Open mike 07/10/2023

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 7th, 2023 - 81 comments
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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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  • Balancing External Security and the Economy

    New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    17 hours ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: The unravelling of the offsets

    The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    22 hours ago
  • What makes us tick

    This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    23 hours ago
  • Foreshore and seabed 2.0

    In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Royal Commission report into abuse in care

    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

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