On a serious note, I want to know WTF Luxon/Seymour/Peters were doing in the three weeks after the election when they knew the probable outcome given the way specials usually go. They should have had a deal just about sewed up before the final result was announced.
I'm suspicious that that they are dragging this out on purpose to blame the specials and so change voting eligibility to favour the Right. That is, to dump same day registration, and perhaps other measures like needing to bring ID when voting.
The obvious change would be count the party vote portion of the specials in the booth they are cast and include them in the provisional results on the night. Sure there might be some disqualified etc but unless it was a really close election we would have a much better idea of where things sit before the final result is issued.
There would be a bit of double handling. Counting special votes, for the party element – before they were reallocated to the batch going to a specific electorate – but it shouldn't be too challenging to manage.
Given that there are usually tens of thousands of votes separating even the closest of results – and that the same margin is required to flip seats at the party level – even a small minority of uncounted informal votes would be unlikely to affect the result. They would, of course, be properly counted and accounted for in the 'final' result (although, given the current performance of the EC, perhaps not).
I guess if they started obviously behaving like they had won already they might have incurred some negative pushback, something like what happened to National in 2005. But the real reason is more like what you suggest, Luxon really had no idea of whether he could cobble together a working government with the desperados surrounding him. He still doesn't, despite all the smiles and obligatory mutterings about "good working relationships" and "having a common goal".
They have nothing of the sort, this will be a government with its only common factors being hatred of the outgoing government, plus greed and arrogance. If Luxon can make a government that lasts the full term then he is a better man than I think he is.
But it is so typical of the right to blame others for their own failings. The system delivered the result, not without some errors and problems, but compared with overseas elections they were pretty minor. Its up to these bods to form a stable government. If it is beyond them, then they should advise the GG that they are unable to form a government and it will be back to the ballot boxes again. Only this time the public will have judged them on their inabilities.
Even if they manage to form a government, there will be no honeymoon period. Already the electorate is sick and tired of the manipulations and perambulations and the parties playing games with each other.
+100 Mike…..I am getting really tired of hearing Luxon say "strong and stable"….couldn't he say "robust and solid" or one of many other options available, just so that I can have some confidence he has a working brain.
As mentioned before, "strong and stable" became a running joke in UK politics. Given the number of NZ voters who have spent time in the UK or even just follow the news from a distance, he'd be well advised to drop it. (But judging by many of his utterances, he doesn't like taking advice).
Greens and Te Pāti Māori are likely to be the main opposition force in this Parliamentary term unless NZ Labour finally retire Rogernomics…(some of us live in hope I guess…) but yes Greens and TPM certainly need to get moving as do the NZCTU and other NGOs.
The hiatus effectively lets the Natzos determine the narrative yet again as they are prone to.
If we want Labour to move away from the neo liberal paradigm, get involved.
Join your local LEC, start drafting remits to submit to yoir local conference.Not everything in Labour is top down. If the flax roots overwhelmingly want to nationalise infrastructure, (for example) the Policy Council must listen.
The MSM response to the cone of silence from Luxon though hasn't been to report on TPM or the Greens or even remark on the apparent insouciance of corporate guy Luxon to democratic accountability – it's been to lazily carry on it's jihad against Labour's now largely irrelevant ex-ministers.
This fits with the wider MSM media pattern in NZ – a rump, decimated and intellectually uncurious press corps with a lazy ambient acceptance of right wing rule combined with a bullying policing of the opposition fueled by press releases from from right wing propaganda fronts like the TPU.
I never thought for one minute people could find more hilarious clips but they are all better than mine…
2. Sandra L-C comment is true, but to us peasants it's all about who wone how many seats. In a more formal way, it's about who took what oath. The coalition of chaos are no more the government than the left 3 parties are the opposition. This is because Luxon (as leader of the biggest-polling party) needs to go to the Governor-General with a coalition agreement, upon which the GG then "…makes it so…". So, in a formal sense, Labour is the nearest thing to a government we have at the moment, although they can't go making decisions that would bind the incoming government, to a great extent.
3. Tiger Mountain, you're absolutely right, because in 2026, Labour hopes to be where National is at the moment. Luxon's put many feet in his mouth by promising everything to everybody and I think his "Get out of jail free card" will be that he had to make some compromises to get the coalition over the line. Normally, that would work, but Luxon's talked up his negotiating skills so much that I think many National voters expect a National govrernment, with a few crumbs thrown to NZF and ACT in order to get their support for a coalition.
So, going back to your point, Tiger Mountain, the last thing Labour wants to be guilty of is making important promises that it then has to reneg on (which I think is where Luxon has put National).
4. Maybe or maybe not the media is right-wing friendly, but primarily it is still the media. If it can't create stories about good news, it will slowly start to write about whatever Luxon is doing. Think of it like a merry-go-round. The media writes stories that it things will sell papers (for example). In other words, it writes what it thinks people think because people will fork out money to read news that supports their own point of view. If/as people become dissatisfied with the incoming coalition, the medial will shift and write those stories, instead.
5. If I was Hipkins/Labour, today I would be publicly offering to lead a delegation to APEC, and take along someone from the incoming government. By virtue of his oath, Hipkins can sign off on things (I think) but would need to discuss such decisions with someone from the incoming government.
If I was Luxon, I would prefer no-one goes to APEC than to send a representative from the caretaking government. If no-one goes, APEC delegates would soon forget about little old NZ, but if Hipkins goes, the delegates will be constantly reminded that the results came out a while back and Luxon hasn't reached a consensus yet.
However, for the sake of New Zealand (politics aside) I think it's important that someone represents NZ at such an important occasion. I don't agree that "…hey, there'll be other APECs". An offer from Labour today would leave National between a rock and hard place. Send Labour or send nobody, neither of which is a good outcome.
Call me a right wing optimist looking at things through rose coloured glasses if you like.
But I think it is a good think for negotiations in any setting to be hard fought rather than easy. I think negotiations that are hard fought tend to be more sustainable in the long run. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, if negotiations are easy, then either party may feel they could have done better. Whereas in hard fought negotiations, parties may believe they have wrung as much out of the process as they can.
And, secondly, if negotiations are easy, then there has been a lot less commitment by either party to the negotiations. On the other hand, where both sides have invested a lot of time and effort in the negotiation process, they are less likely to walk away because their commitment has been a lot higher through the process.
I think we saw this in the result after Labour's first term in that the relationship lasted the full term. Likewise, when my wife was selling real estate, the deals we worried about most were the easy ones, because they were more likely to collapse whereas the hard fought deals tended to settle.
So, in the case of the current negotiations, from a right wing perspecitive it is probably a good thing if the negotiations are hard fought. Because then all parties will think they got the best deal they could, and they will be a lot more committed to the relationship going forward.
From a left wing perspective the best outcome would likely be a quick and easy deal because those deals may fall apart just as easily.
The Better Public Media has been ruled a Charity by the Court.
Some of the things that they advocate for resonate for me.
It believes well-funded public media – be it news, drama or documentary – not reliant on ratings or clicks, would lead to greater social cohesion.
“For example, people often think the wider world beyond their suburb is unsafe because of exaggerated crime coverage in the news,” Thomas said.
“If the only news media we have is shallow and ignores policies to focus on 'the horse race', then politicians who want to be elected will tailor their messages accordingly.
“There are examples of this from the election such as National’s bootcamp policy and Labour’s GST on food policy. Both policies are proven to be ineffective but in a 30-second soundbite they resonate. I really think that is a terrible way for decisions to be made.”
Couldnt agree more Ian, in the 70s my old old man used to complain about all the murders of which in reality there were less than previous decades . My reasoning to him was that in the 50s he got the 2Minute Silence also known as the Marlborough Express which didn't even have a front page, that was all ads, but the murders were a week old in a small column on maybe the 3rd page, whereas even in the 70s they were first item on the 6)Çlock News delivered to his own lounge so it just looked as though there were. Now, videographers do more kilometres than RamRaiders tearing around Auckland following them to record it all.
According to Simon Wilson in the (paywalled) Herald today, Luxon "..should establish a high-powered Fix Auckland Group, with direct access to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet…"
Ah yes, FAG. Groundswell might find the name appropriate. In any event, obviously their first move would be to restore car parks on K road.
But but but the supercity was supposed to fix all Auckland's problems……….
Anyway look forward to Groundswell's FonTerror banners as they protest their green policies.
Fonterra says its milk will be 30% greener in seven years – by encouraging farmers to plant trees, treat cow pats and introduce methane-cutting tools.
The announcement is the first time the co-op, the country’s biggest emitter, has asked its farmers to take steps to reduce emissions.
The company is under pressure to reduce the greenhouse footprint of its dairy, because its biggest customers, including Nestlé and Danone, have introduced science-led climate goals.
Mr Merger and Aquisitions' insistence on telling us about his need for a strong and stable government's going to provide some wonderful responses after the coalition's up and running. Even if it doesn't collapse midway through, anything involving Winston Peters and David Seymour's never going to be strong and stable. Whoever came up with Luxon's meme surely didn't envisage the precise outcome of the election, but you'd at least think he'd stop trotting it out at every opportunity.
Luxon has no one to blame but himself reaching out to NZ first increased their popularity and reduced Nationals popularity.Now by signaling he wants to be at Apec Luxon set himself up to be made a fool of twice.Now he is saying low and middle income earners will get tax cuts that's signaling that Nationals tax cuts are being re-written. More dead rats to swallow while Winston willows in Luxon's back tracking ,oh I'm the best negotiator (Trump like)our bottom line will not be compromised a lot of walking back for Luxon and still no govt.This is 1996 all over again Peter's is making Luxon squirm .Luxon has only one other choice go to the electorate again and that will not be popular as all the time wasted.
One has years of experience in politics and forming government and yet the man who would bring his managerial competence to government did not know him.
And the man who did, but who has never formed a coalition government in all his years as an MP, thought that he could instruct another party’s leader to meet his terms for coalition or require consent to every government action (this before his party polling numbers halved and enabled the ultimate triumph of the one who plays his hand after the votes are all counted).
So it has come to this.
Tick tock.
Bird of the century results are coming.
US slang. flipping the bird : to make an offensive gesture at (someone) by pointing the middle finger upward while keeping the other fingers folded down.
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Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result? As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and always answered “yes”, with very few ...
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I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
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Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes 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). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
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The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
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Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
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Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
By Kaneta Naimatu in Suva Journalists in the Pacific region play an important role as the “eyes and ears on the ground” when it comes to reporting the climate crisis, says the European Union’s Pacific Ambassador Barbara Plinkert. Speaking at The University of the South Pacific (USP) on World Press ...
Aldora Itunu is back in the Black Ferns squad after a three-year absence. The last of her 24 internationals was an underwhelming loss to France (7-29) in Castres to conclude the disastrous 2021 Northern Tour. The powerhouse prop won a Rugby World Cup in 2017 and thought she was done. ...
The fight to control major transport policy and projects in Auckland has burst into the open again, with councillors rejecting Mayor Wayne Brown’s latest attempt to steer things more under his influence. Councillors from the left and right broke ranks on the mayor’s bid to control Auckland Transport more directly ...
Exhausted by the general election campaign, horrified by the twilight zone of coalition negotiations, distracted by the silly season and waiting for the honeymoon to begin, Raw Politics has been in hibernation since October. From today, we’re back. Our weekly political video show and podcast returns for ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Authorities in the small town of Boulouparis have commemorated Armistice Day on May 8 with a new memorial honouring New Zealand soldiers who were stationed in New Caledonia during World War II. The ceremony took place in the township on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior lecturer, international migration and refugee law, University of Technology Sydney The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where they do not “voluntarily” cooperate with their own ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Munro, Lecturer, Creative Industries and Digital Media, University of South Australia Twenty-four hours after the release of Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song Hind’s Hall on social media on May 7, the video had already notched up over 24 million views. In ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
350 Aotearoa is calling the Environment Select Committee’s decision to allow oral submissions from just 40% of individual, unique submitters who asked to speak to the committee ‘a disgraceful blight to democracy’. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Helal, Assistant Dean (Sustainability), The University of Melbourne Dubai skylineAleksandarPasaric/Pexels Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies – from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of ancient cathedrals and mosques. Today ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Musole, PhD Law Student, University of New England Girts Ragelis/ShutterstockRecent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with ...
Papua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yousuf Mohammed, Dermatology researcher, The University of Queensland Maridav/Shutterstock You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re sleep wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your ...
The Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell?Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...
A new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...
The New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...
By Kamna Kumar in Suva Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme. Under the theme “A Planet for ...
Tara Ward previews a new local TV series offering alternative visions of motherhood. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. A woman is clambering up the side of her two-story house, clinging desperately to a drainpipe. Nearby, her child is perched on the ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...
The Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...
Its new building in Wellington will not be nearly big enough for all its records, and it has also run out of money to build its new storage facility in Levin. ...
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
The club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors.“There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By César Albarrán-Torres, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology Apple TV+ As one of billions of bilingual individuals in the world, it disappoints me when a film or TV show with characters of a non-English-speaking background is ...
The under-utilised course is a waste of space, and with a little political will, it could be turned into something better. For the duration of her stay in Wellington, my long-suffering cousin listened to me rant about golf courses. They’re bad for the environment: water intensive and pesticide heavy. They ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, Podcast at MissPerceived, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows US fertility rates dropped 2% in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Corderoy, Medical doctor and PhD candidate studying involuntary psychiatric treatment, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney shop_py/Shutterstock Picture two people, both suffering from a serious mental illness requiring hospital admission. One was born in Australia, the other in Asia. Hopefully, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Treby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University P.j.Hickox, Shutterstock Peatlands store more carbon per square metre than any other ecosystem on Earth. These waterlogged, mossy bogs beat even dense rainforests for their ability to act as carbon reservoirs. Under the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Goss, Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra Government spending on health has been growing so rapidly that a decade ago the then health minister Peter Dutton called it “unmanageable” and “unsustainable”. Health spending grew in real terms by ...
New Zealand's largest electricity distributor is warning the country to hurry up with controls around charging electric vehicles or face unnecessary bills running into the billions. ...
New Zealanders have been asked to conserve energy this morning to combat a possible electricity shortfall, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A call to conserve power New Zealand is facing a possible electricity shortfall, with people up ...
Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams?The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...
Wellington City Council should keep its 34% ownership share in Wellington International Airport, argue Unions Wellington spokespeople Finn Cordwell and Ashok Jacob. Insanity, as the saying goes, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Wellington City Council (WCC) is yet again proposing to dispose ...
New Zealand’s largest book publisher has undergone drastic changes this week, leaving its future role in local publishing uncertain. Two of the most recognisable local publishers in New Zealand are among those restructured out of Penguin Random House, it was announced this week. Head of publishing Claire Murdoch will leave ...
In 2021 the Public Interest Journalism Fund launched the Te Rito Journalism project, a $2.4 million initiative to boost diversity in New Zealand’s newsrooms. The initiative was in response to the decades-long shortage of Māori and Pacific journalists in the media industry. It was billed as New Zealand’s ...
The Black Ferns Sevens appeared to be a mile behind Australia at the halfway point of the 2023-24 SVNS international circuit. Winless in three tournaments, a cup quarter-final exit in Perth was one of their worst results. To add insult to injury, talismanic skipper Sarah Hirini had been ruled out ...
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Successive governments have tried, and failed, to count Māori. But with the return of social investment, it’s more important than ever to get good data. The post Government looks for a better way to count Māori appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Experts in financing social investment initiatives say New Zealand is in a prime position to tackle social issues via a social investment approach The post What will Willis’ social investment fund look like? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist A former Tuvalu prime minister says while the New Zealand government’s oil and gas plans show it is concerned about its economy, he is more concerned about the livelihoods and survival of the Tuvalu people. Enele Sopoaga — who still serves as an MP ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Many people who follow federal budgets know about the magnificent “budget tree” in a parliamentary courtyard, which turns a glorious red in time for the May event. This week Treasurer Jim Chalmers posed by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Bennett, Professor of Music, Australian National University Richard P J Lambert/flickr, CC BY The future belongs to the analogue loyalists. Fuck digital. As a tsunami of CDs, DAT tapes and samplers swept the recording industry in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Strong, Associate professor, Music Industry, RMIT University This week American rapper Macklemore released a new track, Hind’s Hall, which has gained a lot of attention because of its explicitly political nature. The track is unapologetically pro-Palestine. It declares the artist’s ...
Explainer - The government from 2025 is mandating how state schools teach children to read. But what is structured literacy and how does it compare to other teaching methods? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danica Jenkins, Lecturer in European Studies, University of Sydney On a freezing spring night in March, Georgia’s national soccer team beat Greece in a nail-biter penalty shootout to qualify for the Euro 2024 championships. The atmosphere on the streets of the capital ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam G. Arian, Lecturer (Accounting & Finance), Australian Catholic University Loic Manegarium/Pexels Imagine every ton of carbon dioxide a company emits is slowly inflating its costs — not just in terms of potential fines or fees but in the capital it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Somwrita Sarkar, Senior Lecturer in Design and Computation, University of Sydney The “latte line” is the infamous, invisible boundary that divides Sydney between the more affluent north-east and the south-west. Historically, people north of the line enjoy better access to jobs and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dowdy, Principal Research Scientist in Extreme Weather, The University of Melbourne Nomad_Soul/Shutterstock In media articles about unprecedented flooding, you’ll often come across the statement that for every 1°C of warming, the atmosphere can hold about 7% more moisture. This ...
RNZ Pacific Former Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has been sentenced to one year in prison, Fiji media are reporting. Bainimarama, alongside suspended Fiji Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho appeared in the High Court in Suva today for their sentencing hearing for a case involving their roles in blocking a police ...
Behind the scenes coalition negotiations 😜
https://youtu.be/hlb-lXypMyI?si=SPVubYtzqLWq-yaN
I prefer this one:
https://twitter.com/watershitdown/status/1721238198322598158
Haha.
On a serious note, I want to know WTF Luxon/Seymour/Peters were doing in the three weeks after the election when they knew the probable outcome given the way specials usually go. They should have had a deal just about sewed up before the final result was announced.
I'm suspicious that that they are dragging this out on purpose to blame the specials and so change voting eligibility to favour the Right. That is, to dump same day registration, and perhaps other measures like needing to bring ID when voting.
Luxon and seymour were praying they wouldn't need Winston instead of being grown ups.
The obvious change would be count the party vote portion of the specials in the booth they are cast and include them in the provisional results on the night. Sure there might be some disqualified etc but unless it was a really close election we would have a much better idea of where things sit before the final result is issued.
That sounds like a really practical suggestion.
There would be a bit of double handling. Counting special votes, for the party element – before they were reallocated to the batch going to a specific electorate – but it shouldn't be too challenging to manage.
Given that there are usually tens of thousands of votes separating even the closest of results – and that the same margin is required to flip seats at the party level – even a small minority of uncounted informal votes would be unlikely to affect the result. They would, of course, be properly counted and accounted for in the 'final' result (although, given the current performance of the EC, perhaps not).
Good idea Crickle.
I guess if they started obviously behaving like they had won already they might have incurred some negative pushback, something like what happened to National in 2005. But the real reason is more like what you suggest, Luxon really had no idea of whether he could cobble together a working government with the desperados surrounding him. He still doesn't, despite all the smiles and obligatory mutterings about "good working relationships" and "having a common goal".
They have nothing of the sort, this will be a government with its only common factors being hatred of the outgoing government, plus greed and arrogance. If Luxon can make a government that lasts the full term then he is a better man than I think he is.
But it is so typical of the right to blame others for their own failings. The system delivered the result, not without some errors and problems, but compared with overseas elections they were pretty minor. Its up to these bods to form a stable government. If it is beyond them, then they should advise the GG that they are unable to form a government and it will be back to the ballot boxes again. Only this time the public will have judged them on their inabilities.
Even if they manage to form a government, there will be no honeymoon period. Already the electorate is sick and tired of the manipulations and perambulations and the parties playing games with each other.
+100 Mike…..I am getting really tired of hearing Luxon say "strong and stable"….couldn't he say "robust and solid" or one of many other options available, just so that I can have some confidence he has a working brain.
As mentioned before, "strong and stable" became a running joke in UK politics. Given the number of NZ voters who have spent time in the UK or even just follow the news from a distance, he'd be well advised to drop it. (But judging by many of his utterances, he doesn't like taking advice).
Strong and stable – Wikipedia
A couple of alternatives:
Rigid and resistant
Rigid and reluctant
Tony "Priceless".
OMG. Thanks for this Tony. Can't stop laughing
King Christopher the Great. (His view anyway.)
At some point the Opposition will have to wake up and be an Opposition.
While we're waiting for Labour to finally move off the throne, maybe the Greens and Maori Party could do the job they were just voted to do.
Greens and Te Pāti Māori are likely to be the main opposition force in this Parliamentary term unless NZ Labour finally retire Rogernomics…(some of us live in hope I guess…) but yes Greens and TPM certainly need to get moving as do the NZCTU and other NGOs.
The hiatus effectively lets the Natzos determine the narrative yet again as they are prone to.
If we want Labour to move away from the neo liberal paradigm, get involved.
Join your local LEC, start drafting remits to submit to yoir local conference.Not everything in Labour is top down. If the flax roots overwhelmingly want to nationalise infrastructure, (for example) the Policy Council must listen.
The Opposition cannot be in Opposition until they are in Opposition!.
That is true of Labour.
Anyone else it's a free hit.
The MSM response to the cone of silence from Luxon though hasn't been to report on TPM or the Greens or even remark on the apparent insouciance of corporate guy Luxon to democratic accountability – it's been to lazily carry on it's jihad against Labour's now largely irrelevant ex-ministers.
This fits with the wider MSM media pattern in NZ – a rump, decimated and intellectually uncurious press corps with a lazy ambient acceptance of right wing rule combined with a bullying policing of the opposition fueled by press releases from from right wing propaganda fronts like the TPU.
2. Sandra L-C comment is true, but to us peasants it's all about who wone how many seats. In a more formal way, it's about who took what oath. The coalition of chaos are no more the government than the left 3 parties are the opposition. This is because Luxon (as leader of the biggest-polling party) needs to go to the Governor-General with a coalition agreement, upon which the GG then "…makes it so…". So, in a formal sense, Labour is the nearest thing to a government we have at the moment, although they can't go making decisions that would bind the incoming government, to a great extent.
3. Tiger Mountain, you're absolutely right, because in 2026, Labour hopes to be where National is at the moment. Luxon's put many feet in his mouth by promising everything to everybody and I think his "Get out of jail free card" will be that he had to make some compromises to get the coalition over the line. Normally, that would work, but Luxon's talked up his negotiating skills so much that I think many National voters expect a National govrernment, with a few crumbs thrown to NZF and ACT in order to get their support for a coalition.
So, going back to your point, Tiger Mountain, the last thing Labour wants to be guilty of is making important promises that it then has to reneg on (which I think is where Luxon has put National).
4. Maybe or maybe not the media is right-wing friendly, but primarily it is still the media. If it can't create stories about good news, it will slowly start to write about whatever Luxon is doing. Think of it like a merry-go-round. The media writes stories that it things will sell papers (for example). In other words, it writes what it thinks people think because people will fork out money to read news that supports their own point of view. If/as people become dissatisfied with the incoming coalition, the medial will shift and write those stories, instead.
5. If I was Hipkins/Labour, today I would be publicly offering to lead a delegation to APEC, and take along someone from the incoming government. By virtue of his oath, Hipkins can sign off on things (I think) but would need to discuss such decisions with someone from the incoming government.
If I was Luxon, I would prefer no-one goes to APEC than to send a representative from the caretaking government. If no-one goes, APEC delegates would soon forget about little old NZ, but if Hipkins goes, the delegates will be constantly reminded that the results came out a while back and Luxon hasn't reached a consensus yet.
However, for the sake of New Zealand (politics aside) I think it's important that someone represents NZ at such an important occasion. I don't agree that "…hey, there'll be other APECs". An offer from Labour today would leave National between a rock and hard place. Send Labour or send nobody, neither of which is a good outcome.
Sorry, "…neither of which may be a good outcome for the incoming coalition, but it is the best thing for NZ as a whole, IMHO…"
(Not feeling well today).
Get well soon.
Call me a right wing optimist looking at things through rose coloured glasses if you like.
But I think it is a good think for negotiations in any setting to be hard fought rather than easy. I think negotiations that are hard fought tend to be more sustainable in the long run. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, if negotiations are easy, then either party may feel they could have done better. Whereas in hard fought negotiations, parties may believe they have wrung as much out of the process as they can.
And, secondly, if negotiations are easy, then there has been a lot less commitment by either party to the negotiations. On the other hand, where both sides have invested a lot of time and effort in the negotiation process, they are less likely to walk away because their commitment has been a lot higher through the process.
I think we saw this in the result after Labour's first term in that the relationship lasted the full term. Likewise, when my wife was selling real estate, the deals we worried about most were the easy ones, because they were more likely to collapse whereas the hard fought deals tended to settle.
So, in the case of the current negotiations, from a right wing perspecitive it is probably a good thing if the negotiations are hard fought. Because then all parties will think they got the best deal they could, and they will be a lot more committed to the relationship going forward.
From a left wing perspective the best outcome would likely be a quick and easy deal because those deals may fall apart just as easily.
The Better Public Media has been ruled a Charity by the Court.
Some of the things that they advocate for resonate for me.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/advocating-for-stronger-public-media-a-charitable-cause-court-rules?utm_source=Newsroom&utm_campaign=507cd68e07-Daily_Briefing+14.11.2023&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_71de5c4b35-507cd68e07-95522477&mc_cid=507cd68e07&mc_eid=88a3081e75
Couldnt agree more Ian, in the 70s my old old man used to complain about all the murders of which in reality there were less than previous decades . My reasoning to him was that in the 50s he got the 2Minute Silence also known as the Marlborough Express which didn't even have a front page, that was all ads, but the murders were a week old in a small column on maybe the 3rd page, whereas even in the 70s they were first item on the 6)Çlock News delivered to his own lounge so it just looked as though there were. Now, videographers do more kilometres than RamRaiders tearing around Auckland following them to record it all.
According to Simon Wilson in the (paywalled) Herald today, Luxon "..should establish a high-powered Fix Auckland Group, with direct access to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet…"
Ah yes, FAG. Groundswell might find the name appropriate. In any event, obviously their first move would be to restore car parks on K road.
But but but the supercity was supposed to fix all Auckland's problems……….
Anyway look forward to Groundswell's FonTerror banners as they protest their green policies.
Fonterra says its milk will be 30% greener in seven years – by encouraging farmers to plant trees, treat cow pats and introduce methane-cutting tools.
The announcement is the first time the co-op, the country’s biggest emitter, has asked its farmers to take steps to reduce emissions.
The company is under pressure to reduce the greenhouse footprint of its dairy, because its biggest customers, including Nestlé and Danone, have introduced science-led climate goals.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/133258547/fonterra-pledges-to-make-milk-production-30-greener-by-2030
In respect to treating cow pats, an obvious solution is dung beetles.
Here's a few minutes of a local effort (Sth Wairarapa).
Across the ditch ANZ CEO Shayne Shayne Elliott says the Australian dream of home ownership “has become the preserve of the rich" in The Australian.
Here ANZ just increased profit by 10% with an incoming govt that has policies that will make home ownership less affordable than it is now.
Interesting times for the banks who see a market in decline that they've plundered for all it's worth.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/301007984/tova-obrien-christopher-luxons-inexperience-costs-him-international-power-play
Mr Merger and Aquisitions' insistence on telling us about his need for a strong and stable government's going to provide some wonderful responses after the coalition's up and running. Even if it doesn't collapse midway through, anything involving Winston Peters and David Seymour's never going to be strong and stable. Whoever came up with Luxon's meme surely didn't envisage the precise outcome of the election, but you'd at least think he'd stop trotting it out at every opportunity.
I wonder if luxon has ever beaten a hostile take over by 2 smaller companies off !
bwaghorn, ‘ Hostile takeover by two smaller companies" lol
Luxon thought he was in control "till he wasn't. Back to the Market?
I don't think luxons clever enough to manage Winston, it'll either be a disaster 3 years or Winston will get alot of nzf policy done.
There's at least 3 more years of scripted slogans unless he gets rolled by his more ambitious colleagues.
He’s a tad loose off the cuff with comments like bottom feeders so he'll likely stick to the safety rails a script offers.
I hear that spud head is not going to Apec. Lucky Apec. The absence of a grinning gargoyle would be a plus
Crikey Tova
Luxon has no one to blame but himself reaching out to NZ first increased their popularity and reduced Nationals popularity.Now by signaling he wants to be at Apec Luxon set himself up to be made a fool of twice.Now he is saying low and middle income earners will get tax cuts that's signaling that Nationals tax cuts are being re-written. More dead rats to swallow while Winston willows in Luxon's back tracking ,oh I'm the best negotiator (Trump like)our bottom line will not be compromised a lot of walking back for Luxon and still no govt.This is 1996 all over again Peter's is making Luxon squirm .Luxon has only one other choice go to the electorate again and that will not be popular as all the time wasted.
Elders of Tik Tok
Three blind mice
Too many to
make the clock
run on time
One has years of experience in politics and forming government and yet the man who would bring his managerial competence to government did not know him.
And the man who did, but who has never formed a coalition government in all his years as an MP, thought that he could instruct another party’s leader to meet his terms for coalition or require consent to every government action (this before his party polling numbers halved and enabled the ultimate triumph of the one who plays his hand after the votes are all counted).
So it has come to this.
Tick tock.
Bird of the century results are coming.
US slang. flipping the bird : to make an offensive gesture at (someone) by pointing the middle finger upward while keeping the other fingers folded down.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/133291298/pteketeke-wins-bird-of-the-century-with-a-record-number-of-votes-placed-in-2023
Hippy tutai
https://youtu.be/an_4rfU8y8k?si=UpyDIZ0XoQi5j932
All IO gifts are special to me ie
https://youtu.be/jZHcuKeau8M?si=X8IIQyAEFNZIAK4d