“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.”
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.
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.
Dennis I have always assumed that you are a member of NAct and that is why you lace your "reasonable" commentary with under-minings of the Leftish view.
Read and expect the dig, yep here it comes, right on cue.
Yet I'm confident I have declared my opposition to both those parties so many times onsite here over the years that nobody would be able to count them. What is it that makes leftists so delusional?
Genuine question, Ian. Afflicted by that binary view you are wearing, are you really unable to mentally integrate the non-binary third of Aotearoa??
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…..
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?
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."
‘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.
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.
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…
(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
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."
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!
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.
Continuing that Simpsons theme….The ODT cartoonist Yeo has recently done, an IMO inspired, characterisation of Grandpa Peters…yelling at clouds. Of Co-Governance, Climate….etc : )
As this is subscriber ..you can probably visualise?. But here's the Original.
By tapping into a nasty, spiteful, anti-thinking, every man for himself, individualistic, malicious, bullshit thread running through NZ's culture at the time he became PM (and possibly now).
Key's mass appeal was because of his imprecision, not despite it.
I loathed it so much I spent the last 5 years of his greasy, opportunistic premiership avoiding the sound of his voice on news bulletins. But I'm an outlier.
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.
I wonder what the dissident patrician will tell them. Someone oughta do a moonbat/wingnut convergence analysis of Aotearoan political culture, eh? Fun!
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.
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
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.
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…
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.
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,
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 .
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,
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.
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."
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.
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It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
“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 ...
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Exciting times up north…
Short & sharp, an eternal formula that works!
Duncan Greive, founder of the Spinoff, has a good take on the Labour psyche:
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.
Interesting word useage there ..Dennis Frank. There is similar..
Winston Peters First..
Michael Bassett is an angry man
I mostly ignore your verbiage…but what are you trying to achieve on The Standard ?
As you have said on this site..you used to be Green. Now continual undermining of Labour and Greens. The Left really…
What happened? (That is rhetorical…No I dont want to see endless butthurt blatherings)
Cabal?..fark.
Have a cuppa T & lie-down. It usually works.
Are you speaking from experience? Doesnt seem evidenced? Maybe take your own advice.. even occasionally : )
what are you trying to achieve on The Standard ?
What I've been trending into whilst interacting with leftists since 1970: enhancement of the belief system.
Dennis I have always assumed that you are a member of NAct and that is why you lace your "reasonable" commentary with under-minings of the Leftish view.
Read and expect the dig, yep here it comes, right on cue.
Yet I'm confident I have declared my opposition to both those parties so many times onsite here over the years that nobody would be able to count them. What is it that makes leftists so delusional?
Genuine question, Ian. Afflicted by that binary view you are wearing, are you really unable to mentally integrate the non-binary third of Aotearoa??
Alienation – from others and/or self? Maybe Dennis' 'cabal' is growing.
And he’s such a good sport when criticised.
All the world is "delusional" save thee and me, and even thou…
If you're an enterprising lawyer with keen interest in politics, here's a new vocational trajectory for you:
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.
A good article on poll trends here.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/election-2023-chance-of-national-act-govt-slipping-away-in-heralds-poll-of-polls/BTCA66475BHZLC5EYXTJXZ3EWQ/
This bit:
Pray tell me then, you leftists, how that zero to 63.5% potential chasm ought to be exploited to empower the left.
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/
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.
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.
True. Vital not to lock into any stance since humans survive via their adaptability. Best framing to use will always include the commons.
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.
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…
Sorry Dennis I have done it again! Yes I am full of a coughing 'flu lol But the name was not meant as a dig
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.
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.
Yes it certainly doesn't help the Left form a government.
However last week they rolled out Honest John the Snake Oil Salesman, it may be the Master Stroke National needed to secure the Election.
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.
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.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/revealed-how-acts-david-seymour-was-gifted-a-plane-for-the-election-campaign/OFRH26M5BNBXJBYV6CZ7NBNI2A/
He could establish a lobby group though: US/NZ solidarity front.
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.
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…..
I agree with everything you said except one aspect – John Key is not charismatic.
He wasn't charismatic to me either but plenty of people fell for the stage- managed boyish charm that some might call charismatic. 😉
Beautifully said.
Flying poodle
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?
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/
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
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…
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/
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!
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.
applying computational thinking to natural ecosystems
I'd never do that! A ludicrous notion! Same as you, I saw govt as user.
Without changing the law, they don't really work, because CEs as employees report to the Public Service Commissioner, not Ministers.
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?
I saw the video the other day and thought the same thing. He also looked like he'd been drinking and not just that day.
One eye was noticeable bigger than the other , I wondered about possible stroke , although I doubt they'd keep it quiet ,
Actually that’s another distinct possibility and they might want to keep it quiet, show no weakness.
JK mangles his words at the best of times.
Continuing that Simpsons theme….The ODT cartoonist Yeo has recently done, an IMO inspired, characterisation of Grandpa Peters…yelling at clouds. Of Co-Governance, Climate….etc : )
As this is subscriber ..you can probably visualise?. But here's the Original.
An oldie but a goodie – thanks.
Lol Yes thanks PLA.
By tapping into a nasty, spiteful, anti-thinking, every man for himself, individualistic, malicious, bullshit thread running through NZ's culture at the time he became PM (and possibly now).
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/10359322/John-Key-says-booze-free-benefits-bulls
Key's mass appeal was because of his imprecision, not despite it.
I loathed it so much I spent the last 5 years of his greasy, opportunistic premiership avoiding the sound of his voice on news bulletins. But I'm an outlier.
I'm doing the same with Luxon.
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/
I wonder what the dissident patrician will tell them. Someone oughta do a moonbat/wingnut convergence analysis of Aotearoan political culture, eh? Fun!
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.
As Labour candidates go, Butt is one of the few worthy: https://www.labour.org.nz/zulfiqarbutt2023
Hoggard otoh: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Hoggard
Very likely to be in on the list!
I posted something on the Nat candidate the other day – seemed better than most:
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…
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.
Strategy
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😉
All good b. Maybe next time 😉
https://twitter.com/wekatweets/status/1710489230202568730
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,
What made you choose Labour?
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 .
The boot does fit..
Newshub Nation
@NewshubNationNZ
Did Grant Robertson just call Nicola Willis the Briscoes lady?
https://twitter.com/NewshubNationNZ/status/1710451593945214987
One of them offers an illusory happiness at minimal personal cost, the other is the Briscoes lady.
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,
Have our 'interesting' (post-pandemic overshoot) times facilitated Winston's revival?
Seems to be working regardless. Interesting that the polls now suggest he's pulling votes from ACT and not any more from Labour!
Certainly is (working) – in 2020 the Invercargill audience's response was muted.
Winston knows he doesn't need to convince everyone – just 5% of voters.
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…
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.
The way seymour morphing into Winston you might be onto something, does seymours mum like whiskey and late nights??
Seymour's mother died. It's the reason we now have euthanasia in this country.
Oops
All good. Just updating you on the situation 🙂
Drinks with the Green Party candidate in Taieri Mr Willis is making me waver.
He'll be a smart energy lead for them.
Wingnut fight.
Matthew Dimitri
@themattdimitri
Max Blumenthal is claiming that Ben Norton stole $70,000 from him. Lol.
https://twitter.com/themattdimitri/status/1709717066448564524
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
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
Well that ended the IDF reservists holiday – keeping BN at arms length.
Now its Hamas out first, BN second.
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