It is interesting how National opposes the appointment of two non-elected Ngahi Tahu representatives to Environment Canterbury on the grounds that it is "undemocratic" when it was National who sacked the elected EC councillors in 2010, replacing them with hand-picked commissioners (including the Rogernome David Caygill). And why did they do this? Because the council was becoming aware that the ground water resources of Canterbury could not sustain any more large dairy farming operatives and were not granting more consents – and the National government naturally couldn't bare to see their farming mates being denied the right to further plunder the water resources.
"Their real fear is that Māori principles of kaitiakitanga will be prioritised, over a quick buck for a few landowners."
Well that is the complete antithesis of my fear. The expectation is (and has been shown to date) is that the outcomes will be unchanged as a result of the reforms and the addition of co governance will add nothing other than additional expense, complication and ill will.
New research from a University of Canterbury PhD candidate has uncovered the presence of microplastics in Antarctic snowfall, shattering the myth that the great southern continent is relatively untouched by humans.
Microplastics, pieces of plastic smaller than grains of rice, were even found in samples taken at remote sites away from human occupation.
Aves told Morning Report said the source of those microplastics included air carrying them, and human footprint.
"It does look like some of the airflow did pass by those bases, and so we have established that human footprint down there. So that is one of the most likely sources.
” Coca-Cola, with more than 500 brands, sells more than 100 billion plastic bottles every year. This equates to 200,000 bottles a minute. Of these, an unrecoverable large part ends up in the environment, and definitely in places where waste is not collected and processed. For the fourth consecutive year, the conglomerate has been declared the world’s biggest polluter, bigger than numbers two (PepsiCo) and three (Unilever) put together. ”
I take yr point about the pollution and devastation wrought by plastics and micro-plastics, I agree entirely.
For me, the inconvenient truth is that responsibility doesn't lie at the feet of Coca-Cola, it is our fault. We have bought all the fizzy, the make-up and polar fleeces that are the cause of the plastic pollution.
Coke, supermarkets and even the pollies will follow where we go.
Peter Dunne lost all credibility with his synthetic drugs debacle. The right tend to trot out failed people and pretend they are left of centre and treat their musings with more respect than statements made by Government ministers.
In evidence now presented in court, some donors told investigators they had been determined that their donations should remain anonymous. Several sought legal advice or assurances from NZ First figures before splitting their totals of up to $50,000 into multiple donations just below the $15,000.01 threshold that would require their names to be declared to the Electoral Commission.
So, evidence of electoral funding fraud, right there. It's illegal to regard these as separate donations, they have to be totalled together (by the party or the Foundation) and reported to the Electoral Commission.
Most said they did not know their donations were going into an account for the NZ First Foundation rather than directly to the NZ First Party – and many did not care, as long as the money went to Winston Peters and the NZ First cause, helped promote their policies.
Again, clear evidence that the intent was a donation to a political party – and thus covered by the Electoral Commission requirements.
Ha! The identities of the accused are suppressed, but not those of the witnesses (despite their evident desire to remain anonymous). Another example of the way that suppression orders in court predominantly benefit the 'guilty' [I know, technically not yet established].
It seems very clear that this money was donated in the very clear expectation that Peters would deliver on legislation/regulation which would benefit the racing industry (amongst others). Pretty blatant political promises of influence. Very much a bought and paid for MP (but an honest politician, in the sense of 'one who stays bought') [Although that element isn't on trial, except in the court of public opinion]
Regarding the electoral bill currently before parliament that allows Maori voters to switch between Maori and general rolls almost at will.
It is embarrassing to admit this but I actually agree somewhat with National's Paul Goldsmith on this one.
To allow switching at any time could drive us towards the jerrymandering antics that go on in the US where county electoral boundaries are redrawn by the party in power (both the Democrats and Republicans do it) to maximise and vote stack.
If an elector can switch between the Maori and general roll at will then exists the danger of political parties conducting campaigns for mass transfers shortly before elections to capture marginal seats.
There would need to be some checks and balances, for example limiting the number of transfers a voter could do in a period of time and/or prohibiting it within a certain time before the next general or by-election.
Compared with other democratic countries, our electoral system is pretty good and we shouldn't make such an alteration just because some intellectuals think it is fashionable.
The only problem I have with it is that it removes any logic for determining the number of Maori seats in the Parliament.
This is done by using the number of people who nominate that they wish to go on the Maori Roll and then calculating the number of Maori seats that there should be so that all electorates have approximately the same number of people. It is really only feasible at a Census when the numbers are all available.
What is an appropriate method if people can go backwards and forwards at any time?
You're right in that the timing of the roll choice should coincide with the determination of the number of Maori seats. But can this be done outside of a census period? Or is the electoral map only adjusted from census data?
The electorates are determined from the Census data and from the choices made in the Maori Electoral Option.
They are only reviewed after a Census. Thus the revues were held in 2006, 2013 and 2018 because the Census planned for 2011 was postponed and the anticipated review in 2011 was not held.
Thanks. So even if a different system was used to determine the electoral map, there would still be a potential problem with anyone shifting between the Maori and General rolls between establishing the boundaries and the election. I'm also thinking of how someone switching between general electorates would impact this, but my understanding is that can only happen if the voter actually moves address.
I think that the assumption about electoral sizing and boundaries has been, that it's only an approximation (e.g. heavy infill housing within electorates – would change the population numbers), and that people do shift between electorates – but that 'out' and 'in' are roughly equivalent.
The 'risk' with allowing 'at will' shifts between between Maori and General rolls is that it enables deliberate electoral distortion. For example: Multiple people enrolling on the Maori roll just before the census – resulting in another 2-3 Maori seats, then those people shifting to the general roll (in areas where they could influence the outcome – e.g. Rotorua).
Can anyone explain to me why there is a need for people to be able to shift onto and off of the Maori roll, at more frequent intervals?
It could, of course be a personal 5 years (i.e. everyone qualified for the Maori roll can shift on or off once every 5 years) – but, in reality, that would be a huge administrative burden.
Good question. According to this guy, "A Ruapehu district councillor says allowing Māori voters to switch electoral rolls at any time would be a huge step towards removing barriers to voting." In reality nothing is stopping anyone voting, it's purely the electorate your vote is counted in that is chnaging.
And, with MMP, even if your candidate vote is less than useful, you can still vote for your party (with results likely to be influential on the distribution of seats in parliament).
Reality is that there are plenty of Kiwis who feel that their candidate vote is wasted. If, for example, you're a left-wing voter who happens to live in a National stronghold – there's little point in a 2 ticks red campaign – you're going to get a National MP in your electorate – so it's only the party vote which matters (from your perspective).
What is an appropriate method if people can go backwards and forwards at any time?
I don't know how practicable it is from an administrative perspective, but it would be technically possible to 'freeze' the Maori roll 9 months out from a general election – and distribute the Maori seats at that point.
It would prevent the gerrymander possibility of shifts on or off the roll for electoral advantage. But would potentially create other issues (how to handle people turning 18, or shifting electorates (KeriKeri to Invercargill), timeframe required to select candidates, etc.).
TBH, if feel as if this legislation is a solution looking for a problem.
" 'freeze' the Maori roll 9 months out from a general election – and distribute the Maori seats at that point".
That would mean that you wouldn't actually know how many Maori seats there would be, or what their boundaries were, until perhaps 6 months before the election. Setting the boundaries isn't as simple as it seems as it isn't just having the right number of people. It also means keeping communities of interest together.
Here we go again. A clash of cultures or just plain arrogance? In my opinion there are some inaccuracies in this article. It should be remembered cases like this aren't the norm.
''Tommy Murray, whose body was taken from Wellington to the north against his wife's wishes say they were doing what they thought was right and in accordance with their tikanga.''
''When Murray's whānau from Te Tai Tokerau and his daughters and mokopuna from Australia arrived in Wellington, they were concerned about plans he was being cremated.''
Cremation is becoming much more acceptable to Maori, especially urban Maori because it's cheaper… and best of all…you can have uncle Manu resting on the mantle piece. I must say even I found this confronting when I first came upon the concept.
''I do want to thank Sara for loving our cousin. I really do and I do feel for her. I know it sounds strange but those whole customs around mataora, a young wife and we didn't want him to be roaming around Wellington bothering other people because he was in the wrong place.''
That belongs to Maori spirituality and should be handled within Maoridom. It isn't appropriate as an excuse in the 21st century.
''Sara Murray was left distraught and in disbelief the whānau took her husband from their home without any discussion. She recalled it as a forceful and violent process.''
Yes, I can picture it now. The women would have told Sara straight. While the men moved swiftly – hence the coffin lid not being present when the tūpāpaku was moved outside to a vehicle. They wanted to move swiftly in case police arrived.
So, before I'm accused of going off on my usual racist rant. What can be done?
I would suggest legislation called something like '' The Bicultural Partnership Act.
That would be a free service, maybe run by Public Trust. Both partners would memorialise their wishes once they are deceased. They would also state what happens should the partnership dissolve. A fair point is made here:
''The whānau were concerned about what would happen to Tommy's ashes if Sara Murray were to remarry.''
The proceedings could be filmed if wanted and uploaded to a data base that police could access on the spot in case of a dispute. A hard copy would also be issued.
Would such legislation make it through parliament? LOL…no chance!! Maori would go berserk. Willy Jackson would PROBABLY call it cultural colonisation. The Maori Party dude with the tats would say it's Pakeha ignorance on display. Social media would erupt. A hikoi would descend on parliament with anti vaxxers saying this is what happens when people get the Covid jab.
This case also highlights collectivism v Individualism. Right v Left. Western culture v tribalism. And that's the reason I'm opposed to this continual Maorification of NZ under our Labour government. There's a reason why people jump in boats and sail to Western countries. It's called Western culture, and it trumps collectivism.
It's called Western culture, and it trumps collectivism
Proof again that those most enamoured of Western Culture don't know much about it, and champion it primarily as a shiny-sounding weapon to be used against something else that they dislike. If you imagine there is not a collectivist strand to the culture and thought of what we loosely call the west, then you are mistaken. Or perhaps you date the beginnings of Western Culture back to the election of John Key in 2008?
In terms of what to do about it. First of all accept that sometimes history serves us up a sh*t sandwich in the present. It's nobody's fault and respectful acknowledgement of other people's humanity might get us through it eventually.
I was personally involved in an identical affair during the late 80s. Only with an extra layer of the whanau wilful ignoring of both the immediate family and the deceased express and deeply held wishes.
It was a bitter and divisive matter and one of my most unhappy memories.
My advice to anyone caught in this scenario is to hire private security to ensure the body is protected until the funeral is over.
There's something about this situation which reminds me of the current abortion debate in many parts of the US. A wider community in this case has the power to supersede the wishes of the wife and apparently those of the deceased.
That's a good idea, RedLogix. People who haven't been in a situation like this cannot comprehend how, as you put it, bitter and divisive things become.
As far as I'm concerned the wishes of the deceased should come first. Fullstop.
"As far as I'm concerned the wishes of the deceased should come first. Fullstop."
Except, in this case, was there a will that specifically expressed what the deceased wanted? No. So where does one go from there? Perhaps a succession of Judges will be expected to decide on the basis of evidence presented at successive appeals. Whatever – this could be a protracted shit-fest unless some wise heads tread a fine path that will need to balance the wishes of the natural children, the partner at the time of death and realistically, cultural expectations.
Interesting what you would go with. There are certainly offences regarding a deceased person but is there such an offence as 'theft of a body'?
How would you get around the fact that a Court might not necessarily conclude that the rights of one person should take precedence over the rights of others who share closer relationship ties – i.e. the natural children and/or extended family. Not everyone lives in your self-centred little world where everything is so simple.
Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years who—
(a)
neglects to perform any duty imposed on him or her by law or undertaken by him or her with reference to the burial or cremation of any dead human body or human remains; or
(b)
improperly or indecently interferes with or offers any indignity to any dead human body or human remains, whether buried or not.
I have close connections to this rohe and whanau, although not directly to this family.
I have been educated when a Croatian uncle of mine, grief stricken by the early death of a beloved cousin after two years of medical failure to diagnose cancer had to deal with this form of 'respect'. Perhaps it was the force of his personality and robust physical presence that prevented the planned uplifting. But the threat remained until she was buried in Auckland, where both her parents have regularly visited and maintained her grave for over 23 years now.
It's a possible occurrence when any family member from my maternal side dies and is not taken up North for burial.
My mother's current wishes are for cremation, and for her ashes to be interred or scattered with my father's. Her wishes are subject to change. But I know, that the threat of 'uplifting' will remain because of these connections. It is an appalling practice, and one that should result in prosecution of those who participate in it.
I agree that it's utterly abhorrent.
From my understanding it results from a cultural difference between the rights of the immediate family (wives, children) to decide these matters being pre-eminent in some cultures; over the rights of the hapu/iwi to decide in Maori culture.
In practice, I can see that Maori whanau will end up being excluded from any access to funerals, wakes, etc – because of the 'risk' that the wishes of the immediate family will be disregarded.
It's actually one of my maraes in the article. The incident I spoke of had relatives without a close connection to my cousin, coming down to do the uplift.
Explained as a 'form of respect', to me it is a method of raising one's own prestige with little regard for others.
I have little patience with it, as I have heard such stories all my life, and the excuses that commend such behaviour. I notice that it happens most regularly when a grieving widow is left, rather than a widower. The sex-based difference/power differential on when they try it on is noticeable.
It might have more legal force, but the practice is not about legality, it is about the imposition of personal will and force on a grieving family.
People are loathe to involve the police, and when grieving are very vulnerable to coercion and manipulation. When your world is already recalibrating to accommodate an empty space where your loved one used to be – the legal position is often the last consideration on your mind.
Also the police are very reluctant to become involved. And the courts are also reluctant to intervene (it also takes an unreasonably long amount of time, costs a lot, and is hugely stressful for all concerned).
Actually, wills will almost never be probated before a funeral – (unless it's very significantly delayed for some other reason); and often haven't even been found/retrieved and read at that time. Most families are concerned more with the personal aspects, rather than the legal, financial, inheritance ones, in the run-up to a funeral.
Lovely family story about my Mum organizing my Nana's funeral – and then finding the instructions at the lawyers with her will, when it came time for probate. Luckily, she'd got most of it right!
This story has intrigued me since I heard about it and I have empathy for both sides of the issue.
Listening to Shane Jones pontificating on RNZ, it struck me that he referred to Sara Murray, more than once, as "an Australian woman'. Deliberately diminishing her mana.
I have no time for the man, hence my disrespect. The man has a track record in parliament of nothing except disrespecting parliament's kawa and European culture by not taking his hat off inside. My marae has no hats worn inside, Try walking into the wharenui with your shoes on and debating the issue…good luck!
No irony here. Just honesty free from cultural imperatives. I admit it doesn't make you friends. But that's life.
Personally I think we put too much value on culture. It is nothing much more than a collection of social habits and historical narratives after all. You cannot adequately express infinite, boundless love by limited means.
Nah, you’re disrespecting disliking the Māori dude’s culture; you did not mention his hat, his boots, or his attire in Parliament before, just his tats. Do you even know his name, without looking it up?
Granted dyed-in-the-wool Ardern supporters might not want to hear this, but Hooten is right this morning when he says it's time to consider replacing Ardern. Paywalled, he praises her profusely for her work on the international stage for the first half. The implication is that she would make an outstanding Foreign Minister.
Then he frames up Grant Robertson thus:
"He's the ordinary bloke who helped us keep things reasonably steady during the pandemic, and now wants us to pay off our credit cards and overdraft, but not worry too much about the mortgage. He watches the Rugby with us the local pub, where the beer's still sold in plastic jugs.
He's married to a bus driver and they're proud grandparents. Like English, he's much more likely to buy the family Hawaiian pizza than something exotic from the flash new pizzeria.
He has to wear suits to work but they don't fit properly because, like most of us, he's eaten too many pies. You could imagine him at the Prime Ministers' desk with his jacket off and – yes – with his sleeves rolled up.
(…)
If Ardern's re-election becomes unviable, this is undoubtedly Labour's best bet for a third term. Much better to get it done tidily before Christmas than panic in election year."
Many are still grateful for so much of what Ardern has steered us through, but we are now 6 polling cycles in a row telling us there will likely be a change of government unless something major changes. Probably only Robertson (maybe Gayford) could seriously ask the question of her, and he probably won't since he's had several brutal leadership contest humiliations already.
But Ardern is tanking Labour and it's time we faced up to the need to change.
Yeah, plenty of evidence of that with some commenters here. They'd probably defend themselves by claiming it is robust self-testing but really it's simply big egos desperate to be heard.
Apart from doubts about Hooton's motivation here, he is saying that that polling can be reversed.
What we in Labour must now do is first get the message out there that there are many good things Labour has done, with more to do, and second point out the very real concern that National have poor MPs, unannounced policy that will favour the wealthy, an unsavoury past with some of its members, an unsatisfactory record while in government from 2008-17, and dubious leadership. There! All solved!
Some voters may still feel a sense of pride when Arden shines on the international stage and bask in the adoration she recieves by association. But this is waning I suggest.
These days there is a weariness about Ardern and her foreign adventures. She looks more like the rich and the famous rather than the local women made good that cares about the plight of her fellow New Zealanders, and prepared to work hard to address their concerns.
She is not around to 'roll up her sleeves' and to put in the unglamorous hard yards to resolve the issues that are bothering New Zealanders. As Hooten says, this is left to Robertson to deal with.
Should this pattern strengthen, her poll ratings in my opinion will continue to decline and the gap between Labour and National will increase and Labour will be voted out in 2023.
There was a hint of this in the recent Tauranga by election Newshub poll. This suggested that Labour will lose the by election by a larger margin than anticipated and that the party vote will be strongly in favour of National. Translate this into the wider electorate and my pick is that all of the seats that Labour won at the 2020 election in the regions will revert back to National.
We'll see in a couple of weeks. And if the result is along these lines Labour will be panicked into considering the proposition that Hooton has put forward.
And if the result is along these lines Labour will be panicked into considering the proposition that Hooton has put forward.
Well, Labour was panicked into elevating Ardern to leader, and look how that turned out. Imho it's common sense to be very wary of any proposition of Hooton's that purports to be in the best interests of Labour.
I trust Hooton's motives and judgement about as much as I do the National party's – wasn’r Hooton Muller’s advisor at one point? Don’t Panic!
Wow. The pm has been on two catch up foreign trips for the first time in well over two years. Trade and tourism, it’s all there. She's currently meeting with Anthony Albanese, the newly elected left wing pm of Australia which, for you, must really sting. Hopefully while there meeting face to face, she will be able to stem the massive damage from the defeated coalition’s 501 policy.
Yet these important work trips in the wake of a 1 in 100 year pandemic are, according to you, that of the rich and famous. She is doing it to bask in adoration, apparently, and we are all weary of how much she doesn't work.
I can assure you Jacinda Ardern (I know how much her full name in print annoys you) works extremely hard for the benefit of New Zealand, most of it unglamorous.
Jacinda Ardern remains Labour's greatest asset. But if your best asset is heading towards certain insolvency, aren't you best to dump it and invest in something else? Ardern's visit to the US was a triumph. So, too, will be today's to Australia, especially if a compromise is negotiated with Anthony Albanese over the 501s. The Prime Minister will then host Samoa's Fiamē Naomi Mata'afa in New Zealand, before strutting her new cold-war warrior credentials at the Nato Summit in Madrid. Kiwi officials hope her global brand will help liberal European leaders sell their voters a more pro-American foreign policy and higher defence spending. In return, Ardern needs to report back home that our free-trade agreement with the EU is nearing completion. This is all great stuff for New Zealand. The problem is that Labour strategists want to move on from the old St Jacinda brand to a more sleeves-rolled-up version, concerned primarily about your grocery bills, mortgage payments and the cost of kids' shoes. They judge, rightly, that after two years of lockdowns and the associated economic and personal pain — and with prices, rents and mortgage payments now rising faster than wages — voters want a more prosaic Prime Minister. But Ardern can't quite play the new role. She is too obviously more in her element talking geopolitics, hate speech or climate change in Washington, Sydney or Madrid than inflation, interest rates and housing costs in Auckland, Hamilton and Christchurch. As a student leader, junior diplomat and influential staffer in Helen Clark's office, Grant Robertson seemed destined to make history as New Zealand's first openly gay Prime Minister. Since then, New Zealand has progressed so that milestone would now attract only fleeting interest. At least as surprising as that social evolution, the notoriously Machiavellian Robertson has reinvented himself as an utterly loyal deputy to Ardern and a down-to-earth, no-nonsense Finance Minister. In that sense, Robertson has followed Bill English, also picked early as a future Prime Minister. Like English, Robertson's career then included brutal humiliations. English could at least content himself that his defeats were at the hands of Helen Clark and Don Brash. Robertson had to endure being beaten by David Cunliffe and then Andrew Little for the Labour leadership. To their credit, both Robertson and English picked themselves up to become highly successful wingmen to leaders better suited to lead their parties to power under the circumstances that prevailed. As Finance Minister, English was undoubtedly more careful with the taxpayer's wallet than Robertson. Yet both accepted massive borrowing after the Christchurch earthquakes and Covid outbreak rather than raise tax or cut spending. While on a slower repayment schedule than English and now with a less ambitious target, Robertson at least talks about paying his debt down before the next shock. Of greatest relevance to Labour's current plight, English was the perfect safe-pair-of-hands and old-pair-of-socks candidate when median voters started tiring of John Key's more cloud-bouncing style. Key's 2016 resignation followed focus groups beginning to describe him as arrogant, the failing he would cite when asked Proust's question of the trait he most deplored in others. Whether that hurt the right side of Key's brain, the left side knew that negative focus-group feedback presages falling polls. He judged National would have a better chance in 2017 under a new leader. So it transpired. With National seeking its first fourth term since 1969, English won 44 per cent of the party vote, miles ahead of Clark's 34 per cent in 2008 or Jenny Shipley's 31 per cent in 1999. A fall of only 3 per cent over National's 2014 result, it is extremely unlikely that Key would have done as well. Labour's difficulties are much worse than when Key calculated it was in National's best interests for him to hand over the top job. Since its failure to buy the vaccine on time led to last year's four-month lockdown, Labour has been on a steep slide. In the most recent polls it now averages just 35 per cent, well down from the mid-40s or higher it routinely scored before August's avoidable lockdown. If Labour's polling drops much more, it's time to confront the unthinkable and replace Jacinda Ardern. The Budget didn't help. The 1News-Kantar poll, taken since then, has Labour down two more points to 35. According to Roy Morgan, the Australian pollsters whose 2020 work most closely picked Ardern's 50 per cent triumph and National's 26 per cent disaster, Labour is at just 31.5 per cent and still heading south. That was the second poll in a month showing National-Act able to govern alone. The others suggest either a hung Parliament requiring new elections, or Labour-Green relying on Te Pāti Māori. If interest rates and grocery bills keep rising faster than wages, there will soon be a poll with Labour in the 20s, putting Ardern in Judith Collins, Little, Cunliffe or English 1.0 territory. Ardern's globetrotting risks bringing that fateful day forward. In the circumstances that now prevail, Labour's recovery and the jobs of at least 25 MPs depend on successfully shifting to the more everyday Kiwi brand to which Ardern has this year proven unsuited. For his part, Robertson has transformed himself into almost a caricature of a family accountant operating above the Te Atatū shops. He's the ordinary bloke who helped us keep things reasonably steady during the pandemic, and now wants us to pay off our credit cards and overdraft, but not worry so much about the mortgage. He watches the rugby with us at the local pub, where the beer's still sold in plastic jugs. He's married to a bus driver and they're proud grandparents. Like English, he's much more likely to buy the family Hawaiian pizza than something exotic from the flash new pizzeria. He has to wear suits to work but they don't fit properly because, like most of us, he's eaten too many pies. You could imagine him at the Prime Minister's desk, with his jacket and tie off and — yes — with his sleeves literally rolled up. As Prime Minister, Robertson could declare his predecessor the greatest since Michael Joseph Savage and arrange for her to receive every honour a grateful nation could bestow. He would claim not even to aspire to such greatness but to just do the job, to help you stay afloat during the recession and be safe from Christopher Luxon's dastardly plans. If Ardern's re-election becomes unviable, this is undoubtedly Labour's best bet for a third term. Much better to get it done tidily before Christmas than panic in election year.
From Me:
I think that Robertson will replace Ardern AFTER the election whether Labour win or not. Hooton’s call on the polls is a bit OTT-they show coalitions pretty much 50/50 at the moment. He talks crap on Covid-NZ’s response is still one of the best in the world and the 4-month Akl lockdown was needed to keep cases under control while we got to 95% vaxxed. And under Key/English government debt went up massively due to tax cuts rather than the earthquake which was largely paid for by reinsurance.
Ardern still has a majority of support as leader – Robertson is nowhere in those stakes. And a substantial (if dwindling) tail of people (looking at the recent poll stats, predominantly younger women) 'voting Labour because of Ardern'
I don't believe that Robertson has anything like the popular appeal to that voting group.
So, if Labour followed Hooten's advice, they'd be trading a solid(ish) group of supporters, for the 'possibility' of the 'Waitakere Man' vote (the ones in the pub, drinking beer with their sleeves rolled up). And, I don't really think that Robertson is an ideal match for that crowd either.
Looking (probably a long way) down the track, Labour should be considering who in the current caucus is a potential leader, and giving them the opportunity to demonstrate capacity. This would absolutely mean some 'churn' in the Labour ministerial roles (which would be a good thing for a number of unrelated reasons).
Who are the (youngish) rising stars? I'd put 3 names out there: Kieran McAnulty, Kiri Allen, Michael Wood. I could certainly see the first 2 as having potential 'Waitakere Man' voter attraction (don't really know enough about Wood)
Any others to contribute?
There may be others in the 2020 intake – but TBH, none of them have been outstanding so far (difficult as a new MP, I do acknowledge), and many of them are highly vulnerable to losing their seats and/or list placings in the 2023 election (even if Labour wins, it's going to be with a heavily reduced majority)
Of course, all this is predicated on the 'if' factor. If Labour loses in 2023, will Ardern stay in parliament (or indeed in NZ). There must be temptations for her on a wider stage (a la Clark). Or, will she see her job as 'uncompleted' and work to reverse the result in 2026?
She has held the group together as no other has. Robertson is doing well, however Jacinda Ardern is admired for her genuine warmth. She has been hounded by the press, who are lauding Christopher Luxon on very ephemeral grounds.
Hooton's view that people are tired of Ardern's "Do nothing" is based on what?
Ad you have been white anting her here for ages. We noticed the "bum note" It jars.
The poll that counts is the election…. over 12 months away.
Multiple polls in a row saying Labour will not be in government, Ardern in charge, and it's me that's jarring. Give yourself a break from your feelings.
Wake up to reality.
Ardern has no more than 6 months to turn Labour's fortunes around.
My "Feelings" Lol You are the one crying in your beer. Being divisive and insulting.
The right want her gone. We will see. You are helping them with your wails. There is one poll alone that matters Nov? next year. A great deal of water and Hooten rubbish to flow yet. Oh and I notice you did not refute the partisan behaviour of many a journalist in support of a "nonperforming" Luxon.
Far more intelligent people than Hooten rate her. Her party rates her.
People are tired and feeling the global fall out of covid's effects, so some are playing the blame game while Christopher Luxon plays the dance of the seven veils. "We will produce Policy later"
4 of those veils
Climate change…."I believe it"… Oh really? in what way? Waiting….?
Bottom Feeders…"we don't want them" Oh really.. top feeders then?
Air NZ… "I ran an Airline…..I am treating this country as a company that needs turning round…'. by tax cuts ? by reversing all current legislation?
"Nicola Willis will be treasurer." Act said "Oh really"
What will he do about Climate change/farming?
What will he do about Covid?
What will he do about Russia/China?
Waiting waiting.
You say Jacinda Ardern has 6 months…. so does Luxon. He is no where as convincing, and your pick is not agitating to take over.
But I do think that much of the 2020 vote swing was voting for Ardern rather than voting for Labour.
And that the emphasis on her as the strongest card to play to the public has a downside (for lots of reasons, including the strain that it puts on her).
I can't see any reason for Labour to switch leaders before the election (and the speculation is, I agree, mischievous). However, Labour do need to be looking to put a really strong team of ministers in behind her.
I know that there are Labour supporters here, who believe that the whole team is strong – but the public don't exactly agree – and, even the most ardent supporter would agree that there are some stand-outs (Woods, for example is doing a sterling job, both in her portfolio and with the media).
I think a mid-term cabinet shuffle (which is almost expected from most governments – so not, in any way, a panic response), would allow Labour to refresh the front-bench, rotate ministers into areas which might play better to their strengths, and put the fire-suppressant strong-guns where the opposition and media are playing the spotlight.
But Ardern is tanking Labour and it’s time we faced up to the need to change
.
Ardern is one of Labour's very few assets (albeit a less valuable one than previously).
She remains marginally more popular (Preferred PM ratings) than Labour itself (Party Support ratings).
[Note: When analysing polling data, bear in mind Party Support polling excludes the Undecideds whereas Preferred PM includes the entire sample … do the appropriate recalculations to compare like with like & you'll find Ardern is still one or two points more popular than her Party]. She’s certainly more polarising than she used to be … but that’s pretty much par for the course in a Govt’s 2nd term.
Cost of Living / anti-democratic arrogance of He Puapua – Three Waters / End of Covid shine = are responsible for tanking Labour, not Ardern herself … although they certainly have shaken faith in Ardern. A move to Robertson is guaranteed to send Labour support into freefall.
In his most revealing comments to date Vladimir Putin compares the war in Ukraine to Peter the Great's war on Sweden. Peter the Great expanded the Russian empire by occupying territory previously part of Sweden, where he founded his new imperial capital St. Petersburg.
Some choice quotes of Vladimir Putin's that lay out his reasoning for invading Ukraine.
No mention of Nato, or neo-nazis
“When he [Peter the Great] founded the new capital, no European country recognized it as Russia. Everybody recognized it as Sweden,”
“What was he doing? Taking back and reinforcing. That’s what he did. And it looks like it fell on us to take back and reinforce as well,”
“There is no state in between. A country is either sovereign or a colony,”
“It’s impossible — do you understand — impossible to build a fence around a country like Russia. And we do not intend to build that fence,”
Perhaps someone should tell Putin that if it all about taking back what used to belong to you then he should watch his back because the descendants of the Golden Horde might decide to take back the vast amount of Russian territory (including Moscow) that they used to control.
The Chairman of the Jan 6 Commitee is Bennie Thompson, a representative from Tennessee. A black man. All over America the racists will be seething, his presence and role being a stab to their horrible hearts.
As far as I am aware the DoJ is conducting their own investigation, with stronger legal backing. These hearings are more likely about the show than collecting evidence.
When I heard the news that Captain Kane was out, I was strangely unmoved.
His form, for a while now, has been patchy at best. Sure, he is arguably the greatest batsman and captain we have produced. We have some depth in the squad and his inavailability(?) may be the spur his fellow top order batsmen require.
The positive is we have a well–drilled, experienced, varied pace attack. As was shown in the last test, at the moment, England rely heavily on a couple of players.
I wouldn't waste my time on Hooton's bad faith dirty politics reckons. He will say anything that his sponsors require. He knows the game and a few insiders, but his overall mission is to poison the well and sabotage Labour. Best to ignore insane yapping dogs who randomly bark at anything, they are just useless
Is the trend (is it too soon to call it a trend?) in the polls surprising to you? Definitely surprised me. I was sure the hoi-polloi would still be tugging their forelocks considering our Covid reponse.
Or maybe it is the over-reach in the response to Covid that is the source of dissatisfaction.
The bribe 'Cost of Living Support' wasn't enough, maybe $500 each might have shifted the polls…
The problem with bribing Kiwis is that they do not stay 'bought' but need constant and increasing amounts to remain 'on side' ….. something to do with inflation?
It's so nice that Matthew Hooton gets a page in the NZ Herald, seemingly every single day, to try to come up with a new criticism of Jacinda Ardern, fails every day and still gets another go the next day.
I think we are seeing a hangover from the extended Auckland lockdown and people tired of pandemic mandates. They wish Covid would magically disappear. Perhaps that is why the govt has stopped talking about it, even though the health system is now in crisis and we are seeing record deaths.
There is also the cynical race baiting engaged by RW media and the usual NACToid suspects.
Two track strategy or whatever you call it. Sainted leaders Te Reo FB page, coincides with this flood of dog whistling and blatant racism bubbling up all over the right elsewhere.
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
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 ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
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A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
It is interesting how National opposes the appointment of two non-elected Ngahi Tahu representatives to Environment Canterbury on the grounds that it is "undemocratic" when it was National who sacked the elected EC councillors in 2010, replacing them with hand-picked commissioners (including the Rogernome David Caygill). And why did they do this? Because the council was becoming aware that the ground water resources of Canterbury could not sustain any more large dairy farming operatives and were not granting more consents – and the National government naturally couldn't bare to see their farming mates being denied the right to further plunder the water resources.
And that was "democratic"?
Their real fear is that Māori principles of kaitiakitanga will be prioritised, over a quick buck for a few landowners.
National has absolutely no time for inconvenient "Democracy".
Especially when it slows their mates monetising of the commons.
"Their real fear is that Māori principles of kaitiakitanga will be prioritised, over a quick buck for a few landowners."
Well that is the complete antithesis of my fear. The expectation is (and has been shown to date) is that the outcomes will be unchanged as a result of the reforms and the addition of co governance will add nothing other than additional expense, complication and ill will.
Part 1: Introduction — Office of the Auditor-General New Zealand (oag.parliament.nz)
"This sort of model – I wouldn't feel nervous with this model being rolled out to other parts of New Zealand as it works quite well [here]."
The Human “footprint” ….a sad indictment.
I recently found this site :
” Coca-Cola, with more than 500 brands, sells more than 100 billion plastic bottles every year. This equates to 200,000 bottles a minute. Of these, an unrecoverable large part ends up in the environment, and definitely in places where waste is not collected and processed. For the fourth consecutive year, the conglomerate has been declared the world’s biggest polluter, bigger than numbers two (PepsiCo) and three (Unilever) put together. ”
https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/en/2022/02/is-coca-colas-latest-promise-really-a-step-forward/
Coka Kola….polluting OUR Planet. Since ages
I take yr point about the pollution and devastation wrought by plastics and micro-plastics, I agree entirely.
For me, the inconvenient truth is that responsibility doesn't lie at the feet of Coca-Cola, it is our fault. We have bought all the fizzy, the make-up and polar fleeces that are the cause of the plastic pollution.
Coke, supermarkets and even the pollies will follow where we go.
Well, there is, to use that analogy…."Its not the gun (assault rifle) that kills people" !.
However, these massive plastic producing/promoting/polluting multinational corporations are definitely "providing" billions of such.
And of COURSE its sadly : (….. Consumer driven. I know what I personally am doing to address and change/halt them. How about all of us ?
Good to see David Parker call out Nicola Willis on her BS re gangs on the AM show this morning.
He accurately labeled her as superficial .
Seldom are Peter Dunne's musings worth the effort to read but this is the exception that proves the rule.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/nz-needs-to-make-the-case-for-a-republic-now
Peter Dunne lost all credibility with his synthetic drugs debacle. The right tend to trot out failed people and pretend they are left of centre and treat their musings with more respect than statements made by Government ministers.
Even before he enabled the synthetics sellers, I viewed him as a having convenient, malleable political principles.
Anyone that can trough for both National and Labour is a borderline 'political lady of the night'.
Josie Paganini as well.
This is not the exception which proves the rule that "the exception which proves the rule" is usually miss-applied as a phrase.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/millionaires-for-nz-first?utm_source=Friends+of+the+Newsroom&utm_campaign=a159271e27-Daily_Briefing+10.06.2022&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_71de5c4b35-a159271e27-47886425
Winston Peters. Bought and paid for.
Did they get their money’s worth, or did they buy a lemon?
I think Winston has had his three strikes…
So, evidence of electoral funding fraud, right there. It's illegal to regard these as separate donations, they have to be totalled together (by the party or the Foundation) and reported to the Electoral Commission.
Again, clear evidence that the intent was a donation to a political party – and thus covered by the Electoral Commission requirements.
Ha! The identities of the accused are suppressed, but not those of the witnesses (despite their evident desire to remain anonymous). Another example of the way that suppression orders in court predominantly benefit the 'guilty' [I know, technically not yet established].
It seems very clear that this money was donated in the very clear expectation that Peters would deliver on legislation/regulation which would benefit the racing industry (amongst others). Pretty blatant political promises of influence. Very much a bought and paid for MP (but an honest politician, in the sense of 'one who stays bought') [Although that element isn't on trial, except in the court of public opinion]
Regarding the electoral bill currently before parliament that allows Maori voters to switch between Maori and general rolls almost at will.
It is embarrassing to admit this but I actually agree somewhat with National's Paul Goldsmith on this one.
To allow switching at any time could drive us towards the jerrymandering antics that go on in the US where county electoral boundaries are redrawn by the party in power (both the Democrats and Republicans do it) to maximise and vote stack.
If an elector can switch between the Maori and general roll at will then exists the danger of political parties conducting campaigns for mass transfers shortly before elections to capture marginal seats.
There would need to be some checks and balances, for example limiting the number of transfers a voter could do in a period of time and/or prohibiting it within a certain time before the next general or by-election.
Compared with other democratic countries, our electoral system is pretty good and we shouldn't make such an alteration just because some intellectuals think it is fashionable.
Nah – I am all for it. That way everyone could switch to the Maori roll …
Or everyone could switch to the general role!
You can only go on the Maori Roll if you are Maori or a descendant of a Maori person.
Damned if I can see how they could check on this though.
https://www.govt.nz/browse/engaging-with-government/enrol-and-vote-in-an-election/register-for-the-maori-electoral-roll/#:~:text=Who%20can%20choose%20to%20be,if%20you're%20M%C4%81ori%20yourself.
Why don't you try enrol and find out? Please report back, kaumatua.
The only problem I have with it is that it removes any logic for determining the number of Maori seats in the Parliament.
This is done by using the number of people who nominate that they wish to go on the Maori Roll and then calculating the number of Maori seats that there should be so that all electorates have approximately the same number of people. It is really only feasible at a Census when the numbers are all available.
What is an appropriate method if people can go backwards and forwards at any time?
You're right in that the timing of the roll choice should coincide with the determination of the number of Maori seats. But can this be done outside of a census period? Or is the electoral map only adjusted from census data?
The electorates are determined from the Census data and from the choices made in the Maori Electoral Option.
They are only reviewed after a Census. Thus the revues were held in 2006, 2013 and 2018 because the Census planned for 2011 was postponed and the anticipated review in 2011 was not held.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_electorates#:~:text=The%20Representation%20Commission%20reviews%20electorate,normally%20occurs%20every%20five%20years.
Thanks. So even if a different system was used to determine the electoral map, there would still be a potential problem with anyone shifting between the Maori and General rolls between establishing the boundaries and the election. I'm also thinking of how someone switching between general electorates would impact this, but my understanding is that can only happen if the voter actually moves address.
I think that the assumption about electoral sizing and boundaries has been, that it's only an approximation (e.g. heavy infill housing within electorates – would change the population numbers), and that people do shift between electorates – but that 'out' and 'in' are roughly equivalent.
The 'risk' with allowing 'at will' shifts between between Maori and General rolls is that it enables deliberate electoral distortion. For example: Multiple people enrolling on the Maori roll just before the census – resulting in another 2-3 Maori seats, then those people shifting to the general roll (in areas where they could influence the outcome – e.g. Rotorua).
Can anyone explain to me why there is a need for people to be able to shift onto and off of the Maori roll, at more frequent intervals?
It could, of course be a personal 5 years (i.e. everyone qualified for the Maori roll can shift on or off once every 5 years) – but, in reality, that would be a huge administrative burden.
Good question. According to this guy, "A Ruapehu district councillor says allowing Māori voters to switch electoral rolls at any time would be a huge step towards removing barriers to voting." In reality nothing is stopping anyone voting, it's purely the electorate your vote is counted in that is chnaging.
And, with MMP, even if your candidate vote is less than useful, you can still vote for your party (with results likely to be influential on the distribution of seats in parliament).
Reality is that there are plenty of Kiwis who feel that their candidate vote is wasted. If, for example, you're a left-wing voter who happens to live in a National stronghold – there's little point in a 2 ticks red campaign – you're going to get a National MP in your electorate – so it's only the party vote which matters (from your perspective).
I don't know how practicable it is from an administrative perspective, but it would be technically possible to 'freeze' the Maori roll 9 months out from a general election – and distribute the Maori seats at that point.
It would prevent the gerrymander possibility of shifts on or off the roll for electoral advantage. But would potentially create other issues (how to handle people turning 18, or shifting electorates (KeriKeri to Invercargill), timeframe required to select candidates, etc.).
TBH, if feel as if this legislation is a solution looking for a problem.
Agreed, and if the government can't get the Nats on board, it won't pass anyway.
" 'freeze' the Maori roll 9 months out from a general election – and distribute the Maori seats at that point".
That would mean that you wouldn't actually know how many Maori seats there would be, or what their boundaries were, until perhaps 6 months before the election. Setting the boundaries isn't as simple as it seems as it isn't just having the right number of people. It also means keeping communities of interest together.
I agree with your last sentence whole heartedly.
Paul Goldsmith has a highly skewed idea of how feasible this kind of mass political coordination is. Something to do with representing Epsom maybe?
Here we go again. A clash of cultures or just plain arrogance? In my opinion there are some inaccuracies in this article. It should be remembered cases like this aren't the norm.
''Tommy Murray, whose body was taken from Wellington to the north against his wife's wishes say they were doing what they thought was right and in accordance with their tikanga.''
''When Murray's whānau from Te Tai Tokerau and his daughters and mokopuna from Australia arrived in Wellington, they were concerned about plans he was being cremated.''
Cremation is becoming much more acceptable to Maori, especially urban Maori because it's cheaper… and best of all…you can have uncle Manu resting on the mantle piece. I must say even I found this confronting when I first came upon the concept.
''I do want to thank Sara for loving our cousin. I really do and I do feel for her. I know it sounds strange but those whole customs around mataora, a young wife and we didn't want him to be roaming around Wellington bothering other people because he was in the wrong place.''
That belongs to Maori spirituality and should be handled within Maoridom. It isn't appropriate as an excuse in the 21st century.
''Sara Murray was left distraught and in disbelief the whānau took her husband from their home without any discussion. She recalled it as a forceful and violent process.''
Yes, I can picture it now. The women would have told Sara straight. While the men moved swiftly – hence the coffin lid not being present when the tūpāpaku was moved outside to a vehicle. They wanted to move swiftly in case police arrived.
So, before I'm accused of going off on my usual racist rant. What can be done?
I would suggest legislation called something like '' The Bicultural Partnership Act.
That would be a free service, maybe run by Public Trust. Both partners would memorialise their wishes once they are deceased. They would also state what happens should the partnership dissolve. A fair point is made here:
''The whānau were concerned about what would happen to Tommy's ashes if Sara Murray were to remarry.''
The proceedings could be filmed if wanted and uploaded to a data base that police could access on the spot in case of a dispute. A hard copy would also be issued.
Would such legislation make it through parliament? LOL…no chance!! Maori would go berserk. Willy Jackson would PROBABLY call it cultural colonisation. The Maori Party dude with the tats would say it's Pakeha ignorance on display. Social media would erupt. A hikoi would descend on parliament with anti vaxxers saying this is what happens when people get the Covid jab.
This case also highlights collectivism v Individualism. Right v Left. Western culture v tribalism. And that's the reason I'm opposed to this continual Maorification of NZ under our Labour government. There's a reason why people jump in boats and sail to Western countries. It's called Western culture, and it trumps collectivism.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2022/06/wh-nau-acted-according-to-tikanga-when-taking-family-member-s-body-cousin-says-as-widow-vows-to-take-legal-action.html
Proof again that those most enamoured of Western Culture don't know much about it, and champion it primarily as a shiny-sounding weapon to be used against something else that they dislike. If you imagine there is not a collectivist strand to the culture and thought of what we loosely call the west, then you are mistaken. Or perhaps you date the beginnings of Western Culture back to the election of John Key in 2008?
In terms of what to do about it. First of all accept that sometimes history serves us up a sh*t sandwich in the present. It's nobody's fault and respectful acknowledgement of other people's humanity might get us through it eventually.
I was personally involved in an identical affair during the late 80s. Only with an extra layer of the whanau wilful ignoring of both the immediate family and the deceased express and deeply held wishes.
It was a bitter and divisive matter and one of my most unhappy memories.
My advice to anyone caught in this scenario is to hire private security to ensure the body is protected until the funeral is over.
There's something about this situation which reminds me of the current abortion debate in many parts of the US. A wider community in this case has the power to supersede the wishes of the wife and apparently those of the deceased.
That's a good idea, RedLogix. People who haven't been in a situation like this cannot comprehend how, as you put it, bitter and divisive things become.
As far as I'm concerned the wishes of the deceased should come first. Fullstop.
"As far as I'm concerned the wishes of the deceased should come first. Fullstop."
Except, in this case, was there a will that specifically expressed what the deceased wanted? No. So where does one go from there? Perhaps a succession of Judges will be expected to decide on the basis of evidence presented at successive appeals. Whatever – this could be a protracted shit-fest unless some wise heads tread a fine path that will need to balance the wishes of the natural children, the partner at the time of death and realistically, cultural expectations.
In this case a will may not have resolved the situation?
I would go with ''theft of a body.'' given the circumstances.
Interesting what you would go with. There are certainly offences regarding a deceased person but is there such an offence as 'theft of a body'?
How would you get around the fact that a Court might not necessarily conclude that the rights of one person should take precedence over the rights of others who share closer relationship ties – i.e. the natural children and/or extended family. Not everyone lives in your self-centred little world where everything is so simple.
https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1961/0043/137.0/DLM329287.html
nice to see you commenting again Sabine
Hence my proposed legislation above that would cut through all this angst.
''Not everyone lives in your self-centred little world where everything is so simple.''
All the more reason for my type of legislation that would save so much trouble in such cases. Especially for the police.
I have close connections to this rohe and whanau, although not directly to this family.
I have been educated when a Croatian uncle of mine, grief stricken by the early death of a beloved cousin after two years of medical failure to diagnose cancer had to deal with this form of 'respect'. Perhaps it was the force of his personality and robust physical presence that prevented the planned uplifting. But the threat remained until she was buried in Auckland, where both her parents have regularly visited and maintained her grave for over 23 years now.
It's a possible occurrence when any family member from my maternal side dies and is not taken up North for burial.
My mother's current wishes are for cremation, and for her ashes to be interred or scattered with my father's. Her wishes are subject to change. But I know, that the threat of 'uplifting' will remain because of these connections. It is an appalling practice, and one that should result in prosecution of those who participate in it.
''It is an appalling practice, and one that should result in prosecution of those who participate in it.''
Agreed.
I agree that it's utterly abhorrent.
From my understanding it results from a cultural difference between the rights of the immediate family (wives, children) to decide these matters being pre-eminent in some cultures; over the rights of the hapu/iwi to decide in Maori culture.
In practice, I can see that Maori whanau will end up being excluded from any access to funerals, wakes, etc – because of the 'risk' that the wishes of the immediate family will be disregarded.
It's actually one of my maraes in the article. The incident I spoke of had relatives without a close connection to my cousin, coming down to do the uplift.
Explained as a 'form of respect', to me it is a method of raising one's own prestige with little regard for others.
I have little patience with it, as I have heard such stories all my life, and the excuses that commend such behaviour. I notice that it happens most regularly when a grieving widow is left, rather than a widower. The sex-based difference/power differential on when they try it on is noticeable.
I guess it comes down to one fundamental question: Which is the most important – the wishes of the deceased, or the wishes of his/her family/whanau?
If you put your burial and disposal wishes into you will it gains a lot more legal force.
It might have more legal force, but the practice is not about legality, it is about the imposition of personal will and force on a grieving family.
People are loathe to involve the police, and when grieving are very vulnerable to coercion and manipulation. When your world is already recalibrating to accommodate an empty space where your loved one used to be – the legal position is often the last consideration on your mind.
Also the police are very reluctant to become involved. And the courts are also reluctant to intervene (it also takes an unreasonably long amount of time, costs a lot, and is hugely stressful for all concerned).
Actually, wills will almost never be probated before a funeral – (unless it's very significantly delayed for some other reason); and often haven't even been found/retrieved and read at that time. Most families are concerned more with the personal aspects, rather than the legal, financial, inheritance ones, in the run-up to a funeral.
Lovely family story about my Mum organizing my Nana's funeral – and then finding the instructions at the lawyers with her will, when it came time for probate. Luckily, she'd got most of it right!
Good point
This story has intrigued me since I heard about it and I have empathy for both sides of the issue.
Listening to Shane Jones pontificating on RNZ, it struck me that he referred to Sara Murray, more than once, as "an Australian woman'. Deliberately diminishing her mana.
Yep. Shane Jones. Enough said. Probably the greatest pontificator who ever graced parliament.
The Maori Party dude with the tats would say it’s Blade’s irony on display, eh Bro!
I have no time for the man, hence my disrespect. The man has a track record in parliament of nothing except disrespecting parliament's kawa and European culture by not taking his hat off inside. My marae has no hats worn inside, Try walking into the wharenui with your shoes on and debating the issue…good luck!
No irony here. Just honesty free from cultural imperatives. I admit it doesn't make you friends. But that's life.
But those tats …, very disrespectful of European culture.
I can't see how. It's part of Maori culture, just like a white collar and tie affair is a European thing.
Personally I think we put too much value on culture. It is nothing much more than a collection of social habits and historical narratives after all. You cannot adequately express infinite, boundless love by limited means.
Nah, you’re
disrespectingdisliking the Māori dude’s culture; you did not mention his hat, his boots, or his attire in Parliament before, just his tats. Do you even know his name, without looking it up?Granted dyed-in-the-wool Ardern supporters might not want to hear this, but Hooten is right this morning when he says it's time to consider replacing Ardern. Paywalled, he praises her profusely for her work on the international stage for the first half. The implication is that she would make an outstanding Foreign Minister.
Then he frames up Grant Robertson thus:
"He's the ordinary bloke who helped us keep things reasonably steady during the pandemic, and now wants us to pay off our credit cards and overdraft, but not worry too much about the mortgage. He watches the Rugby with us the local pub, where the beer's still sold in plastic jugs.
He's married to a bus driver and they're proud grandparents. Like English, he's much more likely to buy the family Hawaiian pizza than something exotic from the flash new pizzeria.
He has to wear suits to work but they don't fit properly because, like most of us, he's eaten too many pies. You could imagine him at the Prime Ministers' desk with his jacket off and – yes – with his sleeves rolled up.
(…)
If Ardern's re-election becomes unviable, this is undoubtedly Labour's best bet for a third term. Much better to get it done tidily before Christmas than panic in election year."
Many are still grateful for so much of what Ardern has steered us through, but we are now 6 polling cycles in a row telling us there will likely be a change of government unless something major changes. Probably only Robertson (maybe Gayford) could seriously ask the question of her, and he probably won't since he's had several brutal leadership contest humiliations already.
But Ardern is tanking Labour and it's time we faced up to the need to change.
Don't be naive. Hooton hardly has the best interest of the Labour Party at heart!
Hooton only has his own interests at heart.
Yeah, Hooton FFS….but there is (and always has been) an element in Labour which loves this kind of shite. INfighting….somehow gives them meaning.
Yeah, plenty of evidence of that with some commenters here. They'd probably defend themselves by claiming it is robust self-testing but really it's simply big egos desperate to be heard.
Dosen't sound like a sound strategy to me – Ardern is still preferred PM over Luxon by 13points.
Hooten knows Ardern can – and will eat Luxon alive during the election campaign.
Hooten's strategy of praising first in order to obscure his subsequent attacks has been obvious for many years.
"I don't mean to offend, BUT(T)…"
Apart from doubts about Hooton's motivation here, he is saying that that polling can be reversed.
What we in Labour must now do is first get the message out there that there are many good things Labour has done, with more to do, and second point out the very real concern that National have poor MPs, unannounced policy that will favour the wealthy, an unsavoury past with some of its members, an unsatisfactory record while in government from 2008-17, and dubious leadership. There! All solved!
HootenHooton and Ad singing from the same 'Ardern songbook' – whatever next?We all fail eventually (no more babies!) "Reckon. Still… no hurry eh." Good onya mate.
Some voters may still feel a sense of pride when Arden shines on the international stage and bask in the adoration she recieves by association. But this is waning I suggest.
These days there is a weariness about Ardern and her foreign adventures. She looks more like the rich and the famous rather than the local women made good that cares about the plight of her fellow New Zealanders, and prepared to work hard to address their concerns.
She is not around to 'roll up her sleeves' and to put in the unglamorous hard yards to resolve the issues that are bothering New Zealanders. As Hooten says, this is left to Robertson to deal with.
Should this pattern strengthen, her poll ratings in my opinion will continue to decline and the gap between Labour and National will increase and Labour will be voted out in 2023.
There was a hint of this in the recent Tauranga by election Newshub poll. This suggested that Labour will lose the by election by a larger margin than anticipated and that the party vote will be strongly in favour of National. Translate this into the wider electorate and my pick is that all of the seats that Labour won at the 2020 election in the regions will revert back to National.
We'll see in a couple of weeks. And if the result is along these lines Labour will be panicked into considering the proposition that Hooton has put forward.
Well, Labour was panicked into elevating Ardern to leader, and look how that turned out. Imho it's common sense to be very wary of any proposition of Hooton's that purports to be in the best interests of Labour.
I trust Hooton's motives and judgement about as much as I do the National party's – wasn’r Hooton Muller’s advisor at one point? Don’t Panic!
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/election-2020-matthew-hooton-who-helped-todd-muller-to-leadership-leaves-national-party/J6UUJUEN6NRVMXEZ3SFEQNIEDI/
You do have a way with words! In this case you're spot on.
Wow. The pm has been on two catch up foreign trips for the first time in well over two years. Trade and tourism, it’s all there. She's currently meeting with Anthony Albanese, the newly elected left wing pm of Australia which, for you, must really sting. Hopefully while there meeting face to face, she will be able to stem the massive damage from the defeated coalition’s 501 policy.
Yet these important work trips in the wake of a 1 in 100 year pandemic are, according to you, that of the rich and famous. She is doing it to bask in adoration, apparently, and we are all weary of how much she doesn't work.
I can assure you Jacinda Ardern (I know how much her full name in print annoys you) works extremely hard for the benefit of New Zealand, most of it unglamorous.
Still, there's no convincing the unhinged!
Hooton today……
Jacinda Ardern remains Labour's greatest asset. But if your best asset is heading towards certain insolvency, aren't you best to dump it and invest in something else? Ardern's visit to the US was a triumph. So, too, will be today's to Australia, especially if a compromise is negotiated with Anthony Albanese over the 501s. The Prime Minister will then host Samoa's Fiamē Naomi Mata'afa in New Zealand, before strutting her new cold-war warrior credentials at the Nato Summit in Madrid. Kiwi officials hope her global brand will help liberal European leaders sell their voters a more pro-American foreign policy and higher defence spending. In return, Ardern needs to report back home that our free-trade agreement with the EU is nearing completion. This is all great stuff for New Zealand. The problem is that Labour strategists want to move on from the old St Jacinda brand to a more sleeves-rolled-up version, concerned primarily about your grocery bills, mortgage payments and the cost of kids' shoes. They judge, rightly, that after two years of lockdowns and the associated economic and personal pain — and with prices, rents and mortgage payments now rising faster than wages — voters want a more prosaic Prime Minister. But Ardern can't quite play the new role. She is too obviously more in her element talking geopolitics, hate speech or climate change in Washington, Sydney or Madrid than inflation, interest rates and housing costs in Auckland, Hamilton and Christchurch. As a student leader, junior diplomat and influential staffer in Helen Clark's office, Grant Robertson seemed destined to make history as New Zealand's first openly gay Prime Minister. Since then, New Zealand has progressed so that milestone would now attract only fleeting interest. At least as surprising as that social evolution, the notoriously Machiavellian Robertson has reinvented himself as an utterly loyal deputy to Ardern and a down-to-earth, no-nonsense Finance Minister. In that sense, Robertson has followed Bill English, also picked early as a future Prime Minister. Like English, Robertson's career then included brutal humiliations. English could at least content himself that his defeats were at the hands of Helen Clark and Don Brash. Robertson had to endure being beaten by David Cunliffe and then Andrew Little for the Labour leadership. To their credit, both Robertson and English picked themselves up to become highly successful wingmen to leaders better suited to lead their parties to power under the circumstances that prevailed. As Finance Minister, English was undoubtedly more careful with the taxpayer's wallet than Robertson. Yet both accepted massive borrowing after the Christchurch earthquakes and Covid outbreak rather than raise tax or cut spending. While on a slower repayment schedule than English and now with a less ambitious target, Robertson at least talks about paying his debt down before the next shock. Of greatest relevance to Labour's current plight, English was the perfect safe-pair-of-hands and old-pair-of-socks candidate when median voters started tiring of John Key's more cloud-bouncing style. Key's 2016 resignation followed focus groups beginning to describe him as arrogant, the failing he would cite when asked Proust's question of the trait he most deplored in others. Whether that hurt the right side of Key's brain, the left side knew that negative focus-group feedback presages falling polls. He judged National would have a better chance in 2017 under a new leader. So it transpired. With National seeking its first fourth term since 1969, English won 44 per cent of the party vote, miles ahead of Clark's 34 per cent in 2008 or Jenny Shipley's 31 per cent in 1999. A fall of only 3 per cent over National's 2014 result, it is extremely unlikely that Key would have done as well. Labour's difficulties are much worse than when Key calculated it was in National's best interests for him to hand over the top job. Since its failure to buy the vaccine on time led to last year's four-month lockdown, Labour has been on a steep slide. In the most recent polls it now averages just 35 per cent, well down from the mid-40s or higher it routinely scored before August's avoidable lockdown. If Labour's polling drops much more, it's time to confront the unthinkable and replace Jacinda Ardern. The Budget didn't help. The 1News-Kantar poll, taken since then, has Labour down two more points to 35. According to Roy Morgan, the Australian pollsters whose 2020 work most closely picked Ardern's 50 per cent triumph and National's 26 per cent disaster, Labour is at just 31.5 per cent and still heading south. That was the second poll in a month showing National-Act able to govern alone. The others suggest either a hung Parliament requiring new elections, or Labour-Green relying on Te Pāti Māori. If interest rates and grocery bills keep rising faster than wages, there will soon be a poll with Labour in the 20s, putting Ardern in Judith Collins, Little, Cunliffe or English 1.0 territory. Ardern's globetrotting risks bringing that fateful day forward. In the circumstances that now prevail, Labour's recovery and the jobs of at least 25 MPs depend on successfully shifting to the more everyday Kiwi brand to which Ardern has this year proven unsuited. For his part, Robertson has transformed himself into almost a caricature of a family accountant operating above the Te Atatū shops. He's the ordinary bloke who helped us keep things reasonably steady during the pandemic, and now wants us to pay off our credit cards and overdraft, but not worry so much about the mortgage. He watches the rugby with us at the local pub, where the beer's still sold in plastic jugs. He's married to a bus driver and they're proud grandparents. Like English, he's much more likely to buy the family Hawaiian pizza than something exotic from the flash new pizzeria. He has to wear suits to work but they don't fit properly because, like most of us, he's eaten too many pies. You could imagine him at the Prime Minister's desk, with his jacket and tie off and — yes — with his sleeves literally rolled up. As Prime Minister, Robertson could declare his predecessor the greatest since Michael Joseph Savage and arrange for her to receive every honour a grateful nation could bestow. He would claim not even to aspire to such greatness but to just do the job, to help you stay afloat during the recession and be safe from Christopher Luxon's dastardly plans. If Ardern's re-election becomes unviable, this is undoubtedly Labour's best bet for a third term. Much better to get it done tidily before Christmas than panic in election year.
From Me:
I think that Robertson will replace Ardern AFTER the election whether Labour win or not. Hooton’s call on the polls is a bit OTT-they show coalitions pretty much 50/50 at the moment. He talks crap on Covid-NZ’s response is still one of the best in the world and the 4-month Akl lockdown was needed to keep cases under control while we got to 95% vaxxed. And under Key/English government debt went up massively due to tax cuts rather than the earthquake which was largely paid for by reinsurance.
Did Hooton actually write it like that? It would be a lot more readable if broken down into a few paragraphs.
Really not OK (from a legal perspective) to copy entire restricted access articles, and paste elsewhere (i.e. from The Herald onto TS).
A sentence or paragraph or two – interspersed with commentary is fine – but not the whole thing.
Ardern still has a majority of support as leader – Robertson is nowhere in those stakes. And a substantial (if dwindling) tail of people (looking at the recent poll stats, predominantly younger women) 'voting Labour because of Ardern'
I don't believe that Robertson has anything like the popular appeal to that voting group.
So, if Labour followed Hooten's advice, they'd be trading a solid(ish) group of supporters, for the 'possibility' of the 'Waitakere Man' vote (the ones in the pub, drinking beer with their sleeves rolled up). And, I don't really think that Robertson is an ideal match for that crowd either.
Looking (probably a long way) down the track, Labour should be considering who in the current caucus is a potential leader, and giving them the opportunity to demonstrate capacity. This would absolutely mean some 'churn' in the Labour ministerial roles (which would be a good thing for a number of unrelated reasons).
Who are the (youngish) rising stars? I'd put 3 names out there: Kieran McAnulty, Kiri Allen, Michael Wood. I could certainly see the first 2 as having potential 'Waitakere Man' voter attraction (don't really know enough about Wood)
Any others to contribute?
There may be others in the 2020 intake – but TBH, none of them have been outstanding so far (difficult as a new MP, I do acknowledge), and many of them are highly vulnerable to losing their seats and/or list placings in the 2023 election (even if Labour wins, it's going to be with a heavily reduced majority)
Of course, all this is predicated on the 'if' factor. If Labour loses in 2023, will Ardern stay in parliament (or indeed in NZ). There must be temptations for her on a wider stage (a la Clark). Or, will she see her job as 'uncompleted' and work to reverse the result in 2026?
She has held the group together as no other has. Robertson is doing well, however Jacinda Ardern is admired for her genuine warmth. She has been hounded by the press, who are lauding Christopher Luxon on very ephemeral grounds.
Hooton's view that people are tired of Ardern's "Do nothing" is based on what?
Ad you have been white anting her here for ages. We noticed the "bum note" It jars.
The poll that counts is the election…. over 12 months away.
Multiple polls in a row saying Labour will not be in government, Ardern in charge, and it's me that's jarring. Give yourself a break from your feelings.
Wake up to reality.
Ardern has no more than 6 months to turn Labour's fortunes around.
My "Feelings" Lol You are the one crying in your beer. Being divisive and insulting.
The right want her gone. We will see. You are helping them with your wails. There is one poll alone that matters Nov? next year. A great deal of water and Hooten rubbish to flow yet. Oh and I notice you did not refute the partisan behaviour of many a journalist in support of a "nonperforming" Luxon.
Far more intelligent people than Hooten rate her. Her party rates her.
People are tired and feeling the global fall out of covid's effects, so some are playing the blame game while Christopher Luxon plays the dance of the seven veils. "We will produce Policy later"
4 of those veils
Climate change…."I believe it"… Oh really? in what way? Waiting….?
Bottom Feeders…"we don't want them" Oh really.. top feeders then?
Air NZ… "I ran an Airline…..I am treating this country as a company that needs turning round…'. by tax cuts ? by reversing all current legislation?
"Nicola Willis will be treasurer." Act said "Oh really"
What will he do about Climate change/farming?
What will he do about Covid?
What will he do about Russia/China?
Waiting waiting.
You say Jacinda Ardern has 6 months…. so does Luxon. He is no where as convincing, and your pick is not agitating to take over.
6 months?
More than she needs.
The guy who was all in on Todd Muller?
I don't think she is.
But I do think that much of the 2020 vote swing was voting for Ardern rather than voting for Labour.
And that the emphasis on her as the strongest card to play to the public has a downside (for lots of reasons, including the strain that it puts on her).
I can't see any reason for Labour to switch leaders before the election (and the speculation is, I agree, mischievous). However, Labour do need to be looking to put a really strong team of ministers in behind her.
I know that there are Labour supporters here, who believe that the whole team is strong – but the public don't exactly agree – and, even the most ardent supporter would agree that there are some stand-outs (Woods, for example is doing a sterling job, both in her portfolio and with the media).
I think a mid-term cabinet shuffle (which is almost expected from most governments – so not, in any way, a panic response), would allow Labour to refresh the front-bench, rotate ministers into areas which might play better to their strengths, and put the fire-suppressant strong-guns where the opposition and media are playing the spotlight.
.
.
Ardern is one of Labour's very few assets (albeit a less valuable one than previously).
She remains marginally more popular (Preferred PM ratings) than Labour itself (Party Support ratings).
[Note: When analysing polling data, bear in mind Party Support polling excludes the Undecideds whereas Preferred PM includes the entire sample … do the appropriate recalculations to compare like with like & you'll find Ardern is still one or two points more popular than her Party]. She’s certainly more polarising than she used to be … but that’s pretty much par for the course in a Govt’s 2nd term.
Cost of Living / anti-democratic arrogance of He Puapua – Three Waters / End of Covid shine = are responsible for tanking Labour, not Ardern herself … although they certainly have shaken faith in Ardern. A move to Robertson is guaranteed to send Labour support into freefall.
Always good to read sound analysis.
Well put.
'
Putin the Great?
In his most revealing comments to date Vladimir Putin compares the war in Ukraine to Peter the Great's war on Sweden. Peter the Great expanded the Russian empire by occupying territory previously part of Sweden, where he founded his new imperial capital St. Petersburg.
Some choice quotes of Vladimir Putin's that lay out his reasoning for invading Ukraine.
No mention of Nato, or neo-nazis
Perhaps someone should tell Putin that if it all about taking back what used to belong to you then he should watch his back because the descendants of the Golden Horde might decide to take back the vast amount of Russian territory (including Moscow) that they used to control.
Putler describes his imperialist fantasy
Putin: 5'5", Micron: 5'7"
https://twitter.com/JohnCleese/status/1535189534652215296?s=20&t=mycSsEfbIBp8X9pn0dI7nQ
The Chairman of the Jan 6 Commitee is Bennie Thompson, a representative from Tennessee. A black man. All over America the racists will be seething, his presence and role being a stab to their horrible hearts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiL2inz487U
Compelling viewing.
Surely this committee has now fashioned the noose the department of justice must then slip around Trumps oily orange neck?
I guess we shall see.
As far as I am aware the DoJ is conducting their own investigation, with stronger legal backing. These hearings are more likely about the show than collecting evidence.
Cricket, cricket, cricket!
Well shit..
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/300610122/black-caps-captain-kane-williamson-positive-for-covid19-ruled-out-of-second-test#comments
My XI would be (let the arguments flow)
Latham
Rutherford
Conway
Nicholls
Young
Mitchell
Blundell
Jamieson
Wagner
Southee
Boult
Its a three test series, we're down one and we've lost our captain and best batter.
Win the toss and attack from ball one, no respite and let the experienced bowlers, hopefully, win the game
Yes we cricket tragics will be glued!!
Latham, Conway, Mitchellet al …come on, you can do it
[Please check and correct your user name in the next comment, thanks]
Mod note
Apologies Incognito. I will check going forward. Sorry for the time it cost you.
When I heard the news that Captain Kane was out, I was strangely unmoved.
His form, for a while now, has been patchy at best. Sure, he is arguably the greatest batsman and captain we have produced. We have some depth in the squad and his inavailability(?) may be the spur his fellow top order batsmen require.
Too true gsays.
Yes I was a little miffed he wasn't fit for test cricket but suddenly came right for the lucrative IPL.
Agree PR!
The positive is we have a well–drilled, experienced, varied pace attack. As was shown in the last test, at the moment, England rely heavily on a couple of players.
We do have a few issues at the moment though.
Can we fix it, yes we can!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-epqIHe4w0
ha ha ha PR. Always appreciate it when you are on this site!
Got to keep it light every now and then
I am on record on TS that Mitchell was not a test match batsmen.
Did I ever get that wrong!
If he can just work on drying the runs up at one end with his bowling he'll be an able replacement for CDG
I like CDG…he would have won us the first test but for over-stepping. He makes things happen.
And of course Mitchell did it again today…its never felt so good to be wrong.
Yes we cricket tragics will be glued!!
If only the batters could stick as solidly as the fans.
We've lost or "best batter." The nature of cricket is such that the "best batter" scored a total of 17 runs in the first test.
There are worse addictions…imagine being a Warriors fan!
I wouldn't waste my time on Hooton's bad faith dirty politics reckons. He will say anything that his sponsors require. He knows the game and a few insiders, but his overall mission is to poison the well and sabotage Labour. Best to ignore insane yapping dogs who randomly bark at anything, they are just useless
He just had a brain fart, nothing to see here.
Yep
https://twitter.com/antihobbes/status/1534988611220668416?s=20&t=mycSsEfbIBp8X9pn0dI7nQ
Is the trend (is it too soon to call it a trend?) in the polls surprising to you? Definitely surprised me. I was sure the hoi-polloi would still be tugging their forelocks considering our Covid reponse.
Or maybe it is the over-reach in the response to Covid that is the source of dissatisfaction.
The
bribe'Cost of Living Support' wasn't enough, maybe $500 each might have shifted the polls…The problem with bribing Kiwis is that they do not stay 'bought' but need constant and increasing amounts to remain 'on side' ….. something to do with inflation?
It's so nice that Matthew Hooton gets a page in the NZ Herald, seemingly every single day, to try to come up with a new criticism of Jacinda Ardern, fails every day and still gets another go the next day.
I think we are seeing a hangover from the extended Auckland lockdown and people tired of pandemic mandates. They wish Covid would magically disappear. Perhaps that is why the govt has stopped talking about it, even though the health system is now in crisis and we are seeing record deaths.
There is also the cynical race baiting engaged by RW media and the usual NACToid suspects.
https://twitter.com/ClintVSmith/status/1535062060689948677?s=20&t=5GtENu9_QUPsLEE4x5N8oA
Crosby Textor still around?
Two track strategy or whatever you call it. Sainted leaders Te Reo FB page, coincides with this flood of dog whistling and blatant racism bubbling up all over the right elsewhere.
roblogic @ 13
Vast difference on the reporting at least the headlines on Ardern’s trip to Australia.
Nothing yet on stuff.
Herald doing a Murdoch impression: ‘Failure, words no action’
RNZ quotes the PM as a headline.
ABC- Shift signal. Albanese signals he may soften deportation policy after meeting with Jacinda Ardern.