Open mike 08/11/2023

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, November 8th, 2023 - 38 comments
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38 comments on “Open mike 08/11/2023 ”

  1. Jester 1
    8 November 2023 at 6:41 am

    The Electoral commission needs a good review to say the least. Makes you wonder how accurate the counts are in other areas where there is only a small margin. They couldn't even get the easy vote cards out to people on time.

    Election 2023: Electoral Commission reviewing voting results after Herald investigation led to discovery of three wrong counts – NZ Herald

    Reply
    • weka 1.1
      8 November 2023 at 8:02 am

      Sure, let's have a review. And let's also start getting real about how much society's function has degraded because of pandemic and still is.

      We seem to be ignoring staffing shortages, stress, and the impact of high turn over of staff on government departments and private businesses alike.

      Reply
      • tc 1.1.1
        8 November 2023 at 2:57 pm

        +100 covid was an accelerator for a decline that was already underway.

        Every govt here bangs on about wanting high calibre people yet they offer a public service pay scale and expect fresh thinking.

        Reply
        • Ed1 1.1.1.1
          8 November 2023 at 5:37 pm

          Thinking! We do the thinking – their job is just to deliver!

          Watch as the NActs strip competence out of the public sector (as they did under Key/English) then leave a mess for the following government.

          Reply
    • Mike the Lefty 1.2
      8 November 2023 at 8:16 am

      As someone who was worked for the EC in the past in a few different jobs I agree.

      Putting the number of votes on the wrong line in the published results is such an elementary mistake that I shake my head in wonder.

      Not much cross-checking being done, it appears.

      What makes it worse is that one of the parties involved, the Leighton Baker Party, is one of the conspiracy theorist parties that regard our democratic system as dishonest and flawed in any case. What better proof do they need than votes being removed from them and transferred to National?

      This may open up a few more judicial hearings, as frustrated unelected candidates challenge the result based on the mistakes discovered thus far.

      At worst, if there are any alterations in parliament's make up following recounts the whole result could be challenged in court. Unlikely, I admit, but not impossible.

      EC did not do a particularly good job all round this time.

      I knew I should have worked for them, this time, they clearly needed me (joke!).

      Reply
      • alwyn 1.2.1
        8 November 2023 at 10:13 am

        "I knew I should have worked for them".

        But would you have been able to do the job? Can you demonstrate that you have an understanding of and a commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi?

        Bugger being able to do a clerical job accurately. That didn't appear to matter.

        Meanwhile do you believe that there were no other errors and that the results won't change?

        Reply
      • Gristle 1.2.2
        8 November 2023 at 9:52 pm

        If it was a conspiracy then the mistake would not have been reported.

        And perhaps just as relevant, who benefit from the mistake? 100 or 200 votes in this one electorate tally made no impact on the result.

        Reply
    • Belladonna 1.3
      8 November 2023 at 9:25 am

      From the numbers quoted to date – it's unlikely to be a sufficiently large tranche of votes affected to change the make-up of Parliament.

      However.

      This comes after the Electoral Commission assured us that every vote was counted twice – which means that either the same error was repeated twice, or that they have no internal checks to flag a clearly questionable result (change from 1 vote to 18 ; drop from 18 votes to 0 votes at a polling station – out of a total of 40 votes cast, is clearly a significant variation.)

      By the time the official result is declared, the commission would have counted every single vote at least twice. It is also validating the result during this time, ensuring everyone who voted was eligible too, and nobody voted twice.

      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/election-2023-electoral-commission-reviewing-voting-results-after-herald-investigation-led-to-discovery-of-three-wrong-counts/MNYX4TGLM5ENFBUQYQL7CM7WZA/

      I doubt very much that any malice was involved, but suspect that the internal processes don't support accuracy (having a whole lot of minor parties interspersed with the larger ones – is an easy way for an error to occur); and it seems evident that they don't have any 'flags' set to cross-check significant changes in totals.

      Reply
  2. Barfly 2
    8 November 2023 at 8:32 am

    New Policy for Labour needs to tick 4 boxes

    beneficial to society

    achievable

    saleable

    preferrably an anathema to Right Wing parties

    I would suggest a wealth tax to pay for dental for all – examination, x-rays, fillings and extractions and a clean. A lot of previous discussion has focused on a Wealth tax replacing or greatly modifying the current forms of revenue for Government I believe that focus is not a hill to die on whereas a Wealth Tax that provides free (or near free) dental ticks all 4 of those boxes and is simple to promote. The RW could certainly say that it is "tax and Spend" – which it is and should be owned by the promoters

    "it's like hospitals mate we tax the nation to spend it on hospitals and be thankfull that we do"

    Another new Policy s would be greater resourcing to the IRD, SFO and FMA

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/300878382/newsable-billions-likely-lost-to-tax-evasion-as-white-collar-crime-investigators-go-underfunded.

    This Policy may have some issues as to saleability – using revenue gained to pay down Government debt doesn't sound very sexy plus the RW would beat the George Orwell drum very loudly and mislabel it's focus as being harassing the self employed and 'wealth creators' but it would tick the other 3 boxes very well.

    I truly believe these policies are worthy of serious exanination and would love it if the LW parties could negotiate a common position on these.

    Reply
    • Ed1 2.1
      8 November 2023 at 5:41 pm

      Wealth tax is very expensive to administer; but it should not be too quickly rejected – the wealthy employ armies of accountants to give the numbers they want. Good change will be very complicated – WFF needs review, as does whether a zero first rate will just benefit artificial arrangements. I would like to see GT lowered slightly, but that does bring in money from tourists . . .

      Reply
      • Barfly 2.1.1
        8 November 2023 at 6:13 pm

        I thought that with 10% of the Population owning 50% of the country's wealth there would be enough low hanging fruit to pay for dental for all indecision

        Reply
  3. Dennis Frank 3
    8 November 2023 at 8:35 am

    Richard Harman counted them:

    Labour leader Chris Hipkins used the word “lost” 19 times in his media conference yesterday. https://www.politik.co.nz/why-labour-lost/ | Politik

    I suspect that not one of those 19 was Labour lost the plot. I doubt Hipkins is capable of being that honest. However I'm intrigued he felt the compulsion to draw attention to their loss so many times!!

    Even slow learners would get it after about 4 or 5, eh? Perhaps he has a lower opinion of his members than I do?? Or perhaps he hasn't forgotten how Cunliffe gave a victory speech the night he lost, and realises the perpetual danger of delusional thinking within Labour ranks and was drumming it in so as to stop the imminent onset.

    Reply
  4. Dennis Frank 4
    8 November 2023 at 8:52 am

    The main problem with ACT's treaty referendum is that it deals with a complex issue whereas to succeed, it must simplify everything to a binary yes/no choice. Most people are happy to discuss features of a complex situation but very few are ever happy deciding what to do about it.

    They evade it unless it is a personal necessity to engage it. Consequently, referendum voters will fall into two camps: racists & maori. Hardly suitable for democracy!

    Holly Bennett (Te Arawa, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Pikiao) is founder and kaitūhono ariki of kaupapa Māori lobbying firm Awhi. Her view is significant:

    I oppose a referendum because the proposal purports that one party (the Crown) of a two-party treaty (the Crown and Māori) can unilaterally interpret what the treaty means – through legislation.

    Then legislation, which seeks to redefine the relationship between Crown and Māori, is handed to everyone to vote on. Yet Te Tiriti is not an agreement between New Zealanders and Māori (remember, Māori are also New Zealanders), it is an agreement between the Crown and Māori.

    This is why Tangata Tiriti is not a term I use or repeat, because Te Tiriti is between the Crown and Māori, not the Crown, Māori and every subsequent immigrant who settled here. https://www.newsroom.co.nz/its-not-luxon-who-needs-to-agree-to-a-treaty-referendum-its-ngapuhi

    Debate on historical relevance of the treaty is always useful but we have higher priorities for governance such as inequality & infrastructure.

    Reply
    • SPC 4.1
      8 November 2023 at 9:19 am

      What is the Crown?

      And if the Treaty is not about a relationship between New Zealanders and Maori, then why is it that governments elected by New Zealanders make decisions that impact on the how the Treaty operates in some/many if not all terms of those governments?

      The Crown operates with/abides by the consent of New Zealanders, as per elections and legislation made by past parliaments etc.

      If the Treaty is taken to the point of being/becoming a constitutional authority in governance, then establishing a written constitution becomes a revolutionary activity (something that diminishes it, if not supplants it).

      ACT aka Seymour wants to have New Zealanders re-write the meaning of the Treaty to prevent the former, but in way that demonstrates a lack of respect for the founding agreement of settlement, the place of the indigenous people and for the rule of law. He should be seen as the grifter he is and dismissed from adult conversations.

      Reply
      • Dennis Frank 4.1.1
        8 November 2023 at 9:28 am

        What is the Crown?

        Head of our state. Sovereign. A legal entity. Personified by, but not equal to, the monarch. And yes, pakeha nowadays are historically bound by it whilst being mostly unsure of the historical relevance. Ambivalence will be our general response…

        Reply
        • SPC 4.1.1.1
          8 November 2023 at 10:31 am

          What does the GG sign when something is placed before them?

          The only constraint is with the purview of the Supreme Court and perhaps the WT – presuming someone such as ACT does not do to it what Brash wanted to do to Maori seats (see basic law in Israel etc).

          Or as the Scots once put it, a bad king is no better than an English one, and should be removed.

          The sovereign serves at the privilege of the people. But both are constrained by certain niceties – constitutional principles.

          Reply
      • weka 4.1.2
        8 November 2023 at 9:37 am

        And if the Treaty is not about a relationship between New Zealanders and Maori, then why is it that governments elected by New Zealanders make decisions that impact on the how the Treaty operates in some/many if not all terms of those governments?

        On the face of it this seemed a strange question but it might be one that many end up wondering about.

        Firstly I would say that Māori are New Zealanders, so it doesn't make sense to say the relationship is between Māori and New Zealanders.

        Secondly, what you are asking is the fundamental of our democracy. We elect governments to act on behalf of the Crown (within limits), but we don't allow all New Zealanders, or non-Māori, that power to act.

        The Crown is the entity that allows NZ to function as a state, and exists within the Commonwealth.

        I'm going to read this later, because I think we need to get up to speed with this

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crown

        btw, afaik, Te Tiriti and the case law and processes over decades are already central to our constitution.

        Reply
        • pat 4.1.2.1
          8 November 2023 at 6:00 pm

          "But New Zealanders are a practical people and our constitution is quintessentially pragmatic. It seems to me that generations of legal scholars, with honourable exceptions such as Jock Brookfield, and certainly judges and law officers of the Crown, have averted their eyes from studying such matters too closely, perhaps in case they do not like what they find.

          But for practical purposes – and for the purposes of determining what the Treaty of Waitangi means today, I don’t think much needs to change. Both Maori and the Crown thought that, following the Treaty, they would have power of some sort. And they agreed in 1840 that they would share power in some way or other. Neither group could fully anticipate the changes that would occur in the country – particularly in terms of population composition – over the next 10 to 20 years. Implicitly, they agreed to exercise power but the terms of that exercise were unspecified. The balance between sovereignty and rangatiratanga would be struck on an ongoing basis in circumstances as they arise – as has been New Zealand’s whole constitution ever since. The Treaty of Waitangi is the articulation of Maori and the Crown entering a relationship in relation to the exercise of power in New Zealand. And that relationship continues."

          https://natlib.govt.nz/blog/posts/the-treaty-in-new-zealand-s-law-and-constitution

          Reply
          • weka 4.1.2.1.1
            8 November 2023 at 8:33 pm

            I would have thought that the Brits knew by 1840 that they were going to take over NZ and have mass immigration here.

            Reply
            • Descendant Of Smith 4.1.2.1.1.1
              8 November 2023 at 8:51 pm

              In the same way that both National and Labour have supported mass immigration to NZ pushing Maori into houselessness and menial work and unemployment.

              As it was, shall it ever be.

              There are masses of positive bi-lingual Maori finishing school shortly for instance who should be immediately given employment before the malaise of no job sets in.

              Will the private sector step up to ensure this happens – that this great asset to their workplace is trained and nurtured and looked after and given meaningful positive employment – unlikely.

              Will the government step up and give them training or jobs in the public sector – not likely.

              Will as time drags on with no job and disillusionment sets in Black Power or Mongrel Mob or name gang of choice give them a place to belong – absolutely. Had this discussion with the local Black Power leader in the 80's as they rounded them up and fed them. He said "we will take as many as you send us".

              Reply
              • weka …
                8 November 2023 at 9:09 pm

                the mind numbing stupidity and sheer waste of what we are doing is intolerable.

                Otoh, I do think NZ has a lot of potential and resources. Maybe we will get there.

                Reply
            • pat 4.1.2.1.1.2
              8 November 2023 at 9:04 pm

              I take it you havnt read the link?….I think it worthwhile.

              Reply
    • weka 4.2
      8 November 2023 at 9:29 am

      excellent point by Bennett, that will rattle a few.

      Completely agree about the problem of using a binary framing to address socio political issues around the Treaty.

      Reply
    • Leaps 4.3
      8 November 2023 at 10:51 am

      Yes it did boils very complex set of questions/problems down to a single yes or no vote. It's very much like the BREXIT vote in the UK. We all know how well that ended over there!!!

      Reply
  6. Barfly 6
    8 November 2023 at 9:27 am

    This is a serious proposal – Labour should adopt the Green policy or tithing their MP's

    Reply
  7. Reality 7
    8 November 2023 at 10:44 am

    Agree with Nick Rockel's summation of Jessica M-M TV1 news item last night. Will be interesting to see if she is as snide and snarky when she starts questioning Luxon, as she was with Chris Hipkins. Chippy handled it well, kept his responses to her brief and did not overly engage, which sort of tossed the ball back at her.

    I suspect she will be oozy smarm with Luxon.

    Reply
    • Tiger Mountain 7.1
      8 November 2023 at 12:07 pm

      Yep, it will be back to hot towels, rose water, and under the table handys such as SirKey received from media channel people during his time in office.

      Reply
    • SPC 7.2
      8 November 2023 at 12:25 pm

      National rule by fear, threaten the Maori seats and have a coalition partner, threaten to do to TVNZ what was done to RNZ ….

      Reply
  8. SPC 8
    8 November 2023 at 12:23 pm

    Tax, tax and tax.

    National tax plans, ACT tax plans and NZF tax plans.

    The tax wars are underway.

    National wants to use a tax on foreigners to fund its tax cuts to locals, and use that bribe to get voters to agree to home sales to foreigners.

    NZ home ownership first will find its virtue compromised if they allow that. Not at any age, Winston the one not to retire so sullied will cry – the beloved country is not for sale.

    Thus it begins, the great unwinding of a tax plan that was a will for two political corpses.

    Thus while National has signalled a date of July 1 for tax threshold adjustments, do not be surprised to see a delay to September or October 2024 – they can cite inflation management – Treasury advice etc. And otherwise getting pre and co-requisite legislation through parliament first. Ducks, rows of ducks.

    And at the end of it all $10 a week for those on MW and a skerrit above and $20 a week for others. Rent will have gone up by more than that by then and those on floating mortgage rates and new fixed rate mortgages might have bigger problems.

    Those who would have got over $40 a week from a MW increase or those in an industry coming up for the FPA Industry Award first round will be left wondering .

    The law covering Fair Pay Agreements, which came into effect late last year, provides for binding agreements setting out minimum employment terms for all employees in an industry or occupation, including such things as standard hours, minimum pay, training and leave.

    Repent at leisure all those who not vote Green and Green dependent others.

    Reply
  9. Barfly 9
    8 November 2023 at 6:18 pm

    Is it that the LW in New Zealand is just so overwhelmingly outfunded by the rich buying policy from the RW that the 'political contest' is almost unwinnable?

    Reply
    • pat 9.1
      8 November 2023 at 6:27 pm

      Do you shop at the Warehouse?

      Reply
      • Barfly 9.1.1
        8 November 2023 at 7:08 pm

        Curious question – the answer is exceedingly rarely. What point is it that you are trying to make?

        Reply
        • pat 9.1.1.1
          8 November 2023 at 7:21 pm

          Apparently they are the highest spenders on advertising in NZ.

          Reply
          • Barfly 9.1.1.1.1
            8 November 2023 at 8:17 pm

            I feel that the 'products' that the Warehouse and RW political parties sell are so different that they don't lend themselves to like versus like comparisons.

            The Warehouse after Tindall left has evolved into a much less successful company with CEO Nick Grayson performing poorly despite his enormous salary IMO. While they are still selling goods of 'ahem' modest quality their pricing regime is not the same as it was – it's now quite overpriced compared to competitors like K Mart. The market they are in does lend itself to direct comparisons which means their ability to misdirect the public is increasingly limited despite a big advertising spend.

            On the political situation the cost in $ per vote in the last election is very telling – the figures were published here on The Standard recently but I can't put my finger on them the top spenders were per vote were ACT, National and NZ First with Act spending over $20 per vote received – Labour I think spent $1.79 per vote received which I think was less than a third of what National and NZ First spent per vote. In boxing terms it's like Tyson Fury fighting a schoolboy. I believe NZ had the best election money could buy which I find rather depressing as the RW generally enjoys kicking the shit out of the poor.

            Reply
            • pat 9.1.1.1.1.1
              8 November 2023 at 8:22 pm

              I dont doubt that election spending has some impact on voter behaviour but as with retail advertising I think its impact is grossly overstated.

              Reply
            • Obtrectator 9.1.1.1.1.2
              8 November 2023 at 11:39 pm

              Where groceries are concerned, I've found The Warehouse is often overpriced by comparison with supermarkets!

              Reply

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    Wellington Council hoardings proclaim its preparations for population growth, but around the country councils are putting things on hold in the absence of clear funding pathways for infrastructure, and despite exploding migrant numbers. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Cabinet meets in earnest today to consider the new Government’s 100-day ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • National takes over infrastructure
    Though New Zealand First may have had ambitions to run the infrastructure portfolios, National would seem to have ended up firmly in control of them.  POLITIK has obtained a private memo to members of Infrastructure NZ yesterday, which shows that the peak organisation for infrastructure sees  National MPs Chris ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

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

  • Who’s Driving The Right-Wing Bus?
    Who’s At The Wheel? The electorate’s message, as aggregated in the polling booths on 14 October, turned out to be a conservative political agenda stronger than anything New Zealand has seen in five decades. In 1975, Bill Rowling was run over by just one bus, with Rob Muldoon at the wheel. In ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • Sanity break
    Cheers to reader Deane for this quote from Breakfast TV today:Chloe Swarbrick to Brook van Velden re the coalition agreement: “... an unhinged grab-bag of hot takes from your drunk uncle at Christmas”Cheers also to actual Prime Minister of a country Christopher Luxon for dorking up his swearing-in vows.But that's enough ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Sanity break
    Cheers to reader Deane for this quote from Breakfast TV today:Chloe Swarbrick to Brook van Velden re the coalition agreement: “... an unhinged grab-bag of hot takes from your drunk uncle at Christmas”Cheers also to actual Prime Minister of a country Christopher Luxon for dorking up his swearing-in vows.But that's enough ...
    More than a fieldingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • National’s murderous smoking policy
    One of the big underlying problems in our political system is the prevalence of short-term thinking, most usually seen in the periodic massive infrastructure failures at a local government level caused by them skimping on maintenance to Keep Rates Low. But the new government has given us a new example, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • NZ has a chance to rise again as our new government gets spending under control
    New Zealand has  a chance  to  rise  again. Under the  previous  government, the  number of New Zealanders below the poverty line was increasing  year by year. The Luxon-led government  must reverse that trend – and set about stabilising  the  pillars  of the economy. After the  mismanagement  of the outgoing government created   huge ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    3 days ago

  • KARL DU FRESNE: Media and the new government
    Two articles by Karl du Fresne bring media coverage of the new government into considerations.  He writes –    Tuesday, November 28, 2023 The left-wing media needed a line of attack, and they found one The left-wing media pack wasted no time identifying the new government’s weakest point. Seething over ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • PHILIP CRUMP:  Team of rivals – a CEO approach to government leadership
    The work begins Philip Crump wrote this article ahead of the new government being sworn in yesterday – Later today the new National-led coalition government will be sworn in, and the hard work begins. At the core of government will be three men – each a leader ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Black Friday
    As everyone who watches television or is on the mailing list for any of our major stores will confirm, “Black Friday” has become the longest running commercial extravaganza and celebration in our history. Although its origins are obscure (presumably dreamt up by American salesmen a few years ago), it has ...
    Bryan GouldBy Bryan Gould
    3 days ago

  • In Defense of the Media.
    Yesterday the Ministers in the next government were sworn in by our Governor General. A day of tradition and ceremony, of decorum and respect. Usually.But yesterday Winston Peters, the incoming Deputy Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister, of our nation used it, as he did with the signing of the coalition ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Top 10 news links at 10 am for Tuesday, Nov 28
    Nicola Willis’ first move was ‘spilling the tea’ on what she called the ‘sobering’ state of the nation’s books, but she had better be able to back that up in the HYEFU. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of top 10 news links elsewhere at 10 am ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • PT use up but fare increases coming
    Yesterday Auckland Transport were celebrating, as the most recent Sunday was the busiest Sunday they’ve ever had. That’s a great outcome and I’m sure the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • The very opposite of social investment
    Nicola Willis (in blue) at the signing of the coalition agreement, before being sworn in as both Finance Minister and Social Investment Minister. National’s plan to unwind anti-smoking measures will benefit her in the first role, but how does it stack up from a social investment viewpoint? Photo: Lynn Grieveson ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Giving Tuesday
    For the first time "in history" we decided to jump on the "Giving Tuesday" bandwagon in order to make you aware of the options you have to contribute to our work! Projects supported by Skeptical Science Inc. Skeptical Science Skeptical Science is an all-volunteer organization but ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Let's open the books with Nicotine Willis
    Let’s say it’s 1984,and there's a dreary little nation at the bottom of the Pacific whose name rhymes with New Zealand,and they've just had an election.Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, will you look at the state of these books we’ve opened,cries the incoming government, will you look at all this mountain ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Climate Change: Stopping oil
    National is promising to bring back offshore oil and gas drilling. Naturally, the Greens have organised a petition campaign to try and stop them. You should sign it - every little bit helps, and as the struggle over mining conservation land showed, even National can be deterred if enough people ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • Don’t accept Human Rights Commission reading of data on Treaty partnership – read the survey fin...
    Wellington is braced for a “massive impact’ from the new government’s cutting public service jobs, The Post somewhat grimly reported today. Expectations of an economic and social jolt are based on the National-Act coalition agreement to cut public service numbers in each government agency in a cost-trimming exercise  “informed by” head ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The stupidest of stupid reasons
    One of the threats in the National - ACT - NZ First coalition agreements was to extend the term of Parliament to four years, reducing our opportunities to throw a bad government out. The justification? Apparently, the government thinks "elections are expensive". This is the stupidest of stupid reasons for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • A website bereft of buzz
    Buzz from the Beehive The new government was being  sworn in, at time of writing , and when Point of Order checked the Beehive website for the latest ministerial statements and re-visit some of the old ones we drew a blank. We found ….  Nowt. Nothing. Zilch. Not a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • MICHAEL BASSETT: A new Ministry – at last
    Michael Bassett writes – Like most people, I was getting heartily sick of all the time being wasted over the coalition negotiations. During the first three weeks Winston grinned like a Cheshire cat, certain he’d be needed; Chris Luxon wasted time in lifting the phone to Winston ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Luxon's Breakfast.
    The Prime Minister elect had his silver fern badge on. He wore it to remind viewers he was supporting New Zealand, that was his team. Despite the fact it made him look like a concierge, or a welcomer in a Koru lounge. Anna Burns-Francis, the Breakfast presenter, asked if he ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • LINDSAY MITCHELL:  Oranga Tamariki faces major upheaval under coalition agreement
     Lindsay Mitchell writes – A hugely significant gain for ACT is somewhat camouflaged by legislative jargon. Under the heading ‘Oranga Tamariki’ ACT’s coalition agreement contains the following item:   Remove Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 According to Oranga Tamariki:     “Section ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • BRIAN EASTON:  Peters as Minister
    A previous column looked at Winston Peters biographically. This one takes a closer look at his record as a minister, especially his policy record. Brian Easton writes – 1990-1991: Minister of Māori Affairs. Few remember Ka Awatea as a major document on the future of Māori policy; there is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Cathrine Dyer's guide to watching COP 28 from the bottom of a warming planet
    Is COP28 largely smoke and mirrors and a plan so cunning, you could pin a tail on it and call it a weasel? Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: COP28 kicks off on November 30 and up for negotiation are issues like the role of fossil fuels in the energy transition, contributions to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Top 10 news links at 10 am for Monday, Nov 27
    PM Elect Christopher Luxon was challenged this morning on whether he would sack Adrian Orr and Andrew Coster.TL;DR: Here’s my pick of top 10 news links elsewhere at 10 am on Monday November 27, including:Signs councils are putting planning and capital spending on hold, given a lack of clear guidance ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the new government’s policies of yesteryear
    This column expands on a Werewolf column published by Scoop on Friday Routinely, Winston Peters is described as the kingmaker who gets to decide when the centre right or the centre-left has a turn at running this country. He also plays a less heralded but equally important role as the ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • The New Government’s Agreements
    Last Friday, almost six weeks after election day, National finally came to an agreement with ACT and NZ First to form a government. They also released the agreements between each party and looking through them, here are the things I thought were the most interesting (and often concerning) from the. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • How many smokers will die to fund the tax cuts?
    Maori and Pasifika smoking rates are already over twice the ‘all adult’ rate. Now the revenue that generates will be used to fund National’s tax cuts. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The devil is always in the detail and it emerged over the weekend from the guts of the policy agreements National ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • How the culture will change in the Beehive
    Perhaps the biggest change that will come to the Beehive as the new government settles in will be a fundamental culture change. The era of endless consultation will be over. This looks like a government that knows what it wants to do, and that means it knows what outcomes ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • No More Winnie Blues.
    So what do you think of the coalition’s decision to cancel Smokefree measures intended to stop young people, including an over representation of Māori, from taking up smoking? Enabling them to use the tax revenue to give other people a tax cut?David Cormack summed it up well:It seems not only ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #47
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science  Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 19, 2023 thru Sat, Nov 25, 2023.  Story of the Week World stands on frontline of disaster at Cop28, says UN climate chief  Exclusive: Simon Stiell says leaders must ‘stop ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Some of it is mad, some of it is bad and some of it is clearly the work of people who are dangerous ...
    On announcement morning my mate texted:Typical of this cut-price, fake-deal government to announce itself on Black Friday.What a deal. We lose Kim Hill, we gain an empty, jargonising prime minister, a belligerent conspiracist, and a heartless Ayn Rand fanboy. One door closes, another gets slammed repeatedly in your face.It seems pretty ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • “Revolution” is the threat as the Māori Party smarts at coalition government’s Treaty directi...
    Buzz from the Beehive Having found no fresh announcements on the government’s official website, Point of Order turned today to Scoop’s Latest Parliament Headlines  for its buzz. This provided us with evidence that the Māori Party has been soured by the the coalition agreement announced yesterday by the new PM. “Soured” ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • The Good, the Bad, and the even Worse.
    Yesterday the trio that will lead our country unveiled their vision for New Zealand.Seymour looking surprisingly statesmanlike, refusing to rise to barbs about his previous comments on Winston Peters. Almost as if they had just been slapstick for the crowd.Winston was mostly focussed on settling scores with the media, making ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • When it Comes to Palestine – Free Speech is Under Threat
    Hi,Thanks for getting amongst Mister Organ on digital — thanks to you, we hit the #1 doc spot on iTunes this week. This response goes a long way to helping us break even.I feel good about that. Other things — not so much.New Zealand finally has a new government, and ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago

  • Thank you Captain Luxon. Was that a landing, or were we shot down?
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Also in More Than A FeildingFriday The unboxing And so this is Friday and what have we gone and done to ourselves?In the same way that a Christmas present can look lovely under the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • Cans of Worms.
    “And there’ll be no shortage of ‘events’ to test Luxon’s political skills. David Seymour wants a referendum on the Treaty. Winston wants a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Labour’s handling of the Covid crisis. Talk about cans of worms!”LAURIE AND LES were very fond of their local. It was nothing ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Disinformation campaigns are undermining democracy. Here’s how we can fight back
    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Misinformation is debated everywhere and has justifiably sparked concerns. It can polarise the public, reduce health-protective behaviours such as mask wearing and vaccination, and erode trust in science. Much of misinformation is spread not ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • Peters as Minister
    A previous column looked at Winston Peters biographically. This one takes a closer look at his record as a minister, especially his policy record.1990-1991: Minister of Māori Affairs. Few remember Ka Awatea as a major document on the future of Māori policy; there is not even an entry in Wikipedia. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    7 days ago

  • The New Government: 2023 Edition
    So New Zealand has a brand-spanking new right-wing government. Not just any new government either. A formal majority coalition, of the sort last seen in 1996-1998 (our governmental arrangements for the past quarter of a century have been varying flavours of minority coalition or single-party minority, with great emphasis ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    7 days ago

  • The unboxing
    And so this is Friday and what have we gone and done to ourselves?In the same way that a Christmas present can look lovely under the tree with its gold ribbon but can turn out to be nothing more than a big box holding a voucher for socks, so it ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • A cruel, vicious, nasty government
    So, after weeks of negotiations, we finally have a government, with a three-party cabinet and a time-sharing deputy PM arrangement. Newsroom's Marc Daalder has put the various coalition documents online, and I've been reading through them. A few things stand out: Luxon doesn't want to do any work, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Hurrah – we have a new government (National, ACT and New Zealand First commit “to deliver for al...
    Buzz from the Beehive Sorry, there has been  no fresh news on the government’s official website since the caretaker trade minister’s press statement about the European Parliament vote on the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement. But the capital is abuzz with news – and media comment is quickly flowing – after ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • Christopher Luxon – NZ PM #42.
    Nothing says strong and stable like having your government announcement delayed by a day because one of your deputies wants to remind everyone, but mostly you, who wears the trousers. It was all a bit embarrassing yesterday with the parties descending on Wellington before pulling out of proceedings. There are ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • Coalition Government details policies & ministers
    Winston Peters will be Deputy PM for the first half of the Coalition Government’s three-year term, with David Seymour being Deputy PM for the second half. Photo montage by Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: PM-Elect Christopher Luxon has announced the formation of a joint National-ACT-NZ First coalition Government with a ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • “Old Coat” by Peter, Paul & Mary.
     THERE ARE SOME SONGS that seem to come from a place that is at once in and out of the world. Written by men and women who, for a brief moment, are granted access to that strange, collective compendium of human experience that comes from, and belongs to, all the ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand welcomes European Parliament vote on the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement
    A significant milestone in ratifying the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was reached last night, with 524 of the 705 member European Parliament voting in favour to approve the agreement. “I’m delighted to hear of the successful vote to approve the NZ-EU FTA in the European Parliament overnight. This is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Further humanitarian support for Gaza, the West Bank and Israel
    The Government is contributing a further $5 million to support the response to urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel, bringing New Zealand’s total contribution to the humanitarian response so far to $10 million. “New Zealand is deeply saddened by the loss of civilian life and the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

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