GP is putting them in the same position in relation to Labour.
As others have been saying – the policy platform of the 'minor' parties is more relevant than ever in this election.
I think it was Hooten that observed a few weeks ago about how the two main parties share of the vote was at an all time low. If they both keep trending down as they appear to be the minor parties may not ne so minor in October.
Its traditional for minor parties to do well in polls prior to election day but once people get to vote many slink back to one of the two main parties. The exception to the rule are the Greens who tend to be the other way round. They do less well in pre-election polls but come up trumps on election day.
I guess it depends on how far back you go for your tradition.
It doesn't seem to have been the case for the 2020 and the 2017 elections – where the minor parties final election results were well within the margin of error of immediate (as in the month before) poll results.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2020_New_Zealand_general_election
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2017_New_Zealand_general_election
You have to go back to 2014 to find a significant variation – and that was the GP polling around 2-3% less in the final election than they had in the polls immediately prior. The rest of the minor parties were within the margin of error.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2014_New_Zealand_general_election
In the 2011 election, the GP again dropped around 2-3% from the month prior polls (or more, if you look at the 2 immediately before election day) – but NZF actually polled significantly higher on election day than they did in any poll apart from the one immediately before election day
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2014_New_Zealand_general_election
I don't see a pattern of all minor parties polling well immediately before election day, and then have a significant difference in the final election result. And, indeed, the only party that this has happened for in the last 12 or so years, has been the Green Party.
Another interesting point is what it (this high vote for the minor parties) does to the electorate list for the major ones.
Given that (apart from Swarbrick for the GP, Seymour for ACT and the TPM winning 2-3 electorate seats) – the vast majority of the electorates will go to Labour or National. So if there are high numbers of party votes for ACT/GP and possibly NZF – it's pretty unlikely that many list MPs from Labour and National will be getting into parliament. If ACT get 23 seats – 22 of them will be list; if the GP get 16 seats, 15 of them will be list. If NZF get over the line, that's another 7, all list. That's leaving only 15 or so list places to be split between National and Labour.
Likely to make a big difference to the government – whichever side wins. At the current polling (and bearing in mind that electorates may switch from Labour to National, 'freeing up' list places) – it doesn't look likely that Rurawhe, Little or Parker will in the next Parliament.
Harder to tell for National – since the majority of their top list places are standing in winnable electorates as well.
At the 24 poll level – 30 seats (maybe up a few more with the wasted vote re-allocated).
In the past Labour got around 25 seats with that party list vote. Higher or lower based on the Maori electorate numbers.
In the past, Labour didn't have the high numbers of list seats being taken up by ACT and the GP.
Of the 30 seats they'll get (at 24%) – the vast majority look as though they're going to be electorate seats (safe Labour seats). That leaves very few to come in off the list.
It makes no difference to Labour's cjrcumstance, if National or ACT/Green gets the party list seats, when Labour is at 24% in the polls.
It will still be c25 electorates and 30 seats either way.
Though good Greens are at a higher level.
It could mean National will win a lot of electorate seats back (2020) and more (2017-2014-2011-2008). But at a low 31% of the poll.
Labour 25 MP 2-3 ACT 1. National 43-44 electorates – no list seats whatsoever. Maybe some overhang.
I know it makes no difference in the total number of seats. But it has the potential to make a huge difference in the representation. If the majority of the Labour party in parliament are the electorate MPs in safe seats, rather than a mixture with the list. Just go and have a look at the list-only MPs at the top of Labour's party list. That's a lot of experience that's at serious risk of not being back in parliament.
The same as other elections between 2005 and 2020 and those at risk, Parker and Little do not care – they are there for a third term, not to do another 3 years in opposition and retire in 2026.
The New Zealand Party, The Alliance, New Zealand First, so not so unusual Belladonna. It happens at cross roads when big events have clouded choices.
So which year would this be then? I've checked back to 2011 – and not seen any evidence.
Are you talking about last century? It can hardly be a tradition if it hasn't happened in the last 20 years……