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Open mike 14/02/2025

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 14th, 2025 - 49 comments
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49 comments on “Open mike 14/02/2025 ”

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  1. Tony Veitch 1
    14 February 2025 at 7:34 am

    I do so like a little bit of satire first thing in the morning – it sort of sets my cynical day up nicely.

    https://emilywrites.substack.com/p/leaked-coalition-government-emails?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=pr9pu&triedRedirect=true

  2. PsyclingLeft.Always 2
    14 February 2025 at 8:37 am

    NAct1 and supporter/cronies ethos is looking after themselves and short term gain….so, unsurprising that there is

    No way to know how 'close to the edge of the cliff' we are with current environment data – commissioner

    I have to say, my opinion of Simon Upton (ex Nat) has gone upward for quite a while.IMO he does seem to have genuine regard for our Environment.

    However, sadly, I dont think his appeal to Logic will strike any kind of chord with the drill baby drill fasttrack mindset

    "On something like biodiversity, where we know we have pretty significant pressures across a whole range of living classes of biota, if we knew more, frankly, we'd be in a better position to know just how close to the edge of the cliff we are or we aren't."

    "If we don't know more, then fairly logically people say 'well, don't we need to err on the side of caution,' because if we don't really know, this might be the last and then we're in big trouble."

    And considering NAct1's intensive slash/burn of Science and Research ? I dont hold too much hope for this happening..

    "I'm sorry to say, there's no way you can get away from the need to invest in this stuff, it won't happen by magic."

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/541785/no-way-to-know-how-close-to-the-edge-of-the-cliff-we-are-with-current-environment-data-commissioner

    • Bearded Git 2.1
      14 February 2025 at 8:49 am

      Agree psych. Upton appears to be one Nat who looks at the climate change facts and says what he thinks based on that info. All power to him.

    • alwyn 2.2
      14 February 2025 at 9:32 am

      I read the single quote you give and the first thing that comes to mind is that he is talking about the fantasy that Mātauranga Māori is science and has any relevance to the problems of climate change.

      It isn't science. It is magic and it doesn't have any relevance to what we need to work on.

      • SPC 2.2.1
        14 February 2025 at 9:55 am

        Which one is the single quote, because none of them mentions "Mātauranga Māori"?

        • Drowsy M. Kram 2.2.1.1
          14 February 2025 at 10:28 am

          'Magic' has deflected alwyn – from Upton’s analysis, to ‘Māori’ – what a mind smiley

          • tWig 2.2.1.1.1
            14 February 2025 at 11:28 am

            Simon Upton, in an excellent piece from the NZ Review of Books (undated) on being a NZer and his sense of NZ identity:

            "You would need to ask me whether I was a New Zealander of Maori or European (or mixed) descent to get some useful insight into how I identified with the world around me. If my answer were Maori, then my sense of nationhood (in a human sense) would be steeped in 800 years familiarity with these lands, their flora, fauna and seasonal variability. It would also be anchored in a sense of community and culture that has evolved in the Pacific over a much longer time….insisting on a new pakeha identity simply inverts the assimilationist agenda with which colonial New Zealand sought to co-opt Maori. If biculturalism is to be anything workable it must be a celebration of two cultural strands that will, however they may over the generations be woven together, retain their own resilience and integrity."

            Upton set up the CRI system out of the DSIR, and for the most part, it worked very well for NZ's research needs. That included input from local iwi.

            As pointed out, Alwyn’s ‘insight’ reflects the manufactured frets in Alwyn’s mind.

      • gsays 2.2.2
        14 February 2025 at 11:23 am

        That's right Alwyn.

        Science maintained that the sun orbited the earth and disease was caused by miasma.

        And yet the 'magic' you refer to enabled sea-faring well before the 'scientific' followers had worked things out.

      • PsyclingLeft.Always 2.2.3
        14 February 2025 at 1:06 pm

        alwyn. I was going to say you must need unbelievable, near magical, arm strength for your longbow ?

        But really…your comment is just bizarre, and/or sad.

  3. SPC 3
    14 February 2025 at 10:23 am

    They were forecasting 2 rate cuts by the Fed in the USA this year. Now only one and not to October.

    But it seems tariffs is merely part of Trump's isolationist agenda (to place the USA in relationship to other nations only via inter-state power imbalance).

    Inflation will rise there because of the tariffs and the "Oct rate cut" will not go ahead (or if it does will be reversed in 2026).

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/360580937/fight-against-inflation-us-appears-have-stalled

  4. James Simpson 4
    14 February 2025 at 11:10 am

    Hooton has an interesting piece in the Herald (paywalled)

    Labour strategists are pondering how to slowly re-establish relations with NZ First ahead of next year’s election.

    They concede any association with the ever-increasing radicalism of Te Pati Maori is perhaps the biggest threat to Labour’s chances.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/labour-eyes-swift-return-to-government-matthew-hooton/TJ7YA3J5IRBOTOQFC2W7Y3IVGA/

    This is Hooton so there is always a question as to motive, but its certainly something that I have been thinking about as well.

    The media is talking about a left v right split along the lines of the current government v opposition. But there is a real prospect of a government that reflects that elected in 2017.

    I think Hipkins would go the NZF route as he has worked with them before.

    • Incognito 4.2
      14 February 2025 at 11:45 am

      You seem to have swallowed hook, line & sinker, the spin from Orwellian Grand-Master Hooton. Has it ever occurred to you that TPM is counter-reacting to the Coalition’s reactionism or is that irony lost on you?

      If TPM has any wise heads they’d build bridges with Labour and the Greens and publically make more conciliatory noises and gestures and don’t expect Labour and the Greens to make the first step – it’s all about building and nurturing those relationships in the spirit and meaning of the Treaty and openly practicing prefigurative politics.

    • Ad 4.3
      14 February 2025 at 1:03 pm

      Better for New Zealand if Hipkins ran on a strong economic development platform for workers and regions, and wiped out New Zealand First altogether.

      That is a reasonable ambition for Labour to actually have in 2026.

    • observer 4.4
      14 February 2025 at 2:11 pm

      The flaw in Hooton's musings is that historically NZF has only switched sides after a bust-up with the Nat/Lab governing party and a spell in opposition, or even out of Parliament completely.

      1999 – below 5%, holds an electorate (Tauranga), then 6 years in opposition.

      2008 – below 5%, no electorate, out of Parliament, total 9 years in opposition.

      2020 – below 5%, no electorate, out of Parliament, 3 years in opposition.

      2026? Either staying above 5% (or getting an "Epsom deal" with National to survive) or falling below 5% yet again – for the fourth time. Therefore, irrelevant to any potential Labour-led government.

      Being a Nat support party before the election and a Lab support party the day after it … fantasy.

    • Obtrectator 4.5
      14 February 2025 at 6:51 pm

      Having him descend to working with the Fisherman's Friend would be too big a rat for this writer to swallow (but I party-vote Green anyway).

    • Bearded Git 4.6
      14 February 2025 at 10:31 pm

      The way the polls are going NZF could be out on 4.9 whereas TPM are a safe bet to be back.

      Hipkins (asuming he is still leader which I hope he isn't) needs to say nothing except that he will negotiate after the result.

  5. SPC 5
    14 February 2025 at 11:25 am

    Compass has called in Pies and Pita Pit to provide meals to schools.

    Presumably because if it continued to fail to provide a service, it would be in breach of contract.

    Regardless, it is now obvious Seymour's alternative programme is not viable.

    The government has to step in and return to the old regime.

    https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/health/compass-calls-pita-pit-pie-shop-to-the-rescue

    • Barfly 5.1
      14 February 2025 at 12:16 pm

      "The government has to step in and return to the old regime "

      Would you care for a small wager on that?

    • bwaghorn 5.2
      14 February 2025 at 4:39 pm

      What the likely hood that by next year compass has renegotiated a price similar to what the former food suppliers where charging, !! That how big business operates , low ball offer to fuck competitors then bend thick arsholes like seymour over a barrel and do what they want to him .

    • Binders full of women 5.3
      14 February 2025 at 6:09 pm

      Friday pie day might actually be a genius solution to low Friday attendance rates. Pie one week, coke &chips the nek week. It'd work..believe me..kids would be froffin. Yours- a teacher

  6. tWig 6
    14 February 2025 at 11:43 am

    BHN Pat and Magenta discuss media around the Treaty Principles Bill submissions and comment.

    Sir Geoffrey Palmer says that the whole process over this bill is backward to Parliamentary process.

  7. Ad 7
    14 February 2025 at 12:59 pm

    Another catastrophic day for heavy manufacturing in New Zealand with 230 jobs gone in South Waikato, and about 60 subbies gone as well.

    I don't expect any government to alter the course of entire global markets, but Jones and Willis have had plenty of time to work with Oji, the local mayor, local business, and civil society to generate some kind of recovery plan.

    Shame on them.

    These newly unemployed will be straight off to heavy manufacturing plants in Australia soon as they can.

  8. SPC 8
    14 February 2025 at 12:59 pm

    The standard assessment as to RB policy during the COVID period.

    And identifying the problem as to the way forward: there might be limited growth without inflationary pressures returning.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/541807/group-think-these-were-our-covid-19-mistakes-economists-say

    • Incognito 8.1
      14 February 2025 at 1:29 pm

      Expectations of inflation are tempered and low.

      Expectations of future wage rises also decreased.

      https://www.interest.co.nz/economy/131841/influential-rbnz-survey-has-shown-drops-expectations-future-levels-inflation-move

      The Coalition will keep minimum wage and social benefits as low as possible and they will continue to run their austerity madness package through the public sector, which will have many inevitable secondary consequences.

      The Coalition’s ‘stimulus package’ for growing the economy and improving productivity (per capita) is too one-sided and too one-eyed, only looking at one side of the coin, which is private overseas investment.

      Other token efforts and lazy measures such as golden Visas have been thoroughly debunked, e.g., by Gordon Campbell and others: https://werewolf.co.nz/2025/02/gordon-campbell-on-why-golden-visas-are-a-losing-bet-on-growth/.

      The only conclusion that one can reach is that the Coalition is not interested in growth per se but only in distributing wealth upwards and consolidating economic and growing political power with the elite ruling class of ‘wealthy and sorted’ few people. Suffice to say, this will be counter-inflationary.

      • SPC 8.1.1
        14 February 2025 at 1:59 pm

        There is a dichotomy.

        Rents, rates (water infrastructure and building dams and flood protection) and home insurance (rising flood risk adding to earlier re-setting after Christchurch and Kaikoura earthquakes) and power prices (on the current model at least) will continue to go up.

        The consequence of supply chain disruption (tariffs) will lead to higher import prices.

        We have local unmet infrastructure demands (lack of social housing and in aged care that is to become critical – requiring more staff also). And are wasting money on roads. This has consequences.

  9. SPC 9
    14 February 2025 at 2:03 pm

    Surprisingly Sco Mo said something pertinent about this.

    Try to avoid being noticed by the bozo.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/541892/nz-depends-on-rules-based-world-trump-is-dismantling-why-the-silence

  10. observer 10
    14 February 2025 at 2:23 pm

    Back when the Director-General of Health was Ashley Bloomfield and the PM was competent, a common response from the Right to the life-saving competence was … "oh, it's not that hard, it would have happened anyway if our lot had been in power". The D-G and all the essential decision-makers would have worked happily and successfully with Prime Minister X of the National-led government, to safeguard the people's health.

    Since that was purely hypothetical, it could not be proved wrong.

    It is now.

  11. Poldark 11
    14 February 2025 at 2:41 pm

    What a wanker! The minister for the South Island claimed credit for the Cof C for the Waimea Dam, on the Breakfast programme this morning. In fact there has not been 1 cent paid by Central Govt for it.

  12. tWig 12
    14 February 2025 at 5:47 pm

    Mexico's President says the US needs to fight fentamyl in the US as well, says The Guardian.

    'Sheinbaum called on Washington not just to help crack down on cartels in Mexico, but for the “United States to do its job in the US, to make the arrests that need to be made in order to halt the trafficking of drugs in its own country”.