YEAH ROCK ON!!!! Meet up with our amazing local MP and fellow labour supporters this morning, waving signs on the main road, heaps of toots and waves, my youngest had a blast. A great way to start the day.
Taking the kids to vote once school is finished, family tradition, mum would always take me to the voting booth so I could see democracy in action 😀
I will be going into town tomorrow with my daughter anyway and will vote then (as it’s a couple of ks to the nearest voting place). Which leaves me free for scrutineering on the day (a boring but necessary part of our democracy). Green Party, Labour Electorate, vote.
I had my voting pack come on the weekend, so have my easyvote card (though the perforations were really meagre, and I had to use scissors to get it off the page). For those who haven’t registered yet (which you can do at the time during the advance period, but not on the 23rd), and so didn’t get the printed copy of polling places; this will tall you where your local advance polling stations are:
Never listened to ZB in 40 odd years but have seen references to Larry ‘ fuckwit’ Williams. After hooking into ZB for the Jacinda interview, I now understand!!!! Not sure if it was deliberate but it seemed as though at one stage Jacinda was giving him the two fingered salute – if on purpose, it was much deserved, if not, it was deserved anyway.
Barry Soper muses on the last time a NZ prime minister was elected on the “sheer force of their personality”. It would appear, however, that he has not visited NZ since 2008. Either that, or he is in accord with all thinking New Zealanders that there was no force whatsoever to Key’s personality.
That attitude of Soper et al has been infuriating me the last weeks! As if we haven’t had personality politics for the last 9 years!! I doubt that a vast chunk of people who voted National in the last three elections could name a single policy. except tax cuts….grrr. I find it quite a mosigynist viewpoint actually when it keeps being stated about Jacinda.
Jacinda holding her own with far right Larry William’s aggressive biased interviewing on ZB in a Leader’s breakfast. Goes until 8.30am if your blood pressure can cope.
have all agreed to suspend (but not remove) some of the most controversial intellectual property provisions that hiked the price of medicines. Other countries want parts of the actual text and countries’ schedules reopened. Each country has to come back with its wish-list at another meeting in Japan in late September, probably while the New Zealand government is in caretaker mode.
…
Jacinda Adern recently defended Labour’s ‘bloody minded’ opposition to the agreement. But its only firm position is an objection to a single, very specific provision in the entire 30-chapter deal: the right to discriminate against foreign purchasers of residential property in the schedule on investment. Does Labour really intend to agree to the TPPA-11 if that minor matter is changed (as it has been in a leaked copy I have of New Zealand’s proposed schedule to the now-suspended Trade in Services Agreement negotiations)?
…
Labour’s leadership needs to go on record before the election with some more detailed and convincing answers to these questions, and its position on other toxic provisions affecting the right to regulate on state-owned enterprises, government procurement, financial services and taxation.
Above all, Labour needs to commit now to a genuine consultation about what position New Zealand should take on the TPPA-11
…
Jacinda, Grant, David, anyone in the Labour leadership – can we know your real position on the TPP-11 before the election please?
Parker dismisses the suggestion that fears about a loss of sovereignty are overblown, saying other countries in the TPP retained the right to keep restrictions on foreign homebuyers.
Labour trade spokesman David Parker said his party supported TPP-11 as long as some revisions were made.
“TPP was obviously more important with America in it. It remains beneficial into Japan, particularly, but we expect our negotiators to renegotiate the provisions relating to land and we want in TPP-11 the same rights that Australia currently has under TPP-11, which is to ban foreign buyers of [existing] New Zealand homes.
The article claims Ardern’s Labour would withdraw from TPPA-11 if they weren’t allowed to restrict foreign buyers of NZ homes. But, it seems that is already in the TPPA-11 draft according to Kelsey having seen a leaked version – so, when it’s made public, Labour would presumably then claim a win.
This seems to be the main focus of articles I have seen that were published in the last month. Labour leadership seems to be silent on any other provisions in TPPA-11.
Thanks. That Newsrooms article appears to be saying that Labour are ok with the TPPA on their five bottom lines except that one re foreign house buying. That’s not what I’ve gotten from the conversation on the weekend about Labour, but again that unclarity.
That was Andrew Little on the 5 bottom lines on the Newsroom article – while he was still leader. So we need to be clear where Labour stands under the Ardern leadership.
I agree. My take is that they oppose it unless they can renegotiate the bits they don’t like (the five bottom lines aren’t on the website statement anymore). At least two problems with that generally. One is that we don’t know what they will do if they can’t renegotiate or can only renegotiate partially. The others is that their bottom lines aren’t likely to be enough.
I’m willing to trust Labour on developing their tax policy via a review next year, but I don’t trust them on this. They need to earn that trust.
Winston is up to his old tricks again. No coalition with Labour without more detail on tax. I’ll say this for him……he is utterly reliable for putting a spanner in the works.
How will Jacinda deal with this, or is it Robertsons job to give more clarity?
I’ve got to admit, after hearing Ron Mark last night on the news talking about the amount of dead rats any party that “NZF choose to put into government” would have to eat, and after hearing Winston Peters “clarifying his position” about support for Labour, I have to assume that NZF either really don’t want to be in Government, or don’t really want to be in Government with Labour.
They’re just trying to shore up their conservative vote, and perhaps hoover up some votes from National. The basis of their sales pitch is that they could go with either main party. Up until now, they’ve been having a bob each way by dint of their default position of negotiating with the largest party first, while implying that they want to change the government by criticising National.
Now that the polls tell us that cleaving to the largest party and changing the government will both mean the same thing, they need to go hard at Labour in order to prevent voters from concluding that a vote for NZ First is a vote for Labour.
At the end of the day, a vote for NZ First is a vote for nothing in particular.
Yep and I’ve watched a few Māori Party videos and the big question – ‘Do you want Winston or us to be the Kingmaker?’ – along side ‘we can work with both sides’ – the fight is real and desperate.
I think winnie will drag in a few gnat voters who just hate to be on the losing side – it just doesn’t fit their distorted self image.
My partner was going to vote for Winnie – this morning on hearing this news he turned to me and said “that’s it – Winnie has been unstable recently and lording it over everybody – he isn’t getting my vote” – he will vote Labour or the Greens – this I do know so I wonder how many other people will now give him a miss.
I have never considered Winnie because of his attitude about who his preferences would be – couldn’t trust him on such an important decision. Incidently I am voting Greens for their climate policies and their compassion for the vulnerable and poor.
And if I was GR, there’d be no bloody way this close to 23/9 that I would change tack and start trying to make a positioning statement for the Tax Working Group.
And have any of the other parties been asked to promise that they will not introduce ANY new taxes?
I don’t find the policy on tax too difficult to understand.
The Tax Working Group will be given a completely clear mandate to look at all tax, with one major exception – nothing they recommend will in any way touch the primary family home.
I am ‘apparently’ both of those things and it’s no concern to me, so best not to generalise. Personally I vote for all kiwis, a fairer society and a better future for my children, not for what’s best for my pocket.
I agree. On the other hand, I find it hard not to conclude that Labour’s public positioning on tax is purely a case of electoral expediency. They have decided that it is a lesser electoral risk to give their opponents a broad, vague target, compared to providing a whole lot of specifics, and having some policy analyst from National pull some misguided irrelevancy out of his arse and have the National leader confound them with it, as Key did in one of the debates in 2014.
Don’t get me wrong, I think Labour’s strategy is the right one (and the blame lies more with the media landscape than with either of the major parties), but it is what it is.
“I find it hard not to conclude that Labour’s public positioning on tax is purely a case of electoral expediency.”
I’m not sure of that….I suspect it is a genuine case of seeking the mandate (and the resources of government especially) to have a wide ranging look at the entire tax system, something they have been unable to do while in opposition due to the revolving door of leadership and financial constraint……they have a broad goal but haven’t determined the detail…….the same could be said of the future of work working group….lots of ideas and no resources.
I think they probably have a good idea of what they want to do but are more going to use the working group to add detail and flesh to it. As any party would they will pick and choose what they want to do from a working group. They could release those loose idea’s of where they think they can make some change but going half way is probably worse than what they are doing.
if you don’t have the detail then don’t fall into the trap of letting National miss characterise what you are going to do and look indecisive.
As to Ron Mark and his dead rat line. How bad must you be as a party when both sides would consider the policies you hold as a bottom line to be that bad?
I agree that setting up a working group is a good idea, and I don’t have a problem with their leaving their options open; Ardern has also stated that their goal is to shift the tax base onto wealth as well as earnings, which is really quite enough to make a decision on when comparing their proposals to National’s. However, I do think they could say more about their leanings if they so wished, and I think the reason is electoral expediency.
Labour have been saying for a long time that they would have a tax review in their first time (they talked about it last year during the Future of Work thing). You’re probably right about the expediency too.
expedient….no, political yes…inclined to agree with crashcart…if they put forward some of their hoped for detail without a total interconnected package (which doesn’t as yet exist) it opens them up to all sorts of charges when those hoped for details may end up not being implemented at all….if everyone is honest about it,the detail of implementation of any proposed policy is seldom known nor unchanged irrespective of who’s proposing it….this (and all) election will be decided on trust.
John Key was going to have a job summit. No details demanded. A do fest he said, not a talk fest. Whst they did was use it to pretend a mandate for zero contracts, casualisation of the work force and 90 day trials… I do not recall the level of scrutiny being demanded now of Labour
I tend to agree. We saw what happened when they costed spending. It is not like the media have yet to demand independant costings from Bill, and he must have them, cos today he said the extra money for first home buyers(but not of apartments) is not a knee jerk but something in the wings for a while. So let us see them and where is the media scrutiny of this mounting spending from tight fisted Bill.
[nothing they recommend will in any way touch the primary family home.]
In other words she is unwilling to address the massive inequity from not taxing imputed rent, but she is willing to tax the capital gains of those ¨evil¨ speculators which will have them laughing all the way to the bank.
mikesh
Oh dear, what a fault that ordinary people can actually accumulate a bit of wealth for themselves in having a home. Disgraceful. Unfair. If there is an upper limit on a valuation perhaps that would make a division between the ordinary person who has a nice home and someone who is using it to escape reasonable investment taxes. What tax would work for the ‘evil’ speculators best in your opinion?
You sound like the government that provides a food voucher for someone who is poor, but denies them a packet of chocolate biscuits. They might get something other than plain rations and some enjoyment.
Peters is flailing about for any publicity he can get. The fact of the matter is Labour in now going to be the biggest party, and if it can get to mid-high forties and the Greens can keep their shit together and get over the threshold they won’t need him, and thank Christ for that.
Caught the last 30 minutes of Larry Williams Newstalk ZB leaders breakfast in which Jacinda Ardern eloquently rebuffed, corrected and informed Mr Williams on many counts of misinformation placed in the public arena about Labours policy and intentions by persons opposed to a change in Government.
Have to say that the manner in which Jacinda presented herself, with honesty, integrity and humor was uplifting and proof that Jacinda if elected into the position of prime minister on 23 September 2017 will do our country proud, and currently is IMHO by far the most suited person to lead New Zealand down the path of a more fairer and equitable positive future.
It would be refreshing to have such an inspiring and positive role model championing New Zealand’s and our Pacific Nation’s goals and dream on the world stage…..keeping it positive…..well done Jacinda and the Labour team, supporters and voters.
I am confident that the Greens will come in comfortably above the 5% threshold and poll stronger than has been recently reported and will be a valued asset within a potential new government lead by Labour.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Thanks Carolyn_nth….yes I praise and support the 11 initiatives outlined in the Greens Climate Protection Plan, each of the recommendations is well thought out and gives proper direction for which a supportive Government can tackle the increasing issues associated with Climate Change going forward.
I am also glad that the Labour party who hopefully stand to be the largest elected party elected come 23 September, released their Climate Change Policy last week. I see this reflecting Jacinda’s strength of leadership, in that she has fronted first the major climate change issues which Labour have brought to the country during the lead up to the polls closing, to ensure complete transparency.
A lot of the initiatives are shared between the Greens and the Labour Party, although I appreciate that the Green’s Plan is more comprehensive, and thus will have a wider impact on New Zealanders, businesses and primary producers.
In an ideal result come 23 Sept 2017, Labour and the Greens would hold a majority, in order to be able to govern alone, placing the Greens in a position to be able to seek possible concessions and variations to Labour’s climate policy initiatives.
Having said that, if Labour are in the position to form a coalition government, I would also like to see Labour seek memorandum’s of understandings, and or formal coalition talks with the Maori Party and also New Zealand First, for which there are a broad range of shared values and beliefs between all four parties.
If Labour, Greens, the Maori Party and New Zealand formed the Government based on the last Colmar Brunton poll, they would have a solid 59% of the vote and a dominant mandate to effect the changes that are required to redirect National’s past 9 years of management that has favored the more well off sectors of NZ society, and that has opened up cracks in essential social services due to punitive policy and underfunding by National and it’s coalition supporters.
So Yes, the Greens climate plan is awesome and hopefully over the next 9 years the bulk of the Green Policy has been assimilated into legislation for the betterment of New Zealanders and the planet as a whole.
Thanks…my apologies about that….I did not know about Open Mike and appreciate your assistance, and note that your comments were valid as the post was not on topic in the article it was posted in…sorry to anyone who this may have upset….but rest assured that I hope that the Greens help shape the next Government negotiated by Labour, and I have my fingers crossed that the Green’s current polling increases.
Bill English on TV this am talking about suicide…. “We need to try something more and different”. It sounded like “more indifferent”. Which option would you believe from National?
Once again he was flailing around. Time we put him out of his misery.
Simon O’Connor trained to be a Catholic priest but decided against it.
O’Connor voted against the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill, a bill allowing same-sex couples to marry in New Zealand.[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_O%27Connor
Another conservative Catholic? How many are the Nats piling up of the ‘hooked on incense’ bunch. I’m incensed by snide remarks about important matters like euthanasia and suicide. They spell a cold-hearted and authoritarian attitude resulting from dogma and personal choice and party politics rather than rational discussion on moral issues. In fact is it immoral for a deeply religious person to make jibes about such matters?
“Speaking to Fran O’Sullivan for the Herald’s Mood of the Boardroom series, Campbell said the Jacinda effect of the new Labour leader had “changed the game significantly” and the business and wider community was relaxed about the prospect of a change in Government.”
Big business only works if theres an economy/society to consume their product so this is more about their bottom line than any moral or social outcome.
I have to disagree. Bob Campbell is something of a shining light amongst Directors precisely because he accepts that profits are not the only responsibility of businesses. And yes I know he is a Chair of Somerset and aged care employers must improve.
By the time farmers were paying for 100 per cent of their emissions, the federation said it would cost the primary industry more than $830 million per year.
In other words, farmers (mostly pastoral agriculture) are benefiting by $830m per year by having everyone else pay for their emissions. What does MSD Minister Anne Tolley have to say about that?
Yep. However National and in particular the current PM designated the ETS as trying to tax cow farts. So lets leave the National stupids in ignorance of reality. It takes too much effort to explain the physical world to people who prefer to believe in silly myths.
I usually monitor RNZ every morning from 6 am on then transmit to networks.
But I have been caught up with the Florida Hurricane activities for two days now and missed it. (I used to reside there 7 yrs and very familiar with this peninsular even as a kiwi.)
Ahh.. the bleating begins.
Leading rnz rural news segments: sth island Fed farmers leader grizzling about ‘some political parties kicking cockies around’, followed by more tax-mongering, re cgt: is my farm my home?
As predicted by some here as part of the desperate thrashing about of an ‘election strategy’.
I think the shatting was from old monKey – ditched the ship and left a bozo in charge – bill doing his best but making mistakes across the board and instead of accepting he wasn’t up to it like last time he has hung on and and shat all over the party and his MP’s and now they are looking down the gurgler he backs dildo joyce and his lies – and that is after bill was caught out lying about todd and that affair. ffs is there any such thing as a trustworthy gnat – no there ain’t. Basically the whole gnat crew are shatters and shattees and they love it!!!
To news hub I like fish but not with hooks in it kapai.
I made comments on Marae about the other people respecting Korako Nuk for his seniority in age well I read that wrong Korako had already captivated his ordinance with his kick in the private parts to Shane Jones twice.Now Shane 80 percent of men DO this and the other 20 percent of men that DON’T admit to this are liers like Korakos and his national so Shane DON’T be to hard on yourself because I no Korako thinks like nationals Muppets do and does not give a shit about my privacy rights.
So my remarks about Korako are well placed kapai
Eureka now bill english said so himself that he was happy that there is no constitution signed into law in NZ. So he And national can shit allover our human rights privacy rights and OUR SOCIETY AND environment and they will never be held accountable for there crimes. And this is the reason that national are undermining TOPS and the Greens because they want the principles of the treaty signed into law and this will stop all the bull shit that has been going on in our beautiful country and that is what the snakey bill and his puppets are up to.
Yes Joe90 the national party are idiots and O-Conner is one of bills boys to try and create histera and hate.
But everyone knows what they are up to. We’re do they find them.
Well working 13 hour days trying to catch up with the bills working 2 jobs.
I’m very carefull who I write about as I’m not into upsetting other people life’s but for the cause of changing government some people I will write my point of view on them especially these people whom live in a glass bubbles and lie that our country and our environment and say it’s all good
Can we trust the Trump cabinet to act in the public interest?Nine of Trump’s closest advisers are billionaires. Their total net worth is in excess of $US375b (providing there is not a share-market crash). In contrast, the total net worth of Trump’s first Cabinet was about $6b. (Joe Biden’s Cabinet ...
Welcome back to our weekly roundup. We hope you had a good break (if you had one). Here’s a few of the stories that caught our attention over the last few weeks. This holiday period on Greater Auckland Since our last roundup we’ve: Taken a look back at ...
Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partnerSometimes I feel like my only friendIs the city I live in, The City of AngelsLonely as I am together we crySong: Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith, Flea, John Frusciante.A home is engulfed in flames during the Eaton fire in the Altadena area. ...
Open access notablesLarge emissions of CO2 and CH4 due to active-layer warming in Arctic tundra, Torn et al., Nature Communications:Climate warming may accelerate decomposition of Arctic soil carbon, but few controlled experiments have manipulated the entire active layer. To determine surface-atmosphere fluxes of carbon dioxide and ...
It's election year for Wellington City Council and for the Regional Council. What have the progressive councillors achieved over the last couple of years. What were the blocks and failures? What's with the targeting of the mayor and city council by the Post and by central government? Why does the ...
Over the holidays, there was a rising tide of calls for people to submit on National's repulsive, white supremacist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill, along with a wave of advice and examples of what to say. And it looks like people rose to the occasion, with over 300,000 ...
The lie is my expenseThe scope of my desireThe Party blessed me with its futureAnd I protect it with fireI am the Nina The Pinta The Santa MariaThe noose and the rapistAnd the fields overseerThe agents of orangeThe priests of HiroshimaThe cost of my desire…Sleep now in the fireSongwriters: Brad ...
This is a re-post from the Climate BrinkGlobal surface temperatures have risen around 1.3C since the preindustrial (1850-1900) period as a result of human activity.1 However, this aggregate number masks a lot of underlying factors that contribute to global surface temperature changes over time.These include CO2, which is the primary ...
There are times when movement around us seems to slow down. And the faster things get, the slower it all appears.And so it is with the whirlwind of early year political activity.They are harbingers for what is to come:Video: Wayne Wright Jnr, funder of Sean Plunket, talk growing power and ...
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2024 was a tough year for working Kiwis. But together we’ve been able to fight back for a just and fair New Zealand and in 2025 we need to keep standing up for what’s right and having our voices heard. That starts with our Mood of the Workforce Survey. It’s your ...
Time is never time at allYou can never ever leaveWithout leaving a piece of youthAnd our lives are forever changedWe will never be the sameThe more you change, the less you feelSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan.Babinden - Baba’s DayToday, January 8th, 2025, is Babinden, “The Day of the baba” or “The ...
..I/We wish to make the following comments:I oppose the Treaty Principles Bill."5. Act binds the CrownThis Act binds the Crown."How does this Act "bind the Crown" when Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which the Act refers to, has been violated by the Crown on numerous occassions, resulting in massive loss of ...
Everything is good and brownI'm here againWith a sunshine smile upon my faceMy friends are close at handAnd all my inhibitions have disappeared without a traceI'm glad, oh, that I found oohSomebody who I can rely onSongwriter: Jay KayGood morning, all you lovely people. Today, I’ve got nothing except a ...
Welcome to 2025. After wrapping up 2024, here’s a look at some of the things we can expect to see this year along with a few predictions. Council and Elections Elections One of the biggest things this year will be local body elections in October. Will Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Canadians can take a while to get angry – but when they finally do, watch out. Canada has been falling out of love with Justin Trudeau for years, and his exit has to be the least surprising news event of the New Year. On recent polling, Trudeau’s Liberal party has ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Much like 2023, many climate and energy records were broken in 2024. It was Earth’s hottest year on record by a wide margin, breaking the previous record that was set just last year by an even larger margin. Human-caused climate-warming pollution and ...
Submissions on National's racist, white supremacist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill are due tomorrow! So today, after a good long holiday from all that bullshit, I finally got my shit together to submit on it. As I noted here, people should write their own submissions in their own ...
Ooh, baby (ooh, baby)It's making me crazy (it's making me crazy)Every time I look around (look around)Every time I look around (every time I look around)Every time I look aroundIt's in my faceSongwriters: Alan Leo Jansson / Paul Lawrence L. Fuemana.Today, I’ll be talking about rich, middle-aged men who’ve made ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 29, 2024 thru Sat, January 4, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Hi,The thing that stood out at me while shopping for Christmas presents in New Zealand was how hard it was to avoid Zuru products. Toy manufacturer Zuru is a bit like Netflix, in that it has so much data on what people want they can flood the market with so ...
And when a child is born into this worldIt has no conceptOf the tone of skin it's living inAnd there's a million voicesAnd there's a million voicesTo tell you what you should be thinkingSong by Neneh Cherry and Youssou N'Dour.The moment you see that face, you can hear her voice; ...
While we may not always have quality political leadership, a couple of recently published autobiographies indicate sometimes we strike it lucky. When ranking our prime ministers, retired professor of history Erik Olssen commented that ‘neither Holland nor Nash was especially effective as prime minister – even his private secretary thought ...
Baby, be the class clownI'll be the beauty queen in tearsIt's a new art form, showin' people how little we care (yeah)We're so happy, even when we're smilin' out of fearLet's go down to the tennis court and talk it up like, yeah (yeah)Songwriters: Joel Little / Ella Yelich O ...
Open access notables Why Misinformation Must Not Be Ignored, Ecker et al., American Psychologist:Recent academic debate has seen the emergence of the claim that misinformation is not a significant societal problem. We argue that the arguments used to support this minimizing position are flawed, particularly if interpreted (e.g., by policymakers or the public) as suggesting ...
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This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by John Wihbey. A version of this article first appeared on Yale Climate Connections on Nov. 11, 2008. (Image credits: The White House, Jonathan Cutrer / CC BY 2.0; President Jimmy Carter, Trikosko/Library of Congress; Solar dedication, Bill Fitz-Patrick / Jimmy Carter Library; Solar ...
Morena folks,We’re having a good break, recharging the batteries. Hope you’re enjoying the holiday period. I’m not feeling terribly inspired by much at the moment, I’m afraid—not from a writing point of view, anyway.So, today, we’re travelling back in time. You’ll have to imagine the wavy lines and sci-fi sound ...
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KP continues to putt-putt along as a tiny niche blog that offers a NZ perspective on international affairs with a few observations about NZ domestic politics thrown in. In 2024 there was also some personal posts given that my son was in the last four months of a nine month ...
I can see very wellThere's a boat on the reef with a broken backAnd I can see it very wellThere's a joke and I know it very wellIt's one of those that I told you long agoTake my word I'm a madman, don't you knowSongwriters: Bernie Taupin / Elton JohnIt ...
.Acknowledgement: Tim PrebbleThanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work..With each passing day of bad headlines, squandering tax revenue to enrich the rich, deep cuts to our social services and a government struggling to keep the lipstick on its neo-liberal pig ...
This is from the 36th Parallel social media account (as brief food for thought). We know that Trump is ahistorical at best but he seems to think that he is Teddy Roosevelt and can use the threat of invoking the Monroe Doctrine and “Big Stick” gunboat diplomacy against Panama and ...
Don't you cry tonightI still love you, babyAnd don't you cry tonightDon't you cry tonightThere's a heaven above you, babyAnd don't you cry tonightSong: Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin“Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so”, said possibly the greatest philosopher ever to walk this earth, Douglas Adams.We have entered the ...
Because you're magicYou're magic people to meSong: Dave Para/Molly Para.Morena all, I hope you had a good day yesterday, however you spent it. Today, a few words about our celebration and a look at the various messages from our politicians.A Rockel XmasChristmas morning was spent with the five of us ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). 2024 has been a series of bad news for climate change. From scorching global temperatures leading to devastating ...
Ríu Ríu ChíuRíu Ríu Chíu is a Spanish Christmas song from the 16th Century. The traditional carol would likely have passed unnoticed by the English-speaking world had the made-for-television American band The Monkees not performed the song as part of their special Christmas show back in 1967. The show's ...
Dunedin’s summer thus far has been warm and humid… and it looks like we’re in for a grey Christmas. But it is now officially Christmas Day in this time zone, so never mind. This year, I’ve stumbled across an Old English version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen: It has a population of just under 3.5 million inhabitants, produces nearly 550,000 tons of beef per year, and boasts a glorious soccer reputation with two World ...
Morena all,In my paywalled newsletter yesterday, I signed off for Christmas and wished readers well, but I thought I’d send everyone a quick note this morning.This hasn’t been a good year for our small country. The divisions caused by the Treaty Principles Bill, the cuts to our public sector, increased ...
This morning’s six standouts for me at 6.30 am include:Kāinga Ora is quietly planning to sell over $1 billion worth of state-owned land under 300 state homes in Auckland’s wealthiest suburbs, including around Bastion Point, to give the Government more fiscal room to pay for tax cuts and reduce borrowing.A ...
Hi,It’s my birthday on Christmas Day, and I have a favour to ask.A birthday wish.I would love you to share one Webworm story you’ve liked this year.The simple fact is: apart from paying for a Webworm membership (thank you!), sharing and telling others about this place is the most important ...
The last few days have been a bit too much of a whirl for me to manage a fresh edition each day. It's been that kind of year. Hope you don't mind.I’ve been coming around to thinking that it doesn't really matter if you don't have something to say every ...
The worms will live in every hostIt's hard to pick which one they eat the mostThe horrible people, the horrible peopleIt's as anatomic as the size of your steepleCapitalism has made it this wayOld-fashioned fascism will take it awaySongwriter: Twiggy Ramirez Read more ...
Hi,It’s almost Christmas Day which means it is almost my birthday, where you will find me whimpering in the corner clutching a warm bottle of Baileys.If you’re out of ideas for presents (and truly desperate) then it is possible to gift a full Webworm subscription to a friend (or enemy) ...
This morning’s six standouts for me at 6.30am include:Rachel Helyer Donaldson’s scoop via RNZ last night of cuts to maternity jobs in the health system;Maddy Croad’s scoop via The Press-$ this morning on funding cuts for Christchurch’s biggest food rescue charity;Benedict Collins’ scoop last night via 1News on a last-minute ...
A listing of 25 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 15, 2024 thru Sat, December 21, 2024. Based on feedback we received, this week's roundup is the first one published soleley by category. We are still interested in ...
Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chairWhispering that same prayer half a million timesIt's a lie, though buried in disciplesOne page of the Bible isn't worth a lifeThere's nothing wrong with youIt's true, it's trueThere's something wrong with the villageWith the villageSomething wrong with the villageSongwriters: Andrew Jackson ...
ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Note: Technically we ...
The Green Party welcomes the extension of the deadline for Treaty Principles Bill submissions but continues to call on the Government to abandon the Bill. ...
Complaints about disruptive behaviour now handled in around 13 days (down from around 60 days a year ago) 553 Section 55A notices issued by Kāinga Ora since July 2024, up from 41 issued during the same period in the previous year. Of that 553, first notices made up around 83 ...
The time it takes to process building determinations has improved significantly over the last year which means fewer delays in homes being built, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “New Zealand has a persistent shortage of houses. Making it easier and quicker for new homes to be built will ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is pleased to announce the annual list of New Zealand’s most popular baby names for 2024. “For the second consecutive year, Noah has claimed the top spot for boys with 250 babies sharing the name, while Isla has returned to the most popular ...
Work is set to get underway on a new bus station at Westgate this week. A contract has been awarded to HEB Construction to start a package of enabling works to get the site ready in advance of main construction beginning in mid-2025, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“A new Westgate ...
Minister for Children and for Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour is encouraging people to use the resources available to them to get help, and to report instances of family and sexual violence amongst their friends, families, and loved ones who are in need. “The death of a ...
Uia te pō, rangahaua te pō, whakamāramatia mai he aha tō tango, he aha tō kāwhaki? Whitirere ki te ao, tirotiro kau au, kei hea taku rātā whakamarumaru i te au o te pakanga mo te mana motuhake? Au te pō, ngū te pō, ue hā! E te kahurangi māreikura, ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says people with diabetes and other painful conditions will benefit from a significant new qualification to boost training in foot care. “It sounds simple, but quality and regular foot and nail care is vital in preventing potentially serious complications from diabetes, like blisters or sores, which can take a long time to heal ...
Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour is pleased to see Pharmac continue to increase availability of medicines for Kiwis with the government’s largest ever investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the government,” says Mr Seymour. “When this government assumed ...
Mā mua ka kite a muri, mā muri ka ora e mua - Those who lead give sight to those who follow, those who follow give life to those who lead. Māori recipients in the New Year 2025 Honours list show comprehensive dedication to improving communities across the motu that ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is wishing all New Zealanders a great holiday season as Kiwis prepare for gatherings with friends and families to see in the New Year. It is a great time of year to remind everyone to stay fire safe over the summer. “I know ...
From 1 January 2025, first-time tertiary learners will have access to a new Fees Free entitlement of up to $12,000 for their final year of provider-based study or final two years of work-based learning, Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Targeting funding to the final year of study ...
“As we head into one of the busiest times of the year for Police, and family violence and sexual violence response services, it’s a good time to remind everyone what to do if they experience violence or are worried about others,” Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence ...
Kiwis planning a swim or heading out on a boat this summer should remember to stop and think about water safety, Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop and ACC and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “New Zealand’s beaches, lakes and rivers are some of the most beautiful in the ...
The Government is urging Kiwis to drive safely this summer and reminding motorists that Police will be out in force to enforce the road rules, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“This time of year can be stressful and result in poor decision-making on our roads. Whether you are travelling to see ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
The proposed plan, debated by around 200 Māori leaders on Friday, has been met with some scepticism but leaders said that is exactly why the debate was needed. ...
Hopes for a fast launch of a Māori deliberative body and unified voice with representatives from iwi, hapū and urban Māori have been dashed, with few iwi leaders showing up to a hui in Hawkes Bay on Friday.The hui, dubbed a Wānanga-ā-Motu by hosts Ngāti Kahungunu, was the latest in ...
Dear Mr Zuckerberg, Nine years ago, we wrote to you about the real-world harms caused by false information on Facebook. In response, Meta created a fact-checking programme that helped protect millions of users from hoaxes and conspiracy theories. This week, you announced you’re ending that programme in the United States ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Moulds, Associate Professor in Law, University of South Australia The United Nations Human Rights Committee has ruled that Australia breached international human rights law by detaining a group of young asylum seekers in immigration detention in Nauru. The committee found ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew King, Associate Professor in Climate Science, ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather, The University of Melbourne The year 2024 was the world’s warmest on record globally, and the first calendar year in which global temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above its ...
The proposed RSB would make the ACT Party’s libertarian values central to our laws, give power to the Minister for Regulation, currently David Seymour, and a Regulatory Standards Board, while ignoring te Tiriti o Waitangi and broadly held values. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Margaret Murray, Senior Lecturer, Nutrition, Swinburne University of Technology Leah-Anne Thompson/Shutterstock This time of year, many of us love to get out and spend time in nature. This may include hiking through Australia’s many beautiful national parks. Walking in nature is ...
RNZ Pacific Solomon Islands has the highest-ranked passport of Pacific Island nations, at 37th equal globally. This is according to the Henley Passport Index. The index, organised by a consulting firm that describes itself as “the global leader in residence and citizenship by investment,” releases the list based on global ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tahlia Pollock, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Evans EvoMorph Laboratory, Monash University Fossil reconstruction of Smilodon, one of the largest sabre-toothed cats ever to have lived. Mardoz/Shutterstock Sabre teeth – the long, sharp, blade-like canines found in extinct predators such as Smilodon – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Melleuish, Professor of History and Politics, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong It is an interesting fact that no sitting Australian prime minister since John Howard has led his or her party to more than one election victory. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor There has been a great deal of heat – and not an overabundance of light – when it comes to the media’s reactions to Donald Trump’s renewed interest in acquiring Greenland from Denmark after ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Huish, Associate Professor in International Development Studies, Dalhousie University “We take nothing by conquest…Thank God,” wrote the National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser, an influential Washington newspaper, in February 1847. The United States had just purchased 55 per cent of Mexico ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jose Caballero, Senior Economist, IMD World Competitiveness Center, International Institute for Management Development (IMD) Within days of Donald Trump’s election win in November 2024, China’s president Xi Jinping was at a ceremony opening a deep-water port in Peru as part of a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham When Donald Trump first offered to buy Greenland in 2019, he was widely ridiculed and nothing much came of it, apart from a cancelled state visit to Denmark. Fast forward six years and ...
Driven by a minor party’s libertarian ideology, the Regulatory Standards Bill, alongside the Treaty Principles Bill, would have sweeping constitutional implications, if enacted. ...
The sun exploded on May 10th, 2024. It bathed the planet in radiation and flooded Instagram with photos of the resulting aurora. It was the largest solar storm in New Zealand’s modern history. To one expert, it was a wake-up call for the entire planet: “We need to get our shit ...
Opinion: The Department of Conservation is currently consulting on a proposal to significantly change how it plans for, and gives permissions for, activities on public conservation land – currently about a third of New Zealand. The proposals include simplifying and reducing the number of general policies, conservation management strategies and management plans, making ...
Comment: Nearly half of women around Aotearoa New Zealand who exercise recreationally experience health issues due to over-exercising and under-eating.But our new research shows educating them about their energy intake versus outtake is key to fixing the problem and could prevent the development of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports (REDs).REDs ...
NewsroomBy Penny Matkin-Hussey and Katherine Black
Summer reissue: Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether it’s a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to ...
Summer reissue: Alex Casey recounts a reverse honeymoon that ended with a secret wedding. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.It was a sighting ...
Summer reissue: An increasingly manic diary of Hollywood Avondale’s 24-hour film marathon, as it celebrates its 25th anniversary. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. ...
Summer reissue: The photograph is striking and beautiful, but also disturbing – a reminder that my love for John was often entangled in shame.The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign ...
Summer reissue: For those who lose a baby pre-birth or shortly after, grief is often unacknowledged. Those who know are trying to change things. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 10 January appeared first on Newsroom. ...
COMMENTARY:By Cathy Peters To be Jewish does not mean an automatic identification with the rogue state of Israel. Nor does it mean that Jews are automatically threatened by criticism of Israel, yet our media and Labor and Liberal politicians would have you believe this is the case. We are ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jon Keeley, Research Ecologist, USGS; Adjunct Professor, University of California, Los Angeles Over 1,000 structures burned in the span of two days, Jan 7-8, 2025, near Los Angeles.AP Photo/Ethan SwopePowerful Santa Ana winds, near hurricane strength at times, swept down ...
Asia Pacific Report A Palestine solidarity group has protested over the participation of Israeli tennis player Lina Glushko in New Zealand’s ASB Tennis Classic in Auckland today, saying such competition raises serious concerns about the normalisation of systemic oppression and apartheid. The Palestine Forum of New Zealand said in a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Stone, Credit Union SA Chair of Economics, University of South Australia It’s unlikely you’ve missed the story. In recent weeks, US President-elect Donald Trump has again repeatedly voiced his desire for the United States to take “ownership and control” of Greenland ...
RNZ News A descendant of one of the original translators of New Zealand’s Treaty of Waitangi says the guarantees of the Treaty have not been honoured. A group, including 165 descendants of Henry and William Williams, has collectively submitted against the Treaty Principles Bill, saying it was a threat to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate, UNSW Beach Safety Research Group + School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock/Jun Huang Debate erupted this week over the growing number of beach tents, or “cabanas”, proliferating on Australian beaches. The controversy, which began on social ...
Making a difference starts today with early voting commencing.
YEAH ROCK ON!!!! Meet up with our amazing local MP and fellow labour supporters this morning, waving signs on the main road, heaps of toots and waves, my youngest had a blast. A great way to start the day.
Taking the kids to vote once school is finished, family tradition, mum would always take me to the voting booth so I could see democracy in action 😀
I will be going into town tomorrow with my daughter anyway and will vote then (as it’s a couple of ks to the nearest voting place). Which leaves me free for scrutineering on the day (a boring but necessary part of our democracy). Green Party, Labour Electorate, vote.
I had my voting pack come on the weekend, so have my easyvote card (though the perforations were really meagre, and I had to use scissors to get it off the page). For those who haven’t registered yet (which you can do at the time during the advance period, but not on the 23rd), and so didn’t get the printed copy of polling places; this will tall you where your local advance polling stations are:
http://www.elections.org.nz/events/2017-general-election/information-voters-who-when-and-where
Never listened to ZB in 40 odd years but have seen references to Larry ‘ fuckwit’ Williams. After hooking into ZB for the Jacinda interview, I now understand!!!! Not sure if it was deliberate but it seemed as though at one stage Jacinda was giving him the two fingered salute – if on purpose, it was much deserved, if not, it was deserved anyway.
Barry Soper muses on the last time a NZ prime minister was elected on the “sheer force of their personality”. It would appear, however, that he has not visited NZ since 2008. Either that, or he is in accord with all thinking New Zealanders that there was no force whatsoever to Key’s personality.
Nicely put, Hanswurst.
He is one of the Key cheerleaders that thinks Key was pure talent
That attitude of Soper et al has been infuriating me the last weeks! As if we haven’t had personality politics for the last 9 years!! I doubt that a vast chunk of people who voted National in the last three elections could name a single policy. except tax cuts….grrr. I find it quite a mosigynist viewpoint actually when it keeps being stated about Jacinda.
Jacinda holding her own with far right Larry William’s aggressive biased interviewing on ZB in a Leader’s breakfast. Goes until 8.30am if your blood pressure can cope.
Jane Kelsey is asking for some clear answers from Labour, on their position about a revived TPPA (with 11 countries), before the election:
All of the 11 countries now
Do you know if Parker has said anything recently.
David Parker on 7 July (when Little was leader):
Focus on restrictions of foreign home buyers (which seems is already excluded from the TPPA-11 draft):
Parker on 4 Sept: (again on foreign home ownership)
Audrey Young reports on Labour and Nat positions on the TPPA-11 (again for Labour the focus is on foreign home buyers).
The article claims Ardern’s Labour would withdraw from TPPA-11 if they weren’t allowed to restrict foreign buyers of NZ homes. But, it seems that is already in the TPPA-11 draft according to Kelsey having seen a leaked version – so, when it’s made public, Labour would presumably then claim a win.
This seems to be the main focus of articles I have seen that were published in the last month. Labour leadership seems to be silent on any other provisions in TPPA-11.
Thanks. That Newsrooms article appears to be saying that Labour are ok with the TPPA on their five bottom lines except that one re foreign house buying. That’s not what I’ve gotten from the conversation on the weekend about Labour, but again that unclarity.
That was Andrew Little on the 5 bottom lines on the Newsroom article – while he was still leader. So we need to be clear where Labour stands under the Ardern leadership.
I agree. My take is that they oppose it unless they can renegotiate the bits they don’t like (the five bottom lines aren’t on the website statement anymore). At least two problems with that generally. One is that we don’t know what they will do if they can’t renegotiate or can only renegotiate partially. The others is that their bottom lines aren’t likely to be enough.
I’m willing to trust Labour on developing their tax policy via a review next year, but I don’t trust them on this. They need to earn that trust.
It is interesting that a year ago Labour was a part of a ralkying call….
Winston is up to his old tricks again. No coalition with Labour without more detail on tax. I’ll say this for him……he is utterly reliable for putting a spanner in the works.
How will Jacinda deal with this, or is it Robertsons job to give more clarity?
I’ve got to admit, after hearing Ron Mark last night on the news talking about the amount of dead rats any party that “NZF choose to put into government” would have to eat, and after hearing Winston Peters “clarifying his position” about support for Labour, I have to assume that NZF either really don’t want to be in Government, or don’t really want to be in Government with Labour.
All the more reason to not vote for them I guess.
Which news?
Sorry weka – should have been clearer. Television 1 news last night for Ron Mark. Winston Peters this morning with Guyon Espiner on RNZ.
cheers.
They’re just trying to shore up their conservative vote, and perhaps hoover up some votes from National. The basis of their sales pitch is that they could go with either main party. Up until now, they’ve been having a bob each way by dint of their default position of negotiating with the largest party first, while implying that they want to change the government by criticising National.
Now that the polls tell us that cleaving to the largest party and changing the government will both mean the same thing, they need to go hard at Labour in order to prevent voters from concluding that a vote for NZ First is a vote for Labour.
At the end of the day, a vote for NZ First is a vote for nothing in particular.
Yep and I’ve watched a few Māori Party videos and the big question – ‘Do you want Winston or us to be the Kingmaker?’ – along side ‘we can work with both sides’ – the fight is real and desperate.
I think winnie will drag in a few gnat voters who just hate to be on the losing side – it just doesn’t fit their distorted self image.
Interesting, that sounds like a clear indication he is considering supporting a National 4th term. Where did you hear that?
Radio New Zealand this morning.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/339145/peters-labour-must-spell-out-tax-plans
My partner was going to vote for Winnie – this morning on hearing this news he turned to me and said “that’s it – Winnie has been unstable recently and lording it over everybody – he isn’t getting my vote” – he will vote Labour or the Greens – this I do know so I wonder how many other people will now give him a miss.
I have never considered Winnie because of his attitude about who his preferences would be – couldn’t trust him on such an important decision. Incidently I am voting Greens for their climate policies and their compassion for the vulnerable and poor.
And if I was GR, there’d be no bloody way this close to 23/9 that I would change tack and start trying to make a positioning statement for the Tax Working Group.
And have any of the other parties been asked to promise that they will not introduce ANY new taxes?
I don’t find the policy on tax too difficult to understand.
The Tax Working Group will be given a completely clear mandate to look at all tax, with one major exception – nothing they recommend will in any way touch the primary family home.
The concern about Labour’s tax plans surely must be a middle-upper class and/or home owners’ concern.
I doubt it is of much concern to those on low incomes, whether working or on a benefit.
And that is why it’s getting so much coverage from journalists – all middle-upper class.
Good point.
I am ‘apparently’ both of those things and it’s no concern to me, so best not to generalise. Personally I vote for all kiwis, a fairer society and a better future for my children, not for what’s best for my pocket.
I agree. On the other hand, I find it hard not to conclude that Labour’s public positioning on tax is purely a case of electoral expediency. They have decided that it is a lesser electoral risk to give their opponents a broad, vague target, compared to providing a whole lot of specifics, and having some policy analyst from National pull some misguided irrelevancy out of his arse and have the National leader confound them with it, as Key did in one of the debates in 2014.
Don’t get me wrong, I think Labour’s strategy is the right one (and the blame lies more with the media landscape than with either of the major parties), but it is what it is.
“I find it hard not to conclude that Labour’s public positioning on tax is purely a case of electoral expediency.”
I’m not sure of that….I suspect it is a genuine case of seeking the mandate (and the resources of government especially) to have a wide ranging look at the entire tax system, something they have been unable to do while in opposition due to the revolving door of leadership and financial constraint……they have a broad goal but haven’t determined the detail…….the same could be said of the future of work working group….lots of ideas and no resources.
I think they probably have a good idea of what they want to do but are more going to use the working group to add detail and flesh to it. As any party would they will pick and choose what they want to do from a working group. They could release those loose idea’s of where they think they can make some change but going half way is probably worse than what they are doing.
if you don’t have the detail then don’t fall into the trap of letting National miss characterise what you are going to do and look indecisive.
As to Ron Mark and his dead rat line. How bad must you be as a party when both sides would consider the policies you hold as a bottom line to be that bad?
I agree that setting up a working group is a good idea, and I don’t have a problem with their leaving their options open; Ardern has also stated that their goal is to shift the tax base onto wealth as well as earnings, which is really quite enough to make a decision on when comparing their proposals to National’s. However, I do think they could say more about their leanings if they so wished, and I think the reason is electoral expediency.
Labour have been saying for a long time that they would have a tax review in their first time (they talked about it last year during the Future of Work thing). You’re probably right about the expediency too.
expedient….no, political yes…inclined to agree with crashcart…if they put forward some of their hoped for detail without a total interconnected package (which doesn’t as yet exist) it opens them up to all sorts of charges when those hoped for details may end up not being implemented at all….if everyone is honest about it,the detail of implementation of any proposed policy is seldom known nor unchanged irrespective of who’s proposing it….this (and all) election will be decided on trust.
John Key was going to have a job summit. No details demanded. A do fest he said, not a talk fest. Whst they did was use it to pretend a mandate for zero contracts, casualisation of the work force and 90 day trials… I do not recall the level of scrutiny being demanded now of Labour
I tend to agree. We saw what happened when they costed spending. It is not like the media have yet to demand independant costings from Bill, and he must have them, cos today he said the extra money for first home buyers(but not of apartments) is not a knee jerk but something in the wings for a while. So let us see them and where is the media scrutiny of this mounting spending from tight fisted Bill.
[nothing they recommend will in any way touch the primary family home.]
In other words she is unwilling to address the massive inequity from not taxing imputed rent, but she is willing to tax the capital gains of those ¨evil¨ speculators which will have them laughing all the way to the bank.
mikesh
Oh dear, what a fault that ordinary people can actually accumulate a bit of wealth for themselves in having a home. Disgraceful. Unfair. If there is an upper limit on a valuation perhaps that would make a division between the ordinary person who has a nice home and someone who is using it to escape reasonable investment taxes. What tax would work for the ‘evil’ speculators best in your opinion?
You sound like the government that provides a food voucher for someone who is poor, but denies them a packet of chocolate biscuits. They might get something other than plain rations and some enjoyment.
Peters is flailing about for any publicity he can get. The fact of the matter is Labour in now going to be the biggest party, and if it can get to mid-high forties and the Greens can keep their shit together and get over the threshold they won’t need him, and thank Christ for that.
“The element of fear that was in the business community about a Labour/Green Government, I think, is well gone,” he said.
“Businesses that are good businesses will still be able to do well under everything I’ve seen from the Labour party.”
He said issues could arise with tax complexity under Labour, but the business community also faces problems under National led Governments.
“Business doesn’t necessarily do better under National led Governments,” he said.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11920633
the winds of change…..and everyone wants to be on the winning side….
Go well in the next 2 weeks Greens, Kia Kaha.
Caught the last 30 minutes of Larry Williams Newstalk ZB leaders breakfast in which Jacinda Ardern eloquently rebuffed, corrected and informed Mr Williams on many counts of misinformation placed in the public arena about Labours policy and intentions by persons opposed to a change in Government.
Have to say that the manner in which Jacinda presented herself, with honesty, integrity and humor was uplifting and proof that Jacinda if elected into the position of prime minister on 23 September 2017 will do our country proud, and currently is IMHO by far the most suited person to lead New Zealand down the path of a more fairer and equitable positive future.
It would be refreshing to have such an inspiring and positive role model championing New Zealand’s and our Pacific Nation’s goals and dream on the world stage…..keeping it positive…..well done Jacinda and the Labour team, supporters and voters.
I am confident that the Greens will come in comfortably above the 5% threshold and poll stronger than has been recently reported and will be a valued asset within a potential new government lead by Labour.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
This is a post about a GP policy, not about Labour. Do you have a view on the GP policy?
Thanks Carolyn_nth….yes I praise and support the 11 initiatives outlined in the Greens Climate Protection Plan, each of the recommendations is well thought out and gives proper direction for which a supportive Government can tackle the increasing issues associated with Climate Change going forward.
I am also glad that the Labour party who hopefully stand to be the largest elected party elected come 23 September, released their Climate Change Policy last week. I see this reflecting Jacinda’s strength of leadership, in that she has fronted first the major climate change issues which Labour have brought to the country during the lead up to the polls closing, to ensure complete transparency.
A lot of the initiatives are shared between the Greens and the Labour Party, although I appreciate that the Green’s Plan is more comprehensive, and thus will have a wider impact on New Zealanders, businesses and primary producers.
In an ideal result come 23 Sept 2017, Labour and the Greens would hold a majority, in order to be able to govern alone, placing the Greens in a position to be able to seek possible concessions and variations to Labour’s climate policy initiatives.
Having said that, if Labour are in the position to form a coalition government, I would also like to see Labour seek memorandum’s of understandings, and or formal coalition talks with the Maori Party and also New Zealand First, for which there are a broad range of shared values and beliefs between all four parties.
If Labour, Greens, the Maori Party and New Zealand formed the Government based on the last Colmar Brunton poll, they would have a solid 59% of the vote and a dominant mandate to effect the changes that are required to redirect National’s past 9 years of management that has favored the more well off sectors of NZ society, and that has opened up cracks in essential social services due to punitive policy and underfunding by National and it’s coalition supporters.
So Yes, the Greens climate plan is awesome and hopefully over the next 9 years the bulk of the Green Policy has been assimilated into legislation for the betterment of New Zealanders and the planet as a whole.
Great to hear. Williams seems to slip under the radar when National cheerleaders are discussed
steven mills said on rnz this morning that UMR have the greens at 7%
I would like to see the GP at 9% so, hopefully, Jack McDonald gets in.
Thanks…my apologies about that….I did not know about Open Mike and appreciate your assistance, and note that your comments were valid as the post was not on topic in the article it was posted in…sorry to anyone who this may have upset….but rest assured that I hope that the Greens help shape the next Government negotiated by Labour, and I have my fingers crossed that the Green’s current polling increases.
Bill English on TV this am talking about suicide…. “We need to try something more and different”. It sounded like “more indifferent”. Which option would you believe from National?
Once again he was flailing around. Time we put him out of his misery.
Try O’Connor’s ‘Ardern happy to let the elderly bump themselves off but weeps over the multiple youth suicides’ .
Emotive, twisted spin of the most basic kind.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/96701209/nat-mp-simon-oconnor-jacinda-ardern-encourages-suicide-with-euthanasia-stance
Found it – that gave me a bit of a turn – for a minute I thought you were talking about Greg!
I thought it was Damien ☺
Even National Party cheerleaders like Mark Richardson are appalled by Simon
O’Connor.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/09/jacinda-ardern-wants-old-disabled-to-kill-themselves-national-mp-claims.html
to Ant at 11.1 : Surely Labour’s promise of big electricity subsidy for winter months would brighten any elderly body!
Which sums up National. Instead of addressing suicide he attacks Ardern for Seymour’s stance on euthanasia 😉
Simon O’Connor trained to be a Catholic priest but decided against it.
O’Connor voted against the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill, a bill allowing same-sex couples to marry in New Zealand.[6]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_O%27Connor
Another conservative Catholic? How many are the Nats piling up of the ‘hooked on incense’ bunch. I’m incensed by snide remarks about important matters like euthanasia and suicide. They spell a cold-hearted and authoritarian attitude resulting from dogma and personal choice and party politics rather than rational discussion on moral issues. In fact is it immoral for a deeply religious person to make jibes about such matters?
100% garibaldi
We agree fully ‘put him out of his misery’
“Speaking to Fran O’Sullivan for the Herald’s Mood of the Boardroom series, Campbell said the Jacinda effect of the new Labour leader had “changed the game significantly” and the business and wider community was relaxed about the prospect of a change in Government.”
That is good news for Green and Labour.
Big business only works if theres an economy/society to consume their product so this is more about their bottom line than any moral or social outcome.
I have to disagree. Bob Campbell is something of a shining light amongst Directors precisely because he accepts that profits are not the only responsibility of businesses. And yes I know he is a Chair of Somerset and aged care employers must improve.
All going well, this time in 2 weeks, we will have Labour back in power.
But it isnt over yet. Anything can happen in the next 2 weeks.
According to Federated Farmers…
By the time farmers were paying for 100 per cent of their emissions, the federation said it would cost the primary industry more than $830 million per year.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/96665676/federated-farmers-say-the-ets-will-cost-the-primary-industry-83-million
In other words, farmers (mostly pastoral agriculture) are benefiting by $830m per year by having everyone else pay for their emissions. What does MSD Minister Anne Tolley have to say about that?
Heh, nice one.
Russell Norman has always spoken of a 450m subsidy we are all paying…
They know they’ll be passing on their costs.
Hard to find butter less than $5 a block.
Yes and a couple of years ago NZ butter was cheaper in London than it was here. I guess it still is
I’m prepared to pay my townie share of fart tax if they pay their country share for for themselves and farting animals. Couldn’t say fairer than that.
It’s actually the burping that’s the problem. Not farting so much.
Yes. I was just feeling coarse and grizzly at the time. Actually I try not to do either. I’m a Green and try to be good.
Yep. However National and in particular the current PM designated the ETS as trying to tax cow farts. So lets leave the National stupids in ignorance of reality. It takes too much effort to explain the physical world to people who prefer to believe in silly myths.
Bill English once called Helen Clark a “mad cow”.
http://www.labour.org.nz/5_things_you_probably_dont_know_bill_english
Bet he regrets that now! (He won’t. He should. Helen’s back 🙂
3 positive headlines on NZHerald website front page at the moment….
“Fear of a Labour/Green govt ‘gone’
“Ardern slaps down National MP on euthanasia”
“Ardern tackles smear campaign on abortion stance”
M.Hooten has just capitulated on RNZ…and man does he sound like he needs a drink.
Pat, – what program?
Nine to noon…wont be accessible on demand for about half hour
Thanks pat,
I usually monitor RNZ every morning from 6 am on then transmit to networks.
But I have been caught up with the Florida Hurricane activities for two days now and missed it. (I used to reside there 7 yrs and very familiar with this peninsular even as a kiwi.)
Cheers.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201858055/political-commentators-stephen-mills-and-matthew-hooton
Wow Pat that was a surprise.
So Hooten has given the nod to labour wow, now i need a drink, to keep Tracey happy I’ll say a cup of tea?
There is no nedd for the drinking references Pat.
And he states National now have to choose between Goldsmith or Seymore, below 40 odd percent and Goldsmiths gone from the list.
Ahh.. the bleating begins.
Leading rnz rural news segments: sth island Fed farmers leader grizzling about ‘some political parties kicking cockies around’, followed by more tax-mongering, re cgt: is my farm my home?
As predicted by some here as part of the desperate thrashing about of an ‘election strategy’.
FFS. Really over this type of crap in the herald. Can’t Soper remember his mate John Key and the cult of personality that surrounded him.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11920809
NBR headline – NZ Post annual profit drops by 34% after sale of Kiwi Bank stake.
Just the way to weaken our country’s hold on its own jewels. Next thing we’ll be prostrate.
National are rushing to flog off everything now before their boat sinks the slime balls.
Anyone know when the next Roy Morgan poll is out? They seem to be far less frequent.
If this RM is for the period 28/8-10/9, then it’ll be a few days yet. Maybe Friday (15/9)?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/96701209/nat-mp-simon-oconnor-jacinda-ardern-encourages-suicide-with-euthanasia-stance
Starting to wonder if this is deliberate but I’m guessing English now knows what its like to be shat on by your own party
I think the shatting was from old monKey – ditched the ship and left a bozo in charge – bill doing his best but making mistakes across the board and instead of accepting he wasn’t up to it like last time he has hung on and and shat all over the party and his MP’s and now they are looking down the gurgler he backs dildo joyce and his lies – and that is after bill was caught out lying about todd and that affair. ffs is there any such thing as a trustworthy gnat – no there ain’t. Basically the whole gnat crew are shatters and shattees and they love it!!!
This is amusing – poor Leighton:
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/11-09-2017/shes-a-fast-talker-comrade-leighton-smiths-warns-nz-about-jacinda-ardern/
Jacinda = a very intelligent lady
See Leighton Smith – it was so easy to describe Jacinda.
ilovejacinda.
To news hub I like fish but not with hooks in it kapai.
I made comments on Marae about the other people respecting Korako Nuk for his seniority in age well I read that wrong Korako had already captivated his ordinance with his kick in the private parts to Shane Jones twice.Now Shane 80 percent of men DO this and the other 20 percent of men that DON’T admit to this are liers like Korakos and his national so Shane DON’T be to hard on yourself because I no Korako thinks like nationals Muppets do and does not give a shit about my privacy rights.
So my remarks about Korako are well placed kapai
There is a blog e2nz.org that purports to give facts about NZ but just seems to enjoy slagging off the country. Leaves a nasty taste in the mouth.
https://e2nz.org/2017/03/01/the-reason-why-nz-needs-migrants-is-because-kiwis-use-too-much-drugs-poor-work-ethic/
Eureka now bill english said so himself that he was happy that there is no constitution signed into law in NZ. So he And national can shit allover our human rights privacy rights and OUR SOCIETY AND environment and they will never be held accountable for there crimes. And this is the reason that national are undermining TOPS and the Greens because they want the principles of the treaty signed into law and this will stop all the bull shit that has been going on in our beautiful country and that is what the snakey bill and his puppets are up to.
Shameful by O’Connor and English. Shameful.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/09/patrick-gower-english-should-have-slapped-down-o-connor.html
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/09/national-mp-simon-o-connor-sees-no-reason-to-apologise.html
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/09/jacinda-ardern-wants-old-disabled-to-kill-themselves-national-mp-claims.html
Thing is, they’re flat out slapping themselves. Good.
Yes Joe90 the national party are idiots and O-Conner is one of bills boys to try and create histera and hate.
But everyone knows what they are up to. We’re do they find them.
Well working 13 hour days trying to catch up with the bills working 2 jobs.
I’m very carefull who I write about as I’m not into upsetting other people life’s but for the cause of changing government some people I will write my point of view on them especially these people whom live in a glass bubbles and lie that our country and our environment and say it’s all good