Interesting article about the Greens in Stuff. James Shaw very much a loner now in the party. Definitely wouldn't surprise me if he was forced out (or leaves) in this term as he does seem to be the only member concerned about environmental issues.
"Shaw is not the co-leader of the Green Party because you cannot lead if others will not follow. His party is no longer interested in environmental issues."
Yes I agree Damien is well right leaning. He ran those debates with Bradbury prior to the election with different candidates. I think a big part of the Greens vote increase came from people not voting Labour.
The current Green Party "team" of MP's is far and above the most powerful the party has ever had and given how excellent past Green MPs have been, that's really something to celebrate!
I think now CC is such a massive issue that there are quite a few new Green voters from across the political spectrum. It is not just a simple matter of how the Left vote is split up.
It's obvious Damien Grant is bitter over the relative poll numbers of Green and ACT, which indicate which one is of the future.
And in his own way he notes the utility of one of the co-leaders, the environment spokesperson, being at COP 28. And the other one in parliament as part of the resistance to the anti-Maori direction of the hydra headed landlord class war government.
The rest is just racist, the white man away the coloured children who should be seen and not heard. He is just parroting John Howard on One Voice. The same meanness at coloured folk is in fashion at the Platform, as per Sean Plunkett.
The attempt to distinguishing being a white man and support for the Palestinian just shows that a western colonial settler overlord class sticks together against indigenous peoples.
The more intelligent Jew would find his support in that light dangerously offensive.
Otherwise the narrative that Shaw could prove he was a leader, if there was no policy on anything but the environment (Starmer Blairlite harmless to the neo-liberal right), that the right finds confronting – domestic and foreign.
They mention past leaders like Fitzsimmons, Donald and Norman because they were so white …
This is the same tired old trope about the Greens. It collapses the moment it is tested.
Critic: "The Greens are too woke, they should do environment!"
Greens: "Ok, here's a policy on climate change, are you on board?"
Critic: "No, not that one"
Greens: "How about this policy instead? Very environmental."
Critic: "No, not that one."
And so on.
Note that Damien Grant does not name a single Green policy on climate change that he supports. Or on the environment in general. Because he's not interested.
And of course he resorts to another tired tactic: fake praise for previous leaders, who of course the Right totally approved of (Donald, Fitzsimons, Norman). That's sarcasm, sorry … the Right attacked and derided those leaders constantly.
Of course, the new government could adopt any of those nice sensible woke-free Green policies on the environment any time they want. They don't need those wacko Greens to get serious about climate change. They could even do something as modest and easy as continuing the previous government's small steps forward. Nobody could stop them.
It would have been an interesting move by Luxon to offer Shaw the Climate Change minister role, and with the budget that Labour suddenly pulled from Shaw without telling him, restored.
If Shaw declined, then the Greens would get questions about how much they were really about the environment, and would find it hard to get any credibility when complaining that the new government wasn't doing enough for CC.
If he accepted, then it's all on the Greens if things don't improve in that area.
Same for offering TPM one of the Maori related ministerships.
It would be refused of course, and with the maximum huffing and puffing, but then TPM couldn't credibly complain later, if enough wasn't done for their causes.
Shaw will probably be made to apply for his job again, even though he's the only one in that party sufficiently qualified to advocate for the environment, as that's how the Greens seem to do things. I hope he gets reelected as a leader, as if not, this will definitely be his last term and we'll all be worse off as a result.
Luxon didn't even need to offer Shaw the job. He could simply have phoned Shaw for a chat, and told the media that he had. Would have sent a message to Winston to behave.
There was only one thing stopping Luxon … namely, everything National stand for.
Fantasies are free, but putting this on the Greens or TPM when it would have cost Luxon his job is laughable.
He knows jack about the Green party.I can assure you that environmental issues are crucial to the Greens .That they are also concerned about social justice is a bonus
I'm glad that Greens prioritises both social justice and the environment.
I would not be a voter of Greens otherwise.
The other Green Parties of the world usually is less attractive a proposal to vote for, than what we have in NZ, and the one in UK is the closest in equivalence to our Greens yet there's still something missing from it.
In my worldview, progressive social movements are interlaced with our common wealth and resources & our relationship to these aspects which is intertwined with class and with nature. This is ecological wisdom and our Greens has really embodied most of this well. There's definitely room for improvement imo.
I think our ecological & social & class-based movements are some of the vehicles that we will use to steer ourselves through the 21st century and beyond. It'll be a rough century this century.
If I have a critique to make of the Greens, it's that we are yet to fully embrace a globally & locally minded eco-socialism with intersectionalist aspects.
However, we'll try to get there even if there'll be mistakes on the way. The cost otherwise really is intolerably too high.
Most western media parrot the 'China bad' narrative but Rnaud brings a different perspective in this thread, which is generally economic news but sprinkled with society and politics in China, and geopolitics in general.
In other parts of the world the Green Party is spending a lot of time promoting "luxury beliefs" and performative ideology.
"The Victorian Greens now define transphobia as the vilification of trans people; intentionally misgendering people individually or as a group; denying that non-binary genders exist; or “promoting the unnecessary prioritisation of sex characteristics above gender”.
The party’s new rules also state that “advocating for unnecessary restrictions on transition care” and “asking leading questions that cover for doing one of the above” can constitute transphobia."
As we have seen with the push back against gender identity ideology within the UK Greens, GII isn't inherent to Green politics. There are other ways of understanding sex and gender that fit with Green politics.
A chunk of the UK Greens are pretty mindblowingly bonkers. Haven't seen any of the genderists defend Aimee Channellor lately 😉 But they do hold the balance of power, which is a shame, because the UK pol desperately needs a strong GP.
"Journalists were once again celebrated in 2023 by remaining near the bottom in the global Ipsos Trustworthiness Index. We’re down there with politicians, successful politicians (Cabinet ministers etc), advertising execs and bankers.
Meanwhile, scientists and doctors top the Index, which, on recent evidence, shows the true perversity of a species that listens the least to the people it trusts the most."
And the converse? Do we listen more to the reckons of politicians, sales pitches of advertisers, and the opinions offered by journalists even though we trust them less?
Peters' advert. Reading it made me think, someone to cover his blurts with a Willis, "What Winston meant to say". Perhaps Damian Grant or someone of that ilk
1.Separation allowed loans to be raised (external Maori participation enabled separation and was also WT compliant)
2.Councils have debt caps and so cannot raise the finance, thus have to raise water charges to finance the raise the infrastructure investment.
Read the Auckland report about their problems.
There is a lot of irony in this. The three headed hydra plans to finance a lot of infrastructure via offshore investment, but they have snookered this option in water, because they played politics.
There was also a website for the general public with explanations and calculators that did a great job of making the case, but that seems to have disappeared.
Have you read how it was purposed to work Pat, because your comments show you have not.
Simple summary to follow:
Firstly it was designed to get around council borrowing limits. Secondly it was to make sure those in dire need were to get said loans first. Third and here the real kicker, it was dedicated to fix water infrastructure over and above all else. Fourth, Māori were to be part of the governance.
Super stripped down summary.
I get for some folk the fourth point made them see red, turn off their brain and act like right c&*^%. Ask yourself, were you one of those people?
Labour really did fuck up the handling and messaging on this. I came in late and it was impossible to understand the whole thing. Your summary is probably the most useful thing I've read on it.
Centralisation of power and decision making was an additional issue.
It got around WT issues with moving control from public bodies (councils) and enabled the separation to ensure the access to lower cost finance in one.
“Da Bloody Maaaaaaaris is stealing da water”! is the battle cry of these slack jowled redneck crackers. They never acknowledge that it was John Key selling 49% of the Hydro Assets that triggered Māori going to the Waitangi Tribunal and the Waitangi Tribunal agreed with Māori that they do have an interest in water and that it was the State’s responsibility to negotiate that interest with Māori. 3 Waters is the culmination of that interpretation of the Tribunals legal ruling, trying to concoct a Qanon conspiracy that the Māori elite are taking over is as stupid as it is stupid.
It was stated it was going to get around council borrowing limits but the money markets determined that would be treated as part of the councils assets regardless….and the government was avoiding being the funder at a further reduced finance rate.
Secondly it provided no such guarantee that those in the greatedt need would recieve attention first, indeed it was conceivable (likely) that the fact there were more units administered by a reduced number of entities that priorities would be focused on the biggest gains in the earliest stages….to the detriment of smaller population areas.
Third it required the delivery of infrastructure that met the required standard…and heres the kicker, within its ability to fund it…..that means how much they can charge you and me (well not me , because I am not provided with said infrastructure)…so it is as politically limited as council entities are/were, unless you advocate an entity that achieves its target of delivery irrespective of whether it provides a service to all or only those who can pay?
And fourth there was no argued advantage to increasing the bureaucracy/cost of the co governance model.
And one you missed, it didnt address the issue of ground water contamination (esp nitrates) which is already impacting the urban water supplies and has the potential to make water treatment prohibitively difficult/expensive to achieve.
It was a poor policy, poorly promoted and ultimately forced upon communities without addressing those community's concerns….and no that dosnt mean that the current Gov will do any better…..they face all the same problems and no one is prepared/able to face the changes/costs that will be needed to solve them….so we will continue to do what we usually do, muddle through.
Muddling through with higher rates than otherwise, with less improvement in water infrastructure. A second rate decision with a second world outcome.
Largely a consequence of ECAN, nitrates are a problem in areas with contaminated aquifer water for pregnant mothers and they would need to use bottled water for drinking.
Possibly though not necessarily….the sad fact is that (as stated numerous times) we are not prepared/able to make the changes required to enable the environmental outcomes we all claim to desire….and 3 Waters didnt change that.
Ecan are not the only entity responsible for nitrate levels and it is not only aquifers as rivers are impacted as well….and as noted 3Waters never addressed this issue (deliberately?).
It was stated it was going to get around council borrowing limits but the money markets determined that would be treated as part of the councils assets regardless….and the government was avoiding being the funder at a further reduced finance rate.
What does the money markets determined that (borrowing) would be treated as part of council assets regardless even mean? And what are you citing as per (presumably) debt levels of councils and at arms length entity borrowing costs?
Yes the alternative to borrowing at lower cost by water bodies is government borrowing, or guarantee of council borrowing etc. The thing is this impacts on government debt costs and its own debt to asset standing. It might then simply nationalise water bodies and claim the assets.
"What does the money markets determined that (borrowing) would be treated as part of council assets regardless even mean"
It means you can place the assets and debt at arms length from the owners of an asset (in this instance the councils) but the lenders will still consider it part of the owners debt and treat it accordingly….that means increased financing cost if the risk is deemed to warrant it.
The cheapest borrowing is gov debt as they have more ability to collect revenue/seize assets..and they make the law. They could indeed seize the assets and 'nationalise' them, but they chose not to….why?
Rates will rise irrespective of the ownership structure of the water infrastructure and Id venture to suggest that under 3 waters the combined rates/watercharges would have been higher than rates alone if the water infrastructure remained on the council books.
"There is doubt, though, about the official expectation that the new water entities will achieve similar issuer credit ratings to councils’ AA ratings. Yes, water entities will achieve higher leverage ratios, enabling them to borrow up to $8b more through to 2031.
But without a Crown guarantee of that debt, finance experts and rating agency S&P predict they would have credit ratings around BBB-, which is the lowest possible investment grade. S&P defines that as: “Adequate capacity to meet financial commitments, but more subject to adverse economic conditions.” And that means higher interest payments that will be passed on to customers. "
3Waters was a failed attempt at central govt-led long-term planning. Imho, public and political 'concern' about additional co-governance arrangements being bundled with the nationalisation of provision of water services was a significant contributor to its failure.
Amalgamation aspects of 3Waters might have generated economies of scale, but we'll never know – 5.2 million Kiwis, 67 water asset-owning organisations.
Six year wait for three waters reforms far too long, says Scottish expert [27 June 2022]
The Water Industry Commission of Scotland had succeeded because it had created economies of scale in areas of high-cost expertise and senior management but had recognised that the delivery of water services remained “intensely local”. He believed this was not well understood or believed by New Zealanders opposed to the reforms. “You need to have a professional responsive staff in place, like professional hydrologists, professional asset planners, professional people for dealing with procurement, professional people for dealing with finances and bond markets. To do that you need real scale. Because if you don't, you can't afford the top specialists because (they) are typically quite well-paid individuals.” Sharing their costs over a community of 50,000 to 100,000 people was very different from sharing their costs over a million people.
" But don’t just blame Labour. More than $1 billion was spent setting up Labour’s Three Waters entities that were widely accepted as having been the best opportunity to fix the country’s water woes. That’s money down the drain now with the change of Government, which made hay out of the politics of Three Waters and ditched it."
It isn't free. However Three Waters wasn't going to entangled with the credit rating of local councils. They have ceilings on debt vs assets, etc.
Separating the much higher higher risk of council bankruptcy from the lower risks of water boards means that.
The cost of borrowing can be lower. Water systems are simply too important to fail. The downstream health consequences of failure are extreme.
The level of borrowing up front for long life assets can be higher. Important bearing in mind how delapidated all of our water assets are.
The terms of repayment can be far longer, which means that it reflects the generational benefit aspect of the water assets
The problem that Three Waters was designed to fix was the structural problem of having local councils running regional assets badly and running them slowly into the ground as they failed to handle population shifts.
Weka this comment from lprent does a great job explaining the Fiscal side of three waters. And why we so desperate need it, or something like it.
Only thing I'd add is most local councils are broke, because they are attached to a ponzi scheme which on enriches developers. The developers make the new suburbs as cheaply as possible, then hand them over to council to run, as they slowly fall apart.
Always good to have a critic around who can't explain their reasoning when they say it "ain't so". It allows the trolls to look better.
I could give you some links to various reports explaining this in more depth. However I suspect that you'd be incapable of understanding the very simple and quite basic finance issues in them.
Reading David Slack this morning he has a grim message that Trump will get in as President again. Hell and descent into a grim lawless State without democracy.
Under a second Trump presidency, he contends, political persecution and attacks on opponents seem all but assured to be vengeful, lawless and widespread. The possibility of the U.S. descending into dictatorship under Trump is real and increasing. -Robert Kogan
The threat sounds so alarmist but so far Trump continues having a huge effect on MAGA. Each time he is charged his polling goes higher, and none of his opponent candidates get near him. And in spite of the economy picking up under Biden he is not seen as a credible contender for President. And if Trump does win under their jerry-mandered election rules, the effect on NZ will be damaging.
Biden should pull out of the presidential race. He may have been a good president but he comes across as very old and doddery. If he stays, then it will be all over for America because Trump will win.
And of its all over for the America then its all over for the rest of us.
Decisions, decisions. Do you want some doddery old codger who is a shop front who fills a ceremonial role, trying to operate with some notions of doing the best for the masses?
Or do you want a different old codger who's a megalomaniac who makes sure that the role of every person in a decision-making position is to massage the ego of the would-be dictator?
I can still remember the stark difference between the two in the first leaders' 'debate' in 2020.
When asked the big achievement if his first term of office, the incumbent said it was the appointment of judges. So 330 million+ population, all the life and living and exploits and achievements (and Covid) and that was it.
The other guy in response on being asked what the most important thing was that for him to achieve? Unity, to be united.
We can't hope to understand the complexities and machinations of the US political scene. Blaming Biden for standing though and that event seeing Trump being elected? No, a toss up between the two and Trump being elected means the numbers with IQs less that 70 are greater than I thought and lots of them voted.
… a toss up between the two and Trump being elected means the numbers with IQs less that 70 are greater than I thought and lots of them voted.
A vast proportion of the US population have been so dumbed down, their IQs are abysmally low. They are the ones who vote for Trump. Biden does not attract the younger vote. A more dynamic person is needed to counter the Trump dumb-bells. Perhaps he should step aside for Kamala Harris. He is 81 going on for 82 years of age.
Is it a bad sign when your campaign asks your backers and fellow travelers to stfu?
Donald Trump’s campaign asked allies on Capitol Hill in recent days to publicly counter criticism that the former president would govern like a dictator in a second term, according to people familiar with the matter.
Yet on Tuesday, Trump reignited that criticism. Pressed twice on the topic during a televised town hall with Fox News host Sean Hannity, including on whether he “would never abuse power as retribution against anybody,” Trump replied: “Except for Day 1,” before going on to talk about drilling for oil and closing the border.
[…]
Trump’s plans for a second term have relied in part on work being done through a coalition of right-wing groups called Project 2025, The Post and others have reported. The news reports prompted Trump campaign senior adviser Susie Wiles to complain to the project’s director, Paul Dans of the Heritage Foundation, saying that the stories were unhelpful and that the organization should stop promoting its work to reporters, according to a person familiar with the call.
So it seems apt to discover that just three days before the election, the National Party received a big $35,000 donation from HUD Studio – the tech company behind a dating app “dedicated to facilitating commitment-free relationships”.
Te Tiriti hikoi in Blenheim as we speak and my reporter, wife actually, reports lots of toots and a couple of hundred walkers. Not bad for little notice, she came upon it and joined in. Couple of hundred in the rain is pretty good for here, you won’t get that to a big footy game.
Now taking bets as to who will be the first Māori member of the National caucus to resign because they didn't sign up to be the face of racist policy sops to New Zealand First and ACT. My money is on Reti – he's showing the signs.
Probably not (ambition beats iwi) but they are certainly going to be shifting uncomfortably in their Cabinet seats. If Luxon had any feel for history, for other perspectives (he doesn't) then he would make a statesmanlike speech about land theft, issue an apology on behalf of the Crown and pledge to engage. He only understands dollars and cents so his advisers should explain that is the cheapest way to buy goodwill.
Reti is killing off the Maori-focused health authority Te Aka Whai Ora. Had evidence to back his decision. The Maori in government have zero problem with the coalition agreement.
Choosing to be a Cabinet Minister does not equate to having "zero problem". Tama Potaka is not going to publicly say "I'm OK with 70% of it but am unhappy with a chunk of it".
Maybe he is no longer the person he was before he entered Parliament. But if he's the same person, he has major problems with it.
He would hardly be the first politician to toe the party line and swallow the dead rats out of misplaced loyalty or sunk cost fallacy. Nick Smith did it all the time as Environment Minister. Chris Bishop no doubt still stings over having that cross-bench housing policy walked back. If you listen very carefully when Reti speaks, he is deliberate in his wording, and occasionally contradicts Luxon when it comes to acknowledging Māori health disparities and child poverty as an issue. Tama Potaka is likewise using very deliberate language when asked about the te reo issues.
Good ol’ Pete Dunne – wanted to be famous for drug reform, to save the kids. Doesn’t really seem to care though about the Nats happily killing around 5 thousand and losing billions in associated savings phasing out cigarettes. No, it’s that that sneering Ayesha Verrall won’t shut her traps about it. How dare she so smugly give context to a decision made after the election so not debated or explored at all and so not really given the go ahead by the public? How dare the opposition oppose!
Go on and piss off and let NewsRoom hire one of the decimated civil servants due to be laid off to write a column. Yeh I know 6.5% isn’t 10%, but it’s enough to make Wellington a city ready to party this Christmas, amirite?
That’d be fairly reasonable. You supercilious Judas cunt. Quit paying off your political slights from 30 or 40 or 50 years ago and let someone who’s directly affected by this incompetent blitzreig speak to us from what was your column space. Cunt. And poodle.
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This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
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Interesting article about the Greens in Stuff. James Shaw very much a loner now in the party. Definitely wouldn't surprise me if he was forced out (or leaves) in this term as he does seem to be the only member concerned about environmental issues.
"Shaw is not the co-leader of the Green Party because you cannot lead if others will not follow. His party is no longer interested in environmental issues."
Damien Grant: Green Party's more interested in performative theatre than environmental issues | Stuff.co.nz
Damian Grant leans well to the Right and is simply trying to sew discord among the Greens.
BTW the Greens' vote went up 42% in the last election, partly due to some fine campaigning by James Shaw. They got 11.6% compared with 8.6% for ACT.
Yes I agree Damien is well right leaning. He ran those debates with Bradbury prior to the election with different candidates. I think a big part of the Greens vote increase came from people not voting Labour.
The current Green Party "team" of MP's is far and above the most powerful the party has ever had and given how excellent past Green MPs have been, that's really something to celebrate!
I think now CC is such a massive issue that there are quite a few new Green voters from across the political spectrum. It is not just a simple matter of how the Left vote is split up.
Damien Grant's article is disingenuous twaddle.
He writes that James Shaw is in Dubai at COP 28, then states,
"Shaw has been curiously absent…" from the House.
Curiously absent?
Idjit.
It's obvious Damien Grant is bitter over the relative poll numbers of Green and ACT, which indicate which one is of the future.
And in his own way he notes the utility of one of the co-leaders, the environment spokesperson, being at COP 28. And the other one in parliament as part of the resistance to the anti-Maori direction of the hydra headed landlord class war government.
The rest is just racist, the white man away the coloured children who should be seen and not heard. He is just parroting John Howard on One Voice. The same meanness at coloured folk is in fashion at the Platform, as per Sean Plunkett.
The attempt to distinguishing being a white man and support for the Palestinian just shows that a western colonial settler overlord class sticks together against indigenous peoples.
The more intelligent Jew would find his support in that light dangerously offensive.
Otherwise the narrative that Shaw could prove he was a leader, if there was no policy on anything but the environment (Starmer Blairlite harmless to the neo-liberal right), that the right finds confronting – domestic and foreign.
They mention past leaders like Fitzsimmons, Donald and Norman because they were so white …
WOOHOO three years of trolling the G.
lol
This is the same tired old trope about the Greens. It collapses the moment it is tested.
Critic: "The Greens are too woke, they should do environment!"
Greens: "Ok, here's a policy on climate change, are you on board?"
Critic: "No, not that one"
Greens: "How about this policy instead? Very environmental."
Critic: "No, not that one."
And so on.
Note that Damien Grant does not name a single Green policy on climate change that he supports. Or on the environment in general. Because he's not interested.
And of course he resorts to another tired tactic: fake praise for previous leaders, who of course the Right totally approved of (Donald, Fitzsimons, Norman). That's sarcasm, sorry … the Right attacked and derided those leaders constantly.
Of course, the new government could adopt any of those nice sensible woke-free Green policies on the environment any time they want. They don't need those wacko Greens to get serious about climate change. They could even do something as modest and easy as continuing the previous government's small steps forward. Nobody could stop them.
Spoiler alert: They won't.
It would have been an interesting move by Luxon to offer Shaw the Climate Change minister role, and with the budget that Labour suddenly pulled from Shaw without telling him, restored.
If Shaw declined, then the Greens would get questions about how much they were really about the environment, and would find it hard to get any credibility when complaining that the new government wasn't doing enough for CC.
If he accepted, then it's all on the Greens if things don't improve in that area.
Same for offering TPM one of the Maori related ministerships.
It would be refused of course, and with the maximum huffing and puffing, but then TPM couldn't credibly complain later, if enough wasn't done for their causes.
Shaw will probably be made to apply for his job again, even though he's the only one in that party sufficiently qualified to advocate for the environment, as that's how the Greens seem to do things. I hope he gets reelected as a leader, as if not, this will definitely be his last term and we'll all be worse off as a result.
Luxon didn't even need to offer Shaw the job. He could simply have phoned Shaw for a chat, and told the media that he had. Would have sent a message to Winston to behave.
There was only one thing stopping Luxon … namely, everything National stand for.
Fantasies are free, but putting this on the Greens or TPM when it would have cost Luxon his job is laughable.
"He could simply have phoned Shaw for a chat, and told the media that he had…"
Shaw. But the media might, just might, ask Sure, what he thought about that chat.
I wouldn't take too much notice of Damien Grant .
He knows jack about the Green party.I can assure you that environmental issues are crucial to the Greens .That they are also concerned about social justice is a bonus
Just Damien being performative
I'm glad that Greens prioritises both social justice and the environment.
I would not be a voter of Greens otherwise.
The other Green Parties of the world usually is less attractive a proposal to vote for, than what we have in NZ, and the one in UK is the closest in equivalence to our Greens yet there's still something missing from it.
In my worldview, progressive social movements are interlaced with our common wealth and resources & our relationship to these aspects which is intertwined with class and with nature. This is ecological wisdom and our Greens has really embodied most of this well. There's definitely room for improvement imo.
I think our ecological & social & class-based movements are some of the vehicles that we will use to steer ourselves through the 21st century and beyond. It'll be a rough century this century.
If I have a critique to make of the Greens, it's that we are yet to fully embrace a globally & locally minded eco-socialism with intersectionalist aspects.
However, we'll try to get there even if there'll be mistakes on the way. The cost otherwise really is intolerably too high.
Damian knows Jack!! Statement of truth.
Where are the best places to go for reliable news out of China?
Most western media parrot the 'China bad' narrative but Rnaud brings a different perspective in this thread, which is generally economic news but sprinkled with society and politics in China, and geopolitics in general.
https://twitter.com/RnaudBertrand
Isn't he the dude whose continued business successes in China depends on him saying nice things about Xi and the CCP?
I think I will credit Stephen D with being able to work things out for himself.
Yes, I'm sure he'll work out that Bertrand's a cheerleader for Xi and his ghastly authoritarian regime.
/
I did check out his website.
Mmmmmm.
Think I’ll stick with Al Jazeera for now.
In other parts of the world the Green Party is spending a lot of time promoting "luxury beliefs" and performative ideology.
"The Victorian Greens now define transphobia as the vilification of trans people; intentionally misgendering people individually or as a group; denying that non-binary genders exist; or “promoting the unnecessary prioritisation of sex characteristics above gender”.
The party’s new rules also state that “advocating for unnecessary restrictions on transition care” and “asking leading questions that cover for doing one of the above” can constitute transphobia."
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/this-will-split-us-victorian-greens-expand-party-s-definition-of-transphobia-20230423-p5d2ku.html
"In other parts of the world the Green Party…"
In other parts of the world, parties using the lable "Green" …
Fify
Isn't that the same in NZ with our Green party other than Shaw?
Push that barrow up that hill (apologies to Kate Bush).
I think you will find that Kate Bush was actually "Running up that hill"
Really, actually?
I thought she was singing and dancing.
Technically yes. Singing (and dancing) about running up that hill!
Kate Bush – Running Up That Hill – Official Music Video – YouTube
It was a cloudbuster
🥱
And is there some sort of "purity test" on what is or is not a "Green Party"? Who holds the franchise?
"a" Green Party" is different from "the" Green Party and is different from "a green party" and "The Green Party".
Those differences are meaningful, if clear communication is your thing.
probably would have read better if you'd said "in other parts of the world, some Green Parties are…"
They're not a hive mind, but Green Parties do have a core belief set.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_party
As we have seen with the push back against gender identity ideology within the UK Greens, GII isn't inherent to Green politics. There are other ways of understanding sex and gender that fit with Green politics.
A chunk of the UK Greens are pretty mindblowingly bonkers. Haven't seen any of the genderists defend Aimee Channellor lately 😉 But they do hold the balance of power, which is a shame, because the UK pol desperately needs a strong GP.
"Goh!" said with Basil Fawlty roll of the eyes and toss of the head. "People!"
https://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/301021714/mad-bad-or-sad-its-not-surprising-that-mori-are-reluctant-to-speak-to-media
"Journalists were once again celebrated in 2023 by remaining near the bottom in the global Ipsos Trustworthiness Index. We’re down there with politicians, successful politicians (Cabinet ministers etc), advertising execs and bankers.
Meanwhile, scientists and doctors top the Index, which, on recent evidence, shows the true perversity of a species that listens the least to the people it trusts the most."
And the converse? Do we listen more to the reckons of politicians, sales pitches of advertisers, and the opinions offered by journalists even though we trust them less?
Good article-worth a read.
SO that is the reason Peters is hiring a Press Agent.
HAH
Peters' advert. Reading it made me think, someone to cover his blurts with a Willis, "What Winston meant to say". Perhaps Damian Grant or someone of that ilk
Damien Grant works in receivership, chaos (destruction and renewal) capitalism, his future is looking bright where he is.
The problem will be getting the assets going with those fleeing off to Oz.
The token white person not racist on the Platform, notes the mess the hydra headed confabulation has got themselves into on water infrastructure
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2023/12/10/bhahaha-water-prices-to-triple-hows-your-racist-3-waters-hate-going-now-chumps/#comment-802005
Did you think water infrastructure upgrades were going to be (magically) free under 3Waters?
Did you not realise that (and why) water charges would go up quicker and faster, if it did not go ahead?
No I didnt… the case was never made.
Strangely the proposal was unable to demonstrate how it was going to reduce the cost of the required infrastructure.
1.Separation allowed loans to be raised (external Maori participation enabled separation and was also WT compliant)
2.Councils have debt caps and so cannot raise the finance, thus have to raise water charges to finance the raise the infrastructure investment.
Read the Auckland report about their problems.
There is a lot of irony in this. The three headed hydra plans to finance a lot of infrastructure via offshore investment, but they have snookered this option in water, because they played politics.
The case was made, but it was made in the negative (prices will go up less than if left to Councils).
https://www.dia.govt.nz/Water-services-reform-archived-information has stacks of information including the presentations to various Councils.
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/major-shakeup-will-see-affordable-water-reforms-led-and-delivered-regionally is a summary of the updated information after shifting from 4 entities to 10.
There was also a website for the general public with explanations and calculators that did a great job of making the case, but that seems to have disappeared.
It was more about Funding. Most Councils can not borrow enough, so home owners will pay more quickly and painfully via their rates.
"Free" wasn't the selling point.
"Achievable" was.
'Achievable' was never demonstrated either Robert, merely the observation we were failing to maintain/upgrade that which was required.
And the reasons why we have failed to date are the same reasons we will continue to fail into the future…and 3Waters didnt address that.
Didn't get the chance, did it. Shot down by reactionary racists and anti-centralisation ideologues who seek the privatisation of services, imo.
Have you read how it was purposed to work Pat, because your comments show you have not.
Simple summary to follow:
Firstly it was designed to get around council borrowing limits. Secondly it was to make sure those in dire need were to get said loans first. Third and here the real kicker, it was dedicated to fix water infrastructure over and above all else. Fourth, Māori were to be part of the governance.
Super stripped down summary.
I get for some folk the fourth point made them see red, turn off their brain and act like right c&*^%. Ask yourself, were you one of those people?
Useful summary, thanks.
Labour really did fuck up the handling and messaging on this. I came in late and it was impossible to understand the whole thing. Your summary is probably the most useful thing I've read on it.
Centralisation of power and decision making was an additional issue.
I recall one commentator liked it all, until someone mentioned co-governance as part of the separation model.
Can someone explain please, what the value add would have been by having dedicated governance positions for Māori?
Was the belief that this would improve the quality of the result, and if so, how?
It got around WT issues with moving control from public bodies (councils) and enabled the separation to ensure the access to lower cost finance in one.
I enjoyed Bomber's summary
Bhahaha – Water prices to triple – how’s your racist 3 waters hate going now chumps? | The Daily Blog
Unfortunately I did read the proposal adam.
Simple summary
It was stated it was going to get around council borrowing limits but the money markets determined that would be treated as part of the councils assets regardless….and the government was avoiding being the funder at a further reduced finance rate.
Secondly it provided no such guarantee that those in the greatedt need would recieve attention first, indeed it was conceivable (likely) that the fact there were more units administered by a reduced number of entities that priorities would be focused on the biggest gains in the earliest stages….to the detriment of smaller population areas.
Third it required the delivery of infrastructure that met the required standard…and heres the kicker, within its ability to fund it…..that means how much they can charge you and me (well not me , because I am not provided with said infrastructure)…so it is as politically limited as council entities are/were, unless you advocate an entity that achieves its target of delivery irrespective of whether it provides a service to all or only those who can pay?
And fourth there was no argued advantage to increasing the bureaucracy/cost of the co governance model.
And one you missed, it didnt address the issue of ground water contamination (esp nitrates) which is already impacting the urban water supplies and has the potential to make water treatment prohibitively difficult/expensive to achieve.
It was a poor policy, poorly promoted and ultimately forced upon communities without addressing those community's concerns….and no that dosnt mean that the current Gov will do any better…..they face all the same problems and no one is prepared/able to face the changes/costs that will be needed to solve them….so we will continue to do what we usually do, muddle through.
Muddling through with higher rates than otherwise, with less improvement in water infrastructure. A second rate decision with a second world outcome.
Largely a consequence of ECAN, nitrates are a problem in areas with contaminated aquifer water for pregnant mothers and they would need to use bottled water for drinking.
Possibly though not necessarily….the sad fact is that (as stated numerous times) we are not prepared/able to make the changes required to enable the environmental outcomes we all claim to desire….and 3 Waters didnt change that.
Ecan are not the only entity responsible for nitrate levels and it is not only aquifers as rivers are impacted as well….and as noted 3Waters never addressed this issue (deliberately?).
What does the money markets determined that (borrowing) would be treated as part of council assets regardless even mean? And what are you citing as per (presumably) debt levels of councils and at arms length entity borrowing costs?
Yes the alternative to borrowing at lower cost by water bodies is government borrowing, or guarantee of council borrowing etc. The thing is this impacts on government debt costs and its own debt to asset standing. It might then simply nationalise water bodies and claim the assets.
"What does the money markets determined that (borrowing) would be treated as part of council assets regardless even mean"
It means you can place the assets and debt at arms length from the owners of an asset (in this instance the councils) but the lenders will still consider it part of the owners debt and treat it accordingly….that means increased financing cost if the risk is deemed to warrant it.
The cheapest borrowing is gov debt as they have more ability to collect revenue/seize assets..and they make the law. They could indeed seize the assets and 'nationalise' them, but they chose not to….why?
Rates will rise irrespective of the ownership structure of the water infrastructure and Id venture to suggest that under 3 waters the combined rates/watercharges would have been higher than rates alone if the water infrastructure remained on the council books.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2022/12/04/qa-who-should-pay-for-desperately-needed-three-waters-work/
"There is doubt, though, about the official expectation that the new water entities will achieve similar issuer credit ratings to councils’ AA ratings. Yes, water entities will achieve higher leverage ratios, enabling them to borrow up to $8b more through to 2031.
But without a Crown guarantee of that debt, finance experts and rating agency S&P predict they would have credit ratings around BBB-, which is the lowest possible investment grade. S&P defines that as: “Adequate capacity to meet financial commitments, but more subject to adverse economic conditions.” And that means higher interest payments that will be passed on to customers. "
3Waters was a failed attempt at central govt-led long-term planning. Imho, public and political 'concern' about additional co-governance arrangements being bundled with the nationalisation of provision of water services was a significant contributor to its failure.
Amalgamation aspects of 3Waters might have generated economies of scale, but we'll never know – 5.2 million Kiwis, 67 water asset-owning organisations.
" But don’t just blame Labour. More than $1 billion was spent setting up Labour’s Three Waters entities that were widely accepted as having been the best opportunity to fix the country’s water woes. That’s money down the drain now with the change of Government, which made hay out of the politics of Three Waters and ditched it."
https://www.thepost.co.nz/a/politics/350128491/taking-politics-out-infrastructure
It isn't free. However Three Waters wasn't going to entangled with the credit rating of local councils. They have ceilings on debt vs assets, etc.
Separating the much higher higher risk of council bankruptcy from the lower risks of water boards means that.
The problem that Three Waters was designed to fix was the structural problem of having local councils running regional assets badly and running them slowly into the ground as they failed to handle population shifts.
Weka this comment from lprent does a great job explaining the Fiscal side of three waters. And why we so desperate need it, or something like it.
Only thing I'd add is most local councils are broke, because they are attached to a ponzi scheme which on enriches developers. The developers make the new suburbs as cheaply as possible, then hand them over to council to run, as they slowly fall apart.
Except (as related to adam above) it did none of those things
Always good to have a critic around who can't explain their reasoning when they say it "ain't so". It allows the trolls to look better.
I could give you some links to various reports explaining this in more depth. However I suspect that you'd be incapable of understanding the very simple and quite basic finance issues in them.
As long as farmers and vinyarders get theirs cheap, it'll be fine..
Reading David Slack this morning he has a grim message that Trump will get in as President again. Hell and descent into a grim lawless State without democracy.
https://open.substack.com/pub/subslack/p/surely-it-wont-happen?r=25honw&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
With Putin's Russia and Trump’s America, the future is looking dire – and that is an understatement.
The threat sounds so alarmist but so far Trump continues having a huge effect on MAGA. Each time he is charged his polling goes higher, and none of his opponent candidates get near him. And in spite of the economy picking up under Biden he is not seen as a credible contender for President. And if Trump does win under their jerry-mandered election rules, the effect on NZ will be damaging.
Biden should pull out of the presidential race. He may have been a good president but he comes across as very old and doddery. If he stays, then it will be all over for America because Trump will win.
And of its all over for the America then its all over for the rest of us.
Decisions, decisions. Do you want some doddery old codger who is a shop front who fills a ceremonial role, trying to operate with some notions of doing the best for the masses?
Or do you want a different old codger who's a megalomaniac who makes sure that the role of every person in a decision-making position is to massage the ego of the would-be dictator?
I can still remember the stark difference between the two in the first leaders' 'debate' in 2020.
When asked the big achievement if his first term of office, the incumbent said it was the appointment of judges. So 330 million+ population, all the life and living and exploits and achievements (and Covid) and that was it.
The other guy in response on being asked what the most important thing was that for him to achieve? Unity, to be united.
We can't hope to understand the complexities and machinations of the US political scene. Blaming Biden for standing though and that event seeing Trump being elected? No, a toss up between the two and Trump being elected means the numbers with IQs less that 70 are greater than I thought and lots of them voted.
A vast proportion of the US population have been so dumbed down, their IQs are abysmally low. They are the ones who vote for Trump. Biden does not attract the younger vote. A more dynamic person is needed to counter the Trump dumb-bells. Perhaps he should step aside for Kamala Harris. He is 81 going on for 82 years of age.
Is it a bad sign when your campaign asks your backers and fellow travelers to stfu?
Donald Trump’s campaign asked allies on Capitol Hill in recent days to publicly counter criticism that the former president would govern like a dictator in a second term, according to people familiar with the matter.
Yet on Tuesday, Trump reignited that criticism. Pressed twice on the topic during a televised town hall with Fox News host Sean Hannity, including on whether he “would never abuse power as retribution against anybody,” Trump replied: “Except for Day 1,” before going on to talk about drilling for oil and closing the border.
[…]
Trump’s plans for a second term have relied in part on work being done through a coalition of right-wing groups called Project 2025, The Post and others have reported. The news reports prompted Trump campaign senior adviser Susie Wiles to complain to the project’s director, Paul Dans of the Heritage Foundation, saying that the stories were unhelpful and that the organization should stop promoting its work to reporters, according to a person familiar with the call.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2023/12/06/trump-comments-dictator-campaign-president-2024/
https://archive.li/AAxpW
https://newsroom.co.nz/2023/12/08/nats-get-in-bed-with-commitment-free-dating-app/
So thats how Nats Winston and David hooked up.
One more example that Luxton is not a Christian. What Christian leader worth their salt would accept money from such a source.
Jo Luxton?
Yo, Luxon!
Te Tiriti hikoi in Blenheim as we speak and my reporter, wife actually, reports lots of toots and a couple of hundred walkers. Not bad for little notice, she came upon it and joined in. Couple of hundred in the rain is pretty good for here, you won’t get that to a big footy game.
Gosh how low can you go! It makes me wonder about humans.
Tauranga police make arrest after wallet and bank cards allegedly stolen during man’s medical event – NZ Herald
Now taking bets as to who will be the first Māori member of the National caucus to resign because they didn't sign up to be the face of racist policy sops to New Zealand First and ACT. My money is on Reti – he's showing the signs.
All the Ngāpuhi ones? After yesterday.
Probably not (ambition beats iwi) but they are certainly going to be shifting uncomfortably in their Cabinet seats. If Luxon had any feel for history, for other perspectives (he doesn't) then he would make a statesmanlike speech about land theft, issue an apology on behalf of the Crown and pledge to engage. He only understands dollars and cents so his advisers should explain that is the cheapest way to buy goodwill.
Perhaps he will surprise us yet. But I doubt it.
Reti is killing off the Maori-focused health authority Te Aka Whai Ora. Had evidence to back his decision. The Maori in government have zero problem with the coalition agreement.
Evidence … someone cooker, as per WMD …
https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/07-12-2023/with-or-without-te-aka-whai-ora-the-mahi-will-continue
Evidence isn't proof – he's selected evidence that supports his/his party's ideological position.
By "The Maori", do you mean, Reti, aka Ciga-Reti, singular?
Spectacular mind-reading there.
Choosing to be a Cabinet Minister does not equate to having "zero problem". Tama Potaka is not going to publicly say "I'm OK with 70% of it but am unhappy with a chunk of it".
Maybe he is no longer the person he was before he entered Parliament. But if he's the same person, he has major problems with it.
He would hardly be the first politician to toe the party line and swallow the dead rats out of misplaced loyalty or sunk cost fallacy. Nick Smith did it all the time as Environment Minister. Chris Bishop no doubt still stings over having that cross-bench housing policy walked back. If you listen very carefully when Reti speaks, he is deliberate in his wording, and occasionally contradicts Luxon when it comes to acknowledging Māori health disparities and child poverty as an issue. Tama Potaka is likewise using very deliberate language when asked about the te reo issues.
Hipkins' inability to hold his own political performance to account only looks surprising when Luxon has to do Labour's own accountability job for it.
Labour's record on gang membership, regional gang dominance, drug use growth, and membership growth is indefensible.
Labour's record on spending will start to come out with the mini-budget, but the waste has been chronic. Let's see how fast the tax cuts come.
Looking forward to Green+TPM+Labour uniting on useful things, but little sight of it so far.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Remind me again how climate change and child poverty are working out?
Words are cheap, what matters is delivery.
Labour had the first majority since MMP started but did sweet FA – cowards.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Dunno if this was done on Friday, but-
Good ol’ Pete Dunne – wanted to be famous for drug reform, to save the kids. Doesn’t really seem to care though about the Nats happily killing around 5 thousand and losing billions in associated savings phasing out cigarettes. No, it’s that that sneering Ayesha Verrall won’t shut her traps about it. How dare she so smugly give context to a decision made after the election so not debated or explored at all and so not really given the go ahead by the public? How dare the opposition oppose!
Go on and piss off and let NewsRoom hire one of the decimated civil servants due to be laid off to write a column. Yeh I know 6.5% isn’t 10%, but it’s enough to make Wellington a city ready to party this Christmas, amirite?
That’d be fairly reasonable. You supercilious Judas cunt. Quit paying off your political slights from 30 or 40 or 50 years ago and let someone who’s directly affected by this incompetent blitzreig speak to us from what was your column space. Cunt. And poodle.
Don’t wanna link but yeck-
https://newsroom.co.nz/2023/12/07/pm-cant-just-dismantle-labour-policies/