Note the personal attack on them by David Seymour for betraying their class.
Anyone who did not realise that Seynour and NACT are engaged in class war against those who do not have wealth/own property should be awakening from their sleep.
And David Seymour has really let this one 'zoooom' straight over. I can see why Seymour has framed it this way though as ACT likes its govt small.
My reading is that they wanted the tax arrangements to be such that they were taxed properly and so the funds went into the funds of Govt to add to the funds used by Govt for public services. Nothing to do with philanthropy etc.
Dear Joe90, please would you consider using the alternative title option when posting links without a descriptor in the web address? I like to know what I'm jumping to. That link was worth a read when I got there, though.
Once again, Labour shows it's poor on sound-bite messaging. You can present a rational argument in the background for those who read, but to drag the electorate your way you need two or three snappy slogans. Ram-raids, uppity Maoris and over-regulation are the only drums Luxon's banging.
From the article in the link, attack the richy-richy may not be the best strategy, I'm thinking. Attack no-tax/lo-tax company structures is a larger target, and would hoover up rich tax evaders as well. Now for the killer sound-bite.
Based on the Key/English efforts, no guarantee that it will actually deliver the tax switch being advertised. In this particular case, the concern would be that retailers (like supermarkets) wouldn't pass on all of the savings.
ACT represents those who have an overwhelming sense of entitlement.
The entitlement comes from the historical association of wealth and power.
Wealth means success, and success entitles them to have power.
The only things ACT supporters care about is the size of their bank accounts and nothing, but nothing, should get in the way of any exponential growth of these.
If ACT gets its way, the rich will be a whole heap richer and those at the bottom will be left to fight over the few crumbs that trickle down.
It is a disgusting irony that Federated Farmers Andrew Hoggard is standing for a party whose policies are almost identical to those of the the great Rogernome in the 1980s, and were responsible for so many suicides in the rural sector.
And what would Labour use the money for? They already use the taxpayer funds to pat for their campaign advertising. I received, with yesterdays mail, a leaflet from the PM saying how wonderful Labour is. In the smallest possible font the House of Representatives Crest was present to show that the taxpayer and not the Party was paying for it. I imagine it has probably been sent to every household in the country.
Why should the taxpayer have to pay for something that is purely a political ad?
parties are funded by a combination of state funds (aka taxpayer money) and private donations.
…
State funding is all the money political parties are allocated by the government (shout out to the taxpayer). Some state funding is through the Budget. Political parties are given sizable sums each year so that they can afford to employ people and keep thinking up new policies and ways to fix our problems.
Other state funding comes through the Electoral Commission. This is the independent crown entity that manages everything to do with elections (their mascot is the weird orange guy). They put aside a lump of cash that each party can only spend on media advertising. The parties don’t actually get this money in the hand, it’s kind of like a media voucher.
The National Party may start election year with a $2.3 million war chest raised from 24 big donors in 2022, while Labour has declared just $150,000 in large donations, according to Electoral Commission records.
I've already said how I think parties ought to be funded. No more than a small amount once annually from members, and every election voters at the polling station get given two vouchers with, say, $10 or $20 value. They then simply deposit one into the party donation box of their choice and they get to keep the other as a thank you for voting.
I would also make election day a mid-week public holiday, unpaid if you don't vote and paid if you do. That way, if you don't bother to vote on the day off and you earn, say, $35 an hour, it is the equivalent of a $280 dollar fine.
It is an interesting idea and I can see the first part of it working. As far as the payment for voting goes though it would seem to impose a massive penalty on those people who aren't eligible to vote.
“Sorry fella. You are here on a visa that allows you to work but not vote so you have to take a day off without pay.”
Meh – NZ is uniquely round-heeled when it comes to pissing away our citizens' franchise – they only need to be here for six months and they get to vote anyway. Something to do with the major parties, knowing they have alienated voters, looking for new marks potential supporters among those who have yet to experience their inadequacy.
Indeed why should the taxpayer pay for political ads?
My National MP who spend thousands over a couple of years, who was backed by the twisted logic and benign rulings of the system I dealt with in Wellington, in the end got to the insurmountable argument: “It’s legal.”
The bastard lost in the election. All the money he spent, our money, would’ve been well used by our local schools.
When I see these kinds of words being used, I see them as a form of self-reflection.
Is Willis resentful, jealous and envious of Labour being in government?
She wants the power.
That is why we get from National already the fear and envy tactics, the hyperbole and the cherry-picking of facts, the partial quotes, the accusations of secrecy and improper motivation.
That "late John Armstrong" was a lying user of a poisonous pen. He used his power to repeat untrue stories, especially one about a non-existent gift. He played a dirty power game for National.
Jealousy, envy, resentment. "… the accusations of secrecy and improper motivation"
At a personal level it can extend to stalking the individual, breaking into the individual's home, reporting the individual to the authorities for misdemeanors never committed and setting the person up by way of covert hoaxes. In the more serious cases it can also iclude violence to pets and damage to property.
Yep. It happened to me 30 plus years ago. All of it.
But because the perpetrator had links to high places including a high ranked sibling, she was shielded by the 'establishment' and never brought to justice.
Translate that story into politics and you have the same kind of behaviour occurring by National and ACT including the law breaking. Remember the DP years. Slater was never charged and sentenced by the police for his law breaking and nefarious conduct. But one of the victims was. Nicky Hagar. Slater knew people in high places and had a well metaphoricalplaced father.
Jealousy, envy and resentment. No difference whether it be personal or political – or a mix of both.
But if you know the ‘right’ people, you get off with not even the metaphorical wet bus ticket.
it's probably both. But Seymour misses the point that no matter how good an infrastructure fix we do now, it won't be enough if we don't massively and immediately mitigate the climate crisis.
Its a sub tropical low which is expected to form off the coast of Brisbane. Shouldn't pack the same punch as Gabrielle and looks like it will cross over the country quite quickly. Fingers crossed. 😮
Time for the Green Party display some recognition to its voters- As they are about to lose 1.
I for 1 did not give my party vote so that 1 of "their" MP's can leave the party and sit as an independent. I gave them my vote as they were more focused on the environment than any of the alternatives. As TGP has displayed an attitude of contempt to a voter as you have reduced your say in parliament by 10%. (I note that EK was pictured in some committee that was hearing on vaping as an independent yet was placed there as TGP allocation !!!!)
Regarding the allegations regarding Elizabeth Kerekere, if held true what were you doing to miss seeing and then reacting to these. If untrue then you are no better (Some could say that TGP is the worst example of a political party) than any other party in your manipulation into actively remove EK from parliament.
the GP took a stand a long time ago on waka jumping, on principles, and they can't toss that aside now for convenience sake because it would undermine their integrity and kaupapa. It would also be suicide in election year.
2. wait to see what the final list is like. Fingers crossed there are more overt environmentalists in the top ten. At that point, everyone's vote matters if truly you want strong environmentalists in parliament. Here's the interim list, imo it's worth voting Green to get Abel and Pham into parliament,
(had EK been forced to leave parliament via waka jumping, Abel would now be an MP, being next on the list. I'm annoyed he's not, but this is on EK as much as anyone. Look at the reasons for the GP not supporting waka jumping law if you want ot understand this better).
3. Shaw and Davidson have both said, many times, that there were patterns of behaviour from EK predating the cry baby message, but they were unable to act on them because people were afraid to come forward. Once EK hoisted herself on her own petard, people felt more able to speak up. The impression I have is that JS and MD knew there was a problem but didn't have any hard details or people willing to speak, which they needed for a formal investigation. It's too their credit that they waited for firm evidence before proceeding.
4. The process was decided by the whole of caucus, including EKm last year, in the wake of the report on bullying in parliament. I've not seen anything that shows JS and MD subverted or manipulated that process.
It's completely the wrong focus worrying about candidates before the list is set. There ought to be drama in selection.
What we need is a fully on fire Greens in the political arena scoring even better points than Act, so that Greens can grind back up to 10%. The focus needs to stay on policy not the usual pre-selection games.
Minor handbag squabble compared to the Labour list bloodbath through June and July as about 20 existing MPs realise they don't have jobs in 4 months and rapidly jump ship.
20 is optimistic. I smell zero sense of urgency from Labour, let alone the Greens.
Labour itself needs to tilt the political discourse since the Greens aren't able to. Budget 2023 is yet to do that job.
hopefully they're gearing up in private for the election campaign proper, but the year does seem to be getting on. Other elections the Greens have started early.
The same could be said of this EK issue until we have anything of substance, I am sure with EK’s departure the need for anything to be aired could now be viewed as redundant, so the issue goes away, and in the eyes of those concerned guilt is passed. Either her behaviour is beyond what is acceptable or she has been targeted for personal gain of others. I am trying to not be condemning to either side until there is more to support one of the claims. I note that this was reported 6 April of the txt how long can it take if there was some motivation to sort this out ???
I'd definitely like to know if the process they are using, that was established last year, is in the public domain. Someone could look that up I expect.
Either her behaviour is beyond what is acceptable or she has been targeted for personal gain of others.
Or there were some issues that needed to be investigated that were survivable for EK and she bailed before that process was completed. I'm sure there are other interpretations as well.
My reading of it, based on what I've seen MD and JS say, and the reporting from credible and relatively unbiased sources, is that there was a pattern of behaviour and the co-leaders decided to act now because it was going to be terrible for election year if they didn't.
Certainly from the outside, EK looks to me like a loose unit. Her behaviour during the BDMRR select committee raised red flags, but that could have been a one off and it wasn't like she was the only MP that displayed bias. But when you have multiple examples and people too afraid to speak, I think it's reasonable for the party to act from self preservation especially given the GP's history with election campaigns (something that EK seems to not take very seriously). Even the way she handled the call with members and how she resigned raised another set of red flags. Doesn't look like a team player or someone who has the interests of the party at heart.
I also think that if the issues around behaviour weren't real or weren't of a meaningful level, that JS and MD wouldn't have taken the positions they did. I trust them in that, especially JS because of how he behaved in the 2017 election campaign during the fallout from Turei's speech. It's not too hard to read between the lines in what he has and hasn't said, without going deeper into the kind of speculation that Edwards is doing.
I'll also say this. The gender/sex war has the potential to wreck the election. That could cost the Greens big time, and possible the left the election overall. If that sounds like hyperbole, it's based on watching what has happened in the UK, where in the end Labour had to accept that women have sex based rights. Because most people draw a line at saying people can literally change sex and society should be based around that.
In the local body elections, in Brighton, one of the most strongly identity politics places in the UK, Green councillors just lost their seats (to Labour). Anyone not paying attention to this is missing something really important. Many people rightly believe that trans people should have the same human rights as others, but aren't ok with the excesses of gender ideology.
I have no idea where the GP sit on the real politik of that, but if the election turns on 'what is a woman?' (and the right may indeed go down that track), then it has the potential to get nasty and I'm not sure the left has the capacity atm to parse what is going on with that because of the ideology. I hope it doesn't go down this track, but the potential is there. EK being out of the GP is a relief, because now at least is she goes off on one about genderism, the focus can be on her not the Greens.
Edwards typically pulls together a variety of opinion, and then draws his own conclusions.
In this piece, Edwards cites "long-time Green Party commentator Gordon Campbell", "leftwing political commentator Steven Cowan", "The Herald’s Thomas Coughlan", and of course the one and only "Leftwing blogger and Green voter Martyn Bradbury".
You could say this is 'informed' rather than 'unevidenced' speculation.
None of the people you name are Green Party people. MB regularly slags off the Greens, over a long period of time. I would guess Cowan has some anti-Green bias. I've read Campbell's piece, it was interesting. But when Edwards says things like this,
Activists within the Green Left Network, together with the Rainbow Greens, were keen to undermine and replace Shaw, seeing him as too conservative and the wrong demographic. And this year they’ve managed to force him to step aside from his long-held candidacy in the Wellington Central electorate, in favour of city councillor Tamatha Paul.
Where is the actual evidence that these assertions are true?
Weka, it isn't necessary to be a green party person to have inside information on what is happening within the party. The people Edwards quotes from are far from disconnected from Green Party politics.
As for Edwards assertions, what we do know, is that there was an attempt to dump James Shaw as leader of the party in mid 2022, and that followed the Greens voting to:
"remove the male co-leadership requirement from its constitution. It now requires a woman and one person of any gender (providing leadership pathways for non-binary and intersex)."
Regardless of the conclusions Edwards comes to, he is right about this:
The current policy environment is also highly favourable to the Greens. Voters say that they are especially concerned with issues which the Greens have the ability to campaign strongly on: climate change, housing, inequality, tax reform, and the cost of living.
Some tighter focus on the issues which matter to the electorate (and some party discipline over going off message) – should pay dividends for the GP.
I think they could definitely do well if they focused on those, but I'm less convinced they can break out of the 10% ghetto, and that is what is needed if we are to make serious efforts on climate and ecology. I hope they can pull something out of the bag. While I think Edwards was overstating the case and as I said, unevidenced, I do think the perception of the GP as too woke is a potentially a problem and I;m not sure if they know how to deal with that.
I disagree – on this matter he seems remarkably in tune with the feelings I, and many of my associates who have voted Green in the past, have expressed recently. I really think they need to give up the green brand, and maybe pitch as the rainbow party, social justice party, or something else – the environment really isn't a priority for them now, based on their actions over the last few years.
I'm sorry you have that impression because it's simply not true. Look at their policy. Scroll through their press releases, and SM. Yes, social justice is featured, but environmental issues are too. Do they have the balance between the two right. I don't think so. But I don't see the point in throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
National did what they did to manipulate those unable to handle simple complexity to cause disdain for the Greens among their own supporters.
Because National think they are so clever they can do this.
Rather than encourage them to think their strategy is working, how about just pondering this?
How much money can be spent in one year when it is allocated over 4 years and the first year is for the design of the programme in which the money is spent?
That question was clearly answered.
The second question is why not allocate the money to existing programmes.
She said the new programmes were set up because of liason with providers of existing programmes, as they saw a need to supplement them with new ones.
That question was clearly answered.
The third question was regarding the 200 16-17 year olds in motels and whether the new programmes would deal with this. She responded and Bishop intervened and said he did not want some list of spending allocations in response (related to existing programmes dealing with this particular matter) and the Speaker chimed in with his line, he was almost afraid to have the Minister answer the question again and then intervened when she began to after Bishop re-asked the question.
KNOWN FACT. National did not want the new programmes being set up to deal with housing delivery.
I would suggest you look at the programmes and see if you can find any relationship to this direction and things like Maori Health and National's opposition to that.
I thought the Speaker let her off very lightly. She should have been instructed to answer the question, or ejected from the House until she was prepared to do so.
All Ministers take the opportunity to add a little fluff of the question-that-they-really-want-to-answer to an official response – but they are required to actually answer the question as presented.
The $75M was allocated over 4 years for new initiatives.
2. The first part of the process was design and the money for them was to come in from July 2023
3. Existing programmes have their own funding allocations.
Bishop and his fans here are working to promote contempt for Greens and to overall question delivery by nit picking about new programmes set up to operate in the 2023-2026 period that a National victory would block.
The Speaker was inept, or deliberately hostile to the Minister. The explanation was obvious.
If I were the Greens and there was any continuance of it, not support the Speakers re-appointment.
National did what they did to manipulate those unable to handle simple complexity to cause disdain for the Greens among their own supporters.
Because National and their supporters think they are so clever they can do this.
REALITY CHECK.
How much money can be spent in one year when it is allocated over 4 years and the first year is for the design of the programme in which the money is spent?
That question was clearly answered.
The second question is why not allocate the money to existing programmes.
She said the new programmes were set up because of liason with providers of existing programmes, as they saw a need to supplement them with new ones.
That question was also clearly answered.
The third question was regarding the 200 16-17 year olds in motels and whether the new programmes would deal with this.
She responded and Bishop intervened and said he did not want some list of spending allocations in response (related to existing programmes dealing with this particular matter) and the Speaker chimed in with his line, he was almost afraid to have the Minister answer the question again and then intervened when she began to after Bishop re-asked the question.
"SPEAKER: That was a lot of information, but it didn't actually address the basic part of the question. Mr Bishop, do you want another question, or do you want to ask that one again?"
"SPEAKER: That still doesn't answer the question. I'm going to give the member an additional question."
SPEAKER: Yeah, I'm sure there is, but I'm on my feet and I'm about to make a ruling. Just simply reading out a long list of expenditure doesn't actually address the question that's being asked. The question was very clear around young people and transitional homes. I'm almost afraid to ask the member to say more, but I'll leave it to Mr Bishop, if he wants to ask that question again.
Doctor, Doctor I need you to give your insight on the politics of the left wing parties, for those of the right are perfection, except occasionally C. Luxon over whom some of even more angelic form have doubts.
From the Dottore who thought it important in the fires on the lawn of parliament to point out that a couple of people once said mean things about John Key too. These were equivalent and so Jacinda was just a whining big girls blouse, unlike Bill English or John Key who were real politician men.
There’s a reason the regular ACT aligned philosopher of a commenter introduced it.
So far however the only significant pre-budget announcement has been for Defence.
I am struggling to see the benefits from all those consultants that bullshit agencies like Education Review Office, Ministry of Pacific Peoples, Ministry for Culture and Hertitage and others are blowing out, when it's the basics of Police Education and Health that are begging for more salaried frontline staff.
If this government were a retail store I think I'd probably go ask for a refund.
Unless Robertson has an almighty trick up his sleeve as the Albanese government just pulled in the Australian budget this week, Labour are just not going to move the dial dial upwards.
While they keep insisting on doing these pre-Budget announcements to a 'business audience' it is apparent who they are most concerned about and it's certainly not workers, frontline or otherwise:
Speaking to a business audience at Parliament on Thursday morning, Grant Robertson said ministers were told if they wanted to progress particular opportunities, they had to look for savings opportunities within their ministries' existing budgets.
To be fair, most of the budget details uses complex figures and forecasts that would be way over the heads of the average Joe and Jill Bloggs and only the suits would understand them.
In case this wasn't a sarcastic response I would say speaking over the heads of laypeople represents a communication failure by a government that is supposedly for all, those besuited titans of industry and us mere mortals both. If we can have law written in plain language then there is no reason the pre-Budget announcement should be mostly business jargon.
Try and explain anything complex and it will go over the heads of most people, my kids lost me at the Masters level. I used to just sit there nodding, no wonder they nicknamed me Homer.
Perhaps they could adequately fund the Dunedin hospital to allow what was specified to be built. How they are a bunch of #%^ers to pull this and now we find there was $4BILLION that is now out there to be spent. How we have been let down by words and NO action. On this issue of the hospital they have funded this to fail the local community – A strong labour community at that !!!
Was so weak to see Labour MP Rachel Brooking defend the cuts in the ODT, then nek minnit Labour Minister of Health Verral 'restores' $70 million of the cuts …
… and still forget to tell us that the redesign would cost the whole project a year, which of course costs programme and redesign costs.
That MoH Major Capital team are just a law unto themselves.
I think Robertson has been excellent as a Finance Minister and he is a superb performer in the house.
But I agree with you here Herod. When he can find four thousand million dollars in his back pocket the penny-pinching on 100 million or so on the oh-so-politically sensitive and oh-so-needed Dunedin hospital looks stupid.
Unhappily, NZ's finance ministers have been almost universally lousy. Cullen would be the only one to rate above the international average, and he was no Keynes. The rest have been distinctly sub-par – as is reflected in national productivity and the largely unchallenged follies coming out of Treasury.
We are supposed to be a democracy – not a dictatorship of useless far-right economic pretenders stymying every plausible policy initiative. Our country is being left to rot.
Wow! Ginny just made Mercenary Mitchell look like a plodding, incompetent fool in the house again today! Either she's very good, or he's an idiot. [Probably both!]
Do they know what his excuses are for both enabling one of the top ten polluters in nz (according to stuff) the glenbrook steel mill..to just carry on in that role..for the foreseeable future..when he could have done differently..?
And now for doing nothing to stop deep sea mining..?
Parker/labour: putting the 'rad' in environmental-degradation..
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The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – 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 is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
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. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
The Government Communications Security Bureau denies hosting a foreign spying capability flagged by the watchdog, differentiating it from the system recently criticised. ...
RNZ News A group of academic staff at New Zealand’s largest university have expressed concern at the administration’s move to block a protest encampment that was planned to take place on campus calling for support for the rights of Palestinians. This week, the University of Auckland warned that while it ...
Genterwocky After a hard days marching, Sir Doocey calls in at the Village Tavern For a pint of ale and a pork pie. The grim villagers stare at him. “Do not be travelling on the forest road,” warns a crusty old beak. “And why is that, antique peasant?” Grins Sir ...
Political conferences after a party returns to power are usually a chance for some healthy, even unhealthy backslapping. Yet National Party president Sylvia Wood’s address to its mainland representatives on Saturday hardly contained the unalloyed delight that one might have expected following National’s escape from the wilderness of opposition. Yes, ...
Comment: Almost half the world is voting in national elections this year and artificial intelligence is the elephant in the room. There are genuine fears AI-generated or AI-edited deepfakes will potentially manipulate election outcomes not just in the US and UK, but critically in countries such as India. For that ...
Ahead of the reality franchise’s return to New Zealand, allow us to introduce the eight brides and grooms. Chuck on a veil and tie back your man bun, because it’s time to say “I do” to a new season of Married at First Sight NZ. The reality TV “social experiment” ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National University Every year on June 1, student debt in Australia is indexed to inflation. In 2023, high inflation pushed the indexation rate to 7.1%, the highest since 1990. This ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Changes in the May 14 budget will cut the student debt of more than three million people, wiping more than $3 billion from what people owe. The government will cap the HELP indexation rate ...
Asia Pacific Report The prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has appealed for an end to what it calls intimidation of its staff, saying such threats could constitute an offence against the “administration of justice” by the world’s permanent war crimes court. The Hague-based office of ICC Prosecutor ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk A women’s union in New Caledonia has staged a sit-in protest this week to support senior Kanak indigenous journalist Thérèse Waia, who works for public broadcaster Nouvelle-Calédonie la Première, after a smear attack by critics. The peaceful demonstration was held on ...
New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring overseas recalls of Indian packaged spice products manufactured by MDH and Everest due to concerns over a cancer-causing pesticide. ...
By Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews Fiji’s ranking in a global press freedom index has jumped into the top tier of countries with free or mostly free media after its government last year repealed a draconian law that threatened journalists with prison for doing their jobs. Fiji’s improvement ...
We might be in Invercargill but all anyone can talk about is Gore. Specifically, Salford Street. That’s where three-year-old Lachlan Jones lived, south of the centre of town, between the A&P Showgrounds and the Mataura River. Roughly 1.2 km away from the single level home he lived in with his ...
MONDAY I lined up the latest round of civil servants from city hall against the wall, and signalled for the firing squad to drop their rifles. I stepped up onto a wooden crate to look at the office workers in the eye. But that didn’t feel right, so I found ...
Keen hiker and second-year MSc student Liam Hewson wears two hats when he’s in the great outdoors. “The scientist in me appreciates nature and goes, ‘Oh, there’s that thing and there’s another thing,’ but then the tramper and the outdoorsy person in me thinks, ‘Cool bush.’” Born and bred in ...
After a long and illustrious career as a goal kicker, Dan Carter’s favourite way to unwind is… kicking goals. Why can’t he get enough of it? And what it’s like to watch him do it for an hour straight? A semicircle of people wielding cameras and phones has formed in ...
Dame Susan Devoy takes us through her life in television, including late night ER debriefs, her proudest CTI moment and the show she watches in secret. Quite aside from her four world champion squash titles, Dame Susan Devoy will likely go down in history as one of the best Celebrity ...
Hera Lindsay Bird reveals the best places in Ōtepoti to score more for your apocalypse-prep book hoard.Sometimes I get the feeling I’ve been killed in a car crash, and this second half of my life is just the brain unspooling itself, like one of those episodes of a hospital ...
ThreeNow’s new murder mystery series takes us on a dark, damp journey into the Australian wilderness.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. High Country is ThreeNow’s new Australian eight-part crime drama, set in a remote part of the Victorian highlands. It tells ...
Introducing a new way to read The Spinoff every weekend. After nearly 10 years of being an online magazine, we’re finally embracing the weekend liftout. Despite our best efforts to convince you otherwise, writers and editors at The Spinoff don’t work weekend. It is through the sheer power of technology ...
Tip one: let yourself be nurtured by this big old man. Tip two: don’t ask him to adopt you. So, you’ve arrived at your first session with a new therapist. He tells you to make yourself comfortable and you opt for the tweed armchair, hoping it makes you look like ...
I didn’t know books could open you back up; that there were books that stayed with you, where reading was like a chemical event. I knew nothing.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Not too long ago, I was listening to the American ...
Former Olympic swimmer James Magnussen has already started training for the Enhanced games, though says he won’t start taking performance enhancing substances until about nine months out from the competition. The Australian world champion was the first athlete to be announced by Enhanced, but he says the organisation has had ...
Everyone thinks he’s dead. Every day they expect his body to be washed up along the coast. Most likely up Karitane way, the way the tide’s running. But nobody’ll be too surprised if his body’s never found. Even in death he wouldn’t have wished for such attention. He would have ...
Council members voted 21 to 4 in favour of Ahluwalia returning to the Laucala campus following a much-awaited meeting in Vanuatu this week. It comes as USP and its two unions — the Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff (AUSPS) and the Administration and Support Staff Union ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Henry, Professor & Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University Shutterstock Following an emergency meeting of the National Cabinet this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a raft of measures to tackle the problem ...
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https://i.stuff.co.nz/business/132001093/wealthy-new-zealanders-say-they-want-to-pay-more-tax
Imagine a world where the wealthy were proud of how much tax the contributed, not of how much they avoided
Note the personal attack on them by David Seymour for betraying their class.
Anyone who did not realise that Seynour and NACT are engaged in class war against those who do not have wealth/own property should be awakening from their sleep.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/kushlan-sugathapala-questioning-our-extremely-unfair-tax-system-is-not-being-envious/CIOF3JGJBBALPO2YCWZND6I3PE/
Can anyone provide a link without paywall?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/kushlan-sugathapala-questioning-our-extremely-unfair-tax-system-is-not-being-envious/CIOF3JGJBBALPO2YCWZND6I3PE/
And David Seymour has really let this one 'zoooom' straight over. I can see why Seymour has framed it this way though as ACT likes its govt small.
My reading is that they wanted the tax arrangements to be such that they were taxed properly and so the funds went into the funds of Govt to add to the funds used by Govt for public services. Nothing to do with philanthropy etc.
https://archive.li/0pfz9
Dear Joe90, please would you consider using the alternative title option when posting links without a descriptor in the web address? I like to know what I'm jumping to. That link was worth a read when I got there, though.
Once again, Labour shows it's poor on sound-bite messaging. You can present a rational argument in the background for those who read, but to drag the electorate your way you need two or three snappy slogans. Ram-raids, uppity Maoris and over-regulation are the only drums Luxon's banging.
From the article in the link, attack the richy-richy may not be the best strategy, I'm thinking. Attack no-tax/lo-tax company structures is a larger target, and would hoover up rich tax evaders as well. Now for the killer sound-bite.
I wonder what a tax trade-off of GST on food for a tax on capital gains will do?
(a la the Key & English – income tax & GST trade-off)
Based on the Key/English efforts, no guarantee that it will actually deliver the tax switch being advertised. In this particular case, the concern would be that retailers (like supermarkets) wouldn't pass on all of the savings.
Archive version from 10/5/23 https://archive.is/0pfz9
ACT represents those who have an overwhelming sense of entitlement.
The entitlement comes from the historical association of wealth and power.
Wealth means success, and success entitles them to have power.
The only things ACT supporters care about is the size of their bank accounts and nothing, but nothing, should get in the way of any exponential growth of these.
If ACT gets its way, the rich will be a whole heap richer and those at the bottom will be left to fight over the few crumbs that trickle down.
It is a disgusting irony that Federated Farmers Andrew Hoggard is standing for a party whose policies are almost identical to those of the the great Rogernome in the 1980s, and were responsible for so many suicides in the rural sector.
So much for caring about farmers!
Yip act/seymour belive in no taxs or benifits, wealth sharing should only be done by the wealthy choosing to donate.
Well, hiow about donating to Labour and Greens the difference?
And what would Labour use the money for? They already use the taxpayer funds to pat for their campaign advertising. I received, with yesterdays mail, a leaflet from the PM saying how wonderful Labour is. In the smallest possible font the House of Representatives Crest was present to show that the taxpayer and not the Party was paying for it. I imagine it has probably been sent to every household in the country.
Why should the taxpayer have to pay for something that is purely a political ad?
https://www.renews.co.nz/i-dont-know-anything-about-politics-where-do-parties-get-all-their-money-from/
Meanwhile:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/national-raises-unprecedented-23m-war-chest-from-richlist-donors-before-election-year/77GGZL32JRDMRNAEFJ7B4TGAUI/
I've already said how I think parties ought to be funded. No more than a small amount once annually from members, and every election voters at the polling station get given two vouchers with, say, $10 or $20 value. They then simply deposit one into the party donation box of their choice and they get to keep the other as a thank you for voting.
I would also make election day a mid-week public holiday, unpaid if you don't vote and paid if you do. That way, if you don't bother to vote on the day off and you earn, say, $35 an hour, it is the equivalent of a $280 dollar fine.
It is an interesting idea and I can see the first part of it working. As far as the payment for voting goes though it would seem to impose a massive penalty on those people who aren't eligible to vote.
“Sorry fella. You are here on a visa that allows you to work but not vote so you have to take a day off without pay.”
Meh – NZ is uniquely round-heeled when it comes to pissing away our citizens' franchise – they only need to be here for six months and they get to vote anyway. Something to do with the major parties, knowing they have alienated voters, looking for
new markspotential supporters among those who have yet to experience their inadequacy.War chest is an appropriate description for a party that loves dreaming up imaginary wars.
Indeed why should the taxpayer pay for political ads?
My National MP who spend thousands over a couple of years, who was backed by the twisted logic and benign rulings of the system I dealt with in Wellington, in the end got to the insurmountable argument: “It’s legal.”
The bastard lost in the election. All the money he spent, our money, would’ve been well used by our local schools.
To avoid having only the ads that are paid for by the rich. Think of it as having the taxpayer paying for democracy.
So a better regulation might cap political advertising spends – then we could mostly ignore the wretched self-aggrandizing numpties.
Some say that, while others donate heavily to ACT and similar, to avoid doing any such thing….
Imagine a world where politicians did what they promised, not whatever was necessary to get re-elected
Imagine a world where those who did not could not hang their heads in shame, because robust public processes dealt with them expeditiously.
"Jealousy", "envy", "resentment". The words used by Nicola Willis to describe a capital gains tax she says is being secretly prepared.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/nationals-nicola-willis-claims-labour-cooking-up-a-secret-capital-gains-tax-plan-from-labour
When I see these kinds of words being used, I see them as a form of self-reflection.
Is Willis resentful, jealous and envious of Labour being in government?
She wants the power.
That is why we get from National already the fear and envy tactics, the hyperbole and the cherry-picking of facts, the partial quotes, the accusations of secrecy and improper motivation.
can you cut and paste a couple of paras mac? I wont pay for the Herald.
No paywall there on that article, BG. Go get it for free.
Thanks….when I hit your link it blocked me…but when I searched for the article at the NZH site it was fine, as you said.
She is talking bollocks anyway.
As political journalist the late John Armstrong said:
“Never forget that politics boils down to power – winning it and, just as importantly, retaining it.
“The fascination comes in watching how politicians play the game.”
All politicians want to get their hands on the levers of power. Some want unbridled power. That's why the ordinary citizen must be vigilant.
That "late John Armstrong" was a lying user of a poisonous pen. He used his power to repeat untrue stories, especially one about a non-existent gift. He played a dirty power game for National.
The factors that are most important are why and how they use power and for whom.
Jealousy, envy, resentment. "… the accusations of secrecy and improper motivation"
At a personal level it can extend to stalking the individual, breaking into the individual's home, reporting the individual to the authorities for misdemeanors never committed and setting the person up by way of covert hoaxes. In the more serious cases it can also iclude violence to pets and damage to property.
Yep. It happened to me 30 plus years ago. All of it.
But because the perpetrator had links to high places including a high ranked sibling, she was shielded by the 'establishment' and never brought to justice.
Translate that story into politics and you have the same kind of behaviour occurring by National and ACT including the law breaking. Remember the DP years. Slater was never charged and sentenced by the police for his law breaking and nefarious conduct. But one of the victims was. Nicky Hagar. Slater knew people in high places and had a well metaphoricalplaced father.
Jealousy, envy and resentment. No difference whether it be personal or political – or a mix of both.
But if you know the ‘right’ people, you get off with not even the metaphorical wet bus ticket.
A CGT being secretly prepared?
We wish.
Typical National scaremongering.
Labour will no more implement a CGT tax than National will nationalize Air New Zealand.
It's not the fucking drains, Rimmer.
Michael Field
@MichaelFieldNZ
Global Forecasting Systems – which has accurately predicted Auckland's storms – is projecting this in eight days.
https://twitter.com/MichaelFieldNZ/status/1656016744639778816
it's probably both. But Seymour misses the point that no matter how good an infrastructure fix we do now, it won't be enough if we don't massively and immediately mitigate the climate crisis.
Wow, that is scary.
Its a sub tropical low which is expected to form off the coast of Brisbane. Shouldn't pack the same punch as Gabrielle and looks like it will cross over the country quite quickly. Fingers crossed. 😮
https://www.windy.com/?-30.468,178.682,5
For an idea of the rain intensity hit the rain/thunderstorm icon at top right.
Time for the Green Party display some recognition to its voters- As they are about to lose 1.
I for 1 did not give my party vote so that 1 of "their" MP's can leave the party and sit as an independent. I gave them my vote as they were more focused on the environment than any of the alternatives. As TGP has displayed an attitude of contempt to a voter as you have reduced your say in parliament by 10%. (I note that EK was pictured in some committee that was hearing on vaping as an independent yet was placed there as TGP allocation !!!!)
Regarding the allegations regarding Elizabeth Kerekere, if held true what were you doing to miss seeing and then reacting to these. If untrue then you are no better (Some could say that TGP is the worst example of a political party) than any other party in your manipulation into actively remove EK from parliament.
2. wait to see what the final list is like. Fingers crossed there are more overt environmentalists in the top ten. At that point, everyone's vote matters if truly you want strong environmentalists in parliament. Here's the interim list, imo it's worth voting Green to get Abel and Pham into parliament,
https://www.greens.org.nz/2023_candidates
(had EK been forced to leave parliament via waka jumping, Abel would now be an MP, being next on the list. I'm annoyed he's not, but this is on EK as much as anyone. Look at the reasons for the GP not supporting waka jumping law if you want ot understand this better).
3. Shaw and Davidson have both said, many times, that there were patterns of behaviour from EK predating the cry baby message, but they were unable to act on them because people were afraid to come forward. Once EK hoisted herself on her own petard, people felt more able to speak up. The impression I have is that JS and MD knew there was a problem but didn't have any hard details or people willing to speak, which they needed for a formal investigation. It's too their credit that they waited for firm evidence before proceeding.
4. The process was decided by the whole of caucus, including EKm last year, in the wake of the report on bullying in parliament. I've not seen anything that shows JS and MD subverted or manipulated that process.
Thanks for that weka…and well said.
cheers BG.
It's completely the wrong focus worrying about candidates before the list is set. There ought to be drama in selection.
What we need is a fully on fire Greens in the political arena scoring even better points than Act, so that Greens can grind back up to 10%. The focus needs to stay on policy not the usual pre-selection games.
Bryce Edwards has a piece published on TDB (Dr Bryce Edwards Political Roundup: The Civil war in the Greens | The Daily Blog) that set's out the internal warfare going on in the Greens. I genuinely hope the environmental arm win out. I genuinely doubt they will.
Minor handbag squabble compared to the Labour list bloodbath through June and July as about 20 existing MPs realise they don't have jobs in 4 months and rapidly jump ship.
20 is optimistic. I smell zero sense of urgency from Labour, let alone the Greens.
Labour itself needs to tilt the political discourse since the Greens aren't able to. Budget 2023 is yet to do that job.
hopefully they're gearing up in private for the election campaign proper, but the year does seem to be getting on. Other elections the Greens have started early.
Edwards is doing a hell of a lot of unevidenced speculation there.
The same could be said of this EK issue until we have anything of substance, I am sure with EK’s departure the need for anything to be aired could now be viewed as redundant, so the issue goes away, and in the eyes of those concerned guilt is passed. Either her behaviour is beyond what is acceptable or she has been targeted for personal gain of others. I am trying to not be condemning to either side until there is more to support one of the claims. I note that this was reported 6 April of the txt how long can it take if there was some motivation to sort this out ???
I'd definitely like to know if the process they are using, that was established last year, is in the public domain. Someone could look that up I expect.
Or there were some issues that needed to be investigated that were survivable for EK and she bailed before that process was completed. I'm sure there are other interpretations as well.
My reading of it, based on what I've seen MD and JS say, and the reporting from credible and relatively unbiased sources, is that there was a pattern of behaviour and the co-leaders decided to act now because it was going to be terrible for election year if they didn't.
Certainly from the outside, EK looks to me like a loose unit. Her behaviour during the BDMRR select committee raised red flags, but that could have been a one off and it wasn't like she was the only MP that displayed bias. But when you have multiple examples and people too afraid to speak, I think it's reasonable for the party to act from self preservation especially given the GP's history with election campaigns (something that EK seems to not take very seriously). Even the way she handled the call with members and how she resigned raised another set of red flags. Doesn't look like a team player or someone who has the interests of the party at heart.
I also think that if the issues around behaviour weren't real or weren't of a meaningful level, that JS and MD wouldn't have taken the positions they did. I trust them in that, especially JS because of how he behaved in the 2017 election campaign during the fallout from Turei's speech. It's not too hard to read between the lines in what he has and hasn't said, without going deeper into the kind of speculation that Edwards is doing.
I'll also say this. The gender/sex war has the potential to wreck the election. That could cost the Greens big time, and possible the left the election overall. If that sounds like hyperbole, it's based on watching what has happened in the UK, where in the end Labour had to accept that women have sex based rights. Because most people draw a line at saying people can literally change sex and society should be based around that.
In the local body elections, in Brighton, one of the most strongly identity politics places in the UK, Green councillors just lost their seats (to Labour). Anyone not paying attention to this is missing something really important. Many people rightly believe that trans people should have the same human rights as others, but aren't ok with the excesses of gender ideology.
I have no idea where the GP sit on the real politik of that, but if the election turns on 'what is a woman?' (and the right may indeed go down that track), then it has the potential to get nasty and I'm not sure the left has the capacity atm to parse what is going on with that because of the ideology. I hope it doesn't go down this track, but the potential is there. EK being out of the GP is a relief, because now at least is she goes off on one about genderism, the focus can be on her not the Greens.
Edwards typically pulls together a variety of opinion, and then draws his own conclusions.
In this piece, Edwards cites "long-time Green Party commentator Gordon Campbell", "leftwing political commentator Steven Cowan", "The Herald’s Thomas Coughlan", and of course the one and only "Leftwing blogger and Green voter Martyn Bradbury".
You could say this is 'informed' rather than 'unevidenced' speculation.
None of the people you name are Green Party people. MB regularly slags off the Greens, over a long period of time. I would guess Cowan has some anti-Green bias. I've read Campbell's piece, it was interesting. But when Edwards says things like this,
Where is the actual evidence that these assertions are true?
Weka, it isn't necessary to be a green party person to have inside information on what is happening within the party. The people Edwards quotes from are far from disconnected from Green Party politics.
As for Edwards assertions, what we do know, is that there was an attempt to dump James Shaw as leader of the party in mid 2022, and that followed the Greens voting to:
Green Party James Shaw co-leadership: MP Elizabeth Kerekere 'considering options' on challenge – NZ Herald
Whether Edwards is correct as to the motives behind this, only those involved can confirm.
Or selective and self serving depending on what he has chosen.
Regardless of the conclusions Edwards comes to, he is right about this:
Some tighter focus on the issues which matter to the electorate (and some party discipline over going off message) – should pay dividends for the GP.
I think they could definitely do well if they focused on those, but I'm less convinced they can break out of the 10% ghetto, and that is what is needed if we are to make serious efforts on climate and ecology. I hope they can pull something out of the bag. While I think Edwards was overstating the case and as I said, unevidenced, I do think the perception of the GP as too woke is a potentially a problem and I;m not sure if they know how to deal with that.
I disagree – on this matter he seems remarkably in tune with the feelings I, and many of my associates who have voted Green in the past, have expressed recently. I really think they need to give up the green brand, and maybe pitch as the rainbow party, social justice party, or something else – the environment really isn't a priority for them now, based on their actions over the last few years.
I'm sorry you have that impression because it's simply not true. Look at their policy. Scroll through their press releases, and SM. Yes, social justice is featured, but environmental issues are too. Do they have the balance between the two right. I don't think so. But I don't see the point in throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
Bryce Edwards is really starting to piss me off across a number of topics. I should do a Post this weekend to counter his biased pieces.
Yes please Incognito.!!
👍
Effing hell..!
Edwards reports on davidson's dismal record as minister for the homeless.
She was allocated$75 million to help the homeless..and she has failed to even spend $1 million…
W.t.f…!
Has davidson ever been asked about this epic fail on her part…?
I have voted green since forever..
The above has me thinking tpm..
I am sure both of them would have used that $75 million..
Seriously ..!..I am banging my head against the wall over this..
What excuses could davidson possibly offer..?
Yes, she was challenged in the House on 3rd May about this. Her responses were farcical. Three times the Speaker had to intervene.
Parliament TV On Demand – Parliament On Demand
Thank you for that…
Bluff/bluster/bullshit on a stick from davidson…
She explained nothing..
National did what they did to manipulate those unable to handle simple complexity to cause disdain for the Greens among their own supporters.
Because National think they are so clever they can do this.
Rather than encourage them to think their strategy is working, how about just pondering this?
How much money can be spent in one year when it is allocated over 4 years and the first year is for the design of the programme in which the money is spent?
That question was clearly answered.
The second question is why not allocate the money to existing programmes.
She said the new programmes were set up because of liason with providers of existing programmes, as they saw a need to supplement them with new ones.
That question was clearly answered.
The third question was regarding the 200 16-17 year olds in motels and whether the new programmes would deal with this. She responded and Bishop intervened and said he did not want some list of spending allocations in response (related to existing programmes dealing with this particular matter) and the Speaker chimed in with his line, he was almost afraid to have the Minister answer the question again and then intervened when she began to after Bishop re-asked the question.
KNOWN FACT. National did not want the new programmes being set up to deal with housing delivery.
I would suggest you look at the programmes and see if you can find any relationship to this direction and things like Maori Health and National's opposition to that.
If anyone wants to evaluate for themselves, both the questions and answers, as well as the Speaker's interventions – the link is here.
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/document/HansS_20230503_051240000/6-question-no-6-housing-homelessness
Well, thank you! I tend to lean towards SPC.
I thought the Speaker let her off very lightly. She should have been instructed to answer the question, or ejected from the House until she was prepared to do so.
All Ministers take the opportunity to add a little fluff of the question-that-they-really-want-to-answer to an official response – but they are required to actually answer the question as presented.
2. The first part of the process was design and the money for them was to come in from July 2023
3. Existing programmes have their own funding allocations.
Bishop and his fans here are working to promote contempt for Greens and to overall question delivery by nit picking about new programmes set up to operate in the 2023-2026 period that a National victory would block.
The Speaker was inept, or deliberately hostile to the Minister. The explanation was obvious.
If I were the Greens and there was any continuance of it, not support the Speakers re-appointment.
The Speaker held her to account for being entirely unable to provide anything approaching a coherent reply. He was remarkably patient.
National did what they did to manipulate those unable to handle simple complexity to cause disdain for the Greens among their own supporters.
Because National and their supporters think they are so clever they can do this.
REALITY CHECK.
How much money can be spent in one year when it is allocated over 4 years and the first year is for the design of the programme in which the money is spent?
That question was clearly answered.
The second question is why not allocate the money to existing programmes.
She said the new programmes were set up because of liason with providers of existing programmes, as they saw a need to supplement them with new ones.
That question was also clearly answered.
The third question was regarding the 200 16-17 year olds in motels and whether the new programmes would deal with this.
She responded and Bishop intervened and said he did not want some list of spending allocations in response (related to existing programmes dealing with this particular matter) and the Speaker chimed in with his line, he was almost afraid to have the Minister answer the question again and then intervened when she began to after Bishop re-asked the question.
The Speaker, someone with both dignity and mana, disagrees with you. 3 times.
So you claim. But you can make no case for it being a reasonable one.
I'll let the speaker do that:
Three separate responses to three questions.
Hansard. 6. Question No. 6—Housing (Homelessness) – New Zealand Parliament (www.parliament.nz)
Yet the questions were answered.
The Speaker was wrong three times.
Perhaps you should write to him and tell him that. I'm sure he'll be very keen to hear from you.
I'd regard his admission of regret a personal matter.
.
Have a good evening, SPC,
Doctor, Doctor I need you to give your insight on the politics of the left wing parties, for those of the right are perfection, except occasionally C. Luxon over whom some of even more angelic form have doubts.
From the Dottore who thought it important in the fires on the lawn of parliament to point out that a couple of people once said mean things about John Key too. These were equivalent and so Jacinda was just a whining big girls blouse, unlike Bill English or John Key who were real politician men.
There’s a reason the regular ACT aligned philosopher of a commenter introduced it.
The good doctor is a political commentator. Do you have anything to say about what he actually said, or just about what you think about him?
Well fine Minister Robertson can find $4 billion to reprioritise for the upcoming budget.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/grant-robertson-to-reveal-size-of-savings-in-budget-2023/XQNO5BOK3RAARA5OHSR3LNPZUA/#:~:text=The%20Government%20has%20found%20%244,day%20spending%20for%20this%20Budget.
So far however the only significant pre-budget announcement has been for Defence.
I am struggling to see the benefits from all those consultants that bullshit agencies like Education Review Office, Ministry of Pacific Peoples, Ministry for Culture and Hertitage and others are blowing out, when it's the basics of Police Education and Health that are begging for more salaried frontline staff.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/07/government-s-billion-dollar-spend-on-consultants-under-attack-from-national.html
If this government were a retail store I think I'd probably go ask for a refund.
Unless Robertson has an almighty trick up his sleeve as the Albanese government just pulled in the Australian budget this week, Labour are just not going to move the dial dial upwards.
While they keep insisting on doing these pre-Budget announcements to a 'business audience' it is apparent who they are most concerned about and it's certainly not workers, frontline or otherwise:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/489670/watch-finance-minister-grant-robertson-makes-pre-budget-speech
To be fair, most of the budget details uses complex figures and forecasts that would be way over the heads of the average Joe and Jill Bloggs and only the suits would understand them.
In case this wasn't a sarcastic response I would say speaking over the heads of laypeople represents a communication failure by a government that is supposedly for all, those besuited titans of industry and us mere mortals both. If we can have law written in plain language then there is no reason the pre-Budget announcement should be mostly business jargon.
Try and explain anything complex and it will go over the heads of most people, my kids lost me at the Masters level. I used to just sit there nodding, no wonder they nicknamed me Homer.
That wasn't the audience of the speech.
They were the dedicated government-watchers and government-analysts.
Perhaps they could adequately fund the Dunedin hospital to allow what was specified to be built. How they are a bunch of #%^ers to pull this and now we find there was $4BILLION that is now out there to be spent. How we have been let down by words and NO action. On this issue of the hospital they have funded this to fail the local community – A strong labour community at that !!!
100%
Was so weak to see Labour MP Rachel Brooking defend the cuts in the ODT, then nek minnit Labour Minister of Health Verral 'restores' $70 million of the cuts …
… and still forget to tell us that the redesign would cost the whole project a year, which of course costs programme and redesign costs.
That MoH Major Capital team are just a law unto themselves.
I think Robertson has been excellent as a Finance Minister and he is a superb performer in the house.
But I agree with you here Herod. When he can find four thousand million dollars in his back pocket the penny-pinching on 100 million or so on the oh-so-politically sensitive and oh-so-needed Dunedin hospital looks stupid.
It will cost votes if not rectified.
Unhappily, NZ's finance ministers have been almost universally lousy. Cullen would be the only one to rate above the international average, and he was no Keynes. The rest have been distinctly sub-par – as is reflected in national productivity and the largely unchallenged follies coming out of Treasury.
We are supposed to be a democracy – not a dictatorship of useless far-right economic pretenders stymying every plausible policy initiative. Our country is being left to rot.
My understanding is that when washed up the albanese budget over promised (remind u of any other labour parties/leaders..)..
And turned out to be just another outing for neoliberal-incrementalism…
So yes…that is what we can expect from robertson/labour..
It has always been thus..since the time of douglas..
And of course this version of labour is echoed in other labour parties..in their bows in unison to the demands of the right/neoliberals..
And that poxy excuse for an ideology.. neoliberal-incrementalism..is what has got us all up shit-creek.. without a paddle..
“For the many not the few” is anathema to the neo Blairists of the NZ Labour Caucus.
Aotearoa NZ will not move forward until Rogernomics and Ruthanasia are retired for good by the new gens.
Maybe 'bullshit' agencies like Education Review Office will be got rid of with Act as a big part of the next government.
Anyone see them getting rid of that monitoring of schools? And if that model goes what replaces it? Or do they have none?
Wow! Ginny just made Mercenary Mitchell look like a plodding, incompetent fool in the house again today! Either she's very good, or he's an idiot. [Probably both!]
She's very good. One of Labour's better performers.
Is there something fundamentally wrong with local government?
Tauranga, Invercargill, Gore, and now West Coast.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/489694/fiery-talk-at-west-coast-council-not-a-wellington-issue-internal-affairs-says
Kaipara District Council, Wellington, Dunedin….
Any parker fanboys/girls out there..?
Do they know what his excuses are for both enabling one of the top ten polluters in nz (according to stuff) the glenbrook steel mill..to just carry on in that role..for the foreseeable future..when he could have done differently..?
And now for doing nothing to stop deep sea mining..?
Parker/labour: putting the 'rad' in environmental-degradation..
I said in a post a couple of weeks ago that Parker supports wind-farms being located in Outstanding Natural Landscape.
Like Chris Trotter, and many others, he is old school Labour without a green bone in his body.