Open mike 07/10/2023

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 7th, 2023 - 81 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:


Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

81 comments on “Open mike 07/10/2023 ”

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  1. Dennis Frank 1
    7 October 2023 at 7:33 am

    Exciting times up north…

    “I want to know who’s drawn an oversized cock on my mouth,” he says. The accompanying text reads “party at Shane’s”. He smiles and laments the lack of permanent police presence in the town.

    As we’re leaving the store, a man in paint-spattered walk shorts clocks Jones on his way in. He swerves, barking “don’t talk to me – I’m not voting for you and your rubbish policies.” Jones approaches him anyway, and the man, who refuses to give his name, remonstrates with the NZ First deputy leader.

    “You just want to sell everything off to foreigners,” he says. Jones can be accurately accused of many things, but as deputy leader of the fiercely nationalist NZ First, not that. “I mistook you for someone else,” the man says, on being corrected. “I thought you were from the National party.”

    https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/07-10-2023/the-rise-and-fall-and-fall-and-rise-and-fall-and-rise-and-fall-and-rise-of-shane-jones

    … the policy on the party’s website reads “New Zealand First will ensure no men are in women’s spaces or sports”.

    Short & sharp, an eternal formula that works!

  2. Dennis Frank 2
    7 October 2023 at 7:56 am

    Duncan Greive, founder of the Spinoff, has a good take on the Labour psyche:

    This election, the animating force is co-governance – specifically its application in Three Waters. That was the brand given to the government’s water reforms, and is still present on furious hand-drawn signs reading STOP THREE WATERS scattered around rural New Zealand.

    The list of grievances for Three Waters is long, and initially centred on the idea it would take control of local water assets. But the feature which caused most fury was the way Māori interests would be represented in an idea called “Te Mana o Te Wai”.

    For such an elegant phrase, its definition has proven knotty – the page explaining it on the Ministry for the Environment’s website is over 3,700 words, longer than this feature. But it was the co-governance provision – frequently read as giving mana whenua equal control over water – which became particularly contentious. One of Chris Hipkins’ first acts as prime minister was to change the whole project’s name, which has not proven sufficient to douse heat around the issue.

    https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/07-10-2023/the-rise-and-fall-and-fall-and-rise-and-fall-and-rise-and-fall-and-rise-of-shane-jones

    The flag he's waving here is tacit signalling: insight into the Hipkins thought process. "I don't have enough courage to explain this name change to the people, therefore I must use a deceit strategy."

    Observe how this works. Voters are given an impression that he has changed the policy whilst he hasn't actually abandoned solidarity with his Maori cabal. Did he tell them that? Of course not! Honesty isn't the best policy if you're Labour.

    He'd probably reply "Look, it took 3,700 words to explain it on the government website. Yes I know that summarising it into a pithy statement for the media and campaign seems essential, but we have nobody in the Labour Party capable of doing that." If so, I'd be obliged to commend him for his honesty.

  3. Dennis Frank 3
    7 October 2023 at 8:08 am

    If you're an enterprising lawyer with keen interest in politics, here's a new vocational trajectory for you:

    effective AI regulation is one of the most impactful and forward-looking things an incoming government could offer Aotearoa. AI tools are already entrenching bias, undermining privacy, and enabling non-consensual sexual imagery, including of children and young people. These harms affect New Zealanders already, and if left unchecked will only grow in the future.

    If politicians are worried about stifling innovation, they should heed recent Ipsos polling showing New Zealanders consistently report lower understanding of and less trust in AI than the rest of the world; a recipe for stymied innovation if there ever was one, and an issue legislation could make great strides in addressing.

    https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/06-10-2023/ai-is-too-important-to-ignore-this-election

    Supply & demand. This imminent future needs legislative action. You can secure first cab off the rank status by publishing an essay outlining key relevant principles that will inevitably drive both law-making and public debate.

    • Dennis Frank 4.1
      7 October 2023 at 9:12 am

      This bit:

      In the poll of polls, there is now zero probability of Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori being able to form a government on election night – but a 63.5 per cent chance once NZ First is added.

      Pray tell me then, you leftists, how that zero to 63.5% potential chasm ought to be exploited to empower the left.

      • weka 4.1.1
        7 October 2023 at 9:18 am

        My suggestion is lefties spend the next week tripling the vote. It’s bullshit framing to imply the left cannot win. As Shaw points out the past two election results defied polls.

        https://thestandard.org.nz/triple-the-vote/

        • Dennis Frank 4.1.1.1
          7 October 2023 at 9:42 am

          That wasn't my intent – I commented in support of someone the other day (yesterday?) that it's still possible. The possibility chasm given math framing by the journo is actually an opportunity to use intellect creatively.

          Such potential value ought not to be ignored by leftists! Somewhere in that chasm lies a viable path to the future. We can postpone the search until post-election to see how the political terrain is reformulated, for context.

          • weka 4.1.1.1.1
            7 October 2023 at 10:40 am

            I've been thinking about it a bit but share Shaw's position: we don't know what the outcome will be, so focus on a L/G government with a lot more Green MPs and Ministers.

            I'm sure you understand the basics of working with intention.

            All the myriad of possible outcomes are a distraction, albeit an interesting distraction. But the framing that we do, right now, all of us, is part of what determines the outcome.

            • Dennis Frank 4.1.1.1.1.1
              7 October 2023 at 10:50 am

              True. Vital not to lock into any stance since humans survive via their adaptability. Best framing to use will always include the commons.

      • Patricia Bremner 4.1.2
        7 October 2023 at 4:27 pm

        The Poll of Polls is heavily dominated by polls for the right… and we should go by that?

        They lie Frank, they bloody lie. They are sophisticated cheats Frank, full of "we've won you've lost" sold over and over by their fans in the press.

        Sometimes everything comes together to create a clear picture, and comparisons fail to flatter, and the 10+% swing to their choice of what seems fair and right, much to the consternation of the snake oil salesmen. who are defeated by collective wisdom.

        Your eye of God approach laced with personal attacks when questioned is poor imo.

        "Cabal", interesting word. It better fits Groundswell, or Liz Gunn's crowd, but you used it in relation to Maori. So instead of being personal and abusive, explain why you chose that word, as it depends which use you were implying.

        • Dennis Frank 4.1.2.1
          7 October 2023 at 4:43 pm

          I hope you're not having a bad day, Bremner! I don't do personal attacks. The Maori cabal is evident due to long-standing behaviour. I have no problem with any of them as people – or even as politicians – and I get that they have every right to caucus separately within Labour.

          Their behaviour may have been due to tacit racism within Labour, of course. For whatever reason, none of the Labour ministers went out to tell Aotearoa about co-governance. I know that, due to being constantly on the look-out for it. I was puzzled at all the muted inferences that kept happening. I even commented onsite here that the govt were failing to explain themselves to the nation.

          Technically one can blame Ardern as PM for that, yet Hipkins failed to rise to the challenge too! Willie, who I've admired since he was an Alliance activist 30 years ago, didn't either. So I dunno wtf Labour thought they were doing…

          • Patricia Bremner 4.1.2.1.1
            7 October 2023 at 5:23 pm

            Sorry Dennis I have done it again! Yes I am full of a coughing 'flu lol But the name was not meant as a digsmiley

            • Dennis Frank 4.1.2.1.1.1
              7 October 2023 at 5:58 pm

              No worries. Hope you have a good cough remedy – I use Harker Herbals' Deep Lung Support, tastes good & seems to work well. Made in NZ, 100% herbal.

    • ianmac 4.2
      7 October 2023 at 9:46 am

      From that link BG: "The results indicate National Party leader Christopher Luxon’s plea to voters to deliver a clear result by voting for National has so far fallen on deaf ears and possibly backfired."

      How sad.

      • Bearded Git 4.2.1
        7 October 2023 at 10:02 am

        Yes it certainly doesn't help the Left form a government.

      • Ngungukai 4.2.2
        7 October 2023 at 10:35 am

        However last week they rolled out Honest John the Snake Oil Salesman, it may be the Master Stroke National needed to secure the Election.

      • Janice 4.2.3
        7 October 2023 at 10:47 am

        At about 5.45 pm yesterday my phone rang and there was a pause then 'Hello, this is 'Christopher Luxon and I a urging you to party vote National'. I didn't hear the rest as I had hung up to rescue a pot on the stove. They must be getting really desperate to keep Winston out. It was a very clear recording, what money can buy in an election.

        • Dennis Frank 4.2.3.1
          7 October 2023 at 10:53 am

          what money can buy in an election

          Money bought Seymour an antique aeroplane, so we saw him campaigning in it on last nights tv news. Painted in ACT's latest colour scheme, it looked novel.

          • Dennis Frank 4.2.3.1.1
            7 October 2023 at 10:58 am

            https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/revealed-how-acts-david-seymour-was-gifted-a-plane-for-the-election-campaign/OFRH26M5BNBXJBYV6CZ7NBNI2A/

            The wealthy businessman who gifted Act leader David Seymour his personal plane without cost to help his election campaign says he did so to allow Seymour to replicate the “whistle-stop” tours commonly seen in the United States.

            The businessman, a US and New Zealand citizen who lives in Hawke’s Bay, said he didn’t want his name published because he wishes to “keep a low profile”… The businessman, who moved to New Zealand seven years ago but had visited for more than 40 years prior to that, said he met Seymour about 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic through his involvement with Rako Science, which became a provider of saliva testing.

            Asked whether he stood to gain if Act formed part of the next Government, the businessman said he did not as most of his business interests were offshore. He also said he’d never had a discussion with Seymour about business, instead keeping conversations “philosophical”. His New Zealand-based business interests included a farm, three pine plantations and a waste management company. Rako Science had since been sold.

            He could establish a lobby group though: US/NZ solidarity front.

        • Anne 4.2.3.2
          7 October 2023 at 11:05 am

          I remember receiving one of those calls form John Key. Luxon is trying to set himself up as KEY No 2, but he lacks the charisma of Key and isn't nearly as bright. I get the impression their tax-cut fuck-up is starting to register with some voters so expect to see and hear more from the newly minted knight of the realm.

          • Kat 4.2.3.2.1
            7 October 2023 at 11:39 am

            Well I recall very clearly how a truly genuine knight of the realm Sir Ed Hillary put his name to 'citizens for Rowling'…..well intentioned campaign but backfired against a clever rebuttal from Muldoon that the ordinary chap doesn't want to be told how to vote……………………..those Key inspired phone messages from Luxon pleading for votes to stop Winston may be having the same negative effect…..

          • SapphireGem 4.2.3.2.2
            7 October 2023 at 1:51 pm

            I agree with everything you said except one aspect – John Key is not charismatic.

  5. Dennis Frank 5
    7 October 2023 at 12:54 pm

    Flying poodle

    would hold government chief executives accountable in their roles, having ministers giving them key performance indicators (KPIs). https://www.thepost.co.nz/a/politics/350086633/cheeky-safety-briefing-and-new-kpi-policy-announced-act

    How do them things actually work – anyone know? Is it like a rating out of 10 for their performance & do they have to wear them on tags hanging around their necks so all in the work-place can see how well they're performing?

    • Descendant Of Smith 5.1
      7 October 2023 at 1:23 pm

      We know from the last National government how these work. No one gives a shit about helping people, the CEO's performance pay depends on meeting them and they become all consuming.

      The basic philosophy last time for waiting lists was to kick people off in order to meet the waiting list targets.

      It is the perfect illusionary circle for National – kick people off and say things have improved, when Labour get in and put people back on the lists say things have got worse and National need to fix it again.

      To be fair when they say they want to fix things it is true but only in relation to this definition.

      : to influence the actions, outcome, or effect of by improper or illegal methods

      the race had been fixed

      "About 4700 families with only "moderate" or "low" housing needs will be bumped off the waiting list for state houses if the National Party wins this year's election.

      Housing Minister Phil Heatley says Housing NZ will stop accepting applicants with low or moderate needs on its waiting list from next Friday and the policy will extend next year to people already on the list if National wins the election."

      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/thousands-to-come-off-housing-list/MI2RAMFK4VC2YX4M5VVFFDDLIY/

      ‘Six thousand more patients have been dropped from surgery waiting lists, with no prospect of treatment under existing funding limits, Health Ministry figures issued yesterday show. The increase in the number of patients in the “active review” category—where they will receive treatment only if they deteriorate enough or more funding becomes available—takes the total to 24,400. The ministry's quarterly waiting report says it is critical that these patients are monitored and their plan of care and treatment status updated, but notes concern that some DHBs do not have processes in place to manage these patients’

      The removals were essentially because many had been waiting longer than the targeted 6 months for treatment and therefore were considered low priority. The policy had the greatest impact on DHBs with larger lists of such patients and continued to be applied every year after 2001. Removal decisions were taken by booking system managers, without involvement of clinical specialists.

      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3617466/

      Political capital out of bashing beneficiaries'

      Mr Russell says most Ministry of Social Development employees go into the job wanting to help people, but soon realise what's expected of them – even without financial incentives.

      "If you're going to have a career path through Work and Income and want to be a manager or a boss, you know what you need to be saying and doing."

      Mr Roundill says he's seen service centre managers "fight like a wounded dog" to avoid giving clients what they're entitled to.

      This "toxic culture" transcends Governments, says Mr Russell, with both Labour and National having adopted "neoliberal" economic policy since the 1980s.

      "Both National and Labour-led Governments make political capital out of bashing beneficiaries," said Mr Russell.

      https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2017/07/claims-winz-staff-kick-people-off-benefits-to-meet-targets.html

      • Dennis Frank 5.1.1
        7 October 2023 at 1:42 pm

        I get the picture, thanks for that comprehensive response. So a method of enforcing accountability on the public service is where the user's head is at. I take your point re how it plays out in real life. Utility value somewhat moot then…

        • Descendant Of Smith 5.1.1.1
          7 October 2023 at 4:05 pm

          Questions for you.

          (I've picked on welfare here because it was easy to find stuff but I can make the same argument for health or housing or anything really.)

          Someone has lost their job and needs a benefit while looking for another one.
          Someone has left a violent relationship and needs some support while they get back on track and sort things out alongside their children.
          Someone lives in Bay of Plenty in the kiwifruit industry where much of the work is seasonal or works at a freezing works.
          A school leaver can't find a job as the rush of school leavers at the end of the year saturates the labour market.

          National puts in a KPI to reduce benefit numbers.

          Is paying any of those people a benefit seen as a positive thing to help achieve the KPI's set by the Minister? Do you think it is right to pay someone a benefit and to not achieve your KPI's as a result? Is it morally right to have a KPI that actively discourages people from giving and/or getting lawful entitlements? Is it OK to have unrealistic but so called ambitious targets? Is it right to impose such targets on a vulnerable group of people without their input or agreement?

          The last example aggrieves me enormously because something similar happened to a kind hearted relative with intellectual disabilities as a result of a car accident. Worked all his life however as very good mechanically. Put by WINZ with a prick of an employer who called him names and treated him like rubbish – was told if he left the job he wouldn't get a benefit again. Distraught he now lives in Australia with his children.

          “National is focused on building a stronger economy and creating opportunities for more jobs and higher wages. Jobseekers are in the best position in years to take advantage of New Zealand’s economic growth. We’ll be supporting them with our investment approach and targeting more resources earlier to those who need the most help.

          “We will reduce the total number of people receiving a benefit by 75,000 by 2017, including reducing the total number of young people aged between 16 and 24 on benefit by 40 per cent, or around 21,000 people.

          “Our aim is to bring benefit numbers down from 295,000 to 220,000 people over the next three years.

          “These are ambitious targets, but they are realistic and achievable

          https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1409/S00251/national-to-reduce-benefit-numbers-by-25-per-cent.htm

          One man on the video says a man in a wheelchair was sent to work by himself in a booth in a shopping mall and found it difficult to get out to change his colostomy bag as required every two or three hours.

          "He was under such stress that he died," the man on the video said. "He died because he was forced to go to work."

          https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/end-work-and-incomes-toxic-culture-beneficiaries/2ZKUTE7YXCA43YTIA3JWKVTDZQ/

          • Dennis Frank 5.1.1.1.1
            7 October 2023 at 4:33 pm

            Your set of questions points to the moral quagmire of the user/tool/ecosystem interface. I suspect I would experience the user's decisions similarly to you.

            It alerts us to the coercive intent of the measure, and a moral judgment of the governing hierarchy that deems utility more valuable than consequences.

            My experience of WINZ & its Nat/Lab culture was that their employee's grasp of client relations was minimal. They didn't seem to care – apart from the last one I got who was actually competent. I was working part-time for a few years & telling the truth about that cost me more than it should have.

            When I did what they told me when the system got it wrong – wrote a letter of complaint – nothing happened, and later I went to find out why & a woman showed me where my letter was in the stack of complaints on her desk, awaiting action. Months later I got irritated it went in again, asked the same woman why it hadn't been actioned. She claimed to know nothing about my letter so I glanced at her desk & saw that the pile of complaints had gone. Into the bin!

            • Descendant Of Smith 5.1.1.1.1.1
              7 October 2023 at 5:00 pm

              You seem to have fallen down the rabbit hole of applying computational thinking to natural ecosystems i.e. people. Adam Curtis highlighted this nonsense years ago. However those who subscribe these notions do try to apply them – it is a way of trying to control for self benefit.

              “where the user’s head is at”

              Have no idea what you mean by that. The user I see as the national government.

              • Dennis Frank …
                7 October 2023 at 5:54 pm

                applying computational thinking to natural ecosystems

                I'd never do that! A ludicrous notion! Same as you, I saw govt as user.

    • Craig H 5.2
      8 October 2023 at 6:59 pm

      Without changing the law, they don't really work, because CEs as employees report to the Public Service Commissioner, not Ministers.

  6. Roy Cartland 6
    7 October 2023 at 1:03 pm

    Is it too petty? I just listened to JK's plea message on rnz, the guy sounds like he's drunk. Slurry, unclear. How did he ever become PM?

  7. joe90 7
    7 October 2023 at 1:51 pm

    The circle is complete.

    /

    Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will be a headline speaker at a Conservative Political Action Conference event in Las Vegas later this month, the conference announced Friday.

    https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4242110-rfk-jr-set-to-speak-at-cpac-event/

    • Dennis Frank 7.1
      7 October 2023 at 2:10 pm

      smiley I wonder what the dissident patrician will tell them. Someone oughta do a moonbat/wingnut convergence analysis of Aotearoan political culture, eh? enlightenedFun!

  8. bwaghorn 8
    7 October 2023 at 3:30 pm

    Had my 2 votes.

    Party vote labour, sorry weka!

    Now hang onto your hats , I intended to vote electorate labour, some dude Butt I've never heard of , but then noticed acts Hoggard was in my electorate, and thought bugger I don't want to give act a chance, so voted for nat electorate mp, , this is the first time, I feel a little dirty but there ya go.

    • Dennis Frank 8.1
      7 October 2023 at 3:48 pm

      As Labour candidates go, Butt is one of the few worthy: https://www.labour.org.nz/zulfiqarbutt2023

      He is a proud Massey University graduate with a doctoral degree in Natural Resource Management. Zulfiqar is a trained forester and environmentalist and has worked with a number of local and international agencies. His work involved development projects for rural communities, creating economic empowerment for rural women and low socio-economic communities. He is a small local business owner who has lived in Manawatu for over 20 years with his wife and three children

      Hoggard otoh: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Hoggard

      became a member of ACT New Zealand in 2019. On 9 May 2023, one day after stepping down as president of Federated Farmers, he was named as the ACT candidate in the Rangitīkei electorate for the 2023 general election. Hoggard was subsequently ranked fifth on ACT's party list for the election.

      Very likely to be in on the list!

      I posted something on the Nat candidate the other day – seemed better than most:

      The question I’m often asked when I’m out campaigning is “What will National do differently if they become the government?” My answer is National will deliver solutions.

      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/manawatu-guardian/news/election-2023-meet-rangitikei-national-party-candidate-suze-redmayne/KWLPGSEVBZAC3JDJ4WSZKCTITQ/

      Pull the other leg, it's got bells on. Doesn't front anywhere near as well on the Herald; playing to the converted, she has to dumb it down. Likely to win anyway…

      • bwaghorn 8.1.1
        7 October 2023 at 4:01 pm

        I realise Hoggard will get in, but that's different to act sneackimg an electorate , there's no way Butt will win this electorate, although he does look good.

    • Patricia Bremner 8.2
      7 October 2023 at 4:48 pm

      Strategyyes

      • bwaghorn 8.2.1
        7 October 2023 at 5:09 pm

        The only flaw in is if act and National split the vote and mr Butt sneaks through the middle, hopefully he doesn't miss out by 1 vote😉

      • bwaghorn 8.3.1
        7 October 2023 at 6:30 pm

        Kinda feel guilty because working backwards from the last election I voted green green lab lab nzf green green so I'm the kiss of death to political parties chances,

        • weka 8.3.1.1
          7 October 2023 at 6:54 pm

          What made you choose Labour?

          • bwaghorn 8.3.1.1.1
            7 October 2023 at 7:37 pm

            Honestly a big green party still scares me a bit, because we'll I'm pro improving farming ,maybe reducing cattle numbers for water quality etc, I still think food production needs to be treated differently around cc, and I tend to support labour when they're down because we need them .

  9. joe90 9
    7 October 2023 at 3:33 pm

    The boot does fit..

    Newshub Nation

    @NewshubNationNZ

    Did Grant Robertson just call Nicola Willis the Briscoes lady?

    https://twitter.com/NewshubNationNZ/status/1710451593945214987

    • AB 9.1
      7 October 2023 at 3:43 pm

      One of them offers an illusory happiness at minimal personal cost, the other is the Briscoes lady.

    • bwaghorn 9.2
      7 October 2023 at 4:04 pm

      Hope she doesn't hang round as long as the Briscoe lady , and in other news they just dug ruthless Ruth up from here cript on "the nation, " she thinks sacking 17000 people is allllll gooood, nasty old crone,

  10. Drowsy M. Kram 10
    7 October 2023 at 4:39 pm

    Have our 'interesting' (post-pandemic overshoot) times facilitated Winston's revival?

    I want you to get up right now and go to the window, open it and stick your head out and yell: I'm as mad as Hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!

    Winston Peters' Tiwai Point plan: 'We're going to take things back to the beginning' [24 July 2020]
    In exchange, he asked locals to send a message back to Wellington, by repeating after him: "we've had a guts full and we're not taking any more."

    • Dennis Frank 10.1
      7 October 2023 at 4:47 pm

      Seems to be working regardless. Interesting that the polls now suggest he's pulling votes from ACT and not any more from Labour!

      • Drowsy M. Kram 10.1.1
        7 October 2023 at 5:00 pm

        yes Certainly is (working) – in 2020 the Invercargill audience's response was muted.

        The New Zealand First leader spoke to a packed room at Invercargill's Workingmen's Club this afternoon, where not everyone was convinced by his ideas.

        Winston knows he doesn't need to convince everyone – just 5% of voters.

    • PsyclingLeft.Always 10.2
      7 October 2023 at 5:03 pm

      Have our 'interesting' (post-pandemic overshoot) times facilitated Winston's revival?

      Well that was kinda surreal…I clicked your first link…and there.. was himself, Winston First (complete with his team !). For a brief moment I thought that was your link ?! However, just an NZ First ad…

      Re second link….indeed what wont Winston do ?

      And on the RNZ sidebar (also July 2020 : ) Some History/Future.

      A warning as it were…

      ACT leader David Seymour says New Zealand First leader Winston Peters' claim he was involved in leaking his superannuation details was made up to smear him and his party.

      https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/421810/winston-peters-superannuation-leak-allegations-pure-fantasy-david-seymour

      Two political party leaders – nine weeks from the election – have become tangled in a slanging match on Twitter.

      https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/421593/winston-peters-challenges-david-seymour-on-might-not-policy

      A coalition of chaos…years in the making.

      • Drowsy M. Kram 10.2.1
        7 October 2023 at 5:19 pm

        A coalition of chaos…years in the making.

        Spot on observation – Seymour wasn't even a twinkle in his father's eye when Winston was adjudicated the National MP for Hunua in 1979.

  11. Ad 11
    7 October 2023 at 6:00 pm

    Drinks with the Green Party candidate in Taieri Mr Willis is making me waver.

    He'll be a smart energy lead for them.

  12. Joe90 12
    7 October 2023 at 6:09 pm

    Wingnut fight.

    Matthew Dimitri

    @themattdimitri

    Max Blumenthal is claiming that Ben Norton stole $70,000 from him. Lol.

    https://twitter.com/themattdimitri/status/1709717066448564524

  13. joe90 13
    7 October 2023 at 7:47 pm

    You'd have to wonder why the incumbent would feel the need to run an add like this.

    (they lost)

    Featured VideoThe Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba briefly ran an advertisement on Sunday that stated people may feel judged for casting their ballot, but they should "vote how you feel, not how others say you should." The advertisement adds it's OK for Manitobans to disagree on issues during an election "without the fear of being judged."

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/pc-advertisement-backlash-election-1.6983946

  14. joe90 14
    7 October 2023 at 9:48 pm

    Israeli settlers are fleeing southern Israel as Palestinians fighters invade the settlements.
    A Palestinian journalist has been killed.
    Israeli soldiers are beating Palestinian women at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
    A female Israeli soldier was killed and her naked body paraded through the streets of Gaza.
    The IDF is razing Gaza.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2023/oct/07/hamas-launches-attack-on-israel-with-5000-rockets-live

    • SPC 14.1
      7 October 2023 at 10:47 pm

      Well that ended the IDF reservists holiday – keeping BN at arms length.

      Now its Hamas out first, BN second.

  15. weka 15
    7 October 2023 at 10:23 pm

    Electoral Commission comms had an interesting day. Electioneering at polling booths, and Peters (of course) doing fake information on social media.

    https://twitter.com/ElectoralCommNZ/with_replies

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  • The choice could not be more stark’: How Trump and Biden compare on climate change
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Barbara Grady Illustration by Samantha Harrington. Photo credits: Justin Lane-Pool/Getty Images, Win McNamee/Getty Images, European Space Agency. In an empty wind-swept field in Richmond, California, next to the county landfill, a company called RavenSr has plotted out land and won ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 hours ago

  • Differentiating between democracy and republic
    Although NZ readers may not be that interested in the subject and in lieu of US Fathers Day missives (not celebrated in NZ), I thought I would lay out some brief thoughts on a political subject being debated in the … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    10 hours ago

  • Bernard's mid-winter pick 'n' mix for Monday, June 17
    TL;DR: Chris Bishop talks up the use of value capture, congestion charging, PPPs, water meters, tolling and rebating GST on building materials to councils to ramp up infrastructure investment in the absence of the Government simply borrowing more to provide the capital.Meanwhile, Christopher Luxon wants to double the number of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    14 hours ago

  • You do have the power to change things
    When I was invited to come aboard and help with Greater Auckland a few months ago (thanks to Patrick!), it was suggested it might be a good idea to write some sort of autobiographical post by way of an introduction. This post isn’t quite that – although I’m sure I’lll ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    14 hours ago

  • Turning Away – Who Cares If We Don't?
    On the turning awayFrom the pale and downtroddenAnd the words they say which we won't understandDon't accept that, what's happeningIs just a case of other's sufferingOr you'll find that you're joining inThe turning awayToday’s guest kōrero is from Author Catherine Lea. So without further ado, over to Catherine…I’m so honoured ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    16 hours ago

  • Dissecting Tickled
    Hi,Tickled was one of the craziest things that ever happened to me (and I feel like a lot of crazy things have happened to me).So ahead of the Webworm popup and Tickled screening in New Zealand on July 13, I thought I’d write about how we made that film and ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    16 hours ago

  • New Zealand Webworm Popup + Tickled!
    Hi,I’m doing a Webworm merch popup followed by a Tickled screening in Auckland, New Zealand on July 13th — and I’d love you to come. I got the urge to do this while writing this Webworm piece breaking down how we made Tickled, and talking to all the people who ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    16 hours ago

  • What China wants from NZ business
    One simple statistic said it all: China Premier Li Qiang asked Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell what percentage of the company’s overall sales were made in China. “Thirty per cent,” said Hurrell. In other words, New Zealand’s largest company is more or less dependent on the Chinese market. But Hurrell is ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    20 hours ago

  • Review: The Worm Ouroboros, by E.R. Eddison (1922)
    One occasionally runs into the question of what J.R.R. Tolkien would have thought of George R.R. Martin. For years, I had a go-to online answer: we could use a stand-in. Tolkien’s thoughts on E.R. Eddison – that he appreciated the invented world, but thought the invented names were silly, and ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    21 hours ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #24
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, June 9, 2024 thru Sat, June 15, 2024. Story of the week A glance at this week's inventory of what experts tell us is extreme weather mayhem juiced by ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Sunday Morning Chat
    After a busy week it’s a good day to relax. Clear blues skies here in Tamaki Makaurau, very peaceful but for my dogs sleeping heavily. In the absence of a full newsletter I thought I’d send out a brief update and share a couple of posts that popped up in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago

  • The Book of Henry
    Now in the land of Angus beef and the mighty ABsWhere the steaks were juicy and the rivers did run foulIt would often be said,This meal is terrible,andNo, for real this is legit the worst thing I've ever eatenBut this was an thing said only to others at the table,not ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Is ocean acidification from human activities enough to impact marine ecosystems?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from the Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is ocean acidification from human ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Happiness is a Warm Gun
    She's not a girl who misses muchDo do do do do do, oh yeahShe's well-acquainted with the touch of the velvet handLike a lizard on a window paneI wouldn’t associate ACT with warmth, other than a certain fabled, notoriously hot, destination where surely they’re heading and many would like them ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Still doing a good 20
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past somewhat interrupted week. Still on the move!Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Coalition of the Unwilling?
    What does Budget 2024 tell us about the current government? Muddle on?Coalition governments are not new. About 50 percent of the time since the first MMP election, there has been a minority government, usually with allied parties holding ministerial portfolios outside cabinets. For 10 percent of the time there was ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    3 days ago

  • Of red flags and warning signs in comments on social media
    Somewhat surprisingly for what is regarded as a network of professionals, climate science misinformation is getting shared on LinkedIn, joining other channels where this is happening. Several of our recent posts published on LinkedIn have attracted the ire of various commenters who apparently are in denial about human-caused climate change. Based ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • All good, still
    1. On what subject is Paul Henry even remotely worth giving the time of day?a. The state of our nationb. The state of the ACT partyc. How to freak out potential buyers of your gin palace by baking the remains of your deceased parent into its fittings2. Now that New ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • The looting is the point
    Last time National was in power, they looted the state, privatising public assets and signing hugely wasteful public-private partnership (PPP) contracts which saw foreign consortiums provide substandard infrastructure while gouging us for profits. You only have to look at the ongoing fiasco of Transmission Gully to see how it was ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • The Illusion of Power: How Local Government Bureaucrats Overawe Democratically-Elected Councillors..
    The Democratic Façade Of Local Government: Our district and city councillors are democratically elected to govern their communities on one very strict condition – that they never, ever, under any circumstances, attempt to do so.A DISINTEGRATION OF LOYALTIES on the Wellington City Council has left Mayor Tory Whanau without a ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • Lowlights & Bright Spots
    I can feel the lowlights coming over meI can feel the lowlights, from the state I’m inI can see the light now even thought it’s dimA little glow on the horizonAnother week of lowlights from our government, with the odd bright spot and a glow on the horizon. The light ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Weekly Roundup 14-June-2024
    Another week, another roundup of things that caught our eye on our favourite topics of transport, housing and how to make cities a little bit greater. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday, Connor wrote about Kāinga Ora’s role as an urban development agency Tuesday’s guest post by ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago

  • The Hoon around the week to June 14
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s moves this week to take farming out of the ETS and encourage more mining and oil and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Climate policy axed in broad daylight, while taxpayer liabilities grow in the dark
    In 2019, Shane Jones addressed the “50 Shades of Green” protest at Parliament: Now he is part of a government giving those farmers a pass on becoming part of the ETS, as well as threatening to lock in offshore oil exploration and mining for decades. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Rage Bait!
    Hi,Today’s newsletter is all about how easy it is to get sucked into “rage bait” online, and how easy it is to get played.But first I wanted to share something that elicited the exact opposite of rage in me — something that made me feel incredibly proud, whilst also making ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago

  • Bernard's Dawn Chorus and pick 'n' mix for Friday, June 14
    Seymour said lower speed limits “drained the joy from life as people were forced to follow rules they knew made no sense.” File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, June 14 were:The National/ACT/NZ First ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Friendly but frank talks with China Premier
    It sounded like the best word to describe yesterday’s talks between Chinese Premier Li Qiang and his heavyweight delegation of Ministers and officials and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and New Zealand Ministers and officials was “frank.” But it was the kind of frankness that friends can indulge in. It ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #24 2024
    Open access notables Wildfire smoke impacts lake ecosystems, Farruggia et al., Global Change Biology: We introduce the concept of the lake smoke-day, or the number of days any given lake is exposed to smoke in any given fire season, and quantify the total lake smoke-day exposure in North America from 2019 ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Geoffrey Miller: China’s message to New Zealand – don’t put it all at risk
    Don’t put it all at risk. That’s likely to be the take-home message for New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in his meetings with Li Qiang, the Chinese Premier. Li’s visit to Wellington this week is the highest-ranking visit by a Chinese official since 2017. The trip down under – ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    4 days ago

  • The Real Thing
    I know the feelingIt is the real thingThe essence of the soulThe perfect momentThat golden momentI know you feel it tooI know the feelingIt is the real thingYou can't refuse the embraceNo?Sometimes we face the things we most dislike. A phobia or fear that must be confronted so it doesn’t ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on how moderates empower the political right
    Struth, what a week. Having made sure the rural sector won’t have to pay any time soon for its pollution, PM Christopher Luxon yesterday chose Fieldays 2024 to launch a parliamentary inquiry into rural banking services, to see how the banks have been treating farmers faced with high interest rates. ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Bernard's Dawn Chorus and pick 'n' mix for Thursday, June 13
    In April, 17,656 people left Aotearoa-NZ to live overseas, averaging 588 a day, with just over half of those likely to have gone to Australia. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, June 13 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • Our guide to having your say on the draft RLTP 2024
    Auckland’s draft Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) 2024 is open for feedback – and you only have until Monday 17 June to submit. Do it! Join the thousands of Aucklanders who are speaking up for wise strategic investment that will dig us out of traffic and give us easy and ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    5 days ago

  • The China puzzle
    Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrives in Wellington today for a three-day visit to the country. The visit will take place amid uncertainty about the future of the New Zealand-China relationship. Li hosted a formal welcome and then lunch for then-Prime Minister Chris Hipkins in Beijing a year ago. The pair ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • Fossil fuels are shredding our democracy
    This is a re-post of an article from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler published on June 3, 2024. I have an oped in the New York Times (gift link) about this. For a long time, a common refrain about the energy transition was that renewable energy needed to become ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Life at 20 kilometres an hour
    We are still in France, getting from A to B.Possibly for only another week, though; Switzerland and Germany are looming now. On we pedal, towards Budapest, at about 20 km per hour.What are are mostly doing is inhaling a country, loving its ways and its food. Rolling, talking, quietly thinking. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Hipkins is still useless
    The big problem with the last Labour government was that they were chickenshits who did nothing with the absolute majority we had given them. They governed as if they were scared of their own shadows, afraid of making decisions lest it upset someone - usually someone who would never have ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • Exercising with the IDF.
    This morning I did something I seldom do, I looked at the Twitter newsfeed. Normally I take the approach of something that I’m not sure is an American urban legend, or genuinely something kids do over there. The infamous bag of dog poo on the front porch, set it on ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Helm Hammerhand Anime: First Pictures and an Old English ‘Hera’
    We have some news on the upcoming War of the Rohirrim anime. It will apparently be two and a half hours in length, with Peter Jackson as Executive Producer, and Helm’s daughter Hera will be the main character. Also, pictures: The bloke in the middle picture is Freca’s ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago

  • Farmers get free pass on climate AND get subsidies
    The cows will keep burping and farting and climate change will keep accelerating - but farmers can stop worrying about being included in the ETS. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, June 12 were:The ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Six ideas to secure Te Huia’s Future
    This is a guest post by our friend Darren Davis. It originally appeared on his excellent blog, Adventures in Transitland, which features “musings about public transport and other cool stuff in Aotearoa/ New Zealand and around the globe.” With Te Huia now having funding secure through to 2026, now is ...
    Greater AucklandBy Darren Davis
    6 days ago

  • The methane waka sinks
    In some ways, there may be less than meets the eye to the Government announcement yesterday that the He Waka Eke Noa proposal for farmers to pay for greenhouse gas emissions has been scrapped. The spectre of farmers still having to pay at some point in the future remains. That, ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • At a glance – Does positive feedback necessarily mean runaway warming?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Climate Change: Farmers get what they wanted – for now
    Since entering office, National has unravelled practically every climate policy, leaving us with no effective way of reducing emissions or meeting our emissions budgets beyond magical thinking around the ETS. And today they've announced another step: removing agriculture entirely. At present, following the complete failure of he waka eka noa, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • Presumed Innocent?
    The blue billionaireDistraction no interactionOr movement outside these glazed over eyesThe new great divideFew fight the tide to be glorifiedBut will he be satisfied?Can we accept this without zoom?The elephant in the roomNot much happens in politics on a Monday. Bugger all in fact. Although yesterday Christopher Luxon found he ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on our doomed love affair with oil and gas
    What if New Zealand threw a fossil fuel party, and nobody came? On the weekend, Resources Minister Shane Jones sent out the invitations and strung up the balloons, but will anyone really want to invest big time in resuming oil and gas exploration in our corner of the planet? Yes, ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    6 days ago

  • Building better housing insights
    This is a guest post by Meredith Dale, senior urban designer and strategist at The Urban Advisory. There’s a saying that goes something like: ‘what you measure is what you value’. An RNZ article last week claimed that Auckland was ‘hurting’ because of a more affordable supply of homes, particularly townhouses ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    7 days ago

  • Putin would be proud of them
    A Prime Minister directs his public service to inquire into the actions of the opposition political party which is his harshest critic. Something from Orban's Hungary, or Putin's Russia? No, its happening right here in Aotearoa: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Public Service Commission will launch an ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Resources for debunking common solar and wind myths
    This is a repost from a Yale Climate Connections article by SueEllen Campbell published on June 3, 2024. The articles listed can help you tell fact from fiction when it comes to solar and wind energy. Some statements you hear about solar and wind energy are just plain false. ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Juggernaut
    Politics were going on all around us yesterday, and we barely noticed, rolling along canal paths, eating baguettes. It wasn’t until my mate got to the headlines last night that we learned there had been a dismayingly strong far right result in the EU elections and Macron had called a ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • Numbers Game.
    Respect Existence, Or Expect Resistance? There may well have been 50,000 pairs of feet “Marching For Nature” down Auckland’s Queen Street on Saturday afternoon, but the figure that impresses the Coalition Government is the 1,450,000 pairs of Auckland feet that were somewhere else.IN THE ERA OF DRONES and Artificial Intelligence, ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • Media Link: AVFA on post-colonial blowback.
    Selwyn Manning and I discuss varieties of post colonial blowback and the implications its has for the rise of the Global South. Counties discussed include Palestine/Israel, France/New Caledonia, England/India, apartheid/post-apartheid South Africa and post-colonial New Zealand. It is a bit … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago

  • Policy by panic
    Back in March, Ombudsman Peter Boshier resigned when he hit the statutory retirement age of 72, leaving the country in the awkward (and legally questionable) position of having him continue as a temporay appointee. It apparently took the entire political system by surprise - as evinced by Labour's dick move ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • PSA: NZ's Richest Company, Zuru, Sucks
    Hi,Today the New Zealand press is breathlessly reporting that the owners of toy company Zuru are officially New Zealand’s wealthiest people: Mat and Nick Mowbray worth an estimated $20 billion between them.While the New Zealand press loses its shit celebrating this Kiwi success story, this is a Webworm reminder that ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago

  • Bernard's Dawn Chorus and pick 'n' mix for Monday, June 10
    TL;DR: The six things to note in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty in the past day to 8:36 pm on Monday, June 10 were:20,000 protested against the Fast-track approval bill on Saturday in Auckland, but PM Christopher Luxon says ‘sorry, but not sorry’ about the need for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • In Defence of Kāinga Ora
    Given the headlines around the recent findings of the ‘independent’ review of Kāinga Ora by Bill English, you might assume this post will be about social housing, Kāinga Ora’s most prominent role. While that is indeed something that requires defending, I want to talk about the other core purpose of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    1 week ago

  • Baby You're A Rich Man
    “How does it feel to beOne of the beautiful peopleNow that you know who you areWhat do you want to beAnd have you traveled very far?Far as the eye can see”Yesterday the ACT party faithful were regaled with craven boasts, sneers, and demands for even more at their annual rally.That ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • Stopping a future Labour government from shutting down gas exploration
    A defiant Resources Minister Shane Jones has responded to Saturday’s environmental protests by ending Labour’s offshore oil exploration ban and calling for long-term contracts with any successful explorers. The purpose would be to prevent a future Labour Government from reversing any licence the explorers might hold. Jones sees a precedent ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #23
    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, June 2, 2024 thru Sat, June 8, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is Yale Climate Connection's Resources for debunking common solar and wind myths, by ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Fission by the river
    This is where we ate our lunch last Wednesday. Never mind your châteaux and castles and whatnot, we like to enjoy a baguette in the shadow of a nuclear power plant; a station that puts out more than twice as much as Manapouri using nothing more than tiny atoms to bring ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • Fact Brief – Is the ocean acidifying?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by John Mason in collaboration with members from the Gigafact team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is the ocean acidifying? Acidification of oceans ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • 20,000+ on Queen St.
    The largest protest I ever went on was in the mid 90s. There were 10,000 people there that day, and I’ve never forgotten it. An enormous mass of people, chanting together. Stretching block after block, bringing traffic to a halt.But I can’t say that’s the biggest protest I’ve ever been ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • Josh Drummond's Columns
    Hi there,I wanted to put all of Josh Drummond’s Webworm pieces all in one place. I love that he writes for Webworm — and all of these are a good read!David.Why Are So Many “Christians” Hellbent on Being Horrible?Why do so many objectively hideous people declare themselves “Christian”?Meeting the Master ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago

  • Bernard’s Saturday soliloquy and weekend Pick ‘n’ Mix for June 8/9
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: On reflection, the six things to note in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty this week were:The Government-driven freeze in building new classrooms, local roads and water networks in order to save cash for tax cuts is frustrating communities facing massive population ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • The no-vision thing
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past somewhat interrupted week. Still on the move!Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • When Journalists are Disingenuous
    Hi,One of the things I like the most about Webworm is to be able to break down the media and journalism a little, and go behind the scenes.This is one of those times.Yesterday an email arrived in my inbox from journalist Jonathan Milne, who is managing editor at Newsroom.I don’t ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago

  • Me, elsewhere: Just say you’ll do the thing
    Wrote something over at 1/200 on a familiar theme of mine: The way we frame the economy as a separate, sacred force which must be sacrificed to, the way we talk about criminals as invaders who must be repelled, the constant othering of people on the benefit, people not in ...
    Boots TheoryBy Stephanie Rodgers
    1 week ago

  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted
    A nice bit of news today: my 4600-word historical fantasy-horror piece, A Voyage Among the Vandals, has been accepted by Phobica Books (https://www.phobicabooks.co.uk/books) for their upcoming Pirate Horror anthology, Shivering Timbers. This one is set in the Mediterranean, during the mid-fifth century AD. Notable for having one of history’s designated ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago

  • Ministerial conflicts of interest
    Since the National government came to power, it has been surrounded by allegations of conflicts of interest. Firstly, there's the fast-track law, which concentrates power in the hands of three Ministers, some of whom have received donations from companies whose projects they will be deciding on. Secondly, there's the close ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • The 2024 Budget Forecasts Are Gloomy Prognosis About The Next Three Years.
    There was no less razzamatazz about the 2024 Budget than about earlier ones. Once again the underlying economic analysis got lost. It deserves more attention.Just to remind you, the Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU), is the Treasury’s independent assessment and so can be analysed by other competent economists (although ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago

  • A government that can't see twenty feet ahead
    There are two failings that consistently characterise a National government. One is a lack of imagination, the other is their willingness to look after their mates, no matter what harm it might do to everyone else.This is how we come to have thousands of enormous trucks carving up our roads. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • A post I hope is incorrect
    In May, we learned that National MP David MacLeod had "forgotten" to declare $178,000 in electoral donations. Filing a donation return which is false in any material particular is a crime, and the Electoral Commission has now referred MacLeod to police, since they're the only people who are allowed to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Māori Cannot Re-Write New Zealand’s Constitution By Stealth.
    The Kotahitanga Parliament 1897: A Māori Parliament – at least in the guise of a large and representative body dedicated to describing the shape of New Zealand’s future from a Māori perspective – would be a very good idea.THE DEMAND for a “Māori Parliament” needs to be carefully unpicked. Some Pakeha, ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • Cowpats and Colonials.
    Dumbtown, is how my friend Gerard refers to people like ZB listeners - he’s not wrong.Normally on a Friday I start by looking at Mike Hosking’s moronic reckons of the week which he vomits down the throats of his audience like helpless baby birds in a nest, grateful for the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • Gordon Campbell on cutting the sick leave of vulnerable workers
    Should sick leave be part and parcel of the working conditions from Day One on the job, just like every other health and safety provision? Or should access to sick leave be something that only gradually accumulates, depending on how long a worker has been on the payroll? If enacted ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 week ago

  • Making it easier to build granny flats
    The Government has today announced that it is making it easier for people to build granny flats, Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters and RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop say. “Making it easier to build granny flats will make it more affordable for families to live the way that suits them ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago

  • High Court Judge appointed
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Auckland King’s Counsel Gregory Peter Blanchard as a High Court Judge. Justice Blanchard attended the University of Auckland from 1991 to 1995, graduating with an LLB (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts (English). He was a solicitor with the firm that is now Dentons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Health workforce numbers rise
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says new data released today shows encouraging growth in the health workforce, with a continued increase in the numbers of doctors, nurses and midwives joining Health New Zealand. “Frontline healthcare workers are the beating heart of the healthcare system. Increasing and retaining our health workforce ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government to overhaul firearms laws
    Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has today announced a comprehensive programme to reform New Zealand's outdated and complicated firearms laws. “The Arms Act has been in place for over 40 years. It has been amended several times – in a piecemeal, and sometimes rushed way. This has resulted in outdated ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government delivers landmark specialist schools investment
    The coalition Government is delivering record levels of targeted investment in specialist schools so children with additional needs can thrive. As part of Budget 24, $89 million has been ringfenced to redevelop specialist facilities and increase satellite classrooms for students with high needs. This includes: $63 million in depreciation funding ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Major health and safety consultation begins
    A substantial consultation on work health and safety will begin today with a roadshow across the regions over the coming months, says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden.  This the first step to deliver on the commitment to reforming health and safety law and regulations, set out in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Growing the potential of New Zealand’s forestry sector in partnership
    Forestry Minister Todd McClay, today announced the start of the Government’s plan to restore certainty and confidence in the forestry and wood processing sector. “This government will drive investment to unlock the industry’s economic potential for growth,” Mr McClay says. “Forestry’s success is critical to rebuilding New Zealand’s economy, boosting ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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